Alicarde's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the harsh white light that illuminated the room. He found himself inside a transparent capsule, the cold glass encasing him in a sterile, high-tech prison.
His body felt odd—light as a feather, yet heavy at the sa ti. A low, almost inaudible droning sound filled the air, making it hard to focus.
A strange shift in his perception unsettled him, as if he were floating, his body creating its own center of gravity, independent from the earth. The alien sensation gave him a mild feeling of vertigo, coupled with the lingering weakness in his limbs. Though the burning sensation of the Whitewood ash still remained, it was far less intense than before.
Sothing was wrong inside his head too, a strange presence lurking in his ntal scape, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
'What the hell did that psychotic doctor do to ?' Alicarde thought, his mind racing. He decided it would be better to first assess his surroundings before jumping to conclusions.
The lab he was in was different from the one he had seen earlier. The air was filled with the hum of advanced machinery, and around him, grotesque experints floated in various capsules and tanks.
The sight made his stomach churn. A morbid fusion of genes and body parts from different creatures swirled in greenish fluid, monstrous chiras crafted from twisted imagination and science.
He quickly shifted his focus away from the experints and examined the overall lab. Clean tallic panels lined the walls, their surfaces broken by glowing screens and diagnostic equipnt displaying strange charts and data.
The sterile scent of antiseptic clung to the air, but beneath it, sothing more organic and unsettling lingered. It felt illegal, dangerous even, he would call the police but who could trust the law in tis like these?
Rows of capsules lined the room, each housing a different creature. The sight brought back a mory—Ana.
She had once told him she wasn't human, claiming she was nothing more than a tool. He'd laughed it off, teasing her, but she had painted a grim picture of an alchemist's lab, describing creatures not unlike the ones before him now.
He rembered telling her he didn't care what she was, much to her chagrin.
'Yeah, so these are chiras. They feel quite powerful,' Alicarde thought, assessing the creatures' strength.
The creatures, suspended in their fluid, were abominations—patchworks of different animal parts stitched together with brutal precision. One had the powerful limbs of a bear, the wings of an eagle, and the eyes of a snake.
'How the hell would that even fly?' Alicarde wondered.
Another had the body of a lion, the tentacles of an octopus, and the tail of a scorpion. Each one exuded a sense of power, but despite their grotesque forms, they weren't as terrifying as Zagarath.
Alicarde clenched his fists, his defeat at Zagarath's hands still fresh in his mind.
He shifted his gaze to the shadows, feeling the presence of sothing familiar—the bicorn. It was here, watching. He considered using the beast to break free, but it was a dangerous gamble. If he released it while still restrained, he'd likely beco its first target.
'Is this really the best plan?' Alicarde thought, his heart racing. 'Am I still going to be afraid? A coward? A weakling?'
His eyes returned to the chaotic workstation. Vials, syringes, and notebooks filled with mad scrawlings littered the table. Monitors displayed real-ti data from the capsules, alongside live feeds of the chiras.
Wires and tubes snaked from the capsules to large machines that hissed and clicked rhythmically, maintaining the life support and monitoring systems.
That's when he noticed his guitar case—it lay open, empty. His sword was nowhere to be found, and a sinking feeling of unease set in.
At the center of the lab, a large holographic display projected a 3D model of Alicarde's body, highlighting areas with pulsing red markers. It wasn't just unsettling, it was grotesque and creepy. Various severed limbs and organs that resembled his own floated in jars, preserved in a morbid display.
'What did that creep do to ?' Alicarde thought, anxiety bubbling inside him. 'How long have I been here?'
Before he could dwell on it, a voice cut through the air—the doctor's voice, gleeful and manic.
"Heeeheeee hahhahaaaahha! You're finally awake. Marvelous, wonderful, spectacular! Your body is the most excellent specin I've ever seen. When we captured you, we used a massive dosage, yet now, a few hours later, a continuous dosage ten tis stronger can't even keep you unconscious."
A few hours? Alicarde's eyes widened. Only a few hours? Relief washed over him, but it didn't last long.
Victor stepped forward, placing his hands on the glass of Alicarde's capsule.
"Your body adapts too quickly, using the damage to grow stronger while building resistance. Your mana levels increase with every cycle—it's fascinating!"
The deranged doctor leaned in, his tongue flicking out to lick the glass, making Alicarde grimace in disgust.
"So, did you like my gift? My elixir has unlocked new abilities within you. The first allows you to manipulate gravity within a certain radius. The other, well, we'll have to discover that one together—it's related to the mind." Victor giggled, spinning on his heels like an excited child.
"And I've got big data! I've made a minor breakthrough on my esper elixir!"
The sound of his manic laughter echoed in the lab, mixing with the hiss of the machines. Alicarde's mind raced as he processed the doctor's words, dread creeping up his spine.
'I really need to the hell get out of here... before it's too late.'
Alicarde just watched the mad scientist. He was too weak, the supposed new power he got was not in use. He had tried to activate it as soon as the doctor ntioned it, but the capsules were filled with a distracting frequency that threw him off.
Doctor Stein smirked, rubbing his hands together in mockery. "Oohhh, oops, did my little baby think you could escape just because you got so new tricks up your sleeve?"
The doctor cackled, hitting his chest as he broke into a wheezing cough.
"This capsule is enchanted, and the low sound frequency prevents ntal focus, which ans no esper powers. Muhahahahaha. I am such a mad genius!"
'At least he knows he's nuts' he mused unnerved by the mad man.
Alicarde's heart pounded in his chest. He had to escape, but the enchanted restraints and the capsule's thick glass made it nearly impossible. As he scanned the room, his mind raced with thoughts of how to outsmart the doctor and evade the terrifying chiras that surrounded him.
He considered many possibilities. He hadn't told Carrisa where he was going, or why. He had co here without attending his classes, which ant he hadn't t Elizalina or anyone for that matter. He shouldn't expect rescue anyti soon.
He smiled at the doctor. The capsule he was in was empty, so he could speak he just chose not to.
"So, what's up, doc? Are you enjoying my company? Just curious, what type of experint do you intend to perform now? No, what do we intend to perform?"
"We... did you just say 'we,' as in both of us?" the deranged doctor asked, his interest piqued.
"Yes, we... we're in this together," Alicarde smiled.
The doctor's face lit up with an excited grin. "Ahhh, wonderful, you've finally seen the light. Yes, why don't I show you, young cadaver, the true beauty of science?"
That was exactly the reaction Alicarde was hoping for. He didn't want to see anything—he just needed to buy ti. He revised his plan as the doctor rambled.
"Err, doctor, you haven't given the details on my mana yet. Did it improve by a lot? Because I feel like I have way more mana."
The doctor's smile grew even brighter. "Ohhh yes, after I cut you to pieces a few tis, your mana kept increasing. Hope you like the hospital gown, your clothes got shredded with your flesh when we put you through the at grinder."
"Huh...what th..." Alicarde quickly stopped himself and forced a smile.
His body trembled slightly. 'These assholes didn't just cut off a few limbs—they literally shredded .'
Alicarde forced another grin. "Ohhh, don't worry, doc, we're cool. It's all for the good of humanity." He smiled as he recalled a na the doctor had ntioned before. "Let's do it for Helen."
The doctor's deranged eyes welled up with tears. "Ohhh, cadaver, you are... you are a good man, a dead one, but still good."
"I'm not actually dead, but sure, whatever," Alicarde muttered.
"What...?" The doctor blinked in confusion.
Alicarde quickly forced a smile again. "It's nothing, doc. So, kind of wondering, can I get so food? Regenerating makes really hungry. I can't help it."
The doctor didn't seem to mind. "Is that so? How interesting. We'll have food delivered."
Alicarde felt a surge of hope. "Ahhh, thanks. But doctor, it's a bit hard to eat in here. Mind removing the restraints while I eat? And, uh, maybe bringing out of this capsule thingy?"
The doctor's face darkened with suspicion. He slamd the glass with a serious expression. "Did you think you could pull a fast one on ?"
Alicarde had expected that. The doctor wasn't stupid. "But doctor, we are literally in your lab, and you've got those chiras. I wouldn't even dream of escaping, how could I? We have a dream, for Helen."
Alicarde smiled, changing his tone as he addressed him. "You have to believe , Victor... you eting is fate, all so we can save Helen."
The doctor's manic eyes softened at the ntion of Helen. "With your strength, the odds of escape are low. Very well, then. We shall remove the restraints while you eat."
Alicarde grinned slyly. "Thanks, Vic, you're the man. No, the G.O.A.T. We do this for science."
Hearing Alicarde call him "Vic," the doctor's eyes widened with surprise, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He nodded his head slowly, overco with emotion, and left the lab room.
Alicarde let out a sigh of relief. Good thing the doctor was so deranged, and overconfident in their security asures. But they couldn't keep him restrained forever—this was a lab, after all, not a prison.
They would have to let him out eventually, though they'd likely have asures in place even if he was unrestrained. Either drugs or tech. He would find out soon enough, but not before he unleashed his trump card.
Then it's every man for himself.
Although mostly undecided, Alicarde didn't want to be the weak, pathetic man who needed to be saved by Carrisa. He wanted to be powerful.
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