The lab was a mess of overturned equipment, shattered glass, and discarded documents. The walls, once sterile white, now had streaks of crimson from the failed experiments. The hum of machines that once monitored and contained the experiments now echoed like a haunting reminder of what had been unleashed. Dr. Roland Kessler stood amidst the wreckage, eyes wide with feverish excitement. The once calm, methodical scientist had transformed into something much darker, consumed by the very thing he had sought to control.
The experiment had been a success. Kael's blood, mixed with synthetic agents and enhanced by Kessler's genetic modifications, had produced results far beyond what he had expected. His test subject,an ordinary soldier,had become stronger, faster, more resilient. But it hadn't been enough.
"I did it!" Kessler shouted, his voice ragged, almost delirious. His hands trembled as he inspected the blood samples and data. "I did it. They're perfect. They're more than human."
But perfection had a price. Kessler had pushed the boundaries of science far past ethical limits. His body trembled with the strain, his mind clouded by obsessions. He no longer saw the test subjects as people. They were tools....tools for his own new obsession and machinations.
It had started with just one test subject. Then two. Then the entire program exploded. The success, though, led to a realization.Kael's blood wasn't just an enhancement tool. It was a weapon, a way to rewrite humanity's future. And Kessler thought he would be its architect. He had left the government lab a while back but after his consecutive experiments he ran out of the most vital ingredient need for the making of his new squad of puppets.
Although he had quite a few soldiers under his command, he was reluctant to expend his first creations on the premise of clashing against the US government, but he had to get those supplies somehow.
In a dimly lit VIP room doctor Kessler could be seen sitting across a man who had a wild atmosphere around him, he oozed a sense of superiority and wildness. He reeked of alcohol and different fragrances of perfumes obviously gotten from the women who hung around him with little to nothing on themselves.
"...you use this serum on 30 of my men and I don't mind using my full manpower to get you the required ingredients, what do you say??" The man said out after listening to doctor Kessler's proposal, he had witnessed the efficiency of the serum and was eager to have a taste himself.
"Deal" Kessler agreed with no hesitation as a triumphant smile hung on his lips as he shook hands with the man.
----
The facility's attack came swiftly. A series of explosions rang out, shaking the earth beneath the compound. Sirens blared, and guards scrambled to respond, but it was already too late. Kessler's army, enhanced by the very blood they were stealing, was already inside. Their mission: to steal the research data, eliminate anyone who stood in their way, and unleash the chaos Kessler had promised.
Kessler's operatives moved through the halls with precision, their eyes blank and empty, driven by an insatiable need to protect their creator's work. The explosion outside had been a signal, an entrance for the underground organization that had backed Kessler's experiments ,the organization that wanted to use his creations to destabilize governments and plunge the world into anarchy.
Dr. Kessler was too far gone to see the destruction his creations had caused. He paced back and forth in his dimly lit office, muttering to himself, eyes darting across the floor-to-ceiling monitors.
He could see a single person walking directly into the burning facility without a single hint of hurry or panic , he stepped in calmly and majestically making Kessler's heart hasten. Although he hadn't seen this man in action but the experiments surely gave him an idea of how powerful the man might be.
"So you've come," Kessler whispered, his voice strained. "Although they aren't ready yet. But I will be. Thanks for coming here"
---
Kael had arrived at the facility a few hours after he was interupted at his cottage back at Spain,his eyes scanned the perimeter from the sky as he descended. His dark wings, one an abyssal black, the other a glowing, pure light , spread out like the dark wings of a fallen angel. He could feel the tension in the air, the thrum of something out of place. His blood was stirring, sensing his very essence, was being used against him, he couldn't help but growl in anger, although he hadn't noticed it yet but his dragon bloodline has started taking effect on him.
He landed outside the breached facility, the ground shaking under the force of distant explosions. Kessler's enhanced soldiers and the allied terrorist group were everywhere ,too many to count, but Kael wasn't intimidated.
"Get in there, Kael," he muttered to himself. "Find him. End this."
The facility was a labyrinth of hallways and control rooms. As Kael ventured deeper into the complex, he encountered the enhanced soldiers. They were faster than any human was supposed to be,humans turned into weapons. One rushed him with unnatural speed, a blade in hand. Kael parried with ease, knocking the blade aside and twisting the soldier's arm until it snapped. Another soldier lunged, but Kael was already moving, faster than the eye could follow, his wings slicing through the air like twin blades.
One by one, Kael dismantled the army, his mind focused on finding Kessler. He had spread his spiritual awareness and covered the whole facility, he could sense the vials that held his blood, he could sense more similar enhanced soldiers that seemed to be in hibernation state within the facility, he couldn't help but feel used. The government had first used his blood to create this and even with them having this soldiers, they still wanted him to deal with the mess. He was annoyed but kept moving nonetheless.
A voice crackled through the communication channel, low and taunting. "Kael... I knew you would come. But you've made a grave mistake. You're too late."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"
"What did I do?" Kessler's voice echoed with manic glee. "I created perfection. But I needed more. Your blood... your very essence is the key to my success. And now... now you're here to give me more."
As the last soldier fell to the ground, Kael's wings flared, and he turned to leave, his mind racing. Kessler's words were a threat, and Kael knew the scientist wouldn't stop until he had him completely under his control.
But before he could move, a loud explosion reverberated through the hallway. It was followed by screams. He spun toward the source, only to find Elara, her form unmistakable, her features panicked, yet strong as ever.
"Elara!" Kael shouted, his heart pounding. "What are you doing here?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she ran toward him, but before she could reach him, a team of Kessler's enhanced soldiers surged from the shadows.
They grabbed her, one man holding her by the arms, another pressing a cold steel barrel to her neck. Kael's heart froze as he saw her struggle against them, her eyes wide with terror.
"No!" Kael yelled, charging forward. But before he could take a step, a voice came from above.
"Kael…" Kessler's voice echoed, cold and triumphant. "You're too late. She's mine now. You want to stop me? Then you'll have to kill her. You'll have to kill the one person you care about."
The soldiers tightened their grip on Elara, and she gasped for breath, her eyes locked on Kael's, pleading with him to make the right decision. But Kael knew, there was no right decision here.
Kessler was a maniac, and he would use anyone to get what he wanted. Including Elara.
"I don't want this," Kael closed his eyes and slowly he regained his calm.
A laugh echoed through the facility as Kessler's voice continued, "You don't have a choice now, Kael. Either you come to me, or I'll end everything you hold dear."
Kael could feel the weight of Kessler's words, a heavy burden settling in his chest. His wings flared behind him, and his eyes still closed but one could tell he was about to make a move. But before he could act, Kessler's voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Elara stays with me. Come and see me, or lose her forever."
Kael didn't reply and stood still his eyes closed but his spiritual awareness made everything seem as if his eyes were open, he could see the terror in her eyes. He could have made a move to rescue her but one thing plagued his mind at the moment.
"Why didn't I sense her presence??"