The old scientist, Ludwig, was at odds right now.
Walking in front of him was an exceptional experimental subject; a mystery waiting to be cut up and studied.
Ludwig wanted to lunge at the boy, strap him to a chair, and cut him open. But alas, he could not, because walking beside the young boy was one of the empire's strongest soldiers, Ghost.
Ghost's full black armor and the constantly flowing mist shrouding his towering stature made him a terrifying force of nature.
"Don't even think about it," said Ghost.
Ghost had sensed the scientist's intense gaze-a gaze he knew far too well-linger between him and the boy.
Ludwig let out a nervous chuckle in response, "I wouldn't dare."
Ghost did not respond, but he instead continued walking forward with the boy alongside him.
The small boy remained silent throughout Ghost and Ludwig's minor exchange, listening and feeling even the slightest change in their demeanor.
The three figures came to a halt in front of a large metallic door with the words Sector B painted on its frame.
Ludwig stepped forward as he reached for something inside his long lab coat.
After a few seconds of searching, he pulled out a small metallic passkey and placed it on the screen next to the large door.
And with a small-
BEEP
The large door slid open, revealing even more rooms.
As the three figures entered the dark hallway of Sector B, flickering lights cast a faint, eerie red glow on the rooms.
The boy could sense that the number of rooms had significantly decreased, yet the smell of rotting bodies lingered in the air.
As the three figures reached the end of the hallway, Ludwig once again stepped forward and opened another large door.
As the boy stepped through the door, he could sense a significant difference in the atmosphere of this new area; the air felt dense, filled with an unknown dark energy.
The smell of rotting bodies had faded, and the air lingered with faint traces of ethyr.
"It seems the children of Sector A have already moved out.", said Ludwig.
"To think some could even break the iron doors.", he continued.
"Go prepare the weeding. I will bring C89.", said Ghost as he pulled the boy to another area.
Ludwig simply nodded in agreement as he vanished in a flash of blue light.
Ghost and the boy entered what seemed to be a large storage room filled with different weapons and gear; from maces to guns and armour, many items hung on the white walls of the room.
After a few seconds of surveying the room, Ghost pulled an over sized bodysuit from one shelf and placed it in the boy's hands.
"Remove your clothes, C89."
"I can dress myself."
A strange silence followed as both Ghost and the boy looked at each other.
"Very well.", said Ghost, breaking the awkward silence as he turned to leave the room.
"When you finish, come out through that door.", and in an instant Ghost vanished in a trail of mist.
Left alone, C89 pressed his fingers across his body, as he assessed his condition; something was different about his body, but he couldn't figure it out. He felt a faint lingering sensation inside him; an ember of the previous heat flickered in his chest, but he quickly dismissed it as he focused on his current situation.
C89 pressed his fingers against the bodysuit in his hands before putting it on, and in an instant, the over sized bodysuit adjusted to his frame.
After assessing his body, he made his way out of the room as instructed by Ghost.
C89 felt a drastic change in atmosphere as he stepped out of the large storage room.
The air felt dense.
The pressure palpable, as every figure in the massive colosseum turned to face him.
A multitude of ethyr honed in on him as he continued further into the room.
He sensed it, the figures in front of him were children, and among them were a few with unique ethyr but none of that mattered to him.
C89 dismissed all the children's gazes as he walked through them.
His long, matte black hair that veiled his eyes and the ominous energy that surrounded him; an aura that screamed death, made many avoid his path.
C89 stopped at an isolated table in a corner of the massive bright arena, but as he sat down-
HUM
A soft hum echoed through the colosseum as a large holographic screen appeared in the air before an old croaky voice rang out.
"Now then. Since all of you are finally here, the weeding shall begin."
Everyone darted their attention to the holographic screen, their confusion visible as they tried to understand the meaning behind the mysterious figure's cryptic words, but then-
SWOOSH
In an instant, the room went pitch black.
"Embrace the darkness and survive."