Before I could go looking for her, two figures in lab coats appeared behind me

  “Aubrey, the time has come.” Their voices were neutral and almost robotic. Their visors concealed any trace of emotion.

  The other figure then pulled some kind of device from his pocket and pressed a button, which resulted in nothing… until I started to feel a slight tremor in my feet, intensifying until an elevator burst through the arena floor, with splinters flying everywhere.

  “Let's go.” Said the figure.

  I obeyed, but something still worries me. So, I turned around before the doors closed and I caught a glimpse of Lotus… She was in tears .

  The doors slammed shut with a dry bang—and with it, the fate of my ordinary life was also sealed.

  As the elevator hummed, various thoughts surfaced, among them, the one I pondered most was whether I was doing the right thing. All I wanted was to be able to protect those I love. I clenched my fists—seeing him go cold on the floor and the pleasure etched on their faces. I figured this was the best way to achieve it.

  However, after all the warnings, being the target of Kassidy's hatred, seeing Lotus like that… I can't help but feel like I made a mistake .

  “No turning back now, it’ll be worth it.”

  My fists turned white around the handrail, and no matter how confident I was, I was still haunted by a feeling of doubt.

  No matter how hard I try to forget, I can't underestimate the impact of these beings. The despair caused by Hideaki and the ruins left by Earth-Eater and the other animal Cogs …

  Standing beside the elevator, I delved deeper and deeper into my thoughts—Kassidy's fury, my ties, my reputation. Would I be persecuted like others before me?

  Then I suddenly stopped thinking, just as the elevator had reached its destination.

  “Miss Aubrey, we have arrived.”

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  As the doors opened, I expected to feel fresh air, but instead I was met with a still and dusty air, with chills running down my spine. Faulty lights flickered, struggling to keep the light on, along with various rusty structures and a moldy hospital bed. It wasn't a very healthy environment.

  "The procedure will take place in that tube." The figure then pointed to a containment tube.

  Inside it was a bubbling, dark blue liquid and several tools. Am I going to turn into a mutant by any chance?

  “Move, we don't have all day.”

  As I was ordered, I plunged myself into the tube. To my surprise, the liquid still allowed me to breathe., but I drifted away from the world, falling asleep as if the liquid contained anesthetics…

  Then I started to feel a tingling sensation in my body. I believe it's from the tools doing their job, but it could very well be something more .

  My flesh began to stiffen, although my skin remained in the same condition as before, and like tumors sprouting from my body, bright red spikes emerged from my shoulders, ankles, and even my nails sharpened and took on the same color.

  The pain was immense, like being struck by a rain of arrows; each thorn stung with a sharp pain, my vision went red, and my skull felt like it was about to crack from the migraine. Until it all stopped.

  The red of my vision darkened, and then I saw an almost demonic figure staring at me. The image was blurry, as if it weren't physically there, but rather invading my mind. It then began to speak in a hoarse, serpentine voice, the red glow of its eye piercing my soul:

  “Welcome, successor.”

  “Who are you?" I answered in my mind.

  “That doesn't matter now that you're one of us. Now, tell me. What is your name?”

  A minute later, I said:

  “My enemies will know the fury of Cacto.”

  “So enjoy your new life as a weapon of destruction.”

  “Now, if you'll excuse me, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!”

  And with a blinding light, I returned to the tube. The figures realized I had awakened and promptly removed me from the tube, with the liquid, now red, spilled on the floor, as if someone had died inside it.

  Then I started noticing changes in my body. I could see better, my body became more sensitive, and I felt a subtle increase in my physical strength.

  I also talked to the figures about my voice and they just told me not to worry about it, which worried me a little. One way or another, now I'm free and empowered.

  Aubrey’s gone. Out of the tube comes Cacto.

  End of Prologue