Near Death ExperienceBlood pooled beneath me, warm yet quickly cooling against the unforgiving pavement. My breaths came shallow, ragged, each one feeling like it might be my last. Pain burned through my ribs, my stomach, my legs—hell, everywhere. I tried to move, but my body refused, heavy with the weight of my injuries.The night sky above blurred as my vision darkened at the edges. How had it come to this?I forced my mind to rewind, piecing together the events that led me here.It was supposed to be a simple drive home. A quiet night. No trouble. But trouble had found me anyway. The black SUV had appeared out of nowhere, cutting me off and forcing my car to swerve into the abandoned side street. I barely had time to react before masked men emerged like shadows from the vehicle, their intentions clear.I fought. God knows I fought. My knuckles ached from the punches I’d landed. My ribs screamed from the blows I took in return. But I was outnumbered, overpowered, and in the end, le

First Bond – Stella VasquezThe scent of antiseptic and something faintly floral reached me before I saw her. I was staring at the floating system screen, my mind racing over the warning it had just given me, when the sound of heels clicking against the tiled floor pulled my attention back to the present.Then she walked in.Dr. Stella Vasquez.She was young for a doctor—late twenties, maybe early thirties. Dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, sharp hazel eyes that took in everything with a mix of curiosity and calculation. Her white coat fit perfectly over her frame, giving off an air of competence that wasn’t just for show.She paused at the doorway, glancing down at the tablet in her hands. "Caden Kelly?""That’s me," I said, shifting slightly against the stiff hospital bed.Her gaze lifted, meeting mine, and for a split second, something flickered across her face. Confusion.Like she recognized me.I frowned. "Do I know you?"She hesitated before stepping further into the room.

Obsidian HeittAdrenaline kicked in.I didn’t think—I acted.My pulse pounded in my ears as I spun away from the door, scanning the dimly lit hospital room for anything I could use as a weapon. My body was still sluggish from whatever they had injected me with, but my instincts screamed at me to move.Who were these guys?The system pulsed in my vision.[Threat Level: HIGH]No kidding.A soft knock on the door. “Mr. Kelly?”Not Stella.My grip tightened around the IV stand beside my bed. My knuckles turned white.I didn’t answer.The doorknob twisted.Shit.The door swung open, revealing a man dressed in a sleek black suit. His expression was unreadable—calm, calculating. Everything about him screamed authority.His eyes locked onto mine. “Caden Kelly,” he said smoothly. “I need you to come with us.”Yeah. That wasn’t happening.I moved.With every ounce of strength I had left, I swung the IV stand at his head. He was fast—faster than I expected—but I still managed to clip his shoulde

Trial by FireChaos.The explosion sent a shockwave through the facility, the floor trembling beneath me. The man in the suit cursed, his sharp composure cracking for the first time as he stood swiftly.I took my chance.I yanked against the cuffs, every muscle in my arms straining. Something inside me shifted—hot and electric. My vision pulsed, the edges flickering like static.[Strength Stat Boost Activated]Metal groaned—then snapped.I was free.The man turned just as I drove my fist into his jaw. His head snapped sideways, his smirk erased by the impact. He staggered, blinking through the pain. A drop of blood trailed from his split lip.“Impressive,” he muttered, running his thumb over the wound like it fascinated him.I didn’t stick around for compliments.I ran.Alarms screamed, red emergency lights casting jagged shadows along the walls. The corridor ahead flickered in and out of darkness, smoke curling from cracks in the ceiling. The air was thick with the acrid bite of burn

Power and CostThe moment my fist connected, I felt it.Something shifted.The impact wasn’t just physical—it carried weight, a raw force beyond my own. The air around us crackled as if the world itself had registered what just happened.The operative staggered—not much, but enough. His expression, once amused and condescending, flickered with something new.Surprise.He touched his jaw where I had struck him. His fingers brushed over his skin, testing."Interesting," he muttered.Then he moved.Faster than before.I barely dodged. His fist sliced through the space where my head had been a second before. The wind of his strike was sharp enough to sting my skin. Too close.The system pulsed in my vision.[Energy Consumption: 70%]I pushed the warning aside. Didn’t have time for it.I lunged, fists aiming for his ribs, but he twisted at the last second. My knuckles met empty air.Damn it, he was adapting.Before I could register my miss, his knee shot toward my gut.I blocked, but the i