A loud ringing sounded in his ears, and his arms felt like they had been run over by a steamroller. Edward opened his eyes and sat up in bed. The chamber was illuminated by a gloomy light. "How long have I been out?" - he thought, scratching his shoulder. Beneath his fingers he felt a small dimple covered with skin. At that moment he remembered what had happened, swiftly putting his hand out in front of his face. The fingers looked normal, except for the thumb. It was kind of... shriveled, covered mostly in muscle. The boy touched that finger with his other hand, but immediately yanked it away. The skin was very sensitive. Turning toward Nevada, he saw that she was sleeping peacefully on her back. A small smile appeared on his face. After a few minutes, the lighting changed, from the dim night light to the bright daylight. Edward squeezed his eyes shut, blinded by the sudden change in lights. There was a loud beep, and then the cells opened, signaling the beginning of the morning roll call.

The next few days passed relatively smoothly. Edward wasn't taken away for tests, and Nevada and Seth returned from them without much injury. They talked often in the cafeteria and at breaks, trying to figure out how to use their powers. Seth explained that you had to focus and then it all would work out, but it wasn't that easy. After a few hours of trial and error, Nevada was able to create an ice crystal out of thin air. Then another. Soon she was able to bend them to her will, creating intricate patterns in the air to pass the time. Edward, however, was incapable of such things. No matter how hard he tried, nothing appeared before him. Even the blood from his open wounds did nothing but quickly heal the aforementioned wounds.

-...and then I just melted the handcuffs and left! - Laughter erupted in the dining room. The company sat around the table, telling each other stories. Tests, dreams, life before the lab. Everyone had a past that was interesting to tell about.

Taking a breath, Edward turned to Nevada, examining her face.

-How's your eye? Is it still hurting?

-No, I'm fine, thank you - she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her face - but that episode this morning was very strange, something like that didn't happen even on the test... - she took her hands away from her face, placing them on the table with palms up - please hand me a-

The girl slowly raised her right hand, examining her own fingers. They were covered in a dark, viscous substance of blue color.

-Oh Lord... - Edward pointed to the girl's face. Her eye had darkened, emitting this liquid which ran down her cheek without freezing - How are you feeling?

Nevada stood up from her chair, but immediately fell over as if she had lost control of herself. Edward caught her body, gently lowering the girl to the ground. He shook her by the shoulders.

-Nevada! Nevada, can you hear me? - There were quick footsteps coming from behind the boy - NEVADA!

Edward paced from one side of the cell to the other. His mind was racing with thoughts, but he couldn't grasp any of them. Seth sat quietly at his side, staring at the wall in silence. During the break, they asked the other test subjects if they had seen the blue-haired girl being taken away. No one answered anything, either out of fear of punishment or lack of information. Making another lap around the cell, he turned to the bars. Behind it stood Alex, smiling. The boy stepped closer, looking him in the eyes.

-Today will be the last transfusion. I think you're excited. You're finally going to be of some real use.

Edward lunged for the scientist, but his hand grabbed only air. Muerte jumped back, standing a meter away from the bars. After another glance at the subject, the scientist went to the exit, laughing.

Today was a good day for Alex. A long project that had taken a lot of effort was finally over. The scientist walked down the hall whistling a tune. He would finally be able to send the finished serum to his superiors, silencing their eternal complaints about the high cost of experiments and inhumane tests. However, the scientist felt strange. Like... he didn't want to do this. So much work only to hand it upstairs and say goodbye to the results forever. But he quickly brushed those thoughts away. He's being paid to do this, it's his job, he has to send the results to his superiors. Those lousy superiors...

Muerte went into his office and sank into a chair, closing his eyes.

-Leave part of it as a serum and the rest in jars of pills... yes, that's what I'll do... - the scientist mumbled to himself as he slowly drifted into slumber. Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang. Cursing every living person, Alex got up from his chair and picked up the phone.

-Listening. Yes, the experiment with-0-4-3-4 has succeeded, the results will come to you in the next few days - listening to the speech from the other end of the phone, Alex slowly stood up from his chair, looking into the corridor - what do you want to say? I'll send everything to you as soon as it's ready. You can't be so quick to- Replace? Me? I created this formula, I did the experiments, YOU CAN'T JUST REPLACE ME - the phone buzzed loudly. Muerte grabbed the telephone off the table and threw it at the wall, shattering it into small pieces. He hit the table with his prosthetic, leaving a dent in it. Suddenly, he stopped. His face contorted into a wide smile. The scientist began to laugh, grabbing his face with his healthy hand. He wasn't going to leave so easily.

Edward sat in his cell, looking out into the corridor. Lights out time had come about half an hour ago, but Nevada still hadn't returned. Seth was awake, too, burning something on the floor near the bars. A door opened in the distance and approaching footsteps were heard in the hallway. The boy got out of bed, watching his friend move quickly away from the bars, hiding in the shadows. Two guards dressed in full uniform approached Edward's cell. One of them opened the bars and pointed a gun at the boy, while the other ordered him out. Edward slowly walked out of the cell with his hands in the air, turning his back to the guards. The boy's hands were twisted behind his back, and then he was led to the exit of the corridor. As he passed Seth's cell, Edward whispered, barely audible:

-Take care of Nevada for me.

The boy was led into the lab, being prepared for the operation. He didn't resist, only looked around for Muerte. But he was nowhere to be found. His white robe was removed, and then one of the scientists brought the device to the collar hanging around Edward's neck. It made a beeping sound, opening and falling to the floor. The boy looked toward the exit, but was met only by the barrels of guns pointed in his direction.

-Please, come to the table - The scientist pulled him lightly by the arm, leading Edward forward. He laid down on the operating table, feeling the locks on his limbs snap shut. One of the scientists walked over to him, injecting something into his carotid artery. His head began to spin and his vision began to swim. Before he lost consciousness, he saw the hated IV of black liquid standing nearby.

The specimen was finally asleep. The scientists breathed a sigh of relief, then waved a hand toward the guards. They put their weapons back behind their backs and left. While some of the scientists worked on setting up the necessary equipment, the others talked.

-Why do you think Mr. Muerte decided not to participate in the final operation? He's never once left us alone together with a test subject, and now....

-I guess he finally realized that we were capable of doing something without supervision - the scientist walked over to the table, inserting a catheter into Edward's vein - but you're right, instructing us to get the serum ourselves was a strange move... I wonder what's so urgent that he's doing now?

-It's not that important - the other man came over to join the conversation - we need to monitor the subject's condition now, then start the extraction. Go to the monitors.

Insight. Edward stood in the void, looking up. There was no wind howling in the fields. There were no weeping phantoms mourning the unknown. But the boy knew he was not alone here. He stretched his hand upward, pointing into the dark sky. Neither fingers nor palm was visible.

- Don't be in such a hurry to meet death, - a familiar voice said behind him. He turned around and saw the green shimmering silhouette of Eve. Edward reached out his hand to her, but it just went right through, -you won't be able to touch me. Sorry.

-What's going on, Eve? - he looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but emptiness behind them - What is this place? And... what's wrong with me?

-I think you might already understand. You-

-Dead. Should be, - a man's voice came from above, echoing through the void. When he looked up, he saw a bright golden glow that stood out in the darkness. The man was coming down, treading on air - I have seen it many times, but you are the one who broke the laws of life. Your body is still alive, but your soul is here. What brings you here, Edward?

The boy said nothing. He only watched as the unfamiliar figure descended down to his level before standing in front of him.

-Many tormented souls came and went, but there were those that seemed as if they couldn't completely die. Their bodies were destroyed long ago, yet their souls - a dozen black spheres flew in front of them - still here. Perhaps you know what happened to them?

-I came from the lab - Edward started to speak with difficulty, - apparently, they're trying to do something with death... Maybe use it to their advantage, but I don't know anything else... - he said.

-Adam, he's right - Eve stepped forward, approaching them - dozens of mere mortals have been subjected to experiments that their tormentors claim have left them dead. But Edward is a child born from the love of a demonic being and an ordinary human. He is able to endure what humans could not. And that's how he ended up here.

-I see. They've decided to play god... It's bad - Adam turned away, staring into the void, - If this continues, only He will be able to stop it - the man lifted his head up for a second, then turned back to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder.

-Say, do you wish you could go back? Is there anything on Earth that you would like to finish? Perhaps to free yourself and others from the torment that is being inflicted on you - Edward nodded, -then listen...

Alex knocked on the metal door.

-What do you want? - A tired male voice came from inside.

-This is the scientist, we have a problem with the equipment, we need your help! - Muerte flicked a lever on his prosthesis, causing the red lights to glow in some places. There was a grunt from inside, and then a guard opened the door. The prosthetic's palm shot forward, gripping his face firmly. From surprise, the victim fell to the floor, trying to remove the palm from his face, however, it was unsuccessful. Alex closed the door behind them, then grabbed the guard by his shirt with his healthy hand as he reattached the prosthetic hand back on. As soon as this happened, the guard squealed in pain as he began to beat his hands on the metal, however, it was to no avail. Blood flowed from his nose and he began to beg the scientist for mercy, but Muerte did not stop. As time went on, his pleas became more and more inarticulate, and the blows became weaker. A crunch. The guard's limp body collapsed to the floor, no longer breathing. Shaking off the liquid from his prosthesis, the scientist walked over to the control panel. Lever after lever clicked, disabling the security systems. The spare collars hanging on the wall glowed green, revealing their grip. Alex smiled. It was time for the real test of the serum.

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It had been an hour since Edward had been taken away. Seth had long since burned the wires on the bars, but he didn't open them. He stared silently at the empty cell across the hall, waiting for something to happen. The door at the end of the hallway opened, and footsteps were heard. The man got out of bed, peering into the dusky corridor. Nevada was walking toward her cell, accompanied by two guards. Seth rejoiced. Now all that remained was to wait for the guards to leave and....

The girl turned to face the guards. Her blue hair had slipped down the right side of her face, exposing bandages. Where there had been an eye, there was now a patch soaked in a dark liquid. Seth clenched his fists, getting up from his bed. Suddenly, the collar around his neck opened, falling to the floor. And in the next cell, too. And in another. The guards, realizing that there had been a critical security failure, removed their weapons from the safety. One of the guards knocked Nevada to the floor, pointing the muzzle of his gun at her. Before he could pull the trigger, however, he suddenly clutched his neck, coughing loudly. Between his fingers was a sharp shard of ice, which the girl had managed to throw. Seth burst out of the cell, shrouding his hands in fire. The lone remaining guard tried to fire at the man running at him, but Nevada threw another shard of ice, severing the finger resting on the trigger. The guard screamed in pain, but Seth soon burned out his vocal cords, along with his rib cage.

-Are you okay? - he examined the girl, who had already managed to get to her feet -what happened to your eye?

-I'm fine, the eye... was removed... - she looked back at her cell, - Where's Edward?

Seth only shook his head silently, looking down. Tears welled up in Nevada's remaining eye, but she quickly wiped them away with her hand. The test subjects slowly walked out of the cells, talking amongst themselves. In the distance, the running of the guards could be heard. It was time for them to get out.

Edward looked Adam in the eyes. The man had already finished his speech, but boy was thinking about what had been said.

-I'm ready.

-Are you sure? - Adam held out his palm to him as if to shake his hand, - Without your soul, you'll lose yourself. Your parents, your friends, even you may no longer recognize yourself. You will die only to become the Harvester of Death, the Reaper.

Edward reached out his hand confidently, gripping Adam's palm tightly.

-So kill me.

Myriads of shadows wrapped around their hands, locked in a handshake. They enveloped the boy's body, obscuring his vision. Again seeing nothing but void, he heard Eve's voice.

-Take care of the Nephilim so close to your heart, for the angel who gave birth to her cannot.

The boy saw dozens of silhouettes emerge from the ground, struggling to get to their feet. They stretched their arms towards him, exuding a faint light. More and more silhouettes appeared in the vicinity, until the boy was blinded by a bright glow.

The scientists were frantically extracting the serum from Edward's body, putting the vials into special containers. One of them pressed a button, sending another batch of vials into the storage room. Gunfire could be heard in the distance, but no guards had come to them during all the chaos. Suddenly, there was a loud beep in the operating room. One of the devices stopped showing a pulse. The scientist ran over to the table, opening Edward's eyelids. They crumpled to dust, falling into the darkness of the eye sockets. The girl screamed, pointing at the boy's face. There was a cracking sound in the operating room, followed by the disappearance of the other eye. In their place remained only a chasm into darkness with jagged edges. The scientist dared to move closer while the other tried to open the door that had jammed earlier. One by one, white dots rolled out from the edges of the eye sockets, pointlessly wandering from side to side.

-It won't budge! We're locked in here! - releasing the doorknob, he slid down to the floor, pressing his back against the glass. The scientist, who had been distracted by his colleague's temporary panic, returned his gaze to Edward, but he jumped away from the table with a shriek. Dozens of white dots followed him out of the darkness like pupils.

Another crackling sound was heard. Edward smoothly lifted his hand that was secured in the lock. Dark liquid oozed from his wrist, flooding the floor. He held out his index finger, running it from his chin to his navel, cutting through the skin. A rift opened up on his body, not reflecting the light of the bright lamps. The hand dipped inward, pulling a scythe from his body. The blade was as if woven into frozen black vines. The scientists froze in horror, staring at their subject, if they still had the right to call him by that name. Tentacles emerged from the rift, severing with their sharp ends the bindings that held the boy in place. A second later, those same tentacles swept toward the scientists, framing the walls in blood before returning back to Edward's body. He stood up from the table, turning his head from side to side. The rifts in his body had mended, but his new eyes remained open. New tentacles emerged from behind the boy's back with a distinctive crackling sound. They wrapped around the scythe, taking it with their six-fingered palms, holding it out into Edward's hands. It was time to fulfill his destiny.

Seth and Nevada helped the subjects escape, shielding them on opposite sides. The guards were firing indiscriminately, the main thing for them was to hold back the breakthrough. However, it was not too successful. The bullets froze in mid-air, and the guards were torn apart. Dozens of people with non-human powers were difficult to stop. Turning around a corner, Nevada saw the familiar face of a scientist. Fear filled her mind at first, but she soon realized that the scientist couldn't do anything to her. A sad smile appeared on her face. The air around the scientist's head became catastrophically cold, she screamed in fear and pain as the girl slowly approached her.

-Nevada! Where are you? - Seth sprinted out of the corridor, peering down the hallway. At the end was the body of a scientist lying there. Her face was frozen in a grimace of pain, and numerous needles sticking out of her eyes were what used to be long hair. But Nevada was nowhere to be seen. Seth's body erupted in bright fire. He clenched his teeth tightly, then rushed through the intertwining corridors like a spark.

Not the sorrowful-yet-righteous wrath of Nevada, or the mindless hatred of Seth could rival the quiet, boiling fury of dozens of souls who had been tortured over and over again, yet refused to yield. Souls whose will to live had gathered them here. Souls who had waited their entire lives for this moment. Strangers' thoughts raced chaotically through Edward's mind as he watched what was happening outside. Voices of different people, both young and old, gave commands to his limbs, managing to talk among themselves. Hands swung the scythe with ease, cutting through those who were charging at him. Those who were too far away fell from the tentacle that pierced their chests. However, in an instant, all thoughts stopped. A multitude of pupils focused on a single man who stepped out of the door opposite. Alex held Nevada tightly, placing the heated palm of his prosthetic near her neck.

-It's been a while, - he grinned, - I see you've learned how to use your gift. Cool, me too - Muerte's healthy arm was covered with a mesh of black veins - I've never felt better in my life. I feel like a god... Oh no, today I am a god! - A maniacal laughter spread through the room. Nevada tried to break free, but it was futile. Neither the arm nor the prosthesis would budge.

The many dots in the eye sockets merged together. Edward was beginning to feel the world again. The foreign voices spoke again, before disappearing forever.

-Kill him.

-Kill him.

-Kill him.

-Kill him!

-Kill him!

With a loud crack, the boy opened his mouth, exposing the darkness. His lips, as well as the area around him, crumbled, disappearing inside. A loud roar erupted from his throat.

He threw the scythe to the floor, straightening his arms in front of him. The tentacles wrapped around them, forming sharp claws at the ends of his fingers.

Edward lunged forward, clawing at the floor. The scientist tossed Nevada aside. From the handle of the scythe came tentacles that ended in palms. They wrapped around the girl's body, gently carrying her away. The tentacles from the boy's hand traveled to Alex's neck, wrapping around it. Edward threw the scientist's body into the wall, then took a swing for a punch, however, Muerte blocked it with his prosthetic arm. The mechanical hand began to clutch Edward's claws. A smug smile appeared on the scientist's face, but it quickly disappeared as the tubes sticking outward were cut by a clear hit from a shard of ice. Liquid began to whip in all directions, and his fingers froze in place. The boy wrapped his tentacles around the scientist's prosthetic, ripping it from his shoulder. He tried to strike Edward with his healthy arm, but the boy caught it in his grip, breaking the bones. Muerte's breath hitched, but he laughed.

-The formula...works...

The tentacle pulled his scythe toward the Reaper. The scientist's body collapsed to the floor as Edward loosened his grip.

-Even the very gods are destined to fall one day, - he held the blade above his head, - and you are certainly no deity.

The scientist's head fell to the floor. The tentacles slowly released the boy's hands, going to his back. Edward's face began to recover, as if picking up lost pieces from the darkness. He slowly approached Nevada, looking her in the eyes.

-Edward? Are you okay? - the girl asked excitedly, but there was no answer. Suddenly, he reached his arms forward, hugging her tightly. After a few seconds, he pulled back, spreading his arms apart with a crackle, then looked at Nevada again.

-Let's get out of here.

The mutant sat in the corner, bleeding. The bullet had gone straight through his lung, so he was coughing up blood profusely. A masked guard slowly approached him, pointing a gun at him. Suddenly, a small girl ran out in front of him, coming between the six-armed mutant and the killer.

-Girl, back off. Otherwise you'll have to be eliminated too, - he put a bullet in the chamber. The girl had to be eliminated anyway, just like the other test subjects, - There's an exit nearby, so go get out of here.

-No! I'm not gonna let you hurt big brother! - One stone hit the guard's helmet, then another. The girl's body didn't move, but her brain was working hard.

-Last chance. One, two...

Behind him, a shot rang out, hitting the ceiling. Turning around, the guy saw a blond-haired guard.

-Peter, what are you doing? - he lowered the sight from the child, - We were given orders to kill them, what's wrong with you?

-You pulled a gun on a fucking kid. That's not what we signed up for, John.

-It's what we do. We're looking out for security. And if there's a breach, it needs to be - he pointed the gun at the girl - dealt with.

John heard the sound of reloading behind him.

-If you make one move in their direction, you're not getting out of here.

-Look who spoke so boldly - he turned to face Peter - I repeat, we were given an order. Good soldiers follow orders.

-Good men know when to break them. Now I'll say it aga-

A bright light flashed before his eyes. Closing his eyes against the intense light and covering his face from the heat, Peter heard a cry of pain that quickly stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw John's body lying on the ground, or rather, what was left of it. A man stood nearby, completely covered in fire. Seth leaned his back against the wall, putting out his flames. The mutant pulled the girl close to him, covering her eyes. Tears rolled from beneath his palm.

-God, what's happened to you... - Peter examined Seth sitting on the floor. His skin was charred, bones showing in some places. His hair was long gone, just bare skin.

-Maybe it was a little too much... - he coughed, but immediately winced in pain. Seth looked at Peter and saw that he was still holding his gun.

-Shoot me. It's better this way.

-Are you sure? Can't I find something-

-Look, I've only lived because of the horse doses of painkillers they pumped into me. And that's not a life, believe me. So please pull the trigger. There's no other way.

Sighing heavily, Peter crossed Seth's body. A pop sounded down the hallway, followed by a deafening silence. The man walked over to the mutant, pulling out a first aid kit.

-Let's get you bandaged up. We need to leave now.

That day, one of the largest labs collapsed. It was destroyed from the inside out by its own employees. Some of the test subjects who made it out tried to return to their families. But not all of them succeeded. One by one, some disappeared without a trace. The government could not afford to risk a massive scandal, so they tried to eliminate witnesses. Those who had no way back went to explore the wastelands. There were few livable homes, and one still had to run for food, but most were safe there. Edward and Nevada found a small mansion in the middle of the forest, formerly used as a secret laboratory, because it had an elevator to a small chamber below. They stayed there, gradually settling into their new home and learning to survive beyond the walls of Finopp.