THE DEAD QUEEN
Property Of:
Rapid Fire Enterprises
Created By:
David Tyrel Little
Chapter 7: The Experiment
Enixia woke up in the morning, she left her house and made her way to her fathers lab.The laboratory was massive, its walls rising high into the void-like expanse of the Temeri flagship. The room was lit by a cold, artificial glow from countless crystalline monitors and machinery. Scientists in pristine white robes moved around with precision, their voices low and murmured as they prepared for the experiment.
Enixia stood in the center of it all, her arms crossed tightly against her chest as her father's team bustled around her like clockwork. White-robed scientists moved with precision, their faces obscured by protective masks. Metal arms hung from the ceiling like skeletal fingers, each one equipped with sharp tools and crystal-powered syringes. At the far end of the lab, a cylindrical containment unit stood waiting, its glass polished to a flawless shine. Her heart pounded in her chest, and despite the cold air, sweat clung to her palms. She stared at the machine that loomed before her, a beast of wires, needles, and crystal. Today was the culmination of her father's years of research, his greatest ambition.
"You're wasting time standing there."
Dr. Stado's voice cut through the murmur of machines like a blade. He stood with his back to her, his hands flying over the glowing console as he adjusted the controls. His pristine coat looked as cold and unfeeling as the walls that surrounded them.
Enixia swallowed hard, forcing her legs to move. She approached the containment unit, her steps hesitant. "What exactly are we doing today?" she asked quietly.
Dr. Stado finally turned, his gaze sharp and clinical as it fell on her.
"Get in the unit."
For a moment, she froze. Everything in her screamed to run—to rip off the heavy weight of his expectations and vanish into the world beyond. But she knew there was no escape. Not from him. Not from this. With slow, deliberate steps, she approached the containment unit, her chest tightening with every inch.
The cylindrical door slid open with a hiss, cold mist spilling from its edges. Inside, an adjustable chair and countless straps awaited her, along with wires and tubes that snaked along the walls like veins. She stepped inside, the temperature instantly dropping further as the door sealed shut behind her. The sound of the lab outside muffled into silence. Breathe, she told herself as she settled into the chair. Her hands trembled as she gripped its armrests, but she forced her expression to remain steady.
She sat inside a massive, cylindrical containment unit made of reinforced, transparent crystal. Tubes snaked from her arms and legs, feeding into machines that hummed with ominous energy. IV cords pumped strange fluids into her veins, while glowing cables monitored her every heartbeat, every breath. She felt small in the vastness of the lab, her reflection staring back at her from the curved walls of her prison.
Her father, Dr. Stado, stood outside the containment unit, a look of quiet intensity on his face. He was flanked by his team of scientists, all of whom were bustling with excitement and anticipation. His hands rested behind his back as he gazed at her, his expression unreadable.
"Are you ready, Enixia?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with expectation.
She looked up at him, her nerves fraying under his gaze. Despite everything—despite the coldness in his voice, despite the tubes and the machines—his words stirred something in her. This was her chance. Her chance to prove to him, to everyone, that she was more than a disappointment.
"yes," she said, her voice steady. "I'm ready."
Dr. Stado's lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained sharp. He turned to his team. "Begin the procedure."
"Initiating X-742 gas." A white robed scientist announced, his voice distant.
"YZ-3 Serium ready." Another scientist to the back shouted.
The lab erupted into motion. Lights flared to life, casting an eerie glow over the containment unit. The scientists moved to their stations, pressing buttons, pulling levers. Machines began to hum louder, their vibrations resonating in Enixia's chest. A hiss of gas escaped from hidden vents within the unit, filling the air with a sickly sweet smell.
"This is it, Enixia," Dr. Stado said, his voice carrying through the comm system. "Your chance to make the family proud."
Her chest swelled with emotion at his words. For so long, she had craved his approval, his recognition. She nodded, gripping the armrests of the chair she was strapped into.
The gases thickened, swirling around her like a storm. A series of mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, each one holding a vial of syringe of glowing serum. Enixia felt the sharp sting of needles as the serums were injected into her veins, one after another. Heat flooded her body, spreading through her limbs like liquid fire.
"Vitals spiking." one of the scientists called out.
Her breathing quickened as she began to feel strange. Her vision blurred, and her heart pounded in her chest. The markings on her skin glowed faintly, then darkened as a creeping blackness began to spread across her face. The area around her eyes darkened, the veins beneath her skin turning jet black, branching out like cracks in glass.
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"She's adapting," another replied, his tone disturbingly fascinated.
"It's working!" one of the scientists exclaimed, their voice filled with excitement. "The readings are perfect!"
Dr. Stado's face lit up with something Enixia had never seen before—genuine pride. He stepped closer to the containment unit, his eyes fixed on her. "You've done it, Enixia," he said softly, his voice almost reverent. "You're the first immortal."
Her heart swelled at his words, a tear slipping down her cheek. She had waited her entire life to hear him say that. "I did it," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm the first immortal."For a moment, it felt as though everything had been worth it—the ridicule, the pain, the years of feeling like she wasn't enough. Her father was proud of her. She smiled faintly, her gaze meeting his.
But then something shifted.
Her body began to burn, an unbearable heat surging through her veins. Her chest tightened, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The glow of the containment unit intensified as the heat radiated from her body.
"Father," she gasped, her voice filled with panic. "Something's wrong."
Dr. Stado's brow furrowed as he glanced at the monitors. The readings were spiking. Alarms began to blare, and the scientists scrambled to their stations.
"Father, please!" Enixia screamed, her voice rising in desperation. Her skin began to glow red, flames licking at the edges of her gown. The black veins around her eyes pulsed, spreading further across her face. "It hurts—it hurts so much! Please, help me!"
Her words tore through him, but he remained frozen, watching as flames began to engulf her body. The containment unit filled with fire, her screams piercing the air.
"Eject the unit!" one of the scientists shouted, panic in their voice. "The energy readings are off the charts! If she breaches containment, she could destroy the entire lab!"
Dr. Stado hesitated, his hands trembling. He looked at Enixia, her face twisted in agony, her voice a broken plea for help. For a moment, guilt and uncertainty flashed in his eyes. "What have I done?" he whispered to himself, his voice almost inaudible.
"Doctor!" the scientist yelled again. "We need authorization to eject!"
Dr. Stado clenched his jaw, his voice hardening. "Do it..."
The floor beneath the containment unit shifted, and the entire structure began to lower. Enixia's screams filled the lab as the unit slid into a chute, the fire consuming her form as it was carried away. The final thing she saw through the flames was her father's face, his expression torn between pride and guilt.
"No!" she screamed, her voice raw. "Father, please! Don't do this!"
The containment unit shot downward, ejected from the lab and into the world below. Flames burst from its seams as it hurtled toward the ground, Enixia's screams fading into the distance.Back in the lab, silence fell as the machinery powered down. The scientists stared at Dr. Stado, waiting for his next command. He stood motionless, his hands clenched at his sides, his gaze fixed on the empty space where his daughter had been.
"What have I done?" he whispered again, his voice breaking.
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image [https://img.wattpad.com/28abea7e44b01b29c589942319de570d206fb01b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3874314c414e6e347939645553413d3d2d313530343338313838392e313831333439626665636165353233303136373836323938313536322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Chapter 8: Ashes and Wings
The containment unit slammed into the earth with an earth-shattering crash, carving a deep gouge into the barren ground. Smoke and fire billowed from the wreckage, and shards of the crystal casing jutted out like jagged teeth. The once-sterile structure was now twisted and broken, its reinforced walls cracked from the force of the impact.
Inside, Enixia stirred.
Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her body felt impossibly heavy. For a moment, she didn't remember where she was. All she could hear was the faint ringing in her ears, all she could feel was the burning heat of her blood coursing through her veins. Then it all came flooding back—the experiment, the flames, her father's voice giving the command to eject her.
Her father had sent her here. He had condemned her.
She opened her eyes, the world blurring into focus. The first thing she noticed was the sky—deep and endless, a stark contrast to the sterile ceilings of the lab. The next thing was the eerie silence. The hum of machinery, the chatter of scientists—gone. She sat up slowly, wincing at the unfamiliar sensation coursing through her body. It wasn't pain, exactly. It was something else. Something... alive.
Looking down, she froze. Her hands were trembling, but they were uninjured. No burns, no bruises—nothing. Her clothes were torn and singed, hanging in tatters around her form, but her skin was flawless. In fact, it was more than flawless—it was unnatural. Her once fair complexion was now almost luminous, her skin a shade of white that caught the faintest hint of moonlight like polished stone.
Her fingers trembled as she touched her face, her breath catching when she felt the smooth, raised lines around her eyes. Her fingers brushed along the blackened veins that spread out like roots across her skin. Her reflection flashed in a shard of the containment unit nearby, and she recoiled at the sight. Her eyes were ringed with black, the veins around them dark as night. Thin lines of black veins traced across her arms and disappeared under her torn clothing, as if the very blood in her body had changed.
"What... what did they do to me?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.
She tried to stand, her legs shaking beneath her. As she rose, the moonlight illuminated the scorched crater around her. The earth was charred black where the containment unit had landed, and shards of crystal littered the ground. She took a step forward, her foot brushing against something soft. Looking down, she saw a patch of charred grass and a small, withered plant. As her fingers brushed against it.
Her hands trembled as panic set in. Was this her father's experiment? Was this what he had done to her? A faint sob escaped her lips, but it was swallowed by the emptiness around her.
Through the fear and confusion, a thought broke through like a sliver of light. The wings. She had never been able to summon them, no matter how hard she tried. Every other Class 1 Temeri could do it as easily as breathing, but for her, it had always been impossible. But now, something about the energy surging through her veins—dark and strange as it was—felt different. Maybe now...
She closed her eyes, focusing on the energy within her. It was wild and chaotic, like a storm raging just beneath the surface, but she reached for it, willing it to bend to her command. At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, she felt the pressure building in her back, a warmth spreading across her shoulders. She opened her eyes just as a burst of silvery light exploded around her.
She gasped as translucent wings unfurled from her back, shimmering like molten metal in the moonlight. They stretched wide, their edges sharp and angular, their glow pulsing with faint black veins that mirrored the changes in her body.
For a moment, she felt awe. For the first time in her life, she had summoned them. She had done what she could never do before. A flicker of hope ignited in her chest.
But as she tried to move them, to lift herself off the ground, the wings faltered. Her feet remained planted firmly in the dirt. She tried again, gritting her teeth, but it was no use. The energy felt wild and unrestrained, slipping through her grasp like water through her fingers. Finally, the wings dissolved into shimmering sparks, leaving her standing there, defeated.
Tears pricked her eyes as frustration boiled within her. "Why can't I do it?" she whispered to herself. Her hands clenched into fists. "Why can't I ever get it right?"
Her thoughts turned to her father, and anger surged through her like a tidal wave. He had done this to her. He had turned her into... whatever she was now. And then he had thrown her away, cast her down like she was nothing.
She wiped her tears away, her jaw tightening. "I'll find a way back," she muttered to herself, her voice trembling with determination. "I don't care what it takes. I'll find a way back, and I'll make him answer for what he's done."
Her gaze lifted to the sky, to the distant glow of the floating city above. It looked impossibly far, a world away. But she would reach it. She didn't know how, not yet, but she would. The fire of anger and determination burned in her chest, hotter and brighter than the flames that had consumed her in the lab.
For now, she would have to survive. She looked around at the scorched earth, at the unfamiliar terrain that stretched out in every direction. The world below the city was wild and dangerous, and she was alone. But she was alive.
And she would rise again.
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