Like the calm before the storm. The man opened his eyes and they were completely black.
Rhys leaned in to look closer, that's when a crack was heard from the man's arm.
Looking at the man's arm he saw a bone sticking out. His arm was broken?
But before he could figure out what had happened, a strong force spread out from the man.
Rhys was sent flying, and the whole laboratory was sent into a frenzy. Stuff was flying everywhere.
A syringe even flew past his head.
The force soon disappeared. Rhys was able to get up from the ground by leaning against the wall.
"What happened?" Rhys looked towards the table and saw that the man was still laying there, and Wilhelm was still standing where he had stood before.
"Quiet!" Wilhelm snarled.
Rhys closed his mouth and silence filled the room… but just then.
Crack.
A low cracking noise could be heard from the man.
Rhys took a few steps forward and looked closer at the man. The sound was coming from his rib cage.
Then a louder crack was heard. The man's legs snapped to the side, bone piercing the skin.
"What the fu…" Rhys leaned in. Just then the man's other arm snapped, causing blood to splash on his face.
Rhys took a step back and swallowed. What was this?
He felt this twisting feeling in his chest. This was unnatural.
But just then a loud crack was heard and the man's head snapped to the side, his face turned to him.
Rhys stared at the man's broken neck, what? Then his gaze drifted towards the man's eyes, they were staring at him, like two dark abysses.
Throughout the entire ordeal… the man didn't let out a sound.
"Shit!" Wilhelm's shout made him jump. He turned his head and saw him smash his fist on the table.
"What went wrong? Everything was perfect."
Rhys looked at the mumbling Wilhelm. Was he not scared? Did he not see what just happened to this man?
Wilhelm started to write down stuff in his notebook.
"Rhys. Go and burn the man's body." Wilhelm didn't glance at him or the mutilated corpse.
"Yes, sir."
Rhys started to untie the man's leather straps and then cast the levitation charm and carried him out the room.
He arrived in the burner room and floated the corpse inside. He watched as the corpse slowly burnt and melted.
He saw the corpse's hair start to curl and burn with the heart, the skin burnt and melted.
That experiment.
There has to be something wrong. What could cause such a thing?
This wasn't magic… not the kind he knew.
Could his soul have become too strong for his body to hold?
Rhys started to try and find explanations. He was scared, he truly was.
There was nothing.
The days after this just kept repeating. They did the experiment over and over, yet the end result was the same.
They would die horrible deaths, with nothing to show for it.
Wilhelm was going crazy, he felt that he was so close. And he was.
One week later they had calibrated the different ratios and values dozens of times.
And it was time.
They were in the same position as every other day. Rhys stood at the subject's head, and Wilhelm stood to the side, ready for injection.
"Rhys, do it." Wilhelm said after he poured the black liquid down the man's throat.
Seeing that it was time, Rhys used Crucio on the man.
His screams filled the laboratory, and the eerie red light added ambiance.
The experiment went like usual with no inconsistencies with previous tries.
Until they came to the last step. The force release. Except for the first time he was sent flying, Rhys had been ready.
He used protego to stand his ground against the magic force and started intently at the subject.
He had no high hopes of success, after all they had not seen any success for over a week. They had just killed people.
But seconds passed and something was wrong.
The man's reaction was identical to the others… except he broke no bones.
Wilhelm stepped forward, his body shaking with excitement.
He reached out and tremblingly felt the man's neck for a pulse.
Rhys held his breath and waited.
Then Wilhelm frowned.
"He's dead."
Rhys sighed. It seems they didn't succeed.
Wilhelm rubbed his head. What went wrong?
He started down at his notebook and pondered. Then it clicked.
Maybe the man starved. They had previously thought the death of the subjects was because of magic overload, thus the breaking of bones.
But later they figured out that wasn't the case. They decreased the magical substance and they still died.
So they increased it instead and they arrived at the current result. Close… but not quite there.
"Rhys! Dispose of him and get me another subject."
Rhys nodded and grabbed the dead subject.
"Yes, sir."
He brought the man to the burner room and threw him in the burner. He turned around and headed for the cells without taking another look.
He was excited. They are close.
Arriving in the cells he checked everyone… but he found no one.
Had they used up all the subjects? Rhys thought about it, it was possible.
He rubbed his forehead and headed for the laboratory, he had to tell Wilhelm.
And he wasn't gonna be happy.
He walked into the laboratory and saw Wilhelm excitedly measuring the various potions.
"Sir, we have no more subjects."
Wilhelm stopped and looked over.
He frowned and asked.
"None at all?"
Rhys shook his head. That was what he said.
Wilhelm turned to glance at the empty table the subject used to lie on.
He put down the syringe and rubbed his temples. He had already poured up the materials if he left to get another subject he would waste it.
These materials are all very precious. He isn't confident that he can find more in the short term.
He turned to look at Rhys and narrowed his eyes.
Maybe there is a way.
...
Enjoy.
CHAPTER END.