Adam : From a man to a God

Adam and Eddie approached the door to the testing room. Adam's hand hovered over the polished brass knob, its cool surface gleaming under the fluorescent lights. He twisted it slowly, the door creaking open to reveal an unexpected sight that left them both wide-eyed.

*One Day Earlier*

Kim soared through the azure sky, his tie whipping wildly in the wind. His expression was tense, eyes narrowed against the rushing air. "I didn't anticipate that sealing the god inside Adam would pose such a dilemma," he mused, the thought a persistent echo in his mind. He had successfully sealed Tilda's dark self before, but it had broken free, likely due to her continual use of her powers. Kim questioned the wisdom of dragging Adam into their tangled problems. But what choice did he have? Adam was already entrenched in DMR. Removing him might spell disaster. Only Tilda had been exempt from this fate, and now her return fueled his regret. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a fireball streaking past, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

Startled, Kim glanced downward, spotting tiny figures on the ground below. He squinted, enhancing his vision to see Eddie frantically waving from the middle of the road. “Is that Eddie? What on earth is he doing?” Kim wondered as he descended gracefully. A sleek, black Lamborghini Gallardo approached, slowing as it neared Eddie. The tinted window slid down to reveal a young man, his face partially obscured by a cap and sunglasses. “Hey, what are you doing? Get out of the way!” the driver shouted, irritation clear in his voice. Eddie stepped aside, his expression serious and unyielding. The driver passed, casting a bewildered glance back, as Kim landed lightly on the sidewalk.

Eddie approached Kim, who wore a look of deep concern. “We need to talk, Eddie,” Kim said, his voice laced with urgency. “I don't have time for this. If it’s important, say it now,” Kim replied tersely. “I need to know about the curse,” Eddie insisted, his words hanging in the air. Kim was taken aback. Eddie wasn’t supposed to be aware of the curse. If he had been told, he should have forgotten—unless he was asked directly. “Who told you?” Kim inquired, his tone sharp. Eddie hesitated before answering, the silence broken only by the distant hum of traffic. “It was Adam. Please, don’t make me forget,” Eddie pleaded.

Kim exhaled heavily. “We need to go somewhere else,” he said.

Inside Eddie’s home, they sat across from each other at a small, round wooden table. “Are you sure you want to know the truth about the curse?” Kim asked, his gaze steady. “Yes,” Eddie affirmed, determination in his voice. From upstairs, Eddie’s mother called out, “Eddie, who are you talking to? Did you bring a friend?” “Yeah, Mom. We’ll be leaving soon,” Eddie replied. She descended the stairs, clad in black skinny jeans and a snug white t-shirt. “You've never brought a friend home before. Aren’t you going to introduce him?”

“You’re right, I just—” Eddie began, but Kim cut him off. “Eddie,” he called, rising swiftly. “What are you doing?” Eddie asked. “Yeah, what’s wrong?” his mother added. Kim quickly placed a hand on Eddie, their eyes glowing with a faint, ethereal light. Eddie groaned, collapsing to the floor, clutching his head. “I’m truly sorry, Eddie, but your mother—she’s not real.”

Eddie looked to where his mother had stood moments ago. She had vanished into thin air, leaving him engulfed in confusion and a piercing pain that suddenly ceased, replaced by a profound sense of relief and bewilderment. “Eddie,” Kim’s voice broke through the fog of his thoughts as he knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on Eddie’s back. Tears welled in Eddie's eyes, spilling over as memories surged like a relentless tide.

He remembered the cold, unfeeling walls of the orphanage where he had been left at the tender age of four. The faces of other children, equally lost and longing, blurred together in his mind. He grew up without the warmth of a mother’s embrace, without the soothing lullabies that should have filled his nights. Instead, there was only the stark reality of abandonment.

As he reached eighteen, the orphanage could no longer house him. Thrust into the world, Eddie faced a harsh life, each day a struggle for survival. He worked gruelling hours in construction, his body aching from the relentless demands, yet the pay barely covered the essentials. Each night he returned to a small, dimly lit apartment, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.

One fateful evening, as he trudged along the dusty road home, he spotted a woman with striking red hair. Her eyes locked onto his, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. “Catch,” she called, tossing a peculiar piece of white cloth toward him. It disintegrated upon contact, and darkness consumed him, leaving him unconscious on the street. Onlookers gathered, puzzled by his sudden collapse, oblivious to the strange encounter that had just transpired.

Eddie stood shakily, releasing his head as Kim watched with deep pity. “I’m so sorry, Eddie. Please, sit down, and I’ll explain everything,” Kim said softly, his voice a balm to Eddie’s raw emotions.

*The Present*

Eddie entered the training room, dimly lit and bustling with the rhythmic pounding of feet on treadmills. The machines stretched out in neat rows, creating a path that led to a woman sitting on a long, black rubber bench. “I didn’t expect this,” Eddie remarked, taking in the scene. “Yeah,” Adam replied, scanning the room. “I thought it’d be another pocket dimension or something.” A red-haired woman looked up with a warm, welcoming smile. “Are you the last two participants?” she asked. “Yes, we are,” Eddie responded.

The woman stood, setting aside her magazine. A series of beeps emanated from several monitors. “Okay, you guys can go,” she said in a calm, slightly husky voice. Participants whose treadmills beeped stepped off, heading through a black door that Adam and Eddie hadn’t noticed. “Okay, you two, get on those treadmills and make sure your speed exceeds 600,” she instructed, her gaze lingering on Adam. She couldn’t sense his aura. Why was he concealing it? She wondered. But Adam wasn’t doing it intentionally—Ragnar was responsible.

“You can only proceed if you pass,” she added. Adam placed his bag down and stepped onto the treadmill, which whirred to life on its own. The speed increased gradually, testing his patience. “It’s rising so slowly,” he muttered. Eddie seemed to relish the challenge, running with a small, contented smile.

Some treadmills beeped, ushering their users to the next level, while others were stopped and sent back. “So that’s why they’re still here,” Adam noted as his speed climbed past 450. It felt like a casual jog to him; he knew he could push much harder. Eddie and Adam were the only ones left. The woman no longer read her magazine, her eyes fixed on their progress.

Finally, the speed reached 600, and the treadmill emitted a confirming beep. Adam pondered what might have happened if he’d increased the speed himself. He stepped off, and Eddie’s treadmill beeped as well. “Okay, you can follow the others,” the woman said. “Hey, what’s your name?” she asked. “Me?” Eddie said, pointing at himself. “No, him,” she clarified, pointing at Adam. “Oh,” Eddie said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “My name is Adam,” Adam replied. “I hope you pass the test, Adam. I want to see how you do at the tournaments,” she said, her expression serious. “Thank you, I will,” Adam replied with a slight smile.

He opened the door to a room resembling a gym, dimly lit and filled with weights of all sizes. Adam was astonished to see a dumbbell labeled 1.5 tons. He spotted Instructor Gabriel leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Adam picked up a red dumbbell with one hand, drawing gasps from those around him. “I knew it—they were just numbers. Though it’s pretty heavy, it might b—” Adam thought, cut off by Eddie nudging him. He saw people staring in awe. Another man struggled to lift even a smaller weight with both hands.

In surprise, Adam released the dumbbell, which crashed to the floor, leaving a dent. “So it’s this heavy? The numbers aren’t wrong,” he thought. Eddie looked equally shocked. The room fell silent until Instructor Gabriel’s laughter broke through. Dressed in a tight white t-shirt and black pants, he approached Adam, his eyes glinting with a hint of red. “You never disappoint, do you?” he said with a smirk. “You’ve already passed the test.” “Huh?” Adam asked, looking up at him in bewilderment.