Adam : From a man to a God

A week later, Adam woke up in Center Hill Hospital, named after his town and school. He slowly opened his eyes, disoriented by the persistent beeping of the monitor.

of the monitor beside him.

A nurse entered the room and noticed he was awake. Adam glanced up at her.

"What am I doing at the hospital?" Adam asked, his voice groggy.

Suddenly, memories of the torture flooded back, and he went into shock. The nurse hurried out to call the doctor.

Some time later, Adam woke again to see Detective Morgan and his mother, Jasmine, sitting by his bed.

"Oh, honey, don't try to move," Jasmine said, her voice trembling.

"Honey?" Adam thought, confused by the uncharacteristic tenderness.

"Good morning, Adam. I'm sorry for what happened to you," Morgan said. "You were kidnapped. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Detective, please let him rest first," Jasmine pleaded.

"Rest first? I never thought I'd ever hear her say that for me," Adam thought.

"Sorry, ma'am, but the doctor said he's ready to talk, so either I ask him here or at the precinct," Morgan insisted.

Jasmine fell silent, her worry evident.

"So, can you tell me what happened?" Morgan asked again.

Adam hesitated, then decided, "I should just tell him the truth. I skipped school and went to a hotdog stand farther in town. Then I went to the bridge and took a rest under it."

"Under a bridge? Then what?" Morgan pressed.

"I fell asleep and woke up later. When I was going home, someone followed me. When I ran, he..." Adam’s voice trailed off as he realized something. His body was completely healed, with no scars.

"What the hell happened to me?" Adam thought. "I mean, I fell, and he hit me, and I fainted."

"Oh, really? What happened next?" Morgan asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I woke up in this abandoned warehouse. I really don't know where it was. There was a woman there... I really don't remember the rest," Adam said, his frustration evident.

Adam had forgotten the details of his torture. If he remembered correctly, he should be dead from a gunshot wound.

The doctor walked in and handed a report to Morgan.

"Well, that explains it. The medical report says you've been injected with some kind of substance," Morgan said.

"It's the reason why you were knocked out," the doctor added.

Adam was discharged and went home with his mom. The car ride was silent.

*At the dinner table*

"Sorry, lil bro. I heard you got kidnapped. What happened?" Brock asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Don't ask him. I'm sure he's gone through a lot of trauma," Daniel interjected.

"Since when did they become nice to me?" Adam wondered.

"You're going to school tomorrow, though, so make sure you're ready," Jasmine said firmly.

Adam looked at Anna, who was quietly eating.

"What?" Anna asked, noticing his gaze.

After dinner, Adam went to bed, frustrated by his fragmented memories.

*He dreams*

Ragna was trapped in a square-shaped crystal, standing still and deep in thought.

"The pain is gone. That means I now have a vessel, and I wasn't imagining it that time. I took control there for a sec," Ragna muttered.

Ragna realized he was speaking in a modern tongue and looked like his vessel.

"There is a small crack on the crystal. I wonder what did this. The thing that sucks the most is that he can use my power even if I'm not in control, like he's possessing me now," Ragna mused.

Adam woke up to the alarm blaring.

"That was a weird dream. What was I doing in a..." he thought, bewildered.

He heard footsteps coming up to the attic. Anna opened the door, picked up his bag with books, and threw it at him. Adam saw it coming slower than usual and dodged it. Anna looked surprised.

"Come downstairs," Anna said curtly.

Adam got ready and went downstairs. He ate his cereal quickly and headed to school. As he opened his locker, Billy bumped into him. Adam didn’t even flinch; instead, Billy felt like he had hit a wall.

"Watch where you're going, bitch," Billy sneered.

He got closer, but the math teacher appeared in the hallway. Adam quickly stepped aside and went to his first lesson.

At lunch, Billy approached Adam's table and smacked his food tray onto the floor.

"What you gonna do about it, dork?" Billy challenged, leaning in menacingly.

"Nothing, it's fine," Adam muttered.

Suddenly, memories of the torture resurfaced, and he started trembling. Billy smirked and walked away.

*After school*

Adam walked home, feeling an intense heat building inside him. He started running.

"Oh damn it. It's hot. I have to get there and take a shower," Adam panted.

Once home, he rushed upstairs and bumped into Brock. Brock blocked his way, but Adam felt like he was burning up. Desperate, he shoved Brock aside, sending him flying five feet away. Brock looked stunned.

Adam didn't stop. He dashed into the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, and turned on the shower. Steam rose from his skin as the water hit him, and he finally felt some relief.

After his shower, Adam did his chores. Later, his parents came home, and they all had dinner together. Adam went to bed afterwards.

"Tomorrow is going to be the same again," Adam thought. "Except for the burning, though. What the hell was that? Anyway, it's over, so I'll just go back to sleep."

*Morning*

Adam woke up early, climbed down from the attic, and saw his little sister, Anna.

"Oh, you woke up early today," Anna observed.

"Yeah," Adam replied.

He got ready for school, grabbed some lunch money, and left. After school, in the hallway, the janitor, Mr. Jenkins, offered Adam a deal: mop the basketball court for $25. It was an offer Adam couldn't refuse. He went to the court and started mopping.

When he finished, Mr. Jenkins handed him the money.

"Thank you," Adam said.

"No, thank you for helpingme, kid. None of the staff saw you, right?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

"No. Anyway, I have to go home," Adam replied.

*At the precinct*

"There was a homicide in the neighborhood Adam lives in, and he was seen at a crime scene. This can't be a coincidence, can it?" Morgan pondered.

Adam walked home, considering a shortcut he hadn't used before. The town was large, surrounded by a small forest and situated on a wide, but not tall, hill. Center Hill was named for the two hills flanking it, though they were far off.

Taking the shortcut through an alley, Adam ran into Billy and his gang.

"Oh, if it isn't Adam. It seems luck is on my side. You've been avoiding me lately. I didn't even see you today. Hand over that cash," Billy demanded.

"I used up the money," Adam lied.

"Nah, I don't believe you. Let me search for it," Billy sneered.

Adam turned and ran. Unbeknownst to him, Tiffany was there too. She didn't usually walk home with Billy but was left behind buying ice cream. Adam, now running at an incredible 27 km/h, collided with her, sending her flying ten feet and breaking her wrist.

Tiffany screamed in pain as Billy and his friends arrived.

"Damn, he's fast. Why'd he stop running, though?" one of Billy's friends wondered.

Billy saw Tiffany screaming and became furious. Adam tried to explain, but Billy wouldn't listen. Billy threw a punch that Adam saw coming in slow motion, so he dodged it.

"He's faster now... or has he always been this fast?" Billy thought.

Two of Billy's friends helped Tiffany up and led her away. Another friend grabbed Adam from behind, and Billy punched Adam again, but this time Billy felt the pain instead.

"That didn't even hurt. I have to fight for myself for once," Adam thought.

Adam stomped on his captor's toe, not realizing he had crushed it. The guy screamed in pain and let go. Billy punched Adam again, but hurt his hand once more, so Adam retaliated, punching Billy in the ribs and breaking one. Billy groaned and collapsed.

Adam ran home. It was getting late; moppingand the encounter with Billy had taken time. He ran at a normal pace now. As he arrived, he felt a chill before opening the door. Inside, he saw a woman wearing a mask covering her mouth and nose, dressed in black and holding a blood-drenched sword. Adam started shaking.

He saw Brock lying on the ground, dead, his neck cut open and his right hand in the sink. The woman raised her hand, and the door closed by itself. Adam tried to open it but couldn't. He screamed for help.

"They can't hear you," the assassin said, advancing towards him.