Adam : From a man to a God

"So, you’re Ragnarok," Adam said slowly, standing up with effort, still feeling the oppressive weight bearing down on him. Ragnarok grinned at Adam, an unsettling expression of anticipated joy. "Indeed I am, mortal. I didn't expect we’d meet so soon." It was unnerving to see his own face twisted into such a grin, the voice slightly deeper, more sinister than his own. It felt even stranger than when Killer Adam had taken control.

"My name is Adam," he said, his voice tinged with defiance. "I already knew that. How could I not know the name of the body I possess?" Ragnarok responded, his tone dripping with condescension.

"How is it that you’re possessing me?" Adam asked, desperation creeping into his voice. "Simple. You broke the relic that imprisoned me. The one who breaks the relic gains my power but loses control. I take over the body, slowly absorbing the soul of the one who originally owned it," Ragnarok explained with a chilling calmness.

"What?" Adam gasped, shock evident in his eyes. "But don’t worry... As you can see, I’m currently trapped," Ragnarok said, placing his hand on the glass and leaning against it, his gaze piercing through to Adam.

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through Adam’s head, like a needle piercing his brain. His vision of Ragnarok blurred, legs trembling as he could no longer stand. The force weighing him down drained the last of his energy, and he collapsed to his knees again.

"You're so weak. You can't even use my power properly," Ragnarok said with a serious, almost disappointed expression. He sighed heavily. "It seems you're slowly becoming conscious. Painful, isn't it?" he taunted.

Adam struggled to his feet, holding the side of his head, one eye squeezed shut. "Oh?" Ragnarok mused. "You're not going to take control of my body," Adam said, his voice filled with determination despite the struggle. His vision continued to fade.

"Oh really? We’ll see about that. I do enjoy a challenge," Ragnarok replied. Adam fell, his eyes closing, but then he felt himself awaken again. He found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling fan slowly rotating above him.

It felt bizarre to shift from unconsciousness to consciousness so abruptly, like closing and opening his eyes simultaneously. Golden rays of sunlight filtered into the room, illuminating it and driving away the shadows of his troubled dreams. The sheer curtains fluttered softly in the breeze, revealing the beauty of the sunset—a stark contrast to the dark reality he faced.

As Adam adjusted to his surroundings, he turned slightly, his arm brushing against something warm beside him. He looked down to find Tilda sleeping peacefully next to him, her blonde hair spilling across the pillow like a halo, catching the sunlight in a radiant glow. For a moment, he admired her serene beauty.

Her hair shimmered with hues of honey, framing her delicate face. Adam’s heart skipped a beat as he noticed the gentle curve of her lips, slightly parted, revealing a hint of vulnerability. They were full and inviting, speaking of warmth and laughter, a stark contrast to the darkness that often surrounded them.

Her skin, kissed by the sunlight, seemed almost luminescent. He marveled at the way her long eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, casting delicate shadows as if she held a dream only he could understand.

The peaceful expression on her face, lips drawn into a soft smile, made his heart swell with an unnameable emotion. In that moment, he felt a beauty that ignited something deep within him, sparking a flame.

But the tranquility was interrupted by an unexpected and somewhat comical sensation. Tilda, in her sleep, shifted closer, her body pressing against his, leading to an awkward and intimate situation—her breast resting lightly against his arm. Adam's eyes widened, his face reddening as he tried to process the closeness. He fought against a flutter of embarrassment and slowly removed his arm, his thoughts racing back to Ragnarok’s words.

His face turned serious. "Oh no, I totally forgot about meeting up with Eddie," he thought. Looking out the window, he saw the sun setting. His attention shifted back to Tilda. "I should wake her up, let her know I’m alright," he thought.

He got up from the bed and stretched. Moving to the side of the bed, he gently called out to her. Tilda slowly woke up, her eyes shimmering faintly gold. "Adam, you’re okay," she said, her voice filled with relief.

"Yeah, I’m fine, I think. What happened?" he asked, sitting beside her. "Well, when Mr. Kim tried to seal the entity inside you, it countered. He was pushed back and got hurt in the process," she explained. "He got hurt?" Adam said, alarmed.

"Don’t worry, he’s okay. He told me to tell you so before he left," Tilda reassured him. "Where is he now?" Adam asked. "He said he’s going to get something, probably to discuss the next stage with the founders," she replied.

"Next stage?" he queried. "Yes, the tournaments. It’s a plan to induce competition among the power holders. People will want to become stronger to win, and that’s just what they want," she explained.

"What exactly is the prize for winning the tournament?" he asked. "Status, a choice to live rich in the outside world, which is really just freedom, and you’ll be given money when you leave. And lastly, more life span," she answered.

"What do you mean by more life span?" Adam asked, puzzled. "Michael has the ability to extend any living person’s life span. He can add 50 years to your life, and you’ll continue to age after those 50 years have ended," she explained.

"Wow," Adam thought, staring at Tilda. "The only problem is that you get to live those years here," she added. Adam felt a growing sense of resentment towards Michael, even though he hadn’t met him. Was it right to judge someone based on others' perspectives? He wondered what it would be like to meet Michael in person.

It became quiet for a few seconds. He then stared at the door and saw the time on the digital clock above the door frame. He remembered he had to meet Eddie. He quickly stood up. Tilda watched him, puzzled. "I’m sorry, I have to go," he said, noticing his untied shoe. He quickly tied it and headed for the door.

"I’ll be back, bye," he said, leaving hurriedly. "Bye," Tilda said softly. "Wait, why does it feel like saying goodbye to someone who already lives here? I’m the one who actually has to leave. Who is he meeting with? Did he already...?" she wondered, shaking her head to dispel the thoughts. "I’ll have to meet up with him tomorrow. Yes, and then I’ll tell him," she said, her face turning slightly red as her eyes glowed golden for a second.

As Adam walked through the dining room, he noticed a hole in the wall. He stopped and looked at it. So that’s what happened. Frustration crept into his mind. Was it safe to be close to others anymore? He didn’t know when or where Ragnarok might break free. He shook his head, trying not to dwell on it. There was no time for that; he had to meet Eddie. He walked closer to the broken wall and stepped outside. A small breeze blew by as he looked at the small woods in front of him. He was by the side of the house, looking at the lawn. He remembered crashing into it. "The whole place is fixed. Is it like the training I was in? Ah, I’ve got to stop thinking too much and go already," he thought, a small smile forming on his face.

He took a running stance and started to run, his foot digging slightly into the ground. "Finally, I feel like I should just start living in that house again. I get to enjoy the long runs to the city. It sucks that I have to reduce my speed when I get there, though. When I live in the city, I either have to walk or jog there," Adam thought as he ran through the small forest and entered the city.

He saw remarkable buildings—tall flats, four skyscrapers, and many other buildings and houses. In the middle of these houses was a road he ran beside. There weren’t many people in the city at that time. A few cars and people dotted the streets. As he ran, he accidentally bumped into a young man around his age.

"Hey," the young man said. He had short red hair, was wearing brown pants and a brown jacket, and carried a bag of groceries. His piercing brown eyes glared at Adam. "Watch where you’re going."

"Sorry," Adam said, continuing to run slowly. "Freaking flame power holders," the young man muttered, turning and walking away. Adam glanced up, seeing seven figures floating in the clear sky. He quickly refocused on the road ahead.

Adam stopped running when he reached a four-way intersection. A black Nissan passed near him. "Why do people travel by cars? They’re so slow compared to us," he thought. "Well, it wouldn’t look right if people ran around in the city," he mused, a smile playing on his lips. "It would be like people are panicking in this city," he said.

He saw someone passing by at super speed. He couldn’t make out the person’s face, but it looked like a girl. He sighed in relief. "At least I’m not the only one," he said. As the sun set, shadows of the buildings loomed over the city.

"Hmm... Where were we?" Adam questioned himself, looking at the skyscrapers.

Adam looked at the skyscrapers. They weren’t clustered together but not too far apart either, aligning in a curve that formed an incomplete circle. Their design resembled pens, and they appeared to be made entirely of glass. "I think I was close to that one," he said, focusing on the skyscraper in the middle. "Okay, let's go," he muttered, starting to run again.

He ran until he reached his destination. Fortunately, he found Eddie leaning against the tall screen wall of the yard behind him, typing on his phone with intense focus. Eddie wore a black and white jersey, blue jeans, and matching black and white shoes. Noticing Adam, he smiled. "Hey," he greeted.

"Sup," Adam replied.

"Dude, what happened? I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it," Eddie said, turning off his phone and slipping it into his pocket.

"Sorry, I was... occupied," Adam said. "Oh, I talked to Mr. Kim not too long ago. He told me everything. Well, not everything; he said he told me everything I needed to know." (She wasn’t even real...) Eddie thought.

"He did, but what about the curse?" Adam asked.

"Turns out Mr. Kim can temporarily seal the curse’s effects, and he decided to remove his power over me. Yeah, so... I want to help."

"You want to help?"

"Yeah, I can’t sit by and let you guys fight this alone. I have to help. Plus, you’re going to need more manpower," Eddie said, his face showing a hint of determination.

Adam looked at Eddie's determined expression. He knew Eddie was right, and that he couldn't stop him from joining the fight. Eddie deserved to be part of this battle too. Adam sighed. "Okay then, but you’re going to have to endure training with us and still handle the classes. Can you do that?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I can."

"Okay, we’ll start training the day after tomorrow," Adam said.

"Why not tomorrow?" Eddie asked.

"I signed up for the tournaments, so I have to take some kind of test tomorrow."

"Great! Then I’ll sign up for the tournaments too," Eddie declared.

"What?" Adam asked, surprised.

---

*Mountaindale* (Outside World)

Deep in the forest of Mountaindale, a young man with snow-white hair stood. He wore tight black jeans, a buttonless blue jacket over a white t-shirt, and a red scarf. His eyes were as white as his hair. He stood on the ground where the Daughters of Death and the Black Dragons once clashed, looking at the bodies of his fallen allies—the Black Dragons—with a disappointed expression.

He extended his hand as if to grab something. On the palm of his hand, cold, visible air like steam began to form, slowly creating a long, thin blue ice sword. He immediately stabbed it into the ground, and ice spread from the tip of the sword, covering the ground in white, as if it intended to envelop the entire forest.

The ice covered the bodies of his fallen comrades, turning even their skin to ice. He lifted the sword and tapped the ice with its tip, producing a ting sound as it melted. Everything the ice had covered turned into water, including the bodies and the leaves on the ground. He let go of the sword, which melted into water mid-air. He sighed, exhaling a steamy, ice-cold breath.

"The war is getting closer," he said in a soft yet cold voice.