Adam : From a man to a God

Ragna sat in a dark place, trapped in a square-shaped crystal.

"Another crack has appeared. If I'm correct, this vessel is in trouble. I've concluded that some kind of emotions cause these cracks, and they aren't good ones," Ragna thought.

He stood and looked at the third crack.

"If I'm right, I should be able to see what's going on now. Through his eyes," Ragna said to himself.

Ragna's eyes glowed a faint white as he looked through Adam's eyes but saw only darkness.

"Is he unconscious? That explains it," Ragna muttered, sitting back down with a smile. "It's only a matter of time before I'm completely free."

Adam opened his eyes a little and looked at the ceiling. He groaned as he sat up, realizing he was in a big room on a king-size bed, almost naked except for boxers that weren't his. He was completely clean. He removed the blanket and got out of bed, looking around. He saw a tall dresser with a note attached to it.

"Where the hell am I? Open the dresser, clothes inside for you," Adam read aloud.

He slowly opened the dresser and found clothes that would probably fit him: a dark red, almost black leather jacket, a black t-shirt, jeans, shoes, socks, and a black belt. Adam got dressed and noticed the door had a golden knob.

He tried opening it but couldn't, so he put some force on it and broke the knob.

Adam: "Damn. That was one hard knob."

He opened the door and stepped out. To his left was a dead end, and to his right, a short hallway. He walked down the hallway, turned left, and entered a living room that opened into a kitchen. A long table laden with food and drinks caught his eye, making his mouth water. A man with glasses was reading a folder, and opposite him sat the girl.

The man with glasses looked up. "Oh, he's awake," he noted.

The girl quickly turned to Adam and stood up. "Wow, you're awake... and healed. I thought you wouldn't wake up."

"Where am I? Who are you people?" Adam demanded, still groggy.

"Oh, I never introduced myself. My name is Tilda," the girl said with a smile.

"I am Instructor Kim. Please, take a seat," the man added, gesturing to the table.

Adam slowly sat near Tilda, his eyes glued to the food. The man smiled knowingly.

"Tilda told us you were hungry, so we made some food," Kim said.

Tilda remembered when the killer, posing as Adam, had claimed he was just looking for food and water. Not that she knew it wasn't really Adam at the time.

"Yeah, I heard you saying it. Your lips were pretty dry when we first met," Tilda added.

"What are you waiting for? Dig in. But pay attention to what I’ll be saying," Kim instructed.

Adam started eating voraciously, like a man on the run.

Kim watched him with a slight smile. "Quite an appetite. Okay, Adam, I'll answer your questions first. Right now, you are in Atlas and not at the same time."

Adam paused, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You are in a different dimension, but here in Atlas," Kim explained.

Adam stopped eating entirely. "What do you mean, different dimension?"

Kim sighed. "I'll explain."

Kim told Adam about god-level power holders and how they created a new dimension, opening a rift in Atlas 80 years ago to teach and protect the gifted, or power holders.

(Is what he's saying true?) Adam thought, skeptical. "How do I know what you're saying is true? And how many gifted are there exactly?"

"He is telling the truth. I know you don't really know me, but I wouldn't lie to someone who saved me," Tilda assured him.

"Well, I'll show you once we go outside. As you mentioned earlier, an assassin told you about the relics and artifacts. She left some information out. For an object to gain power, it must not be created by humans," Kim continued.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, intrigued.

"For example, that spoon you're holding is man-made. But if a god used it for a week, they would infuse it with their power without even noticing. They're just that divine. If a human touches it... well, you know what happens. Imagine many gods with so much jewelry and things. Items touched by a god last longer. That spoon you're holding could take 50 years before it starts to rust, if it ever does," Kim explained.

"Whoa. So how many of the gifted are there?" Adam asked, wide-eyed.

"19,989 in total here. You just made it 19,990," Tilda answered.

"That many!?" Adam exclaimed.

"Yes. Right now, you're in a mansion 4 km away from the city in this dimension," Kim informed him.

"There's a city here?" Adam asked, surprised.

"Yes," Tilda confirmed.

"You will be attending the school here. It teaches you about our place in the world and how to control your powers. It's good. I have to leave now," Kim said, standing up. Tilda stood as well.

"Come on, let us show you," Tilda encouraged.

Adam stood and exited the house, astonished to see trees and, beyond them, buildings and skyscrapers. He stood there, marveling at the sight.

*Some time after Tilda took Adam away*

Daniel was still alive, breathing heavily, his body and half his face burnt. A man in black walked up to him.

"Ooh, poor Daniel. What could have happened to you?" the man mocked.

Daniel groaned in pain. "Fuck off."

"You were one of our best assets. Now look at you," the man continued, unimpressed.

"You just wanna know who did this so you can recruit them," Daniel spat out.

"That's the rule. Recruit them or kill them if they resist," the man replied calmly.

"It was a dark-skinned kid. He looked like a teenager," Daniel revealed, wincing.

"Oh." (He did this at that age?) the man thought.

"Now hurry up and put me out of my mi—" Daniel began, but the man stabbed him before he could finish.

Elsewhere, at another assassin organization...

Felicity was deep in thought, contemplating how Terra was killed.

(No matter how much he hides, we will find him. I'll get my revenge, and Father will promote me for killing a superior power holder. He better survive until he gets to me), Felicity vowed silently.

In another dimension...

Instructor Kim floated above the ground, then flew towards the city.

"Whoa, did he just fly?" Adam asked, astonished.

"Yes, and you can do that too if you go to the academy," Tilda replied with a smile.

(I don't really know what I'm getting myself into, but I have no choice. I'll have to join. No more running; maybe I'll fit in), Adam thought, determination settling in.

Inside Adam, Ragna pondered, (So that's what's going on. Looks like I'll have to wait. No one will get in my way.)

He smiled as his eyes glowed red.

Adam would have to learn how to properly use his powers at the academy, and he would have to extinguish his enemies, whether he liked it or not. His journey was just beginning, and he still had a long way to go.

To be continued.