Evolution: Harbinger of Chaos

Everything after Daniel's awakening had passed in a haze. Doctor Aksel had reassured him, his teachers had expressed their concern, but their words seemed to blur into an unintelligible hum.

Later, a nurse brought a plate of sliced fruit and a fragrant bowl of custard. The aroma roused an intense hunger in Daniel—an ache he hadn't even realized was there.

Without hesitation, he devoured most of it, his hunger overriding any semblance of restraint.

But no sooner had he swallowed the food than his body revolted.

The taste.

It wasn't the sweetness of fruit or the creamy warmth of custard. It was something entirely vile. A grotesque mixture of rotten eggs, sweat, and a bitter, stagnant tang that coated his tongue and throat like poison.

The moment it hit his stomach, it clawed its way back up.

Daniel doubled over, his stomach heaving violently.

"What happened?"

"I—I don't know! I think he ate too quickly!"

"Why would you let him—"

The nurses' voices were a chaotic backdrop as Daniel stared blankly at the mess he had made, his breaths ragged.

[Disgusting.] "Disgusting," the two voices echoed in unison.

The taste lingered, vile and unyielding, as though it had stained his very soul. His tongue felt polluted, his stomach violated. The nurse scrambled to wipe him down as Daniel's body convulsed, retching until his mind grew faint and his vision darkened.

And then, mercifully, the world disappeared.

~~~

Daniel woke to the sterile hum of fluorescent lights overhead, his vision hazy as he blinked against the glare. His head throbbed, his body felt sluggish, and his mind struggled to place where he was or how much time had passed.

"Hey! Hey, Max! He's finally awake—you're finally awake—"

A familiar voice pierced his sensitive ears, reverberating painfully in his skull. He winced.

"Shut up!" Maxuel's harsh whisper cut through the noise. "The doctor said not to raise our voices! Are you trying to wake him up just to knock him out again?"

Daniel sluggishly turned his head to the side, his neck protesting the movement. Two figures sat beside the bed—Maxuel, his younger brother, and Ethan, his best friend.

Maxuel froze as their gazes met, his expression shifting from frustration to shock.

"Danny?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

Daniel blinked, his eyes heavy. "Hey… Max," he rasped.

"Yo—" Ethan started, only to shrink under Maxuel's withering glare. "I mean… yooo… hehe," he added in a much quieter tone.

Maxuel ignored him and pulled his chair closer to Daniel's side, his movements stiff with worry. "H–How are you feeling?"

Daniel's brows furrowed as he tried to piece together what had happened. His last memory was the food, the violent rejection from his body, and then… darkness.

He looked down at himself. His blanket and clothes had been changed. The scent of antiseptic clung to him.

"I…" Daniel began, but a sudden wave of nausea cut him off. He groaned, clutching his stomach as his face twisted in discomfort.

Maxuel shot to his feet, his composure cracking. "Danny? What's wrong?!" he asked, his voice frantic as he reached out to his older brother.

[I don't know.] "I don't know…" Daniel replied, his voice hoarse. The raspy, alien echo of his words followed immediately.

"Something's wrong," Daniel continued, his words almost slurring as he groaned again. [Something is terribly wrong, Max.] "Something is terribly wrong, Max…"

Maxuel paled, his eyes darting to Ethan. "Go get a nurse. Quick—"

[No!] "NO!"

Daniel's sudden shout cut through the room like a blade. His voice—the single one they could hear—startled the two boys into silence. Ethan froze halfway out of his chair, and Maxuel turned back to his brother, his face tight with shock.

Daniel lay there, his chest heaving as he mumbled to himself, his voice barely audible. Then, as if steeling himself, he turned his head sharply to the side, fixing both boys with an intense, almost feverish stare.

"Don't call them," Daniel said slowly, his tone deliberate yet shaky. [They don't believe me, they don't understand.] "They don't believe me… they don't understand."

Ethan and Maxuel exchanged uneasy glances. Maxuel hesitated before leaning closer. "Danny, what are you talking about? Who doesn't believe you?"

Daniel's breaths came in short bursts, his eyes flickering between the two. His voice trembled as he spoke, rushing his words as though afraid they might vanish if he didn't get them out.

"There's a… a voice," he stammered. "It repeats what I say. It's mine, but it's not. And there are… memories—visions. Things I've seen, things I've lived… but they're not mine!"

Maxuel's brows knitted in confusion. "Danny, slow down. What do you mean by 'memories'? What kind of things have you seen?"

Daniel clenched his fists, his mind scrambling to organize the chaotic images that plagued him. "The reindeer…" he whispered, his voice taut.

Maxuel's expression darkened. "The reindeer? You mean from the accident?"

Daniel nodded frantically, his words spilling out in a torrent. "It came back, Max! After the crash, I was alone in the forest, and it came for me. It attacked me—I fought it, but it was too strong. I… I lost my arm!"

Ethan's jaw dropped. "Lost your arm? But it's—"

"I know!" Daniel snapped, cutting him off. "I felt it. I saw it. But now it's here. How? How is it here? It wasn't then. I… I don't know how." He gripped the blanket tightly, his knuckles whitening. "I don't know what's real anymore. Everything feels wrong. My body… my senses… it's like they're not mine!"

Maxuel's face twisted with worry, his hands balling into fists. "Danny, you're not making any sense."

"I know I'm not!" Daniel cried, his voice cracking. Tears welled in his eyes, and the echo of his words reverberated around the room, amplifying his despair. "But it's the truth. You have to believe me!"

Maxuel's breath hitched, his face a mixture of fear and helplessness. He turned sharply to Ethan. "Go get a nurse. Now!"

Ethan hesitated, torn between his loyalty to Daniel and the panic radiating from Maxuel. But when Maxuel shouted, "Go!" Ethan bolted from the room without another word.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Daniel slumped back against the pillows, his body trembling as he tried to steady his breathing.

Maxuel knelt by the bed, his hands gripping the edge tightly. "Danny, I…I'm trying to help you. But you're scaring me..." He trailed off, his voice breaking.

Daniel closed his eyes, shutting out the sight of his brother's anguish. His mind churned, replaying the surreal memories and the phantom voice. His chest heaved, his eyes tightened, his thoughts spiraling.

[They won't understand,] the raspy voice whispered in his mind.

His teeth clenched.

"I need to know... what happened that day."