Mystery In the Mist Forest 1

CHAPTER 11: Mystery In the Mist Forest 1

30 years ago,…

The lab buzzes with low murmurs and blinking lights at the center of the room stands a high-tech sickbed with a 10-year-old boy with connected helmet pulsing with light on it. Wires snaking from the bed and helmet to the towering servers and glowing monitors. Around it, a gathering of the world’s most elite minds humans and aliens alike as they watch in anticipation. From the crowd, an alien doctor from the midst steps forward. Tall, slender, and dressed in an iridescent white coat, he clears his throat. His voice echoes across the chamber:

“Good afternoon, my fellow humans… and Steforians. I am Doctor Smith, and today, you are going to witness another miracle.”

He gestures toward the boy.

“Ten years ago, we achieved our dream by making a specie, beyond borders. We attempted the impossible, combining the DNA of a human with that of a Steforian. There were… failures during these attempts. Years of trial and error. But today, we present the result of that dream: Subject 18. Also known as R”

Gasps ripple through the audience. Doctor Smith’s tone grows more passionate.

“R may appear human, but within him flows the power of a Steforian. As many of you know, Steforians live for centuries—five hundred years, minimum. But merging that longevity with human DNA was nearly fatal. The cells would clash, reject each other, or self-destruct.”

He pauses dramatically.

“WE kept on progressing every year until, we created the key. The bridge between the two DNA’s who can’t stand each other. And the key is an artificial intelligence unlike anything before her— A Self-Help Artificial Intelligence Developer also known as S.H.A.I.D. You see this is not just a common AI but a Bio-mechanical one.”

As he turns towards the bed looking at R, he continues his speech.

“you see, SHAID was made using R’s own DNA… and infused with Steforian traits she did not just assist into solving the code, she stabilized it. She analyzed and synchronized both genetic codes faster than any machine ever could wired not into R’s body, but his brain.”

Murmurs rise again. Shock. Fear. Awe. as the Doctor’s clears his throat and adjusts his collar to continue his speech.

“But make no mistake SHAID is not autonomous. She only functions under one person’s command: R. the only time she can take control of the host body is if the host is incapable of making a command that will help him out of danger or death”

Silence falls like a weight.

Doctor Smith continues, his voice low but confident:

“Thanks to SHAID and the fusion of the DNA, R’s strength and speed is the combination of a peak human and steforian combined. His healing factors becomes faster we can’t say of his life span yet but, He is not only just a super soldier but a hacker due SHAID’s connection in fact he could be the most advanced hacker ever born.”

The room erupts in applause. Flashing lights. Whispers of excitement. As the Doctor adds further saying

“we’ve only begun to unlock SHAID’s full potential. Today, we begin the process to awaken her further to integrate her deeper into his neural systems.”

Doctor Smith steps closer to the bed and leans in, gently placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“R… are you ready?”

The boy opens his eyes slowly. His voice trembles.

“I… I’m not.”

Doctor Smith gives him a soft smile.

“Don’t worry boy, I’ll protect you.”

R’s eyes flutter shut again. The room hums with machines powering up. Distant gasps. Bright lights.

And then a voice starts to echo.

BACK TO THE MIST FOREST

"R... R... where the fuck are we?"

SHAID's voice crackles in his head, anxious and trembling.

"You're the one with the intelligence," R snaps. "How the fuck would I know? Can't you do some of your scanning shit and get us out of here?"

"I would if there was any damn signal, you fat pig."

R rolls his one good eye, unfazed. "Alright then, we move ahead."

"We don’t know what’s ahead," SHAID warns.

R scoffs. "Now you know how it feels to be half-blind. Welcome to my world, bitch."

"Fuck you," she mutters, syncing reluctantly with his pace.

R notices his limbs stiffening again. He grunts. "SHAID."

"No," she responds flatly.

R laughs, stepping forward as his limbs becomes free. "I've regained my full strength. Don’t forget, I’m still the one in charge."

"Yenyenyen yenyen yen I’m still in charge blah blah blah." As she start to tease R’s, journey continues

The more he moves deeper into the Mist Forest the more the air thickens as green fog clings to the ground as he hears whispers from shadows slide between the trees as more houses appear, each marked with the same twisted symbol crystals drawn in dried blood, a childlike figure etched at the center. The forest grows denser. The howls of wolves’ echo in the distance. Snakes hiss in the underbrush. The further they walk, the heavier the atmosphere becomes like the forest is watching. He feels a connection, this is not ordinary he being followed.

"Someone’s following us," he mutters "No one's here. Just rustling leaves." R replies instantly

"Then you do understand having awareness of your surroundings."

"I was aware and I warned you but fuck we are shit-forest. What if it's the snakes?"

R grunts and nods, continuing.

Eventually, they reach a four-way junction, deceptively shaped like a T from a distance. But what freezes them isn’t the roads... it's the scene at the center.

Dead bodies. Dozens. Arranged in a pattern again, the blood-crystal symbol. At the center of the design lies the mutilated body of a child. The blood is fresh.

R’s breath catches. Some bodies are flayed. Others are torn apart, heads missing.

"What the hell is going on in this place?" he mutters.

"I told you not to fuckin come here," SHAID says coldly. "You're on your own now."

R nods, shaking off the chill. "Did you forget we have a whole region to go and a shadow to find. We need to find the mercenaries, let’s find their vehicle."

He kneels, scanning the ground. As he tracks heavy wheels, leading left.

As he follows this path, the signs of battle grow clearer as he sees broken trees, shredded gear. Blood trails and used bullets until he reaches the destroyed convoy.

The vehicles lie in ruin gutted as blood paints the area, Limbs and heads are scattered, Bodies are savaged by beasts more importantly the body he is looking for is gone just an empty cage scattered.

SHAID speaks softly. "What kind of snakes do this?"

R crouches by a corpse. "This ain’t snakes." R notices he is not alone as a child’s cry cuts through the mist, weak and helpless. R moves instinctively to where this cry is coming from.

"R, I’m not sure about this," SHAID warns.

"It might be a kid."

following the child’s cry he got to his destination as he saw a small boy from afar. A boy, cloaked in black, soaked in blood as he sits on the floor crying sits in the clearing, sobbing.

“Why is aa small boy alone in this creepy place” SHAID asks

"The main question is why’s he wearing the same cloak as the bodies at the junction?" R asks. As he steps closer, the boy lifts his head the face that is sober turns into an evil demonic cry with is mouth is stained with blood and holds a severed hand.

"That's no kid," R whispers.

As the child bones snaps, his body begins to transform and fur erupts from his skin, His face elongates into a snout green eyes burn through the mist.

A were wolf.

The wolf howls and dozens of eyes appear in the darkness.

"R... is that what I think it is?" SHAID asks

As R grips the womping Reaper. "Fuck. A were wolf with his pack."

The alpha howls giving a signal to the other wolves as they close in.

"What do we do?!" SHAID shouts.

R backs away trying to leave this situation.

"We fucking RUN."