Ethan's boots scraped against the cold metal floor as the soldier dragged him down a dimly lit corridor. The air in the underground facility was thick with the scent of damp concrete and something metallic—blood, perhaps. He clenched his fists, but without his powers, they felt useless.
The soldier shoved him through a heavy steel door, and Ethan stumbled inside a vast holding chamber. Around him, figures in identical gray jumpsuits turned to look at him. Some bore scars, others fresh wounds. Their eyes, hollow yet alert, told him one thing—they were survivors.
A slow clap echoed through the chamber. Ethan turned to see a tall man step forward, dressed in a dark uniform, his face hidden behind a reflective visor. His presence alone commanded silence.
"Welcome to your new reality," the man said, his voice calm yet laced with something sinister. "You may call me Mr. X."
Ethan tensed. He had heard whispers of Mr. X back at the facility—an enforcer of the government's darkest experiments.
Mr. X paced in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back. "You were all created for a purpose. Enhanced. Perfected. But there's no room for the weak. Only the strongest among you deserve freedom."
Murmurs spread through the group. Ethan felt the tension thickening like a storm.
Mr. X smiled coldly. "The only way to escape this place is by surviving The Ultimate Battle."
The words sent a chill down Ethan's spine.
"The tournament begins soon," Mr. X continued, scanning their faces. "Fight well, or die forgotten."
With that, the guards barked orders, shoving the prisoners into formation. The heavy doors slid shut behind them, and Ethan's mind raced. He had fought to escape before. But this time, survival meant stepping into an arena where only one rule mattered—kill or be killed.