Chapter 1 [ The first awakening ]

10 years ago

The blaring sirens made the normally serene laboratory become chaotic. Several people wearing white coats rushed over in a frantic state, into a room.

"Ex. SNOW is a success. I repeat, Ex. SNOW is a success." One of them spoke into a radio as they stared upon a kid maybe around 13 years old floating inside a glass cylinder.

Golden pupils looked around cautiously. The kid set his hand on the glass as he continued to watch the people in white robes speak. The words that effortlessly flowed out their mouths were all foreign to him.

"S-Snow." The people flicked their heads towards him when he spoke. Their expressions began to twist into glee.

"Let's begin the testing." A woman in a white coat said as she tied her long black hair into a pony. A name tag hung on her coat

< Proffeser Melanie >.

The people began to get to work. Clicking on buttons and writing on clipboards. The fluid that filled the glass cylinder began to drain as the woman opened the top of the cylinder; She reached in, pulling the kid out of his enclosure.

The kid turned to face her, his eyes shimmering like gold. The woman stared at him expressionless as she pulled out a bracelet from her coat pocket.

She stuck it on the boy. It looked like one of those flimsy wristbands a hospital would give you when you came in. it wasn't much different from one of the hospital's own. All it had on it was

<Ex. Snow, Leppard.>

The boy started at his new wristband and tilted his head. similar to a dog trying to understand a new trick.

"Mom?" A voice came from an open doorway. A boy with short brown hair stood beyond the door, staring at his mother and snow.

The boy and his mother looked eerily similar. Both haved caramel brown hair and emerald green eyes. If it weren't for the boy saying mom earlier, you could've mistaken them as siblings.

"Leo! Why are you here?" The woman shouted as she walked over to her son, shoving snow onto the ground as she did so.

The woman pulled her son into a hug as she continued to speak. "How was school today, Leo?" Now in talking in a sweet tender tone.

"It was okay... Who's he?" When the words escaped from Leo's mouth, his mother immediately let him go as she looked back over at Snow, who was sitting on the ground.

"Leo... You know that I do some special work, right?"

"Mom, I'm 14, not 8. I know that your work isn't necessarily legal."

Leo's mom let out a sigh, thinking about how to respond to her son.

"... We- I made a... Hybrid." The words that left Melanie's mouth sounded so ridiculous that Leo couldn't help but laugh. His expression turned sour when he noticed the seriousness in his mother's words.

"What do you mean!" Leo's voice raised as he spoke to his mother, who now wore a guilt filled expression.

"It's nothing bad, really! If you really want to see it, feel free to look at it." Melanie was shoved aside by Leo the moment she finished her sentence.

Leo sat beside Snow, looking at his pale bare body with a hurt face as if he felt sorry for him. Leo took off his jacket and put it on Snow. It was far too big for Snow, and yet Snow seemed to love it.

"Leo... I'm sorry. I promise that -"

"You used that line before already."

Leo cut his mother off before she could finish her sentence. She stared at him, her once expressionless eyes now teary. Leo glared at her, awaiting her to start up another excuse.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"... Stop the experim-"

"Besides that."

Leo's expression darkened at his mother's response. He looked back at Snow who now looked back at him, Snow's face had gotten a little red, probably due to how cold the lab floors were.

Leo clicked his tongue as he debated on what to do. His mother decided what to do for him, though.

"Let's make a deal."

Leo perked up at his mother's words. He and his mother often made deals. He knew when he was on the losing end after all the deals they'd made.

"You are free to manage the experiment for 6 days a week. You can do whatever you want with the test subject on those days. But the 1 day you don't have it, we are free to do whatever I wish." Melanie's offer was tempting, but Leo knew his mother was cunning with the deals she made, so he added a condition.

"Ok. But when I do have him, you aren't allowed to interfere." Leo's mother thought for a moment before agreeing to Leo's offer.

"I'll take it every Sunday. You're free to take him the following day." Leo nodded at his mother's words as he picked up Snow, who had obediently been sitting beside him the whole time.

"Thank you, mom." Leo said before walking out the lab, still carrying snow in his arms.

The moment Leo left his mother's sight, she let out a heavy sigh, unsure if she'd done the right thing or not. "Alas time will tell." When she spoke, her words seemed to be filled with regret.