Red Vial - APTX 0629

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Rayner felt a searing hot sensation coursing through his body, starting from his arm where the red vial was injected and rapidly spreading to his heart, legs, and finally circulating back to his head. As the red fluid permeated his veins, it felt like countless serpents were slithering through his blood vessels, each movement a wave of excruciating pain. His body convulsed uncontrollably, his muscles contracting and spasming as he struggled to endure the agony.

Wherever the "snakes" swam, the urge to tear his own flesh apart to relieve the pain was overwhelming. But even if he could, it would be futile—every inch of his body was engulfed in torment. His bones were crushed and reformed repeatedly in an unending cycle, and his cells were destroyed and remade by the relentless onslaught of the red fluid. Externally, his veins bulged, and his body swelled and shrank as if it might explode at any moment. He wanted to scream, but the sheer intensity of the pain rendered him mute. His fingers dug into the steel frame of his bed, bending the metal like wooden chopsticks, yet he uncontrollably continued to flail and kick, damaging the bed to which he was bound.

His skin stretched to its limits, and blood seeped from every pore. His eyes, ears, nose, and mouth oozed crimson, and though his eyes were open, they were blinded by blood. He knew he had to stay conscious and fight the pain, or he would cease to exist. Unbeknownst to him, this decision was crucial, as his fellow test subjects around him exploded into bloody messes—some their heads, others their lower bodies, and others their hearts. It was a scene straight from the depths of hell.

As time passed, unbeknownst to others, Rayner began to shed his skin, black sebaceous excretions oozing out and mingling with the pervasive stench of blood. This smell was covered by the bloody scent occupying the whole space. Under this stench covered skin was his new skin, red, soft, tighter and shinier, his muscles all over his body were reorganizing into a stronger, well-knit fabric. Finally, he felt a sudden, cold relief wash over him, as if submerged in icy water. Just as he began to relax, the pain intensified, concentrating in his heart and brain. His heart felt like a seasoned drummer was pounding out a rock song, and his brain was being stabbed repeatedly.

The agony in his heart gradually subsided, leaving only his brain feeling the intense, sharp pain. It felt like a sharp object was being driven into his skull over and over. The pain in his brain further intensified, this time, it was as if his soul was being torn out of him. Never has he felt a pain this intense in his entire 24 years of life. Rayner felt at the end of his ropes, memories of his past hardships flashing before him. He remembered being born into an orphanage, never knowing his parents, being bullied as a child for being an orphan, working tirelessly to excel in school, getting into a good college, juggling five jobs to pay for tuition, graduating and landing a high-paying job, only to lose it all in the conflict. 

A surge of determination filled him. "I've endured all the pains in life to get to this point. Don't think this little pain will get me to surrender! I will survive!" Rayner thought to himself. Slowly, the pain began to recede, and his consciousness slipped into a deep, exhausted sleep.