Experiment Zero

Experiment Zero

Chapter 1 — The Beginning of Zero

In a world where superpowers existed only inside comic books, fantasy novels, and late-night imaginations, people had long stopped believing in miracles.

Heroes were fictional.

Monsters were fictional.

People with impossible abilities only existed behind ink-covered pages.

And reality… reality was cruelly ordinary.

But one man refused to accept that.

Dr. Voss believed humanity was capable of evolving beyond its limits. He believed that hidden inside human blood, bones, and cells was something sleeping. Something powerful.

For years, he researched in silence.

For years, he tested theories no one dared to touch.

And for years, the scientific world mocked him.

The bright conference room echoed with laughter as Dr. Voss stood before a long table filled with senior researchers and executives. A large screen behind him displayed countless formulas, human anatomy diagrams, and one bold title:

Human Evolution Project

One of the senior bosses adjusted his glasses before letting out a laugh.

“Look, Voss,” he said mockingly, “you know this isn’t reality, right? Superhumans?” He leaned back in his chair. “What’s next? Flying people?”

The room exploded into laughter.

Another senior scientist smirked. “Maybe he reads too many comics.”

More laughter followed.

Dr. Voss stood silently, gripping the edge of the table so tightly his fingers trembled.

Then the head boss spoke again.

“We don’t have the funding for this nonsense.” He shook his head with amusement. “This project is zero.”

“Absolute zero.”

“Hahaha!”

Their laughter stabbed deeper than insults.

Dr. Voss lowered his eyes, but inside him something changed that day.

Something hardened.

If the world refused to believe him…

Then he would prove them wrong alone.

That very day, he resigned from his position.

And from the humiliation born in that room, he gave his life’s work a new name.

Experiment Zero.

—

Far away from the crowded city center, Dr. Voss purchased a small old apartment on the second floor of a worn-down building. The walls were cracked, the pipes barely worked, and most people avoided the place.

Perfect.

No questions.

No interruptions.

No witnesses.

Years passed.

Ten long years.

Outside, the world changed. Technology evolved. Cities became brighter. People moved on with their lives.

But inside apartment 207, time remained frozen.

The old scientist buried himself in endless experiments, chemical formulas, sleepless nights, and failed attempts. His once-dark hair slowly turned gray. Wrinkles carved into his face. His hands shook more than before.

Still…

He never stopped.

Because he was close.

He could feel it.

After sacrificing ten years of his life, Dr. Voss believed he was finally standing at the edge of success.

—

One rainy afternoon, a new tenant moved into the same building.

Naya stepped out of the moving truck carrying two heavy boxes in her arms. Unlike most people her age, she preferred silence over crowds. Peace over attention.

Short dark hair framed her tired face as she entered her new apartment across the hallway from Dr. Voss.

Apartment 208.

She spent the next few hours arranging furniture, unpacking clothes, and cleaning the dusty rooms.

For the first time in a long while, life felt quiet.

Simple.

Exactly how she liked it.

That evening, while placing books on a shelf, she suddenly heard a loud metallic crash from outside.

CLANG!

Naya frowned.

Another strange sound followed.

BZZZT—

Then glass shattered.

Curious, she stepped outside into the hallway and stopped in front of apartment 207.

The noises were coming from inside.

She lifted her hand, about to knock—

“Hey!”

An old woman’s voice stopped her.

Naya turned to see one of the elderly neighbors staring nervously from down the hallway.

The aunty quickly walked closer.

“Don’t go near that apartment,” she whispered.

Naya raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“That crazy old man lives there.” The woman glanced fearfully toward the door. “Always locked inside like some ghost. Strange noises come out day and night.”

Another loud metallic sound echoed from inside the apartment.

The aunty flinched.

“We all stay away from him,” she continued. “You’re new here, so I thought I should warn you.”

Naya looked at the apartment once more before stepping back.

She hated unnecessary problems.

And strange old scientists definitely counted as problems.

“Thanks,” she said simply.

The old woman nodded before leaving.

Naya stared at the door one last time.

Then she returned to her apartment.

—

One month passed.

Life continued normally.

Naya worked, slept, ate alone, and ignored the outside world as usual.

But the noises from apartment 207 became more frequent.

Heavy thuds.

Electrical buzzing.

Glass breaking.

Sometimes even screams.

Still, nobody dared complain.

Everyone simply avoided Dr. Voss.

Until the night everything changed.

—

Rain hammered against the building windows while thunder shook the sky outside.

Inside apartment 207, dozens of glowing chemicals illuminated the dark laboratory.

Machines beeped wildly.

Blue liquid bubbled inside glass containers connected through endless wires and tubes.

Dr. Voss sat beside his desk, exhausted after working for nearly three straight days.

His old eyes slowly closed.

For a moment…

He accidentally fell asleep.

Then—

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

His eyes snapped open.

The entire laboratory was glowing.

The chemical inside the main chamber had changed color.

Bright silver energy pulsed through the liquid like lightning trapped underwater.

Dr. Voss froze.

His breathing stopped.

“No way…” he whispered.

Shaking violently, he rushed toward the machine.

The readings were stable.

The mutation process had succeeded.

After ten years…

Experiment Zero was complete.

Tears filled his aged eyes.

He laughed breathlessly, almost unable to believe it.

“I did it…”

For the first time in years, genuine happiness appeared on his face.

But suddenly—

WARNING! WARNING!

One of the machines sparked violently.

The pressure inside the chamber rose rapidly.

Dr. Voss’s smile disappeared.

“No…”

Cracks spread across the glass.

Energy exploded wildly through the room.

The machine became unstable.

Dr. Voss desperately tried shutting it down.

But it was too late.

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion tore through apartment 207.

The entire second floor shook violently.

Walls shattered.

Windows exploded outward.

Fire and glowing chemicals flooded through the hallway like a storm.

Inside apartment 208, Naya was thrown across the room as the blast destroyed half her apartment.

“AHH—!”

The ceiling collapsed.

Glass sliced across her arm.

Smoke filled the air.

Screams echoed throughout the building as neighboring apartments were destroyed.

Everything became chaos.

Back inside the burning laboratory, Dr. Voss lay crushed beneath broken metal and debris.

Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

His body was dying.

Slowly, weakly, he turned his head toward the glowing silver liquid spreading through the fire.

Experiment Zero.

Even after the explosion…

It was alive.

Dr. Voss smiled faintly.

Not because he survived.

But because he succeeded.

His dream had become reality.

With his final breath, the old scientist closed his eyes forever.

But he never realized one final thing.

The explosion had released Experiment Zero into the people caught within the blast.

And one of them…

Was Naya.

Half-conscious and bleeding on the destroyed floor of her apartment, she didn’t notice the silver energy slowly entering her body.

Like poison.

Or perhaps…

Like rebirth.

Outside, thunder roared across the dark sky.

And somewhere beneath the rubble—

Something inside Naya awakened.