"Who am I?"
The question left Alex Chen's lips for the tenth time in an hour. He sat on the edge of the operating table, staring at his hands that were still shaking from the necromantic energy coursing through his body. His glowing red eyes stared at Valerian with a mixture of confusion and... hunger.
"As I explained," Valerian answered patiently as he recorded Alex's response in his research journal, "your name is Alex. You are my research assistant who had a terrible accident during our last experiment. I managed to save you, but unfortunately there were some... side effects."
Alex nodded slowly, but his eyes were still blank. There was no flash of recognition, no lingering memory of his former life as a legendary hero. Perfect amnesia—exactly what Valerian had hoped for.
"Side effects?" Alex touched his eyes, which now glowed a faint red.
"Minor physiological changes," Valerian lied smoothly. "It will wear off in a few weeks. What's important is that you still have all your physical and magical abilities."
To prove his point, Valerian threw a sword at Alex. Without thinking, Alex caught it with a speed that made it hard for the eye to follow. The hero's reflexes were intact, muscle memory intact—only conscious memory was missing.
"Incredible," Valerian whispered. "Muscles and instincts remain, but personality and memory are erased. This is more perfect than I imagined."
"What did you say?" Alex stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing," Valerian smiled. "Just be thankful that you survived. Now, we need to continue our research. There are some specimens we need to collect."
Alex rose from the table, his movements fluid and predatory. "Specimens?"
"Rare monsters for biological experiments," Valerian explained, grabbing his traveling coat. "You've always been good at combat, so I need your help hunting them."
"Hunting..." Alex repeated the word in a way that made Valerian uncomfortable. There was something hungry in his voice.
"Yes, hunting. But remember—we need them alive for research."
Alex nodded, but a faint smile played across his lips, revealing slightly sharper teeth than before.
---
The Whispering Shadows Forest was renowned as a habitat for rare monsters sought after by alchemists and magical researchers. Valerian and Alex walked through the mist-covered path, surrounded by strange sounds from the depths of the forest.
"Our first target is the Crystalline Spider," Valerian whispered as he consulted a map covered in notes. "Their venom has unique properties for mineral-biological transmutation. Very rare and dangerous."
"Dangerous in what way?" Alex asked, but his red eyes flashed with anticipation, not fear.
"They can turn organic matter into crystal in seconds. A single bite can crystallize an entire human arm."
"Interesting," Alex grinned. "And we're going to capture it alive?"
"Exactly. I need fresh venom for—"
A rustling sound from the treetops interrupted Valerian's explanation. A wolf-sized spider leaped down, its body sparkling like a jewel with legs sharp like crystal knives.
"Perfect timing," Valerian muttered as he backed away. "Alex, remember—alive!"
But Alex was already moving.
To Valerian's surprise, Alex did not use a sword or magic as expected. Instead, he leaped with supernatural speed and caught the spider with his bare hands. The Crystalline Spider that should have been able to crystallize anything it touched instead trembled in Alex's grip.
"How—?" Valerian was stunned. The spider should have immediately activated defensive crystallization.
Alex stared into the spider's compound eyes with their glowing red eyes. "It's scared," he said in a strange tone. "It knows I'm more dangerous than it is."
The spider stopped moving, as if hypnotized. Alex then gently placed it in the container Valerian had provided.
"Incredible," Valerian noted excitedly. "You have natural dominance over magical creatures. This is an effect I did not predict from resurrection."
"Resurrection?" Alex stared at him sharply.
"Ah, I mean recovery. Recovery from an accident," Valerian quickly corrected.
They continued the hunt. The second target was a Moonlight Stag—a luminous deer whose blood could be used for a high-level purification ritual. The third target, Shadow Wolves whose fur contained the essence of darkness.
Each time, Alex demonstrated increasingly terrifying abilities. He could not only subdue the monsters, but seemed to communicate with them. Even the most ferocious predators submitted to his presence.
"Something feels strange," Alex said as they rested in a small clearing. "I feel... familiar with this place. But also not."
Valerian stiffened. "Familiar how?"
"Like I've fought here before. Against something big and dangerous." Alex stared at the darkening sky. "There's a vague memory... of fire. A very big fire."
Dragon Lord Pyrothane. Alex began to remember his last battle before he died.
"It might just be déjà vu," Valerian tried to reassure him. "The effects of the trauma you experienced."
"Maybe," Alex nodded, but his eyes remained suspicious.
A weak groan suddenly sounded from behind the bushes. Valerian and Alex turned, and found a silver-haired woman lying weak, her body covered in severe wounds.
"Help..." her voice was barely audible.
Valerian approached carefully. The woman was beautiful, even in her dying state. What caught his attention was the magical aura radiating from her body—an unusual aura.
"Curse mark," he muttered as he examined the wounds on her arm. "Somebody cursed her with slow death. Interesting magical signature..."
"Who are you?" Alex suddenly spoke, and his tone changed. There was something different, something almost... familiar.
The woman opened her eyes. Her beautiful violet eyes stared at him, and suddenly widened in utter shock.
"Alex?" she whispered in a trembling voice. "Alex Chen? But... but you're dead! I saw Dragon Lord Pyrothane stab you in the heart! I saw—"
"SHUT UP!" Valerian immediately put his hand over the woman's mouth, panic filling his eyes.
But it was too late.
Alex stared at them both with his red eyes burning brighter. "Dragon Lord Pyrothane," he repeated the name slowly. "I remember now. The pain in my chest. The cold. And..."
He stared at Valerian with an expression that made the alchemist take a step back.
"And you. You were there when I died. You took my body."
Deadly silence filled the clearing. The wounded woman stared at Valerian in growing horror.
"You..." she whispered. "You are the necromancer they were talking about. The Mad Alchemist the kingdom is looking for."
Valerian removed his hand from the woman's mouth, knowing that the situation was beyond saving. But instead of panicking, he smiled.
"Introduce yourself," he said to the woman in a deceptively calm tone. "It seems you know... my finest creation."
"Lyra," the woman answered in a trembling voice. "I am Lyra Silverwind. And Alex... Alex is the hero who was supposed to save us all from the Demon Lord."
Alex looked down at his hands, then up at Valerian. "Hero," he repeated the word. "I... I am the hero. And you killed me."
"Technically," Valerian said as he slowly took the vial of poison from his bag, "Pyrothane killed you. I merely... took advantage of the opportunity."
"For what?" Alex's red eyes grew even brighter.
"To create something more perfect than an ordinary hero," Valerian grinned widely now. "A hero who is not limited by morals or humanity. A hero who will do anything to achieve his goals."
Lyra struggled to her feet, her body shaking. "Alex, you have to fight him! You are not a monster! You are—"
"I'm hungry," Alex cut her off, his voice changing to a low growl.
Valerian and Lyra fell silent.
"I'm so hungry," Alex repeated, staring at them both. "And you both smell... delicious."
His red eyes now burned like fire in the darkness. His teeth seemed to grow sharper. And something dark and predatory began to radiate from his entire body.
Valerian felt thrill and terror mix in his chest. His creation was growing beyond his calculations. Alex was not just an undead hero with amnesia—he was something entirely new. Something hungry.
"Interesting," Valerian whispered, his hands shaking. "Very, very interesting."
Lyra stared in horror between Alex's increasingly terrifying form and Valerian's fascination with his own creation.
And in the darkness of the forest, something far more dangerous than any monster was being born.