Octave Morel Prigent's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Octave crouched in the shadows of AppleSwift Thicket, his green fingers tracing the ridges of his mutated skin. The scientist who did this to him was out there somewhere. Finding Dr. Halverson meant answers. It meant revenge. It meant becoming human again. He pulled the Trace Tracker from his coat pocket and studied its brass gears. The device hummed to life, its glass panel glowing amber. Felix Winkle had sworn this contraption could pick up energy signatures left behind by experimental procedures. Octave tapped the controls with a clawed finger. The screen flickered, then locked onto a faint trail leading north through the trees. His heart pounded. Dr. Halverson had been here recently. The readings were fresh, maybe only days old. Octave stood and tucked the tracker away. The hunt had finally begun. The trail led him through dense undergrowth until the trees broke away. He reached a clearing where stone ruins jutted from the earth. The tracker's glow intensified near a wide opening in the ground. Octave knelt at the edge and peered into the darkness below. Steps descended into what looked like old tunnels. He pulled out the Pathway Illuminator and pressed its activation switch. The device cast a soft blue light across the stone walls. Hidden markings appeared on the steps, symbols that matched the ones from Dr. Halverson's research notes. This was it. This was where the scientist had gone. Octave gripped both devices and started down into the underground passage. Every step brought him closer to the man who had stolen his life. Soon he would have his answers. Soon he would make Dr. Halverson pay. The tunnel opened into a wider chamber. Octave's boots splashed through shallow water. The Pathway Illuminator's glow reached the far wall, revealing another passage. He followed it for what felt like hours, checking the tracker every few minutes. The signal grew stronger. His yellow eyes adjusted to the dim light as the tunnel sloped upward. Fresh air touched his face. He climbed stone steps that led to a wooden door. Octave pushed it open and stepped into night air. Before him stood a wooden pavilion. White lanterns hung from its posts, casting warm light across the platform. A figure in a lab coat stood at the center, back turned, working at a table covered in equipment. Dr. Halverson. After all this time, all this searching, the scientist was right there. Octave's hands curled into fists. His transformation, his pain, his lost humanity—it all led to this moment. He stepped forward into the lantern light.