The first thing Soslan noticed was the cold. It bit into his bare skin like a thousand tiny teeth, dragging him out of a murky haze and into a reality that felt wrong in every possible way. His eyes fluttered open, blinking against the harsh flicker of fluorescent lights overhead. The air smelled of antiseptic and something metallic, sharp enough to make his nose wrinkle. He tried to sit up, only to find his wrists and ankles pinned down by restraints that gleamed with an unsettling sterility. Naked. Completely, embarrassingly naked. On a goddamn operating table.
“What the actual hell?” he muttered, his voice hoarse, barely above a whisper as his heart kicked into overdrive. His mind scrambled for answers, clawing through the fog of his last memory. The military medical exam. Standing in a line with his classmates, all of them stripped down to their underwear, shivering under the judgmental gaze of overworked doctors. Then the urologist’s office. A needle. A weird, floaty feeling. And then… nothing. Just this. A creepy-ass basement that looked like it belonged in a mad scientist’s fever dream—beakers bubbling on counters, strange equipment humming with ominous intent, and walls lined with charts he couldn’t begin to decipher.
Soslan yanked at the restraints, his lanky frame straining against the cold metal. “Okay, okay, don’t panic,” he told himself, though his voice trembled. “This is just… some weird prank. Yeah. Probably Dmitri’s idea. That jackass.” But even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. This wasn’t a prank. This was something else. Something bad.
Before he could spiral further, the sharp, deliberate click of heels echoed through the room, each step a calculated strike against the concrete floor. Soslan’s head snapped toward the sound, his breath catching as a woman stepped into view. She was tall, statuesque, with a presence that filled the room like a storm cloud ready to burst. Her lab coat hugged her curves in a way that was decidedly unprofessional—too tight, too tailored, the top buttons undone just enough to hint at what lay beneath. Her dark hair was pulled back into a severe bun, and her eyes, sharp as scalpels, locked onto him with an intensity that made his stomach flip.
“Well, well,” she drawled, her voice smooth and cutting, like velvet wrapped around a blade. “Look who’s awake. My little guinea pig is finally stirring. How delightful.”
Soslan blinked, his mouth opening before his brain caught up. “Uh… who the hell are you? And why am I strapped to a table like some kinda lab rat?”
She smirked, crossing her arms as she leaned against a counter, her gaze raking over him with unabashed amusement. “I’m Dr. Vira. And you, pretty boy, are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Though I must say, you’re even more… aesthetically pleasing than I expected. Lucky me.”
His face flushed, a mix of embarrassment and indignation heating his cheeks as he squirmed under her stare. “Okay, lady, I don’t know what kinda kinky game this is, but I didn’t sign up for it. Let me go, and we can forget this ever happened.”
Vira laughed, a low, throaty sound that sent an unexpected shiver down his spine. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t get to make demands here. You’ve been selected. Hand-picked, if you will, for something very special. And trust me, you’re not going anywhere until I’m done with you.”
“Selected?” Soslan echoed, his voice cracking slightly. “Selected for what? And why am I naked? Did you—did you do something to me while I was out? Because I swear, if you—”
“Relax, darling,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes as she pushed off the counter and sauntered closer, her heels clicking with predatory precision. “I haven’t touched you. Yet. Though I’ll admit, the temptation was there. You’ve got a face that could charm the pants off a saint, and a body that’s… well, let’s just say it’s a shame to keep it all tied up like this.”
Soslan swallowed hard, his bravado crumbling under the weight of her words. He tried to muster a smirk, anything to regain some control. “If you like what you see, doc, how ‘bout you untie me? I’m much more fun when I’m not playing prisoner.”
Her lips twitched, but her eyes glinted with something dangerous. She leaned down, her face inches from his, close enough that he could smell the faint, intoxicating scent of her perfume—something dark and spicy. “Oh, I bet you are,” she purred, her breath warm against his cheek. “But here’s the thing, pretty boy: I don’t play by your rules. I make them. And right now, you’re mine to toy with. So be a good little experiment and stop squirming, or I might have to… discipline you.”
His heart thudded in his chest, a confusing mix of fear and something else—something he didn’t want to name—stirring low in his gut. “Experiment?” he managed, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. “What kind of experiment? Look, I’m just a regular guy. I’m not… I’m not special or anything. You’ve got the wrong person.”
Vira straightened, her smirk widening as she tapped a manicured finger against her chin. “Oh, Soslan, you’re anything but regular. I’ve seen your files. I know exactly who you are. And trust me, I don’t make mistakes. You’re perfect for what I have in mind.”
“Files? What files?” His panic surged again, his wrists jerking against the restraints. “Lady, I don’t even know how I got here! Last thing I remember, I was at a medical exam, and then—boom, I’m naked in your creepy dungeon! You gotta give me something here. What’s this about?”
She tilted her head, studying him like a cat eyeing a particularly interesting mouse. “Patience, darling. All in good time. Let’s just say you’ve been… recruited for a series of tests. Tests that require a certain… physical and mental endurance. And if you’re as charming as you think you are, you might even enjoy them.”
“Tests?” His voice rose, a nervous laugh escaping him. “What, like running on a treadmill? Or are we talking some freaky sci-fi shit? Because I’m not down for probes or whatever you’ve got cooking in those weird-ass beakers over there.”
Vira’s laughter rang out again, sharp and biting. “Oh, you’re adorable when you’re flustered. No probes, I promise. At least, not the kind you’re imagining. But I will be… thorough. Very thorough. And you, my dear Soslan, are going to be a very cooperative subject. Or I’ll make sure you regret it.”
He stared at her, his mouth dry, his mind racing with a thousand questions he didn’t dare ask. There was something about her—something in the way she carried herself, the way her words dripped with control and promise—that made his pulse quicken in ways he couldn’t explain. He was trapped, vulnerable, and completely at her mercy. And yet, beneath the fear, there was a spark of curiosity. Maybe even excitement.
“So,” he said at last, forcing a grin despite the tremor in his voice. “If I’m stuck here, at least tell me one thing. Do I get a safe word?”
Vira’s eyes gleamed, her smirk curling into something wicked as she leaned down once more, her lips brushing just close enough to his ear to make him shiver. “Oh, sweetheart,” she whispered, her voice a dangerous caress. “Where’s the fun in that?”
She pulled back, leaving him breathless as she turned toward the door, her heels clicking with finality. “Rest up, pretty boy. The real fun starts soon. And trust me—you’re not ready for it.”
As the door slammed shut behind her, Soslan let out a shaky breath, his mind a whirlwind of confusion, fear, and a strange, undeniable pull toward whatever Dr. Vira had in store. He was in way over his head. And somehow, deep down, he couldn’t wait to find out just how deep this rabbit hole went.
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