Madness isn’t born; it’s made by those who think they can cage the darkness.

And she is caged.

Her world was nothing but cold and dark.

The water in the glass tube was so cold it felt like shards of ice stabbing into her skin. Her teeth chattered, her small hands were blue, and she couldn’t feel her legs anymore. But she refused to give in. The monsters that put her in here would never see her beg. She’d rather drown.

Her eyes fluttered shut, exhaustion threatening to pull her under. She tried to focus, to stay awake, but the darkness was too heavy, too thick.

She knew what they wanted — they wanted her to break.

To be a puppet they can fool around.

But she wouldn’t break.

The lights flickered above her, going out in quick bursts, plunging the lab into pitch blackness. But something strange happened.

A faint glow began to pulse from inside the glass tube. At first, Evelyn thought it was a trick. Maybe they were testing her again, playing with her mind like they always did.

But then she realized — the energy was coming from her.

It was her power.

It burned, filling the tube, swirling around her like black mist. It was so intense it hurt her. Everywhere. The pain flaring through her limbs like a wildfire.

The water around her began to bubble and churn, making her ears pop. She wanted to scream, but her mouth was full of icy water.

She was suffocating.

A part of her wanted to let go, to let the water pull her into the darkness where she could finally be free. She was so tired.

Tired of fighting, tired of screaming, tired of the pain. But then she remembered why she couldn’t give up.

She had promised herself of freedom. Of a world where no one will try to control or bend her to their rules.

She will be free.

Like a bird.

That thought sent a spark of rage through her, something hot and wild that made her whole body tremble. Her fingers twitched, and she tried to push the power out, to make it do something.

Anything.

Crack.

A thin line appeared on the glass in front of her. At first, it was just a tiny fracture, almost invisible. But then the crack spread, splintering across the tube like a spiderweb. Evelyn felt the vibration through her bones, heard the high-pitched whine of the glass straining against the pressure.

Her fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms, drawing out the blood. The power inside her was growing, building, until it felt like it was going to tear her apart.

And then, all at once, the glass shattered.

Water exploded outward, flooding the lab with a roar. Her tiny body was thrown out of the tube, crashing to the cold floor like a rag doll.

She gasped for air, her lungs burning as she coughed up water. Her whole body felt heavy, her limbs like lead, but she forced herself to open her eyes.

Everything around her was chaotic. Lights were flickering on and off, casting wild shadows across the lab. Sparks flew from broken wires, and the stench of burning plastic filled the air. But through it all, she heard the sound of slow footsteps approaching her.

A pair of black boots stepped into her blurry line of vision. She tried to lift her head, but it felt like it weighed a ton. All she could do was lie there, soaked and shaking, staring up at the figure that loomed over her.

He crouched down, his cold dark eyes gleaming with a twisted kind of pride.

The one who smiled when she screamed.

“Finally,” he whispered, his voice smooth and calm, like he was congratulating her on passing a exam. “My beautiful creation... ready to take on the world.”

Evelyn’s heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to move, to fight, but she was too weak. The power that had burst out of her was gone, leaving her empty and drained. All she could do was glare up at him, her vision fading as exhaustion swallowed her whole.

The last thing she saw before the darkness took her was his cruel smile, and she knew — this was far from over.

He had won this time. But deep inside her, there was still a spark. And one day, that spark would become a fire that would burn him and all the monsters like him to ash.

But for now, all she could do was survive.

And wait.

Because she has nothing to lose but him?