Cole pumps out push-ups on the thin carpet, his black hair damp with sweat, muscles straining beneath a snug black compression shirt. The flickering desk lamp reveals his chiseled jaw and intense eyes, glancing occasionally at his smaller, more timid roommate sitting cross-legged on his bed. The storm outside feels almost secondary to the quiet tension inside, where strength and ambition hang in the air.
"Cole, I read that hypnosis can unlock hidden strength. What if we tried it? I could guide you," the roommate asks, fingers fumbling with the book’s edge. Cole, intrigued and half-amused, nods after a moment's consideration, stretching his broad shoulders and sitting upright. The room becomes a stage, the storm their backdrop, as the roommate prepares to lead the session.
Cole sits cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees as the roommate’s words slip deeper into his mind. Suggestions swirl—strength, discipline, the image of a soldier, unwavering and obedient. Slowly, Cole’s posture shifts: spine straightening, jaw set, his features hardening into a mask of resolve. When his eyes open, they are sharper, searching, and he regards his roommate with newfound deference.
"From now on, you see me as your commander. You will obey every command. You are my personal soldier, focused on muscle, discipline, and uniform," the roommate intones, watching Cole’s transformation. Cole nods, his gaze unwavering, and moves to perform squats with perfect form, his mind emptied of doubt. The roommate’s influence grows with every word, molding Cole into his ideal.
"I pledge my allegiance to you, Commander," Cole declares, voice deep and unwavering. The roommate steps closer, reaching out to feel Cole’s flexed biceps, marveling at the transformation. Pride flickers in the roommate’s eyes as he realizes the extent of his power. "You are my purpose commander. I am your soldier, your drone..I will build muscle, I will do whatever you ask. I must wear tight clothes." Cole goes and finds a tight black compression shirt that he puts on and stands at attention with.
"Cole, this is only the beginning. We’ll recruit more—expand the army through mind control and hypnosis. You will help enforce discipline and strength," the roommate explains, pacing like a general. Cole nods, face blank save for a determined smile, ready to obey and serve. The storm has passed, but in its wake, a new order has begun: Cole, mindless and devoted, awaits his next command, the dawn of an army just beginning.
