Vicious

Victor and Eli begin as brilliant college roommates and academic rivals, drawn together by a shared fascination with near-death experiences and the possibility of extraordinary abilities. Their research pushes beyond theory into dangerous experimentation, and the consequences reshape both men.

Years later, Victor has escaped prison and is determined to settle scores with Eli, while Eli pursues his own crusade against other people with powers. Their conflict expands through allies, betrayals, and shifting loyalties as the story moves back and forth between past and present.

The narrative gradually reveals how their friendship, ambitions, and choices led to the present-day confrontation. As the two sides close in on one another, the book keeps asking who counts as a hero, who counts as a villain, and what power does to people who want to be more than ordinary.