(Read the prologue first. While not needed, it'll explain a little bit about this world. Other than that, go ahead and read!)
That is how I have gotten into my current situation. I'm guessing she’s one of the more powerful people that don't agree with how the world works. I’ve been in a pitch-black room for some amount of time. I only see light when I get food or water. Many would be fine with this situation, as they would consider it better than death or torture. I'm not most. Being left in here with my head- just being left alone with my head- has had catastrophic results in my past. It starts with the hallucinations of people I once trusted. I do hear snippets of conversation, which distracts me from my own thoughts, delaying the hallucinations, but...it won't be long even with that as a distraction. I lift my head when I hear footsteps. Multiple people, based on the quantity.
“Why do we still have him here? You haven’t asked him anything nor done anything with him. Aside from having a strange reaction to being left alone for days, he’s just a normal citizen,” A man, based on how deep the voice is.
“We have him here because he was found stalking my sister- as for keeping him alone in a room, that’s to see how he reacts. As you said, his reaction is abnormal for a normal person. I think he’s hiding something, but he gives off the feeling of a certain immunity to pain or pressure. So I’m trying to torture him mentally.,” Another man. The brother of the girl I had been watching, apparently.
He’s not wrong. Pain gives me a certain distraction that lets me retreat into my mind. I’ve also been cutting myself for a long time. This person read me like a book, as mental torture is the only way to really break me.
“Then why are we here, if not to release him?”
“I think that’s quite obvious, don't you?” The girl’s brother responded.
I hear the door unlock, and I decide to stay sitting. I don't know anything about them, and attacking an unknown enemy is incredibly risky. Except when your other choices are riskier. I put a hand up to cover my eyes before the door opens as my eyes will be extremely sensitive to light after being in the dark for so long. Even so, I still grimace as the door opens and squint as well.
“Well, you’re looking worse for wear. I'm just here to ask some questions. You can call me Heathen,” Heathen says.
“The rebel leader Heathen?” I ask.
“Is there another Heathen out there that I haven’t heard of?” He asks. “I will say, you are pretty calm. Why is that?”
“You said you get the feeling I’m immune to pain and pressure. Besides, if I was planning on hiding anything, then I’d be worried,”
“You just heard that through a stone wall?” Heathen asks.
“You weren’t exactly talking quietly,” I say.
“I had a feeling that was the issue. Do you have any sort of ability?”
That made my heart start to race. Do I lie, or tell the truth? I look at the person besides Heathen that’s in the room. Of course. He’s a lie detector. This means I have to tell the truth because he’s already narrowing his eyes at me. I breathe deeply to calm myself.
“Yes,” I say, looking at the ground, as my eyes had almost completely adjusted to the light. “But it's been years since I’ve used it.”
I watch as Heathen looks at the other man.
“Is he telling the truth, Kalmet?” Heathen asks.
“Yes,” Kalmet responds.
“What is your ability?”
“I can't remember,”
“That’s...that’s the truth,” Kalmet says, his eyes widening.
“You can't remember your own ability? Why?”
I slam my fist into her face over and over again before I let power rush through my veins and-
I kick him onto the ground before gathering my power and-
I continue cutting into her wrist as she screams out in pain and when she doesn’t talk I use my power to-
“That’s not something I’m willing to talk about,” I say, looking Heathen in the eyes.
“I suppose even I have a troubling past. Heres the big one- Just who are you?”
“My name is Ryaku. My family died when I was young, killed for disrespecting the king. Since then, I’ve survived by doing favors for people. Eventually, that wasn’t enough as people I did favors for moved away. So I moved to more criminal activities. Specifically, contract killing. Which is how I and your sister met. A contract for 50,000 worth in gold. Enough that I could start an honest living. I'm guessing your sister is a rebel too, no?
“Yes…” Heathen says looking at me with suspicion.
“A contract that large was put into The Underground by someone with money and power. Which means that someone suspected your sister of doing something more criminal. And if they have found out I’ve disappeared, you can bet that their suspicions were confirmed, which means they would have put a tail on her. So any rebel location she’s been to since my capture isn’t-
A massive explosion that shakes the place I’m in interrupts me. Pont, probably, an incredibly explosive substance. It's also very expensive and rare.
“WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK,” Someone yells down the halls.
Panic appears in Heathen’s eyes as he turns around and runs into the hall towards the voice. Kalmet follows, shutting the door behind him. I don't smile, even though I know that the door is now merely shut. I get up and open it. People make mistakes when they panic. I look to the right, where Heathen and Kalmet ran. I go left and run. I turn a couple of corners before finding a ladder and a hatch. I climb up and, surprisingly, the hatch is unlocked. I crack it open a little bit to look. I see a bunch of kids. None older than 10. Probably about 15 of them. They look terrified, and I see why. 4 soldiers are in the room. Royal soldiers. It appears I have arrived in the middle of their conversation.
“You know what our orders were. Kill everything, anything, and anyone before blowing up the location,”
“Then let's do it quickly,”
I feel anger burn in my body. They’re willing to kill a bunch of kids? I’ve killed some innocents before, but never, ever, kids. No matter the reward. If I don't try to stop them, I might as well have killed the kids myself. I breathe to calm myself before opening the hatch and climbing up quickly. Before the closest has a chance to react, I snap his wrist, take his sword, and cut off his head. The swords royal soldiers use are very sharp and strong. They can cut clean through oak wood with only a decent bit of force. Cutting through flesh is much easier. The fight became a blur for me as I fought the other 3 soldiers. I was suddenly the only one left standing, and I was splattered with blood. I breathed deeply for the calm once again and felt only one wound. A mid-sized cut on my right arm. Based on the color of the blood, it was a little deep, but not so much I’d bleed out.
“Stay close behind me, and make no noise,” I say to the kids as I take off my shirt and rip out a strip of it to wrap around my arm. I don't know these kids, and yet I feel an attachment to them. I care about them. Which is why I have to make sure they get out of here alive. I breathe deeply and find the power within me. I only let a very small amount in, but I still get the rush in my veins. I smile slightly and start walking. I can sense every living thing. I know where the main fight is. I know that I was the only person in the dungeons. I also have already figured out how to get these kids out. I can avoid the main group, but the perimeter guards I can't. But killing them will be easy enough. They are trained in stealth. I can tell based on the fact they are hiding in trees and bushes. But stealth is nothing against an enemy that knows where you’re at all times. It isn’t long before we reach the perimeter and I kill the two nearby guards. Nobody is fighting anymore- the rebels escaped, and are heading in the same direction we are, except they have horses. Meaning that they will be faster than us. Many of them are crying, based on their posture and how unfocused they are. I quickly looked at the kids with my power to sense how strong they are, physically, and they are all decent. Everyones above the age of 5, so they won't be as fast as me, but we might...we might be able to make it.
“We’re going to have to run for a long time. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how hungry or thirst you are, you have to keep running, okay?” I say.
Many of the kid’s nod. They’re scared. A few of them are scared of me. But that doesn’t matter now. I start running lightly and they all run with me. I slightly change our direction to a ways ahead of where the rebels are going. I'm hoping they’ll make camp tonight- moving in this dense woods is dangerous at night. Except when your other options are more dangerous.
It’s been about an hour and a couple of the younger ones are starting to whine, but I tell them to keep ongoing. We have to.
It’s now night. And my prediction was correct- the group of rebels has stopped. But my right arm is starting to throb. I checked the wound, and I think the swords were poisoned. At this rate, it’ll take a couple more hours to reach the camp. I need to give the kids a reason to keep running. Many of them have begun to slow down. I'm in the back now to watch over them all during the night. Some of the older ones are carrying the younger ones.
“Think about your parents, and how proud they will be you managed to do this. To escape the battle and get to them,” I say.
They all sped up.
We’re about an hour away from the camp. Ive been getting weaker, and now i'm lightheaded and dizzy. I stop, and the kids stop with me.
“Go... without me. I can't...go any further,” I manage to get out.
My legs finally give out and I fall on the ground. The kids all run to my side.
“But you helped u-” One begins to say
“You can't stop the poison. Keep running. Let me be a reason for you to keep running. Make it in time, and I might just live. Tell them where I am,” I say with a small smile.
The kids say nothing. But they start running.
My power tells me the kids have made it to the camp. I’ve begun coughing up blood, but had enough strength to make a campfire large enough to last a little while.
Time passes... in blurs and in... darkness. I'm fading in... and out of... consciousness, and no.... longer have.... the strength to... keep using... the power. I can… only...hope...they...find...me...
That is how I have gotten into my current situation. I'm guessing she’s one of the more powerful people that don't agree with how the world works. I’ve been in a pitch-black room for some amount of time. I only see light when I get food or water. Many would be fine with this situation, as they would consider it better than death or torture. I'm not most. Being left in here with my head- just being left alone with my head- has had catastrophic results in my past. It starts with the hallucinations of people I once trusted. I do hear snippets of conversation, which distracts me from my own thoughts, delaying the hallucinations, but...it won't be long even with that as a distraction. I lift my head when I hear footsteps. Multiple people, based on the quantity.
“Why do we still have him here? You haven’t asked him anything nor done anything with him. Aside from having a strange reaction to being left alone for days, he’s just a normal citizen,” A man, based on how deep the voice is.
“We have him here because he was found stalking my sister- as for keeping him alone in a room, that’s to see how he reacts. As you said, his reaction is abnormal for a normal person. I think he’s hiding something, but he gives off the feeling of a certain immunity to pain or pressure. So I’m trying to torture him mentally.,” Another man. The brother of the girl I had been watching, apparently.
He’s not wrong. Pain gives me a certain distraction that lets me retreat into my mind. I’ve also been cutting myself for a long time. This person read me like a book, as mental torture is the only way to really break me.
“Then why are we here, if not to release him?”
“I think that’s quite obvious, don't you?” The girl’s brother responded.
I hear the door unlock, and I decide to stay sitting. I don't know anything about them, and attacking an unknown enemy is incredibly risky. Except when your other choices are riskier. I put a hand up to cover my eyes before the door opens as my eyes will be extremely sensitive to light after being in the dark for so long. Even so, I still grimace as the door opens and squint as well.
“Well, you’re looking worse for wear. I'm just here to ask some questions. You can call me Heathen,” Heathen says.
“The rebel leader Heathen?” I ask.
“Is there another Heathen out there that I haven’t heard of?” He asks. “I will say, you are pretty calm. Why is that?”
“You said you get the feeling I’m immune to pain and pressure. Besides, if I was planning on hiding anything, then I’d be worried,”
“You just heard that through a stone wall?” Heathen asks.
“You weren’t exactly talking quietly,” I say.
“I had a feeling that was the issue. Do you have any sort of ability?”
That made my heart start to race. Do I lie, or tell the truth? I look at the person besides Heathen that’s in the room. Of course. He’s a lie detector. This means I have to tell the truth because he’s already narrowing his eyes at me. I breathe deeply to calm myself.
“Yes,” I say, looking at the ground, as my eyes had almost completely adjusted to the light. “But it's been years since I’ve used it.”
I watch as Heathen looks at the other man.
“Is he telling the truth, Kalmet?” Heathen asks.
“Yes,” Kalmet responds.
“What is your ability?”
“I can't remember,”
“That’s...that’s the truth,” Kalmet says, his eyes widening.
“You can't remember your own ability? Why?”
I slam my fist into her face over and over again before I let power rush through my veins and-
I kick him onto the ground before gathering my power and-
I continue cutting into her wrist as she screams out in pain and when she doesn’t talk I use my power to-
“That’s not something I’m willing to talk about,” I say, looking Heathen in the eyes.
“I suppose even I have a troubling past. Heres the big one- Just who are you?”
“My name is Ryaku. My family died when I was young, killed for disrespecting the king. Since then, I’ve survived by doing favors for people. Eventually, that wasn’t enough as people I did favors for moved away. So I moved to more criminal activities. Specifically, contract killing. Which is how I and your sister met. A contract for 50,000 worth in gold. Enough that I could start an honest living. I'm guessing your sister is a rebel too, no?
“Yes…” Heathen says looking at me with suspicion.
“A contract that large was put into The Underground by someone with money and power. Which means that someone suspected your sister of doing something more criminal. And if they have found out I’ve disappeared, you can bet that their suspicions were confirmed, which means they would have put a tail on her. So any rebel location she’s been to since my capture isn’t-
A massive explosion that shakes the place I’m in interrupts me. Pont, probably, an incredibly explosive substance. It's also very expensive and rare.
“WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK,” Someone yells down the halls.
Panic appears in Heathen’s eyes as he turns around and runs into the hall towards the voice. Kalmet follows, shutting the door behind him. I don't smile, even though I know that the door is now merely shut. I get up and open it. People make mistakes when they panic. I look to the right, where Heathen and Kalmet ran. I go left and run. I turn a couple of corners before finding a ladder and a hatch. I climb up and, surprisingly, the hatch is unlocked. I crack it open a little bit to look. I see a bunch of kids. None older than 10. Probably about 15 of them. They look terrified, and I see why. 4 soldiers are in the room. Royal soldiers. It appears I have arrived in the middle of their conversation.
“You know what our orders were. Kill everything, anything, and anyone before blowing up the location,”
“Then let's do it quickly,”
I feel anger burn in my body. They’re willing to kill a bunch of kids? I’ve killed some innocents before, but never, ever, kids. No matter the reward. If I don't try to stop them, I might as well have killed the kids myself. I breathe to calm myself before opening the hatch and climbing up quickly. Before the closest has a chance to react, I snap his wrist, take his sword, and cut off his head. The swords royal soldiers use are very sharp and strong. They can cut clean through oak wood with only a decent bit of force. Cutting through flesh is much easier. The fight became a blur for me as I fought the other 3 soldiers. I was suddenly the only one left standing, and I was splattered with blood. I breathed deeply for the calm once again and felt only one wound. A mid-sized cut on my right arm. Based on the color of the blood, it was a little deep, but not so much I’d bleed out.
“Stay close behind me, and make no noise,” I say to the kids as I take off my shirt and rip out a strip of it to wrap around my arm. I don't know these kids, and yet I feel an attachment to them. I care about them. Which is why I have to make sure they get out of here alive. I breathe deeply and find the power within me. I only let a very small amount in, but I still get the rush in my veins. I smile slightly and start walking. I can sense every living thing. I know where the main fight is. I know that I was the only person in the dungeons. I also have already figured out how to get these kids out. I can avoid the main group, but the perimeter guards I can't. But killing them will be easy enough. They are trained in stealth. I can tell based on the fact they are hiding in trees and bushes. But stealth is nothing against an enemy that knows where you’re at all times. It isn’t long before we reach the perimeter and I kill the two nearby guards. Nobody is fighting anymore- the rebels escaped, and are heading in the same direction we are, except they have horses. Meaning that they will be faster than us. Many of them are crying, based on their posture and how unfocused they are. I quickly looked at the kids with my power to sense how strong they are, physically, and they are all decent. Everyones above the age of 5, so they won't be as fast as me, but we might...we might be able to make it.
“We’re going to have to run for a long time. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how hungry or thirst you are, you have to keep running, okay?” I say.
Many of the kid’s nod. They’re scared. A few of them are scared of me. But that doesn’t matter now. I start running lightly and they all run with me. I slightly change our direction to a ways ahead of where the rebels are going. I'm hoping they’ll make camp tonight- moving in this dense woods is dangerous at night. Except when your other options are more dangerous.
It’s been about an hour and a couple of the younger ones are starting to whine, but I tell them to keep ongoing. We have to.
It’s now night. And my prediction was correct- the group of rebels has stopped. But my right arm is starting to throb. I checked the wound, and I think the swords were poisoned. At this rate, it’ll take a couple more hours to reach the camp. I need to give the kids a reason to keep running. Many of them have begun to slow down. I'm in the back now to watch over them all during the night. Some of the older ones are carrying the younger ones.
“Think about your parents, and how proud they will be you managed to do this. To escape the battle and get to them,” I say.
They all sped up.
We’re about an hour away from the camp. Ive been getting weaker, and now i'm lightheaded and dizzy. I stop, and the kids stop with me.
“Go... without me. I can't...go any further,” I manage to get out.
My legs finally give out and I fall on the ground. The kids all run to my side.
“But you helped u-” One begins to say
“You can't stop the poison. Keep running. Let me be a reason for you to keep running. Make it in time, and I might just live. Tell them where I am,” I say with a small smile.
The kids say nothing. But they start running.
My power tells me the kids have made it to the camp. I’ve begun coughing up blood, but had enough strength to make a campfire large enough to last a little while.
Time passes... in blurs and in... darkness. I'm fading in... and out of... consciousness, and no.... longer have.... the strength to... keep using... the power. I can… only...hope...they...find...me...
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