The atmosphere of the transport felt almost sterile and Clinical. Everything designed to remind prisoners that they were no longer free.
Owen and Gorvax sat in separate holding cells. Transparent energy barriers separated them from the corridor. CE-suppressing restraints on their wrists reduced their usable power to barely 10%.
Owen's effective CE: 520.
Gorvax's effective CE: 6,000.
Still dangerous, but manageable.
The cells were small. Three meters by three meters. A bench bolted to the wall. No windows. Just the barrier and the corridor beyond.
Owen tested the restraints. They hummed against his skin. Every time he tried to gather CE, the restraints absorbed it and bled it away into nothing.
"Yeah. I Can't break these... not at this power level"
Across the corridor, Gorvax sat motionless. Staring at nothing. His hands rested on his knees. His breathing was controlled but shallow.
Waiting.
---
Footsteps echoed down the corridor.
