Darkness.
Not the absence of light—
But awareness without control.
"…"
Blaine's consciousness returned slowly.
Heavy.
Distant.
His body—
Unresponsive.
Then—
Sensation.
Cold.
Hard.
Chains.
"…"
His eyes opened.
Dim light.
Stone walls.
Enclosed space.
A trap.
He tried to move—
Nothing.
Not weakness.
Suppression.
The system flickered faintly.
[Warning: External Suppression Active]
[System Functions Limited]
"…"
So this—
Wasn't natural.
Someone did this.
A sound echoed.
Step.
Step.
Step.
"Good. You're awake."
The same voice.
Calm.
Controlled.
The human stepped into view.
Average build.
No visible weapons.
But his presence—
Sharp.
"…"
Blaine said nothing.
He observed.
Measured.
The man stopped a few steps away.
Eyes scanning Blaine—
Not with fear.
With interest.
"…you're different," he said quietly.
A pause.
"…you fought that apex predator alone."
Silence.
"…and survived."
"…"
Blaine's breathing remained steady.
Even now—
He conserved energy.
The man smiled faintly.
"…don't bother trying to break free."
He tapped something on the wall.
A faint pulse spread through the room.
Blaine's body tightened instantly.
[Suppression Strength Increased]
"…this area suppresses energy output," the man continued.
"…no matter what kind of system you have."
"…"
So—
He knew.
Not just a random survivor.
Another system user.
Interesting.
"…you're not the first," the man added casually.
"…but you're the most promising."
A pause.
"…which makes you valuable."
"…"
Blaine finally spoke.
"…for what?"
The man smiled slightly.
"…experiments."
Silence.
"…abilities, systems… people like us are evolving," he continued.
"…but evolution needs understanding."
His eyes sharpened.
"…and understanding requires subjects."
"…"
So that was it.
Not a hunter.
A collector.
A manipulator.
Dangerous.
"…"
Blaine lowered his gaze slightly.
Not submission.
Calculation.
Because even now—
He could feel it.
The suppression—
Was not absolute.
Just strong.
Very strong.
But not perfect.
A faint thread—
Deep inside—
Still moved.
The Devourer Path.
It wasn't blocked.
Just… restricted.
"…"
Good.
That was enough.
The man turned away slightly.
"…rest for now," he said.
"…you'll be useful later."
A mistake.
Turning his back.
Underestimating.
"…"
Blaine remained still.
Completely.
Even his breathing slowed.
Weaker.
More fragile.
A perfect act.
Time passed.
Minutes—
Or longer.
The man moved around the room, adjusting something, occasionally glancing back—
But each time—
Blaine remained the same.
Weak.
Broken.
Harmless.
"…"
Then—
The moment came.
A slight shift in the suppression pulse.
A gap.
Tiny.
Almost unnoticeable.
But enough.
The Devourer Path reacted.
Not explosively—
Precisely.
Blaine moved.
Not his whole body—
Just his hand.
A slight twitch.
Barely visible.
But the chains—
Touched something.
Energy.
Foreign.
The suppression itself.
"…"
And then—
He did something new.
Something dangerous.
He devoured it.
Just a fragment.
"—!"
Pain surged instantly.
Violent.
Unstable.
Because this—
Was not a trait.
Not a creature.
But forced energy.
The system reacted violently.
[Warning: Unknown Energy Type]
But Blaine—
Didn't stop.
He endured it.
Forced it inward.
Compressed it.
Controlled it.
A crack formed.
Not in the chains—
In the suppression.
Small.
But real.
"…"
Blaine froze again.
Back to stillness.
As if nothing happened.
But now—
He knew.
This cage—
Was not unbreakable.
And that man—
Had just made a mistake.
A fatal one.