A jolt. My feet scraped against a cold metal floor. I forced my eyes open for a fleeting second: two massive silhouettes were dragging me by my heels down an endless corridor.
"Lower," a man's voice grunted. "Take him down to Level 4. The Captain said we aren't sure of his threat level yet."
The stench of dampness and mold filled my nostrils. I tried to struggle, but my limbs weighed a ton. My vision blurred again, haunted by shadows that seemed drawn to the arrival of a newcomer. I succumbed once more to the darkness as the dull thud of a metal door sealed me in.
When I truly regained consciousness, pitch black was the only sight I was granted. There didn't even seem to be a window. My arms were fastened to the wall by massive shackles, and my legs were locked into steel blocks bolted to the floor. I was standing, crucified against a wall of freezing metal.
"SILENCE!" a voice barked at the surrounding prisoners before entering the room.
Beroth was there. The pale light from the corridor silhouetted him as he stepped forward. He had traded his combat gear for a spotless officer's uniform. His eyes scanned my body with a cold curiosity.
"Not sure of your threat level yet, huh?" he whispered, echoing the guard's words. "A Grade 4 like me shouldn't have to worry about a kid who's barely awakened."
"You bastard... I'm going to kill you... Unchain me! ARGH! AAAAAH!"
My voice was heavy with a hatred so intense I sounded like a different person. I tried to transform to shatter my bonds, but I felt a searing pain shoot from the top of my spine and spread through my entire body. My muscles seized instantly.
"Ahah! Not so fast, little one... You won't be transforming today. Our Imperial scientists have developed Kana inhibitors; that's what's keeping you from changing shape."
"Kana? What is that?"
Beroth gave a slight smirk, clearly amused by my ignorance.
"I'm happy to explain, but it isn't free. If you calm down, I can enlighten you on the subject. What do you say?"
I couldn't free myself by force. The only way out was to learn what they wanted from me. If they hadn't killed me, there had to be a reason... I had no choice: I had to play along.
I forced my muscles to relax, letting my head fall back against the metal wall. My breathing, which had been jagged with rage, slowed down.
"Fine," I croaked. "Tell me."
"Good. Within your body, you possess Kana. It is the energy that allows you to transform, but it can do much more. You are a Modification-type. That means you can change your own body into something else."
Beroth took another step toward me, a predatory smile on his lips.
"But without the necessary control, you're just a wild beast with a bit more strength than the rest."
"And where do these powers come from? Why me?"
Beroth let out a short, dry laugh, almost mocking.
"'Why' is a question for philosophers, Gahst. The Empire prefers 'how.' Kana is an energy that not everyone possesses. We don't know why some are gifted with it and others aren't, but we know how it activates: it surges when a Kana-bearer suffers a trauma so great it forces their power to awaken."
He leaned in closer, his face inches from mine.
"So, tell me... what kind of nightmare did you live through to become that thing?"
Silence settled in, heavy, broken only by the hiss of my breathing. The images of that night burned behind my eyelids.
"My father died because of me... Because I couldn't mind my own business. I couldn't even bury him because of you."
I looked back up at him, my gaze locking onto his with a promise of death.
"I'm going to kill you, Beroth. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but one day, that day will come."
Beroth didn't even flinch. A flash of contempt crossed his eyes as he straightened up.
"It seems you haven't quite understood. We didn't keep you alive because you were necessary, but so you could become a tool."
Without warning, he cocked his fist and struck. The blow was dry, violent, and precise. My head snapped back, hitting the metal wall with a sickening thud. I felt the metallic taste of blood flood my mouth; my brow had just split open. My vision blurred, dark spots danced before my eyes, and my ears began to ring. I was completely dazed.
"It seems you need to stay locked up a little longer. Well, I'm done. I'm not here to give you a history lesson."
He turned on his heel without another look at my bloodied face. He left, slamming the heavy door behind him, leaving me alone in the absolute black.
I spat on the floor.
The taste of iron and dust filled my mouth. The sound of his footsteps faded in the corridor, leaving me alone with the dull humming in my head.
I don't know how long I've been here anymore. Days and nights have dissolved into an endless agony. Hunger and thirst gnaw at me from the inside, like wild beasts devouring my vitals. Every breath is an ordeal: my broken bones throb painfully, reminding me with every movement of the price of my resistance.
My mind is wavering. Sometimes I think I hear my father's voice, before the cold metal brings me back to my cell. I am nothing more than a carcass of pain suspended in the void, waiting for death to finally decide to take me in its arms.
Half-asleep, I was startled by the creaking of the door, thrown open abruptly. The light from the hallway violently assaulted my eyes.
"Well, kid? It's been a week now. Made yourself comfortable, I hope?"
I didn't even have the strength to get angry, let alone answer him. My tongue, dry as parchment, was stuck to the roof of my mouth.
"Here is my offer: you serve the Empire and you'll get three meals a day, a bed, the right to go outside, and most importantly medical care. So... are you interested?"