"Argh, What is this awful ache I am feeling in my hands and legs?"
I had a thought as I lay there with my eyes shut, still mostly asleep.
"The last thing I recall was a pleasant night with Elaine, after which I fell asleep while embracing her."
My eyelids slowly rose, my vision was hazy and I was distressed. My hands and feet were being held in place by something, causing me immense discomfort.
My vision gradually returned, but it was accompanied by a debilitating headache. I wondered to myself, "What is happening here?"
I found myself in a huge cell, bound by a rusty, aged steel cage.
I felt the cold, damp air fill my lungs as I looked around the cell. The walls were made of crumbling stone and the floor was covered in dirt and grime. I could see a small window high up on the wall, letting a sliver of light into the darkness. I was alone.
The walls had a reddish hue, as if something had been spilled all over them. The floor was littered with large, repulsive cockroaches, clustered around a dead rat in the corner of the room.
I was bewildered, my head still throbbing from the headache, and I asked in confusion, "What the hell is going on?"
My gaze flitted around the room, my eyes widening in fear as I noticed that my wrists and ankles were all chained up, the magical glow emanating from the metal links leaving my body suspended in midair.
"AHHHHHHH!"
My shrill shrieks reverberated throughout my cell and the person who had locked me in must have heard it too, for soon I heard fast-paced footsteps heading towards the cellar.
The footsteps advanced gradually in front of my cell, casting a large silhouette that blocked my view.
"So you're awake?"
I was immediately filled with recognition when I heard that voice, "Why did it sound so familiar?" I asked myself, my eyes still adjusting to the darkness from the shadow.
"You better get used to this because from now on, you'll be spending your entire life here."
The reverberating sound of a deep voice filled my ears as I finally made out the source of the sound.
"Elaine's father?!"
My pulse quickened as I was overwhelmed with surprise. I couldn't believe my eyes. "What is he doing here?" I asked myself, my mind racing.
The usual friendly face was replaced. The expression on his face was deadpan, his gaze devoid of any feeling.
He looked at me expressionless and said regretfully, "I'm sorry kid, but this is what we need to do to survive."
I tried to use all my strength to free myself from the shackles, but it was in vain. It was strange because normally my strength would be enough to break the chains.
Elaine's father gestured to the chains and stated, "There's no point in attempting to escape; these chains are protected by a unique enchantment that prevents the use of magic and exhausts anyone who is restrained by them."
I glanced to the left side of my field of view to observe my stats.
[Name: Kurai Jigoku]
[Race: Human]
[Affinity: None]
[Skills: None]
[Mana: -0 (Currently being limited)]
[Class: Immortal]
[Status: None]
"So it's true," I thought.
I hung my head in frustration and muttered, "That must be the cause of all these migraines and why I'm unable to break these shackles! Damnit!"
He noted, "usually those who are bound by those chains would not live for more than a few minutes, yet, thanks to your immortality, you have been able to endure for an entire week."
I threw my head back in disbelief as I shouted, "I've been here for a whole seven days?" My tone was filled with shock and distress. "How did you find out I'm immortal?!"
"Well thats because-"
Before he could even finish what he was saying, someone else I knew appeared in front of the cell.
"Its because I told him everything"
A female figure showed up infront of my cell, her mouth curved in a smirk and her eyes dark rather than their usual sparkle.
I stammered, "Elaine?!?"
She gave a little chuckle before confirming, "It's me" while giving me a mocking look and saying sarcastically, "My hero!"
At that point, everything became clear. I understood why I was being confined and restricted as if I were a criminal.
From the very start, it was all a deception. She took advantage of me, nothing was real.
I shouted as loud as I could, my voice trembling, "The moment I saved you, when you asked me to come to your hometown to meet your family, and when we shared an intimate moment!"
"WAS THAT ALL FAKE TOO?"
I shouted loudly while the chains clinked as I swayed with feeling.
Elaine let out a quiet giggle as the moonlight illuminated her face. Her expression changed to a grimace and her love was a maniac.
The slight giggle quickly escalated into a loud laugh as she struggled to contain herself, "I can't believe you actually bought it!" She went on, "It was all a trick. Do you honestly think someone as attractive as me would be interested in an ugly loser like you?!" She cackled with delight.
I experienced a moment of complete stillness. My heart had ceased to beat and I was unable to move. My thoughts, eyes, and mind were emptied.
I had a chill, a sensation I had encountered before when I was let down by people I thought cared about me.
Elaine went on to explain that when I had saved her from her 'captors', it was all part of a plan to take my money. However, I was able to surprise her and ultimately killed them.
Her enthusiasm was palpable when she found out I was an otherworlder who had the capability of immortality. She began to brainstorm all the possible benefits she could gain from me.
She had a brilliant thought: what if immortal blood could be used as a potion or remedy?
She exploited her parents to get her way, misled me, and they reluctantly consented since she was their daughter, and they would do anything to indulge her.
While I was asleep, they cast a spell that kept me asleep for days and this is when they locked me here in these restraints.
She wore a wide smile as she spoke, "Usually, those who are hit by a dream spell would be asleep for several days. Unfortunately, due to your immortality, my poor mother had to use up all her mana and constantly cast the spell every second and now she has passed away."
She grasped the bars of the cage that surrounded me, "In spite of all the difficulties, everything worked out! It turns out that the blood of an immortal not only heals any ailment, illness, or wound, but it also grants a significant boost in mana and physical capacities." Her maniacal grin spread wider as my deprived gaze stayed fixed on the floor.
That must explain all the red stains on the wall that resembled blood.
"DON'T YOU GET IT? YOU'RE A LOSER!"
Her shouts and laughter filled the air.
At that point, it became apparent that regardless of the world, reality, and regulations we live by, there will always be people who do wrong.
It was my error for being duped by her clear ploy. Perhaps the world would never alter, but I think I need to start making changes.
"Being a hero? Fuck that. I'm going to make them understand. I'm going to clear this world of all the false pretenders, and anyone who stands in my way will die a swift and merciless death."
"I will be the one who makes them all see the truth, and I will not rest until this world is free of corruption and lies. I will do whatever it takes to make it happen."
I couldn't stop my mind from wandering as I sensed a shift in my personality.
The only sound that could be heard in the room was the scurrying of cockroaches. Everything else was enveloped in a stillness.
I said to Elaine in a low voice, "I'll kill you."
She put her hands up to her ears and replied, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
I glared at her with a blank expression, my face expressionless and devoid of any emotion.
I repeated myself in a calm tone of voice, "I will kill you."
The atmosphere was still for a few seconds, and then another laugh was heard before Elaine grabbed her father's arms and walked away, saying, "Sure, good luck with that! While you work on freeing yourself from those chains, I'll be making a lot of money."
When her silhouette vanished and she and her dad departed, I instantly attempted to devise a plan to break free from these shackles.