In the cold light of morning, a strange tingling sensation crept over my skin as I woke up."What is this feeling?" I muttered to myself. "It feels cold and ominous. I don't like it."We were then herded into a barren yard with the other prisoners, the ground beneath our feet hard and unforgiving. Shady 1, 2, and 3 moved through the crowd with an unsettling familiarity, exchanging nods and whispers with numerous inmates. Their presence was a stark reminder of the tangled web of alliances and enmities within these walls. Tarif, Durato, and I stood apart, a trio of uneasy allies in a hostile environment."I want to thank you guys a lot. If it weren't for you, I would have gone into the dungeon with those criminals, and maybe I'd be dead now," Tarif said, his voice sincere yet tinged with tension."I mean, we didn't do anything really. As far as I can tell, we helped put you in prison," I replied, my voice laced with ironic humor.Tarif managed a strained smile, but his eyes were clouded with worry. The yard was a desolate place, surrounded by high, foreboding walls that seemed to close in on us. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and despair. Inmates milled about, some huddled in groups, others pacing restlessly. Guards stood watch, their expressions hard and unyielding.Durato scanned the area, his sharp eyes missing nothing. "We need to stay alert. This place is full of untrustworthy people, and we can't afford to let our guard down around them."I nodded, my jaw set with determination as I clenched my fist. "We need to find a way out of here as soon as possible.""A way out without attracting too much attention." Durato emphasized glancing at me.As we stood there, a chilling wind swept through the yard, sending a shiver down my spine. The other prisoners cast furtive glances our way, their expressions a mix of curiosity and suspicion. It was clear that we were outsiders here, and trust was a rare commodity.Shady 1 approached us, his eyes gleaming with a cunning light. "You three better watch your backs. This place can be... unforgiving to newcomers."Tarif straightened, a timid but defiant glint in his eye. "We can handle ourselves."Shady 1 smirked, his gaze lingering on each of us before he moved away, melting back into the crowd. The sense of unease grew, wrapping around us like a shroud.The day went on, and we were getting restless. We needed to get out of here, but we were trusting in Tarif's capabilities. I don't intend to fully trust anyone as soon as I got back into civilization but we were trying very hard not to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves before we found out everything we needed to know."You said you could get us out of here. What's taking so long?" Asked Nova Dos."No worries, as soon as my uncle hears, then we'll be out of here," replied Tarif.Before Nova Dos could reply, our conversation was abruptly cut short by the sight of a group of intimidating men striding toward us, led by Shady 1, 2, and 3. Tarif's eyes widened with recognition and fear. "Most of them are rank 2 and then the other's like the ones you met before are rank 3," he whispered urgently. "They're no joke, but our cuffs suppress our Nova force. If we fight, we have to be smart."The tension in the air was palpable as the group closed in, their expressions a mix of anger and anticipation."Hey, clowns in masks," Shady 1 growled, his voice dripping with malice. "It's all your fault we missed our chance to kill this punk and steal his money. Now you're going to pay for it."Tarif trembled, his voice faltering as he spoke. "We... umm... don't want any trouble, please."Durato, ever the brave one, stepped forward, trying to project authority despite the odds. "If you know what's good for you, just walk away and leave us alone."Shady 3 sneered, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, so you think you're tough? You don't even have a rank." The group of thugs laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that echoed in the empty yard as they began to circle us."I couldn't care less about your stupid ranking system," Durato retorted, his voice steady and defiant. This only seemed to infuriate them more."You piece of filth!" barked Shady 1, his face contorted with rage.Suddenly, my ring began to glow, and I felt a surge of blood lust coursing through my veins."Did my ring react to my negative energy, or did it react to these men? I had no negativity in me initially, but wait—what about that feeling I had this morning? Was it because of the environment I was in, or was it because of these men now?" I asked myself, trying to make sense of the sudden change.I wasn't exactly sure, but now I had no care for anything but the desire to kill these men standing before me. The urge was overwhelming, and to be frank, it felt good. Master Zonare had told me that the ring was meant to seal the negative energy within me, but I couldn't understand what this sudden change meant.The ring's glow intensified, casting an eerie light over the scene. The thugs hesitated, their bravado faltering as they noticed the transformation."What the hell is that?" Shady 2 muttered, his eyes widening in fear."Wow, what's going on? I feel... fear," remarked one of the prisoners, his voice trembling."Yeah, something feels weird, and it's coming from that guy over there in the mask," said Shady 3, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.The air around us seemed to thicken, an almost tangible sense of dread creeping through the yard. Prisoners shifted uncomfortably, casting wary glances in my direction."Is that energy emanating from the ring? It feels dark and ominous, and it seems to have everyone on edge," remarked one of the other thugs, his voice trembling with unease."Hey boss man, you need to calm down, let's go," instructed another thug, his tone pleading. This only fueled Shady 1's rage. He slapped his comrade with a powerful hit to the face."Shut up, you coward!" he barked.I stepped forward, locking eyes with the group of thugs. My eyes glowed with a menacing intensity as my voice came out in a dark, slow, and menacing tone. "If you don't shut up, then your brains splattered on the floor will be the last thing you ever contribute to this world.""You stupid bastard. You dare threaten us?! Do you know who we are?!" one of the men barked, trying to sound brave."You should listen to the only smart one among you," I said, pointing to the one now on the ground, clutching his face.Shady 1, undeterred, threw the first punch. I caught it effortlessly, as if holding the hand of a small child."Were you actually trying to hit me? Ridiculous," I said, my voice dripping with menace. I squeezed his hand until he fell to his knees, crying out in pain.The others attempted to attack, but a mere glare from me made them recoil. Some fell to the floor immediately, writhing in agony just from making eye contact. The rest were paralyzed with fear, too terrified to make a move.The air around us grew thick with tension, the oppressive aura of my unleashed power suffocating them. My blood-lust had transformed the yard into a nightmarish arena, where every shadow seemed to pulse with malevolent energy."Rome, that's enough!" Durato shouted, his voice cutting through the haze of bloodlust. Alarms blared, and a wave of guards surged into the yard, their boots pounding against the ground as they rushed to contain the chaos. We were slowly being surrounded, but I didn't care.The ring on my finger was no longer just glowing; it was now shining brilliantly, an almost blinding light. I was aware that I wasn't in full control of my body, and a twisted smile spread across my face as I surveyed the scene before me. The power coursing through me was intoxicating. I looked down at the cuff on my wrist and, with a mere thought, it shattered into pieces.More guards closed in, their expressions a mix of fear and determination. I felt an urge to strike, to unleash the power that surged within me, but before I could make a move, a sharp pain pierced the back of my neck. My vision blurred, and the world around me tilted. Darkness closed in, and the last thing I saw was Durato's worried face before everything went black."Is that energy emanating from the ring? It feels dark and ominous, and it seems to have everyone on edge," remarked one of the other thugs, his voice trembling with unease."Hey boss man, you need to calm down, let's go," instructed another thug, his tone pleading. This only fueled Shady 1's rage. He slapped his comrade with a powerful hit to the face."Shut up, you coward!" he barked.I stepped forward, locking eyes with the group of thugs. My eyes glowed with a menacing intensity as my voice came out in a dark, slow, and menacing tone. "If you don't shut up, then your brains splattered on the floor will be the last thing you ever contribute to this world.""You stupid bastard. You dare threaten us?! Do you know who we are?!" one of the men barked, trying to sound brave."You should listen to the only smart one among you," I said, pointing to the one now on the ground, clutching his face.Shady 1, undeterred, threw the first punch. I caught it effortlessly, as if holding the hand of a small child."Were you actually trying to hit me? Ridiculous," I said, my voice dripping with menace. I squeezed his hand until he fell to his knees, crying out in pain.The others attempted to attack, but a mere glare from me made them recoil. Some fell to the floor immediately, writhing in agony just from making eye contact. The rest were paralyzed with fear, too terrified to make a move.The air around us grew thick with tension, the oppressive aura of my unleashed power suffocating them. My blood-lust had transformed the yard into a nightmarish arena, where every shadow seemed to pulse with malevolent energy."Zero, that's enough!" Durato shouted, his voice cutting through the haze of blood lust. Alarms blared, and a wave of guards surged into the yard, their boots pounding against the ground as they rushed to contain the chaos. We were slowly being surrounded, but I didn't care.The ring on my finger was no longer just glowing; it was now shining brilliantly, an almost blinding light. I was aware that I wasn't in full control of my body, and a twisted smile spread across my face as I surveyed the scene before me. The power coursing through me was intoxicating. I looked down at the cuff on my wrist and, with a mere thought, it shattered into pieces.
More guards closed in, their expressions a mix of fear and determination. I felt an urge to strike, to unleash the power that surged within me, but before I could make a move, a sharp pain pierced the back of my neck. My vision blurred, and the world around me tilted. Darkness closed in, and the last thing I saw was Durato's worried face before everything went black.