The bloodlust exuded by the man brought back memories of his deployments to warzones in his previous life. There was no doubt that the man was powerful.
What made it worse was the existence of the parasite. Based on what he had witnessed, it could swiftly end someone's life, depriving them of even a chance to scream. The mere thought of such a ruthless demise sent shivers down his spine.
"Did you not hear me? I asked you a question."
Initially, Dawn contemplated owning up to it, but how could he explain it? If he was honest about having the ability to measure the target's strength, it would imply that Dawn had deceived them by standing amongst those without an ability. They had already made it clear enough that they hated liars.
'Do I kill him…? No, I doubt I can manage that in this weak, sluggish body.'
That left him with only one option—deception.
"Ah… I'm sorry. You caught me…" Dawn responded, raising his hands.
The wooden cuffs restricting him suddenly dropped to the floor with a clatter, surprising the onlookers.
"I didn't intend to break the cuffs; they were just a tad uncomfortable... I have no plans to defy your instructions or try to escape, so I can put them back on if you'd like," Dawn proposed, a feigned look of terror on his face.
The man appeared confused. Dawn's action was indeed a cunning deflection, redirecting the man's suspicion from the ability he'd used to the cuffs he'd effortlessly removed. Compared to playing dumb, he figured it was a superior strategy.
"No, not that... you did something else. What was it–"
"Sorry, sir Rek... I'm not sure what you're referring to?" Dawn interjected, feigning confusion as he tilted his head to amplify the effect.
Now was the moment to feign ignorance. The trembling ceased, and the atmosphere around Dawn altered. Fear was no longer etched on his face, replaced by a look of bewilderment.
Rek scrutinized Dawn in silence, suspicion lingering in his eyes. However, Dawn's act of innocence was executed impeccably. As a spy, deception was fundamental, and being a master of disguises made it one of his distinctive skills.
"Never mind then. Keep the cuffs off, there's no point in having them on if you can break them easily," Rek finally said.
He returned to the front of the line, his facial expression easing back to its usual sternness. The other children watched in disbelief. Dawn had not only wiggled out of his cuffs effortlessly, but he had also survived an encounter with the Rek.
Surprisingly, the one dumbstruck the most was Dawn himself.
'That was close…I thought my new life was going to end before it even started,' he sighed, disregarding the wide-eyed stares from the others. Covertly, Dawn picked up the wooden cuffs and slipped them back onto his wrists. He didn't want to stand out.
As the group resumed their trek, Dawn sank into deep thought.
'How did he know that I used the skill on him? He was certain that it was me... I must be cautious about using this skill until I better understand it.'
Following this incident, silence shrouded the group once again until they reached their destination, which wasn't much further.
They arrived at a large room within the cave, a long corridor lined with cells on either side. Stern-faced guards stood in front of each cell, maintaining their silent vigil.
These cells were nothing like the typical barred ones. They were fully enclosed by heavy metal doors, each having a slot most likely used for passing meals through..
The children, led by Rek, filed down the corridor, their footsteps echoing off the freezing, hard floor. As they moved, the heavy doors of the cells groaned open.
Each cell was a small, stark, and dimly lit space, devoid of beds or any kind of furniture, save for a chamber pot embedded in the floor.
Its cold, gray walls seemed to swallow the scarce light trickling in from the doorway. The interior was dominated by darkness, only faintly lit by the small square window in the heavy door and the air was thick with a rank odor, adding to the grim atmosphere.
The children hesitated, trading uneasy glances with one another. Nevertheless, they had no choice—each child was thrown into a cell by the guards and had their doors sealed behind them.
The children offered no resistance—for them, being imprisoned was better than dying.
When it was Dawn's turn, he stepped inside without protest. It's not like he had a choice after all.
Clunk!
The ominous echo of the closing cell door reverberated behind him, plunging him into the darkness of the cell.
'At least they could have removed the wooden cuffs before locking me up…' he thought to himself.
He contemplated breaking out of his restraints but decided against it. Instead, he made his way over to the wall, leaned against it, and sat down. His eyes were already somewhat adjusted to the darkness, making it easier for him to move around.
The sounds of other doors being shut echoed outside his cell. They were truly locking everyone up.
'That being said, solitary confinement in pitch darkness… what kind of twisted organization is this…'
Once the final metal door was secured, a powerfully booming voice echoed through the corridors.
"From this point forward, you will remain in these cells until you awaken. The quicker you awaken, the sooner you will be released."
'So, this harsh treatment is some twisted approach to force us to 'awaken'...' Dawn mused.
Following the ominous announcement, the sound of receding footsteps echoed throughout the corridor. Once they were no longer audible, the area was enshrouded in a heavy silence.
'I can withstand something like this...' He thought to himself, knowing he'd experienced worse. 'But the others... they may not have the strength to preserve their sanity...'
He shook his head, trying to dispel the worrying thought. Ultimately, his own survival was his main concern, just as it had always been.
'I have no idea how long this imprisonment will last, so it might be a good chance to train this scrawny body of mine...'
'...Or at least it would be if not for the fact that they didn't tell us when they would feed us. Training now would just be a waste of energy. This body is already skin and bones, based on how hungry I am, It's been a while since my last meal. If I overdo it, I might really die…'
"Ah... What to do? I could easily escape, but the parasite is a concern." he sighed, resigning himself to a waiting game. 'Let's just see how things play out for now…'