The days had blended into a blur of pain and monotony, but the spark of fire Nathan had discovered within himself was like a stubborn ember, refusing to be snuffed out. He had grown careful, trying to keep his training hidden as he practiced channeling the Fire Conduit skill, feeding the fire with his focus, nurturing its strength. Yet he could feel it building, like pressure behind a dam, waiting for the chance to burst free.
But today, as he finished another session of secret training, a nagging unease twisted in his gut. It wasn't just the usual paranoia that came from knowing the GRA's watchful eyes were always on him. This was different, and as he looked around his cell, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd missed something, a detail… something that might cost him.
It didn't take long to confirm his suspicions. Hours later, the door hissed open, and in walked Agent Kael.
Nathan had seen him before, only at a distance. Kael moved through the facility with an aura of control and ruthlessness that the guards seemed to fear just as much as the detainees. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a sharp, angular face and dark eyes that seemed to drill into anyone he looked at, Kael was notorious among the Blessed detainees for "corrective measures." And today, his target was unmistakably Nathan.
Kael's gaze slid to the far wall, where faint scorch marks were still visible. He smiled, a slow, cold thing, and strolled into the cell, hands clasped behind his back.
"Well," Kael said, his voice as smooth as it was deadly. "What do we have here? A little fire starter, is it?"
Nathan stood, meeting Kael's gaze evenly. His stomach churned, but he forced himself not to show it. "Just some accidental marks," he replied, voice steady. "Nothing special."
"Accidental?" Kael's eyebrow lifted, his expression laced with mock amusement. "Right. And I suppose you're here on a friendly visit too?" He chuckled, though there was no warmth in it. "Come now, anomaly. Do you think we don't notice things like this?"
"Maybe you're reading too much into it," Nathan retorted, trying to project confidence even as every instinct screamed at him to keep his mouth shut.
Kael's eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer, his presence filling the small cell with a dark, oppressive energy. "If there's one thing I despise, it's insolence." He paused, looking Nathan up and down with barely concealed disdain. "Do you think you're the first to try hiding something in here? You think we haven't seen anomalies before, each one convinced they're special, that they'll somehow escape?"
Nathan clenched his fists, feeling the faint warmth of the fire flare within, but he held it back. He knew better than to give Kael anything he could use against him. "Maybe I just don't like being told what I am or what I'm not," he said, trying to keep his voice even.
Kael's expression darkened. He reached forward, grabbing Nathan by the front of his shirt and yanking him close. "You need a reminder of your place," he sneered, his grip tightening. "If you think a few sparks make you a threat, you're delusional. But don't worry—I'm very good at grounding those delusions."
Nathan wrenched his arm free, stepping back to regain his balance. But before he could say another word, Kael's fist swung forward, connecting with his stomach. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through his body, knocking the wind out of him.
Kael smiled as he straightened. "Oh, we're just getting started."
The next few minutes became a blur of pain. Kael's strikes were brutal and precise, each one calculated to inflict maximum damage without breaking anything too obvious. Nathan stumbled, barely able to keep his footing, as blow after blow connected, leaving him gasping, his vision blurring from the intensity.
"Where's that fire now, hmm?" Kael taunted, his voice a cruel whisper as he grabbed Nathan's chin, forcing him to look up. "You thought you could keep secrets in here. You thought we wouldn't find out." He shoved Nathan back, sending him sprawling against the wall.
"You think you're special?" Kael continued, his tone dripping with contempt. "You're nothing but a footnote, a little experiment that will be discarded the moment you're no longer useful."
Nathan's mind reeled, pain and fury mingling into a red haze. He wanted to fight back, to summon the fire and lash out, but every time he tried to pull on that inner warmth, Kael's fist interrupted, knocking the breath from his lungs, forcing him to the ground again.
"What's the matter?" Kael sneered, stepping closer as he cracked his knuckles. "Can't conjure up any of those little tricks now, can you?" He leaned down, his voice low and venomous. "This cell is yours, anomaly. Your cage. And as long as you're here, you'll follow our rules."
Nathan tried to push himself up, his arms trembling with effort. The faint warmth of the fire flickered, but his exhaustion swallowed it, leaving him cold and defenseless. "I'm… not… done yet," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper.
Kael smirked. "Oh, I can assure you, you are."
With one final, brutal kick to the ribs, Kael sent Nathan sprawling onto the floor. Pain surged through him, sharp and unyielding, and he could feel his strength slipping, his body giving in to the relentless assault. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he almost thought he saw the faint glow of flames dancing before his eyes.
"Remember this, anomaly," Kael's voice cut through the haze, harsh and mocking. "Every single Blessed we contain had dreams of escape. Every one of them thought they were special. And every one of them broke."
The door slammed shut, leaving Nathan alone in the silence of his cell. He lay there, gasping, feeling the bruises forming, the throbbing ache of broken skin and battered bones. The fire within him had dimmed, snuffed out by Kael's unrelenting cruelty.
But even as he lay there, broken and bruised, a flicker of determination remained. His thoughts drifted to the Primordial Fire Realm, to the searing heat he'd felt, the flickers of power he'd glimpsed. Kael could beat him, mock him, try to grind him down to dust, but he couldn't take away that spark, that core of defiance burning somewhere deep inside.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, the System flickered, sending a final, broken message:
"Endure… the flames…"
The words lingered in his mind, a reminder, a promise that the fire within wasn't done yet. The flames would endure, waiting for the moment when he could reclaim them fully, turn them into something more than just a spark—a blaze that could not be contained.
And as the darkness closed in, a faint smile tugged at his lips.