The dim light in Nathan's cell flickered, casting uneven shadows over his bruised, battered form. Every inch of his body felt like it was carved out of pain, his muscles twisted and torn from Kael's merciless assault. The silence was heavy, pressing on him from every side, a suffocating reminder of his isolation.
The System was silent, its usual cryptic messages absent. It felt as though even that cold, indifferent guide had abandoned him. The quiet gnawed at him, a deep ache that seeped into his bones, making the pain left by Kael's fists feel almost secondary. He lifted a hand, staring at the faint bruises scattered across his knuckles, feeling the fire within him sputter weakly like a dying ember.
Where are you now, huh? he thought, casting his mind inward toward the System. Silent when I need you most. Typical.
He dragged himself up against the wall, forcing himself to sit, even as his ribs protested with each shallow breath. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought he saw flickers of orange and red, a faint impression of the flames from the Primordial Fire Realm. But instead of the intense, scorching heat he'd grown used to, the flames now felt... distant. Cold. As if even the fire, his one ally in this nightmare, was turning its back on him.
Maybe Kael was right, he thought, bitterness staining his mind like ink on paper. Maybe I'm just another anomaly, another experiment, destined to break like the rest.
The echoes of Kael's taunts lingered, whispering in the darkness. Every single one broke. His words were a weight around Nathan's neck, dragging him further into despair. He shut his eyes, hoping to block out the memory, but the darkness only intensified the feeling of helplessness.
For the first time since he'd been thrown into this facility, Nathan felt the sharp sting of hopelessness clawing at him, pulling him toward the edge. Maybe resistance really is futile. Maybe I should just... let go.
But as he teetered on the brink of surrender, a faint warmth pulsed in his palm, barely perceptible. He opened his eyes, watching as a tiny spark—a barely visible flicker of light—danced across his fingertips. It was fragile, nearly invisible, but it was there. A reminder of the fire he had started to unlock, a symbol of the power that lay somewhere within him, still waiting.
Endure… the flames...
The words slipped through his mind, soft yet powerful, a mantra that had once been a source of strength. That tiny spark seemed to urge him on, a quiet insistence that he wasn't truly alone, not as long as he could still summon the smallest hint of flame.
With a slow, shuddering breath, he curled his fingers around the flicker, clutching it tightly as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered to reality. The pain was still there, unrelenting, but so was the warmth, a whisper of defiance in the face of despair.
He wasn't done. Not yet.
This isn't over.
As he held onto that thought, a memory surfaced—a vision of the Primordial Fire Realm, the heat so intense it had felt alive, as if the flames themselves had been urging him forward. The recollection brought a new surge of determination, a reminder that he had once felt strength, had once tasted the power that lay hidden within.
Nathan leaned his head back, staring at the dim ceiling of his cell, his mind drifting between memories of fire and the bitter reality of his confinement. The spark flickered once more, and he felt a faint pulse from the System, as if it were finally stirring, its presence a distant hum in his consciousness.
Come on, he urged silently. Just give me something, anything.
But the System remained quiet, withholding any signs of encouragement or guidance. The silence was deafening, deepening the sense of isolation that clung to him. Yet, that tiny spark still burned within his palm, faint but resolute, a reminder that he still had a weapon, however small.
He closed his eyes, letting the spark's warmth wash over him, drawing strength from its fragile glow. Kael's words echoed in his mind, but this time, he faced them with a quiet resolve. He couldn't let himself be broken. Not yet. Not when there was still a chance, however slim, to unlock the fire's full power and, perhaps, turn the tables.
Time slipped by as he sat there, clutching that spark, letting its heat seep into his weary bones. He knew the road ahead was uncertain, that Kael would be back, likely with even harsher "lessons." But for now, he had this spark, this tiny, flickering beacon that refused to go out. And as long as it burned, so would he.