An odd tension hung in the air, it felt tangible, real, and horrifying. Who acts like this? His motions looked rehearsed and practiced. It was behavior I'd never experienced before. Once I acknowledged his strange mannerisms, I realized I did not know this person. He is a stranger who helped me in a time of great adversity.
"Experiment", he said. Is that why I feel oddly normal despite facing the horror of being burned alive. Let alone the mental torture and post-traumatic experiences that I should be experiencing right now. Am I truly okay?
I just want to hide. I want a moment alone. I feel uncomfortable and manipulated. Something is wrong, very wrong. Only I can't place my finger on what it could be because physically and mentally I feel great. I feel alive, my mood feels relaxed, maybe even a little bit happy. Happy at the prospect of new opportunities, new life, and power.
This is what frightens me the most. How could I even allow myself to feel a glimpse of happiness in all the despair I have faced?!
Tears began welling up inside my eyes. As one fell rapidly down my cheek, I brushed it away. I was in a different world and I was already fighting my first battle. This battle was different from the normal battles I'm used to. This was mental. This was an inner turmoil that I was not sure I would overcome.
I felt like a masked man crawling my way to feel like I was a part of this world.
Rowan was still bowing and even though I felt uncertain I knew what I needed to say.
"I must say thank you. You saved my life and brought me back to my best condition. I may not look the best but I feel the best!"
The words sounded voiced, but they shared my feelings. This is the point where I would normally turn and run but this was my room, I was stuck, so I rubbed my eyes to put out the tears.
"So how do I start this trial?" I inquired.
He was still bent over a short bow and slowly straightened back up. That was when the heavy tension finally left the air. I did not understand why there was tension in the first place.
"You must see what must not be seen or be touched by the power from beyond. Both of these have happened already. After that you must wish for power and in your dreams it will show you a ritual to obtain the power. Do be warned that once you tread this path there is not an opportunity to go back. Also, note that over 30% of people do not make it to the end." I watched as he turned around and made his way to my TV.
"I have seen what must not be seen. I do remember the power you used on me, but I don't remember seeing something wrong?", I asked.
He stayed silent and turned on the TV, flipping the channels until he finally found the right one and turned the volume up.
"Watch", he muttered.
What was on the screen was foreign to my eyes. I saw bodies covered in holes that appeared to be from bullets. Even reading the subtitles at the bottom of the screen, I was still unsure of what was going on.
I heard on the TV explaining how to kill one of these monstrosities.
"Make sure to aim for the lower chest of the Drenakyr, where their weak area is. If you shoot with anything less than .44 magnum on any other part of the body it will not do enough damage to stop them. Keep in mind they are quick and known for their brute strength. Do not engage because most of the time they are in groups. For the Resurgent, be mindful that they can still function even with a blown-off torso. The only way to stop them is if you hit this crucial area in the.."
He turned off the tv then turned to me and walked closer to the bed.
"You saw a creature in the fire similar to the one on the screen, correct?" Staring down at me, I calmly replied the truth.
"No", I said.
I honestly did not and I was baffled as to why he would even suspect it.
"When we found your body in your lab, we saw an open rift and your research was destroyed and next to it was one of the Drenakyr. It had burned alive, but there were signs of it doing its best to destroy all your work. What were you working on that could have summoned such a creature?"
He took a deep pause then continued.
"That's what I would have originally asked but I already knew you don't have much information for us. That's actually why I was assigned here. I checked your memories. It was a little tricky to figure out where to enter your mind since you were severely injured but because you were not aware of my powers, I found the memories quickly. I know you're an innocent bystander."
He gave me a weak smile and then headed towards the door.
"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to unload so much information onto you. For now, if you are up to it, I would like for you to follow me. I want to show you the Drenakyr and then let you sleep. This will help prepare you for the final ritual that you experience in your dream. Don't forget that the ritual is personal, therefore we can not guess what it would be or the powers you will obtain after."
Standing up, I showed my agreement and walked towards his direction. I was wearing a loose medical gown that flowed with every step and the open air felt great but revealing.
Exiting the door of my room, I quickly took notice of the two guards on both sides. I could easily tell how taken back they were from my appearance but they didn't reel back or look scared.
We walked past them and went down the hall. The corridor was filled with a few doors scattered around yet nobody was inside any of the rooms. The place was eerily empty.
"Am I still in Columbus?"
My question filled the hallway, breaking the silence.
"No, we are now in Nevada in a secure area. You were classified as highly personal and deemed of utmost importance. Moreover, to be highly classified until further notice. In the eyes of the world, you burned to a crisp in the fire with your family.
We walked a little further down the hall and Rowan said "It should be around here."
I followed him into a doorway leading into a large warehouse space that consisted of cages all around. Lights lit up one by one, as if we were on a stage making our cues for the next scene of a play. We walked further in and what I saw was the Drenakyr, only there were a mere 3 alive. The rest of the cages were filled with dead bodies. It felt wrong to look at something so graphic. The cages lined the darkened chamber, their iron bars streaked with rust and dried blood. Inside, three figures clung to the edge of life. The first, a skeletal brute, hunched against the bars, its ribs and jagged fists trembling with each wheezing breath. Next, a matted predator sprawled low, its cracked claws and bloodied fur a pitiful mockery of its once-proud form. The last, a hulking beast with dulled horns, shifted feebly, its massive frame reduced to a slumped shadow of power. All three starred out with hollow eyes, their once-mighty forms now caged remnants of raw, broken strength.
My disbelief was cut off by Rowan's words.
"Now you have seen the wrong and been touched by the power beyond. Either one would have been fine, but I like to be an overkill at moments."
He shot me another grin and then started to head back out of the room.
"Let's get you back to sleep. You won't be able to forget the ritual, but do remember that once you do it you will enter a dream world that is as real as this one. So do not die in it."
After making it back to the room, he quickly shooed me in and left me standing there with his bodyguards. Facing me he said, "We can start it tomorrow. A full night's rest will do your mind some good. As you sleep, remember that this nap is just a dream, it is not real yet. However, it might be in your best interest to prepare your mind as if this dream were real. Especially if you want to have a strong standing in the ritual. Then he turned to leave.