"ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
The boy's ear-piercing shrieks echoed through the cold, stone room. A natural instinct of mammals to ward off life threatening predators and to gather your kin. However, this one was a false scream, as in, it didn't intend any of its original purposes but rather to use the noise and pain in his throat to distract his mind away from the reality. But it turned silent as well, as the minimal energy in the little guy's whole body dwindled.... slowly.
*Thukk* *Thukk*
*Thwackk*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh-"
The monstrous dwarf with horse like face and steel muscles put full force in his bulging arms and... *Twackkk*... stuck down, following a high pitched scream of agony.
The boy not even half an year old was tied on a large stone slab near the cold furnace. The slab was a little bit irregular on it's surface like a rough cut Quartzite stone.
*Thwackkk*
The hammer in the man's hand continuously struck the boy's soft legs, hands, and his stomach respectively, each time narrowly escaping his chest.
The sensation overwhelmed him, leaving no room for any thought but the all-consuming agony. The intensity of the pain was such that most men would have succumbed to a coma, not to mention screaming. The damage was another bizarre thing that kept piling up on the body of the boy without instantly killing him. On earth, just the first blow to the foot of a newborn would've killed him.
His mind churned up, giving him signals to use his last bit of strength to do the only thing he could do... scream.
"Aaaahhh-- ahhh--a aaaaahh- ...aaaahh" as his screams died down gradually, the force of the hammer swinging increased, touching the stone beneath the meat and bones on the slab making a small *thunk* sound.
The source of all his pain, the dwarf soaked in his sweat kept swinging the hammer, his frustration increasing for some reason.
*Thwaaakk*
"Scream!"
*THWACKKK* *Thunk*
"Scream you brat!"
*THUNKK*
*THUNKK*
*THUNKK*
*THUNKK*
"....huff..."
"Huff...hufff... sigh" he stopped at the tenth strike after the boy stopped screaming. Sitting right there on a small stool he looked at the boy with mixed emotions.
"He doesn't have enough vitality...." he helplessly murmured to a shiny ring on his left hand. The already bright red gem glowed a little as if responding to the dwarf.
Shaking his head one more time the buff guy with the lion mane stood up.
"...Still his potential...." Patting his clothes, which consisted of a grey tank-top, and a loosely tied garb wrapped around him in layers behind the sash, he looked at the kid once more before leaving the room.
If one looked closely at the dwarf's eyes, they could see a green glint for a brief moment as he turned to leave.
After he left, a dim green light covered the boy who was finally allowed to faint after the hellish torment. Even his face automatically relaxed after some time.
It looked like the unwarranted torment was finally over.
.............
......
After an unknown time passed, the boy opened his dark velvet eyes a little. It was a little different, unnoticeable to most people, they had a strange... sand grain sized glint of green in them.
He shifted his eyes all around. There was a tremor in his heart and head but he ignored it. Fear was not a requirement right now. And he didn't have the luxury to be trapped in it either.
Thumping his own bare chest with force, he stopped his shaking body and sat upright. He could do this..... which meant his brain had developed to it's previous condition on earth. He needed to analyze his situation fast.
[How much time has passed...] he thought looking at his bony arms. His fingers as big as a 7 to 8 years' old child.
He looked around himself. An empty space of about 2 sq feet fully enclosed from all sides. It was made up of stone which made a small sound when he put his bony feet down from the elevated slab.
There's no path to get out. What should a malnourished boy do in this situation? He couldn't tell his situation, however his brain... it was as if the heavens gave his mind some extra ability for all the torment he faced... gears shifted in his head, turning with precision and unlocking layers of understanding he never knew were there.
He clearly recalled every detail he experienced his past, every wrong decision he made on earth. Every event he was present in.
The 'friend' using his 'wife' for his assassination. His foolish 'son' who was thinking that he could get his wealth after he died. [He would be in hell right now]. The moment he got reincarnated in this world. How his 'father' was slowly becoming more tense every day, how his 'wet nurse' looked at him with disdain for a brief moment on the day of his 'father's' death.
He savored every memory which was unearthed. Skipping through them all didn't even take more than 4 seconds. But after this fraction of time, his thoughts again became a blur.
His head was starting to buzz a little, what's it?
Suddenly
A searing bolt of agony slammed into his skull.
His eyes closed shut in pain. He wanted to scream....
But
This time... even that relief was not available to him. His body refused to obey his will. His thoughts somehow couldn't even form completely before they dissipated by themselves.
[What's happening... oh... I need to do... something....] It was a thought which spent all his remaining energy to form.
After that... he collapsed.
A green mist swirled around the baby, coalescing into a figure that made the room feel colder, more ominous. The boy would have trembled just at the sight of him if he could see the figure. After all it was the man who created a permanent trauma in his soul. The creature laughed, a sound that was the antithesis of joy, and leaned over the unconscious child.
"A fiend huh.... interesting. No wonder his mind could still resist me after 7 years. It was not that of a child's" he said looking at the drooling boy with delight in his voice.
"Alas, his body is weak to nourish me. But the fiend's soul can still be used to refine a concealment cloak.. We shall see how long you can resist" it taunted before being drawn into the baby's now vacant eyes, leaving behind a terrifying silence and a sense of dread that seemed to thicken the very air.
.......
His eyes snapped open like a whip. If one only looked at them for some time, they would be enveloped in a dark eerie feeling. It no longer had the light of a child.
"huff"
The boy, now about 11 years old, stood up suddenly with a smile, pushing his twig like feet on the cold floor.
He moved his hand, checking their condition.
"Khuhehehe... this is a fine body" Looking at his palm, he laughed with a voice, which did not belong to a child at all.
.......
.....
.....
...