Fren's eyes shot open, his head pounding. He groaned, feeling a sharp pull on his wrists. Looking down, he saw that his arms were shackled to some sort of advanced machine—black tendrils of energy crackled along the restraints, but they seemed... dormant. He tugged against them, but the restraints held firm.
"Where... where am I?" he muttered to himself, panic rising in his chest as he realized he couldn't remember how he got here.
The walls of the room were blindingly white, sterile, and devoid of windows. There was no sign of life—except for the eerie hum of the black energy running through the restraints. Fren clenched his fists, a cold sweat forming on his brow.
He started to panic. "What happened? Why am I here?!"
Suddenly, the heavy metallic door to the cell creaked open. Fren's head snapped toward it, heart pounding in his chest. Standing in the doorway was Kai, his usual grin plastered on his face, followed by Aria on his right and Ress beside her.
Kai waved cheerfully. "Yo! You're awake. How's it feel to be trapped in the world's most uncomfortable cell?"
Fren blinked, feeling a wave of relief flood over him as he recognized his friends. "Kai! Aria! Ress!" He breathed out, his voice shaky. "What is this place? Why am I tied up like this?"
Kai leaned against the doorframe, still grinning. "Oh, you're in the Dominion's prison. You know, where they keep all the 'bad' Stigma users."
Fren's confusion only deepened. "Dominion? What the hell is that?" He tugged again at the restraints, but they didn't budge. "And I didn't do anything bad, so why am I here?!"
Kai scratched his head, the grin fading a little. "Well, here's the thing… When you went unconscious, something... well, something else took over your body. It's like a monster or something. It went full rampage mode and killed that Ghoulom in one shot. If Ress hadn't shown up when he did, you'd probably have destroyed everything in the area."
Fren stared at him, his heart racing. "A monster? What do you mean? I—I don't remember anything! All I remember is hearing some voice, and then... nothing."
Ress stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, so, not to freak you out, but it seems like you've got yourself a bit of a... ghostly Stigma. You don't control it. It just kind of... takes over when it feels like it." He flashed a grin, lightening the mood. "So no worries! It's not like you're going to turn into some monster every time you lose your temper. Probably."
Fren's eyes widened, a mix of fear and curiosity. "A ghostly Stigma?
Aria, who had been silent until now, stepped up. "Fren… are you the one who killed that monster in the dimension we were stuck in?"
Fren frowned, trying to wrack his brain for any details, but everything felt foggy. "I… I don't know. I don't remember anything. I don't even know what happened there."
Aria's eyes searched his face, then she sighed and looked to Ress.
Ress, seeing the serious mood creeping in, slapped his hands together. "Why are you all acting so serious? It was just some random monster that possessed Fren. Probably just his Stigma acting up." He chuckled lightly. "But, hey, if you want to think of it as some curse, be my guest."
Kai laughed, "Yeah, it's a ghost-like Stigma! It just possesses you whenever it feels like it. And you can't control it, because you're just its vehicle!"
Fren blinked, his confusion and worry slowly being replaced by a nervous chuckle. "Wait, so… this Stigma is like a ghost inside me? I can't control it at all?"
Aria, still frowning, replied, "But what if it's actually a curse, something more dangerous?"
The room fell silent.
Fren's stomach dropped, and Kai raised an eyebrow. "What? Now you're all freaking out?" He smiled, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "Don't stress about it too much. From what I've seen, Fren can control it. Just... not yet."
Ress nodded in agreement, stretching his arms. "Yeah, it's probably just a Stigma. I'm sure it's nothing major. Maybe a little wild, but hey, we've all been through worse."
Fren, feeling a bit lighter, gave a half-hearted smile. "So, what now? Am I just stuck here forever?"
Ress clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "Let's not get bogged down with the details, alright? First, let's get you out of here, then we'll talk about this later." He turned to Kai, raising an eyebrow. "You did bring the keys, right?"
Kai grinned. "Of course I did. Got the keys, and even some snacks for the trip."
Fren raised an eyebrow. "Snacks?"
Kai pulled out a small, crumpled bag of chips from his pocket and tossed it over to Fren. "Yeah, you look hungry. It's not like we can get anything better in here."
Fren caught the bag, staring at it in disbelief, then laughed nervously. "You guys really know how to lighten the mood…"
"Hey, I try," Kai said, winking. "Anyway, let's get out of this place first. Then we'll get to the long story."
Fren looked from Kai to Ress, then back to Aria. "So... I'm free to go now?"
Ress nodded. "For now, yeah. But let's get you out of here first, alright? We'll figure it all out later. You still owe me a drink for this whole 'monster possession' thing, after all."
Fren shook his head, laughing despite the weight of everything still lingering in his mind. "This is crazy."
Ress grinned. "Yeah, welcome to the club. Now, let's go."
As they walked out of the sterile cell, Fren couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and relief, unsure of what awaited him next.
To be continue