Seth replayed the scene where the girl lost control of her power inside his mind.

It displeased him; he would never be accustomed by the idea of losing control.

8 years ago

On the outer layers of a hidden cave, many people were locked together inside some small cells. They had already dried their tears begging for help and gave up the remote chance of being saved.

Even the idea of escaping was really only a dream. No, how would it even be possible to escape? This place was not a common place that would be visited frequently. Instead, there was not an ounce of intelligent lifeforms other than them there, only a desolate desert filled with unpredictable dangers.

The sound of steps approaching woke up the prisoners locked on their jails.

The demon stopped right before the cells and looked deeply at the people inside.

“Hmmm… They all seem untainted by any energy, the best guinea pig possible. This batch will probably give us some good material samples.”

After talking to himself he did what for most of the prisoners here, would be considered a blessing, but it was a damnation in disguise.

Waving his hands, he opened the doors of all twenty or so cells that were locking two hundred plus people inside. Their age seemed to range from ten to twenty-five years old. What they had in common though… there was not a single spec of Qi inside their body. This kind of people was really rare to encounter, one could only find them in remote villages.

“It’s our chance, go!” About eleven adults started running away the fastest they could. The only available escape route was the desert that was surrounding the place they were in. Twenty or so more went after them. The others couldn’t muster enough strength to follow.

Seth was only ten years old at that time, the youngest person there. In fact, the weakest of them all. He used all his strength just to stay standing, so he could only observe the people who left running from afar. Twenty or so days ago he was comfortably by the side of his adoptive mother, but now, he didn’t know where he was and even if she was alive after what happened. He was completely lost.

The bodies of all of those prisoners were already feeble from the confinement they were forced to be, but for some reason they found strength on the hope of freedom.

When they entered the desert and their eyes sparkled with the bit of freedom they got, from below the sand a giant dark claw surfaced and grabbed three of the running fugitives. Their fragile bodies broke around the middle with their innards leaking in bits.

AAAHHH!!! Ah! AHH!

Then one more claw, reaping more four innocent lives. A giant black tail shot from bellow and piercing two more. The human body seemed so fragile, even glass would be sturdier on the beast eyes.

From the eleven that went first, only two had enough time to retreat, crying in fear. Those twenty that were running right after their friends, stopped, dropping weakly on the floor. Their knees gave in and they could not stand anymore, some have peed their pants. They desperately crawled back to the cave.

A giant black scorpion surfaced entirely from the hot sand and started having his great meal. The scene shocked anyone inside but the demon, that looked at his “little scorpion pet” with glee. The demon loved the coercive might his pet brought. There was no need to use force anymore, the prisoners would do what he wanted.

With contentment he said: “Come, we’re moving in.”

Waving his hand again, his Cerberus ring resonated with a formation unlocking the metal door that led to the deeper parts of the cave.

“Two each time.” A guard came from inside and led two of the youths inside. After a minute another guard came and did the same. There were some hound beasts guarding the entrance together with the guards.

Seth was brought to a small cell inside. It was for him and another boy a bit older than him. When they entered inside, they found a sumptuous meal. Meat, vegetables, eggs, milk, water and more meat!

“???” They got confused, but didn’t dare to ask a single thing.

After the guard locked them in and left, they jumped like barbarians, eating everything in front. They drowned in food for the first time in a week, ignoring the fork and the spoon at the side. There wasn’t a knife. They didn’t even check if the food was poisoned.

The same scene was repeating in many cells inside the cave.

With their stomach filled they started to socialize, and some as far as going to sleep.

“Hi friend, my name is Dyno.”

The lively boy, extended his hands in an attempt to befriend the other boy.

“H-Hi… I’m Seth.” The shy boy, have never made a friend before. Unfortunately, he was not happy because the situation was not favorable for neither of them.

“Seth? Are you from New Lime Village too?”

Seth nodded shyly.

Dyno said: “I am from New Lime too. I miss my brother, we were captured together, but they locked us on different cells.” Some tears were forming on his eye sockets.

Seth raised his head and asked: “What is your brother’s name?”

“It’s Miro.”

“Miro? I’ve been locked with him before entering here!” Seth remembered of an eighteen years old youth that comforted a lot of prisoners locked together with him.

“Really, is he ok?!” Dyno seemed to be more excited now.

“He is really fine. Actually, I admire your brother’s courage, he took this situation better than any of us.”

“Ahaha, I admire my brother too. He would often protect me from the wild boars when we went hunting.”

Seth too, thought of someone he wanted to see again. The last time he saw her, it was a pretty desperate situation.

“Are you thinking of something?” Dyno looked at Seth’s downcast expression and asked preoccupied.

“I… I miss my mother.” Seth was an innocent kid. He couldn’t hide his feelings. As he remembered the things that happened a complicated emotion started to swell up on his chest.

Dyno approached him and lightly slapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we are going to leave this place really soon, someone will come to save us! So, if you ever feel sad, think that you going to see that cherished person real soon!”

“A-Alright.” Seth forgot about the sad stuff as he engaged on the conversation with Dyno.

“I have a present for you Seth. It was something me and my brother found whilst we were hunting on the outskirts of our village.” Dyno then took a stone crystal from his pocket and gave it to Seth.

“What is it?” Seth curiously asked.

Dyno scratched his cheeks a bit embarrassed and said: “Actually, I have no idea what it is. But it’s very sturdy! We even tried to break it use an axe, but the axe broke instead.”

“Ahaha.” Seth mood got even lighter. He received the present and started musing over it.

“Consider it as a first meet present!” Dyno just like his brother, had the ability to soothe the situation.

Like that, some two hours passed by.

Pah!

Everything went dark, there were only some deep red lightings illuminating the environment, leaving it eerie and ominous.

A thin thread of aura started to flow, circulating in and out of each cell at this section of the cave. The prisoners couldn’t detect it, but it was slowly entering their bodies through their pores.

The night came, and they went to sleep. Some hours later came the first sound that signalized their apocalypse.

“Stop!” “Stop!” “What are you doing?” “STOOOPPPPP!!!” “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Seth woke up with his heart beating faster, everything was dark and he couldn’t see a single thing.

“Dyno are you there? Dyno…?”

When Seth looked at Dyno’s direction, Dyno was kneeling on the floor, his nose bleeding and some red lines were spreading on his skin, like a crimson tattoo.

Dyno’s eyes were red; lost in fury. He rose to his feet and jumped on Seth, throwing him on the floor.

“Stop!” “Dyno, stop!”

Now he finally understood what those lines from before were implying. They were his veins, filled with an energy that was dominating over him. It made Dyno lose all sense of reason, leaving behind just the most primitive aggressive instinct.

Dyno tried to scratch Seth’s face, and bit his arms and hands. Seth’s hands desperately trying to intercept him, but his physical strength was inferior.

“Grrrr…” “Arrgh!”

All reason had faded away from his mind, he was uncontrollable. For more than five minutes they stayed on that fierce struggle.

Finally, Dyno grabbed Seth’s neck and started to smother him.

“Arrrghh! S-Sto…p.”

Seth would die if this continued for ten or more seconds. But then, he fell on the floor.

Dyno had released him, actually he stopped moving. His eyes died, and then they started pulsing red, just like the rest of his body.

Pft!

Fine lines started spreading on his skin just where his contaminated veins were. His body broke like a crystal. It shattered like a bottle made of glass falling on the floor. It didn’t leave a single drop of blood behind, just an infinite number of red mini-crystals.. And then, it started evaporating, slowly merging with the tyranny on the air.