On the same early morning that Nova and Katya left Etheria by plane, a black SUV sped along the large highway toward the City of Excess; Etheria.
Inside the vehicle sat a man around 35, dressed in a black suit with glasses, a fade type haircut, and a neatly trimmed goatee. The faint dawn light barely illuminated his face, revealing the weariness of a restless night as his green eyes struggled to focus on the road.
Soon, the wheelless vehicle ascended toward the floating city, ending its journey in front of an imposing building with the Etherian Police Crest above the entrance. He stepped out of the vehicle with quiet elegance, heading toward the police headquarters.
Waiting for him at the entrance was a man in his mid-50s, with thinning hair and a whitish mustache. He wore a dark green uniform adorned with numerous military decorations, a sign of his rank.
"Good morning, Mr. Director. I'm Corwin Lockhart, an agent of the TN Intelligence Branch. Thank you for organizing everything so quickly." The man in the black suit greeted politely, extending his hand.
"Good morning, Agent Lockhart. No need for thanks, we're always happy to cooperate with you." The older man responded politely, though his eyes hinted at a deeper interest, possibly due to the recognition the city's forces had gained from their collaboration with a single agent.
“With any luck, we’ll both benefit from this collaboration," he added, a hint of greed creeping into his tone, as though envisioning more decorations for his uniform.
"Naturally. If we find anything, we won’t forget the ever-reliable Etherian armed forces," Corwin replied with a faint air of condescension.
In truth, Corwin loathed corrupt officials who sought nothing more than to pad their list of accomplishments. But, given that his mission came directly from the president of the company, he knew diplomacy was key to resolving the situation quickly.
"Haha, I like that. Well, follow me, I won't waste your time."
The decorated officer led Corwin through the building's corridors, stopping in front of a steel door with a glass panel that allowed a view of the room inside.
“This is where we’re keeping that bastard,” the director said, his face twisting with disgust. "As agreed, the cameras are off. What happens in there is strictly between the TN organization and him. But don’t forget who helped you get what you're looking for," he added in a stern tone, the need for recognition evident.
"You can rest assured, Mr. Director. TN has always valued law enforcement cooperation. If there’s nothing else, I’ll get to work." Corwin gave a forced smile before placing his hand on the door sensor, which opened automatically.
Inside, a young man with disheveled black hair, blue eyes, and a condescending smile sat in a metal chair. His hands and feet were cuffed to the table, and superficial wounds dotted his face, evidence of the rough treatment he'd likely endured.
"Are you another officer trying to get information I don’t have, or am I finally being processed to get three meals a day and a soft bed?" Angelo asked sarcastically.
Dressed in a white uniform, Angelo sat in a metal chair. The walls of the room had one-way glass windows, allowing for unseen observers.
"No, I’m not an officer. My name is Corwin Lockhart, and I’m an elite agent with the Terra Nexus Intelligence Team." Corwin introduced himself, casually removing his suit jacket and draping it over the back of his chair before sitting down.
At once, Angelo’s smirk vanished, replaced by a grimace of annoyance.
"Wow, you guys really don’t have anything better to do, huh? What exactly did I do to deserve your lovely attention? Didn’t think smuggling B-Synchro stones was that big of a deal." His voice dripped with sarcasm as his gaze stayed fixed on Corwin.
"Smuggling is a serious crime, but no, that’s not why I’m here." Corwin sighed deeply, pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. "I need any information you have on Declan Walsh."
At the mention of the name, Angelo's expression changed. His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his voice firm. "I’ll say this once: I have no idea who the hell that guy is. Don’t waste your time." His gaze hardened, resembling a guard dog protecting its master.
Corwin, unfazed, lit a cigarette, keeping his eyes locked on Angelo the entire time.
After taking a long drag, Corwin let the smoke drift slowly into the room. "I see," he murmured calmly, studying the determination in Angelo’s expression.
"You’d rather die than betray him." He leaned back in his chair, pocketing his cigarettes and lighter, his face settling into an indifferent mask.
"I respect that, but my job is to get the information, no matter how unwilling you are," he added, with reluctance.
"Good luck with that," Angelo shot back, fully aware that no amount of torture could make him betray that person.
With the cigarette still in his mouth, Corwin loosened his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt, revealing a necklace bearing an intricately crafted silver key. He took hold of the key, its antique design glinting faintly, and with a smooth motion, removed it, wrapping the chain around his hand.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
"You see, I don’t need luck to unlock your secrets..." he said, locking eyes with Angelo as a vivid blue aura began to radiate from his body.
"Cavea Avium," he recited calmly. Instantly, a beautiful, silvery birdcage, about 1.8 feet tall, began to materialize in his right hand. Inside, a writhing mass of darkness twisted ominously behind the delicate bars.
"What are you doing? Is this synchrony?" Angelo asked, shocked by the sight before him.
"I don’t need to explain it to you. Let’s just begin." Corwin opened the cage door, and in an instant, the darkness spread through the room, engulfing them completely.
"What the hell? Why did the monitors go black?!" the police director shouted from the observation room, enraged as both the cameras and the glass viewports showed nothing but impenetrable darkness, leaving no sound or image from inside.
Inside the void, Corwin and Angelo remained, seated at the same table, but the walls of the room had vanished, replaced by a dense darkness that enveloped them completely. They could only see each other, bound to their chairs.
"What is this? Why do I have shackles on my neck, wrists, ankles, and arms?" Angelo exclaimed, panic rising as he realized silver shackles now bound him. They were as finely crafted as the birdcage sitting on Corwin’s lap.
"Relax. This won’t be like the beatings you’ve taken." Corwin’s voice was eerily calm.
"I’ll ask you five questions. If you lie, a chain will materialize between your shackles and my cage. If you tell five lies, all the chains will appear, and you’ll be dragged inside the cage for eternity." Corwin’s tone was as serious as the consequences.
Angelo’s mind raced. “What happens if only one chain appears? What if I lie and tell the truth?" he asked, trying to gauge his options.
"In that case, I decide your punishment. For each chain that appears, I can choose to paralyze that part of your body or remove the shackle to learn the truth." Corwin smiled, knowing this was a rigged game where he would win either way.
"I see..." Angelo closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "My best option is to tell five lies and let the cage take me," he thought grimly, preparing himself for the inevitable interrogation.
"Alright, let’s begin. What was your role at the factory you managed for Declan Walsh?" Corwin asked.
Angelo’s eyes widened in shock. The question wasn’t direct; it was layered. Answering either way would admit some connection to Declan Walsh. He realized Corwin was trying to trap him into giving something away.
"Why would he ask that? Wouldn’t it be easier to ask who Declan is or what I know about him?" Angelo’s thoughts raced as he recognized Corwin’s strategic brilliance. "That bastard... He knows if he asked directly, I’d deny everything." Angelo felt a mix of admiration and frustration. But all he had to do was lie. Some nonsense should do the trick.
"%$#&%$&"#$#" Angelo attempted to speak, but no sound came out, leaving him stunned.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Corwin said with a smirk. "Once you're chained, you’re only able to answer what I ask. Whether you lie or tell the truth is up to you. But if you try to speak nonsense or embellish your lie, you won’t be able to say a word. And after two incoherent attempts, I’ll decide whether to take it as a lie or the truth."Corwin’s grin widened, revealing another feature of his ability that completely trapped Angelo.
"Dammit!" Angelo cursed internally. "If I try to dodge the question again, he’ll take it as the truth. And if I lie too many times, he’ll decide whether to extract the truth or paralyze me."
Angelo’s frustration grew as he realized Corwin had anticipated his every move. The agent’s questions were designed to expose Angelo’s relationship with Declan, even if he lied. The chains would appear, and Corwin would know the truth, one way or another.
"He’s read me like a book... I can’t lie about having no connection, or the chains will give me away," Angelo thought, his mind racing for an answer that wouldn’t incriminate him. Despite his inner turmoil, he tried to keep a calm, stoic expression in front of Corwin.
"I was a janitor," Angelo declared with a defiant smile. "Ha, take that! I’ll stick to my story, and even if you ask about the boss, you’ll never get the truth. Because the chain will reveal itself one way or another."
Angelo expected a chain to appear, but nothing happened.
"Alright, let’s move on to the next question..." Corwin said, contemplatively.
Angelo’s blue eyes flashed with anger. "What the hell? Where’s the chain?" He struggled to make sense of the situation, his confusion evident.
" It’s simple: the chains on your body know the truth. Part of you acknowledges that you only were a janitor in Declan’s factory."
All the times Angelo had referred to "cleaning up the trash" or "getting rid of the useless" came flooding back. He realized that deep down, he had convinced himself this was his true role in maintaining the business his boss had entrusted to him.
In reality, Angelo had been a janitor of people.
“No, stop, please! I’ll do anything, just stop!” Desperation seized the boy. He knew he would eventually have to reveal the truth if Corwin demanded it.
Angelo hoped that a direct question wouldn’t come next.
"Who exactly is Declan Walsh?" Corwin asked, his grin widening.
¡$#$#%$#%$#%!. ¡$#%$#&%$&!, ¡$#%$#%&$#&%$!" Angelo’s rage erupted in incoherent screams, but they were futile, his responses were not clear, only adding to his incoherence.
“I’ll take that as a lie,” Corwin said. With truth and lies at play, Corwin had the means to discover the truth if he chose. In the birdcage game, he always prevailed. However, he hadn’t anticipated Declan Walsh’s information being so well guarded.
Boooommm
A massive explosion erupted from the interrogation room, shaking the entire police headquarters. Officers and the Director rushed to corridor and investigated.
To their astonishment, the door had been blown against the wall, leaving a large crater. As they tried to enter, they found darkness blocking their path, which slowly faded, revealing a battered Corwin with his suit in tatters, except for his pants, in the midst of the devastation he had contained.
"Agent Corwin, what happened? Are you all right? Where’s the prisoner?" the Director asked, stunned by Corwin’s obscured expression, still holding the birdcage.
“Yes, as of today, convict Angelo Bennet is under the jurisdiction of the Terra Nexus organization. I’ll send the paperwork soon, but right now, getting him out of here is the priority,” Corwin said with authority, turning to leave. The Director’s hand stopped him.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that, Agent Corwin. Angelo Bennet is a drug dealer who must be tried to the fullest extent of the law here in Etheria. Handing him over to Terra Nexus would undermine justice,” the Director stated arrogantly, trying to assert his authority in front of the other officers.
“Director, you’re the one who’s not understanding. This boy is a crucial asset in a top-secret mission. Leaving him here hampers the mission, and you’ll be held responsible,” Corwin’s voice grew menacing, his glare sharp. The Director, recognizing the mission's importance, ordered everyone to comply. Corwin stormed out, pulling out his TN device and placing it to his ear.
“Call Boss,” he directed, letting the device quickly search for the contact to start the call.
“Hello, Corwin? How’s it going? How did it go?” a cheerful, animated voice came from the other end of the line.
“The boy was the victim of a synchro ability. Just as he was about to tell me about Declan, a black orb emerged from his mouth and caused an explosion. If he hadn’t been in the birdcage, the entire station, no, the whole sector, would have been blown up,” Corwin reported, maintaining his composure as he left the building and got into his vehicle.
“Wow, this guy knows how to cover his tracks. I like him... Is the kid okay?”
“The explosion didn’t seem to harm him, but he hasn’t woken up yet,” Corwin replied, accelerating the vehicle.
“Interesting...” The voice fell silent for a moment. “If he didn’t die in the explosion, he’s important to Declan. Have him take the agent’s exam,” the voice said.
“What, are you crazy?! He’s a criminal with psychopathic tendencies. His regard for the lives of others, or even his own, is nonexistent,” Corwin protested angrily.
“It all depends on synchrony. If he possesses it, he could be a valuable asset. Right now, he’s our only lead on Declan, so keeping him close is wise. Tell him his crimes will be forgiven if he becomes an agent, but only if he agrees to be a bounty hunter,” the voice concluded.
Corwin sighed heavily. “Even if I disagree, I’ll follow your orders. I’ll leave the boy in the city for the exam with an agent in charge. If anything goes wrong, it’ll be your responsibility.”
“Yessssss, goodbye,” the voice ended the call.
Corwin sighed again as he deactivated the birdcage, leaving only the key in his hand and Angelo unconscious in the backseat. The journey to Gyokuseki would undoubtedly be long.