I woke up to a glaring light, visible through strands of my own hair.

God, everything was aching. My neck and legs were killing me. I tried to massage my neck, but something bound my arms, preventing me from doing so.

—Clank!

Huh? Were these…chains?!

—Clank!

I jolted awake, rattling the chains in panic, before realising that I was bound to the metal chair I sat on. Just where in the world was I currently?

I bit my lower lip and manifested my mana tendrils to set myself free before someone cleared their throat and spoke.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

That voice…

It couldn’t be more familiar, and I glared at the culprit across the table. It was Finn, now wearing an all-black uniform and a golden badge on his chest.

“You’ve finally woken up.”

“No thanks to you.”

My glare must have pricked his conscience, as he scratched his chin and let out a weak chuckle.

“This is a less than desirable outcome, I should say.”

“I would assume so, you wretch.”

“Come on, now. No need to be so angry and tense like that. We’re doing this to protect you from dangers out there, you know?”

“Dangers? You say dangers?”

An urge to laugh emerged from somewhere, and I decided to comply with it. It started with a smirk, and a chuckle, and eventually led to a hysteric cackle. I basked in the rush of dopamine and ignored the confusion prevalent on his face.

I managed to stop myself and felt a tear in the corner of my eye, thanks to the fit of laughter. “Danger? Who? You’re saying that all of this is to protect me, rather than coming up with a real excuse?”

The urge returned, and I complied once more. Only laughter could be heard throughout the white room. Now that I looked at it, this was the exact same room I fled from earlier.

Laughing freely like this felt good, as if I had managed to scratch an itch I could never relieve.

That made me wonder, was I originally such a person with the uncontrollable impulse to laugh all the time? Or did this urge appear alongside the ruptures?

I hoped the latter was correct.

At least Finn had the decency to wait for me to finish, and we stared at each other as I gasped for air. His face was now unreadable, something I had never seen in all the years we had known each other.

He sighed and massaged his temples. “What was so funny that made you laugh like that?”

“Nothing much. I just felt like it.”

He squinted, seemingly not believing my words. “Be honest with me. You may not trust me right now, but we’re doing all of this in everyone’s best interest, so please tell me the reason if there is one in the first place.”

“Well, by everyone, am I included? Because I certainly don’t feel like I’m being treated as such.”

“Fair enough.” He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, clasping his palms together. “But believe me, your well-being and safety are a priority for us. As long as you comply and answer honestly, we will guarantee your release and reimburse you, from medical attention to straight cash.”

“And what if I don’t?”

“Then we have no choice but to incarcerate you on charges of espionage and potential harm to the country,” Finn said.

I stared at him. Espionage? Potential harm? The last time I checked, being a spy was not one of my occupations, let alone causing harm to the country as a whole.

“I think you have the wrong person. I have never even considered doing anything like that, especially as a wealthy heir.”

My former friend closed his eyes and smiled at me, refusing to reply to my words. It took me a second to realise the message behind his gesture.

“So, that’s how it is.” My words were laced with undisguised contempt. “Seems like the government isn’t as righteous as people praise it to be. Or is it just you and your captain from earlier? I wonder how people would react if an innocent alchemist was kidnapped without any concrete reason.”

He chuckled.

“You, in particular, should know how dirty the world can be. Think about it, the media needs something to keep themselves going. I’m sure they would be more than happy to report a crime done by an alchemist, especially one as inconspicuous as you.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Fair enough. It was foolish of me to think that the government wouldn’t use underhanded tactics to get what they wanted.

“Well, why are we talking about depressing subjects like these? Just do as we say, and you’ll be released right after I’m done with you. That’s a steal, don’t you think? Other countries would have locked you up for weeks before allowing your release.”

Why was he making it sound like he was doing me a great service when he was the one who pushed me down this cliff?

“Are you not going to tell me why I’m here now? These chains aren’t exactly the most hospitable to my wounds.”

“We’ll get to that in a moment. For now, would you please answer my questions?”

“Fuck off.”

Ignoring my cursing, he took out an old notebook with tears and wrinkles on its leather cover.

“First, have you experienced anything abnormal lately? Hallucinations, visions, loss of memory, emotional swings, contact with someone strange, or anything at all?”

My vision blurred, and I sank deeper into the metal chair.

What was I doing here again? Oh yeah, we were here to discuss our plans for the Reformation Day. Heh, what did he ask again? Something about encountering abnormal events? I have experienced those too many times to count, so the answer should be easy—.

“Agh!” I exclaimed as something rammed into my mind, waking me up from whatever stupor I was in.

“That again.” Finn squinted his eyes. With a metallic screech, he stood up and walked over to me, before grabbing my collar and lifting me alongside the chair. Was he always this strong?

“What did you do?! How were you able to break free?!”

The chains around me tightened as he rattled, causing warm liquid to flow from my wounds. Finn stammered and released his grip, dropping the chair and causing me immense pain.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said.

A disgusting smell wafted in the air. I didn’t even need to see to know where it came from. Blood seeped through my clothes as I mustered a grin.

“Enjoying what you see? Trying to escape from this place was a ton of struggle, you know? It wouldn’t be such a hassle if I had the slips with me.”

I heaved as my vision dimmed. Why was everything so painful nowadays? It was just yesterday when a Rupture happened, and now this?

Finn exhaled and rubbed his forehead. “Even with the slips, you wouldn’t be able to run, Lylie. Just tell me how you dispelled our power, and I promise a smooth sailing for the rest of the day.”

“Give me something to work on! Anything, and I promise in my family’s name that I will guarantee your release and compensate you for your losses! So, just tell me what you’ve been hiding, Lylie!”

“I have nothing to say to you!” I yelled, parching my throat with the amount of force behind it.

The room fell silent once more as both of us glared at each other. I could see the mixed feelings in his eyes, yet he bit his lower lip and spoke in a deep voice.

“Listen here, you mongrel.” Once again, he grabbed my collar. But this time, all he did was crumple my shirt and stare me in the eye. “I know you’re dazed and confused right now, like you always are under pressure. But trust me, I’m trying my darnedest to help you get out of this situation.”

I couldn’t help but chortle, and he watched as another smile widened on my face.

“Stop the hypocrisy, Finn. I won’t tell you anything, so you better unlock these chains and let me go before I make you.” I enunciated the last part of my sentence, causing him to grimace.

Then, something felt odd. I glanced around, trying to find the source of my discomfort, but could only find an oddly realistic sketch on the wall. It took me a second to realise that the detailed sketch was of the man who had knocked me out earlier.

“I’ve heard enough.”

It spoke?! Its mouth moved as the curves and edges wriggled under our eyes. The ink thickened to the point of bulging from the wall.

The chains rattled as I tried to free myself before giving up due to their resilience.

“What in the world is that?!” I tried to force an answer out of Finn, but all he did was shrug, refusing to answer.

The ink gradually formed a human silhouette before its surface ripped, revealing a handsome man with eyes as deep as his hair. It was him! The guy who knocked me out cold earlier!

His eyes were sharper than before, and they became even sharper as he approached and lifted me by my collar. Damn it, could they stop the choking already?! He raised his fist and clenched it before punching me in the face.

In pain, I instinctively inserted five hundred units of mana into the Barrier circle on my chest. But before I could activate it, he released his grasp, causing the chair to fall and the spell to be disrupted.

I hacked in pain before something struck me on the chin.

Damn, that hurt!

It took a couple of pummels before Finn intervened. “Sir, please! That’s more than enough!”

His fist stopped before my eyes, and the man retracted it without a noise.

What just happened? Did I see it right? Did he just appear out of thin air, strangle me with one hand, and proceed to punch me several times?

How did he do it? A teleportation spell? But that was nigh impossible for someone below the rank of an Archmage! Does that mean this man was an Archmage?!

“I gave you a chance to converse with him. But if he wouldn’t open his mouth, then I have no choice but to open it by force,” he said. His voice was deep, magnetic, and as calm yet deep as the abyss. Was it weird for me to have these thoughts only from his voice?

He stared at me, causing goosebumps to form all over my body. I looked down at my bloodied body in confusion. Something like this had never happened before, not even once. Even facing a mass murderer had not aroused such a reaction. Were government officials always this terrifying?

I watched as blood trickled down my nose, counting each and every droplet in a daze as they landed on my clothes or were absorbed by my loose hair.

“Answer,” he said.

A slap landed on my cheek, forcing blood and saliva out of my mouth.

“Sir, he’ll faint if you keep doing this!”

“Don’t worry, I know when to stop,” he said and delivered another slap on my cheek.

How funny, I thought as I spat out the metallic liquid inside my mouth and let out a weak chuckle. That seemed to be enough of a reaction, as he didn’t throw any more punches at my face.

A metallic screech came from across the table as the man sat down and took out a crystal ball and a tiny recorder from under it. The recorder let out a soft white noise as he turned it on and placed it between us.

“Look at me, Mr Grottel,” he said.

I lifted my head, not willing to get pummelled any further. I couldn’t stop a smile from forming on my face, which he thankfully ignored as he tinkered with the crystal ball. Its murky contents swirled as he rested his left hand above it.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” he said.