Day One:

I woke up in a strange place, surrounded by four white walls, with nobody in sight. This was definitely not my home.

“Where am I? How did I get here?”

I tried to remember what had led me here, but my mind was blank . The last memory I had was of falling asleep in my own bed after a day of celebration with my family and friends. But this sterile room was nothing like home, and it didn’t feel like a hospital either—there were no medical equipment or signs of life.

Panicking, I tried to use magic, thinking I could at least make a dent in the walls to find a way out. But as I reached for mana, I felt nothing. Horrified, I realized the air was devoid of magic. There was no mana here—no way for me to cast even the simplest spell.

“What…what’s happening? Why can’t I sense any mana? Did… did someone kidnap me?”

I banged on the walls, my voice breaking as I called out, “Hello? Is anyone there? Please, answer me!”

I shouted, hoping someone would hear me, but no one replied. Minutes felt like hours, and the silence seemed to press in on me, amplifying my fear. I was hungry, thirsty, and completely alone. Why was no one coming? Had they forgotten me? Was I going to die here?

Time dragged on, the silence unbroken. I screamed, cried, and pleaded, but no one came.

I was just an ordinary kid. Why would anyone kidnap me? Were they holding me for ransom? But my family didn’t have much money. Fear and hunger gnawed at me as I curled up in the corner, desperately wishing to go home again, to my family.

Day Two:

The next day I spent pacing in circles in the cramped space, examining every inch of the unyielding white walls. There were no windows, no doors—just an endless stretch of blankness. The silence was unbearable, and the uncertainty of my captors’ motives haunted me. What could they possibly want with me? Had they abandoned me? Was I just going to be left here to die?

I forced myself to remember my family, clinging to warm memories of my parents and friends. But the loneliness was overwhelming, and before long, I found myself crying again.

As hunger and thirst intensified, my desperation grew. I screamed until my voice went hoarse, but it was as if the walls swallowed up every sound. There was no answers.

Why was this happening to me? Was this somehow related to my success in the magical test ? But why ? Why would anyone kidnap a new chosen one ? This made no sense at all. I was just a beginner magician. Beside, why bother kidnapping someone only to leave them alone in an empty room without food or water ?

Fear overtook me. I wanted my family, my friends, my home, my magic—anything familiar. But I was trapped, helpless, and completely alone.

Day Three:

I awoke to the same oppressive white room, the emptiness gnawing at me. Hunger had become unbearable, and thirst left my throat parched and raw. Was this it? Was I going to die here?

Just as despair closed in, a faint sound pierced the silence: footsteps. I sat up, my heart pounding, as the wall across from me shifted, revealing a brightly lit corridor beyond it. Two people in lab coats stepped inside, their expressions cold and unreadable. Without a word, they gestured for me to follow. Weak and disoriented, I obeyed.

They led me down the corridor to a small room with a table and a single chair. A meal and a glass of water awaited me, and I devoured it without a word. I sensed their eyes on me, studying my every move. When I finished, the man finally spoke, his voice as cold as his gaze.

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“Hello. I trust you’ve had some time to get used to your new surroundings?”

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I demanded, wary but defiant.

The man’s expression remained the same. “You have a unique talent. We seek to develop individuals like you for our country’s benefit.”

“Then why did you kidnap and starve me?” I demanded angrily.

The woman beside him exchanged a quick, steely glance with him before answering. “Think of it as a test of resilience. Only those with strength and endurance are worth our investment. The hunger, the solitude—these were necessary trials. The gifted must endure more than ordinary citizens.”

I stared at her, horrified. “But I’m only twelve! I want to go home!”

The man arched a brow, looking down at me with a slight smirk. “You’ll return home—once you complete our program. If you succeed, you’ll become one of the strongest magicians of the country.”

“I was supposed to train at the academy, kidnappers!”

The woman’s expression turned frosty. “We are members of the government, girl. The academy is for those ready to advance. Your family knows you’ll be ‘away for training,’ but they don’t know where. Think of this as a preparatory academy to cultivate your abilities without distraction.”

“You can’t keep me here against my will!” I shouted, clenching my fists.

The man gave a faint, amused smile. “We have every right to keep you here. Your family entrusted your education to us. But first, you’ll take a magical oath to keep this part of the training confidential.”

I put my hands on my hips. “What? Why would I ever do that?”

The woman let out a sigh. “If you refuse, we’ll allow you to ‘think over’ our offer—in the room you’ve been staying in without food or water.”

”What will you do if I still don’t agree?”

The woman smiled. ”We will let you die.”

“Liar ! The government wouldn’t let a chosen one starve to death!”

The woman watched me coldly, like she was looking at an insect. “Don’t be so sure about it, girly.”

I looked at her face, searching for any trace of sympathy, but found none. I tried using magic to attack them, but, to my horror, still felt no mana in the air.

“You… monsters! You have no right to do this to me!”

The woman chuckled, crossing her arms. “Well, why not? Your family signed a contract allowing us to take charge of your education. If you die we can just pretend it was an accident.”

“You… you are crazy!” I shouted, unable to believe what was happening.

The woman’s smirk widened. “So, would you like a few more days alone to ‘clear your head’?”

I greeted my teeth. “No… I’ll take your stupid oath.”

The woman smiled, satisfied. “Good choice, girly. Sign this.” she said, producing a magical contract.

“This… why is there so much things written here?”

The woman’s smile grew. “Standard procedure, dear. Think of it as your guidebook to life here.”

I scanned the contract, trying to make sense of the complicated phrases and densely packed paragraphs.

“You’re not seriously expecting me to read all of this, are you?” I asked.

The man gave a humorless laugh. “We wouldn’t want you wasting any precious time, but you are free to read everything if you want.”

I glared at them, my fists clenched. “This isn’t fair. You’re probably just tricking me into becoming your puppet!”

The woman leaned down to meet my gaze, her smirk replaced by an icy expression. “You’re free to leave, girl —if you want to starve for a few more days that is.”

For a brief moment, I considered refusing to attack them. But with no mana, no way out, and no one on my side, I knew it was hopeless.

“How do I sign this?”

“Good girl. I knew you would make the right decision.” The woman’s smirk returned, as if she’d known all along what my answer would be. She handed me a small, silver pen, enchanted with a magical energy that prickled against my skin.

“Just a drop of blood will do. This pen is designed to seal the contract directly with your magic and blood,” she explained.

I held the pen with hesitation, feeling the weight of what I was about to do. My gaze flickered back to the man and woman. They both stood still watching me with cold indifference.

With an unsteady breath, I pricked my finger against the tip of the pen, wincing as a single drop of blood blossomed at the end. The contract absorbed it immediately, and the words on the page glowed as my magic fused with each clause and restriction.

The woman watched with a smug smile. “Congratulations, as of today you have truly become a chosen one!”

I clenched my fists, holding back the urge to insult her as the glow from the contract slowly faded.

She turned, motioning for me to follow. “Let’s not waste any time. Your real training begins now.”

The man followed silently. Now, more than ever, I felt trapped and defenseless.

We walked down a long corridor lined with doors, each one bolted shut with a purple rune lock.

When we finally reached a massive iron door at the end of the hall, the woman stopped, looking down at me with a twisted grin. "Welcome to hell, Chosen One. Let’s see how long you can survive."

As the door opened, the bloody sight I witnessed inside made me faint on the spot.