Roy watched as the strange light orb slowly flickered and swayed back and forth, creating an eerie timeless feeling when combined with the ancient, cracked grey ceiling. The walls were the same dingy color and combined with the pitch black floor gave the strange illusion of constantly being about to fall into an eternal abyss, and the spiked, demonic-looking metal cell door didn't help with that perception either. The light flickered out for a second before returning and starting to cast again those familiar, spine-chilling sinister shadows across the wall, that often seemed as if they were threatening or laughing at him. They used to terrify him, but nowadays Roy couldn't feel anything, much less fear, so he just kept watching the light sway. In the beginning, when he was here he used to wonder why the light swayed, though now he was so gone he could spend days with nothing entering his void mind.

It had felt like a millennium since Roy had been locked in this decrepit cell. As he was laying on the cold and painfully hard stone ledge for a bed he tried, well more like tried to try, to remember anything. But no matter how his muddled mind trudged along through the bleak and shadowy wasteland of his mind, he couldn't seem to find anything. All he knew was that he was alone and that he was called 'Roy'. He liked his name, not because it sounded cool or anything, but because it was the last thing that tied him to reality. Or whatever had become of his reality. His sanity was obviously already gone, and he was also well past going crazy. His mind had entered a broken and hopeless view towards everything, he no longer felt or understood. he wasn't even a shell of his former self, he was just ashes of that old him. However, something was starting to grow from those ashes...

Drip, drip, drip... A steady beat was played out, like the old memory of rain Roy had that was nearly nonexistent.  

In a moment of a forgotten emotion called curiosity, he looked towards the source of the sound. It was coming from his fist that was clenched so tight his fingernails, or what was left of his fingernails and fingers from the horrifying torture, had dug large grooves into his grimy palm. Roy couldn't understand this. Why was there blood? why did the reason he was clenching his fist feel like anger and resentment? what were anger and resentment anyways? the last time he felt that was what seemed to be decades ago...

"Have... I, not given up?..." Roy asked nothing in particular with slurred and confused words. not understanding what was occurring. deep, deep down, something seemed to be rising, an ever-growing refusal to accept his fate. Roy began to feel a spark of life again as a light seemed to flicker in his eyes.

BOOM!

As Roy was trying to grasp this elusive... feeling, the ancient and strange metal door burst inwards.

"Get up before I rip that last foot and peg off and make you crawl there!" A gruff voice bellowed out. The speaker was a hulking behemoth of a man, he gave Roy the impression that he was a dragon wearing human skin. if you concentrated closely then you might truly see scale outlines on his hairy muscled body. Roy, who had already been called out innumerable time for questioning and heinous torture, seemed to have built up an immunity towards this herculean-like figure before him.

Slowly getting to his feet, Roy felt... Different. He seemed to be able to somewhat think again and his ability to speak was slowly returning, he even felt lighter. It was as if the weight from his captivity and torture had started to fall from his shoulders, and he didn’t even notice his scarred and mutilated body.  As the nameless guard marched Roy through a dark and damp hallway, the guard didn't seem to notice the weak flickering life returning to Roy's eyes.

Memories slowly started to return in a jumbled mess. His life in the orphanage, Michael and Kacy who were his only real friends, his tedious day to day struggle to survive in the world, and the bitter realization of how useless and worthless everything was when he finally reach ‘success’ of that life. However, the hazy memory he lingered on most was that of his last memory with his family. When they were all sitting around the Christmas tree. They were very poor but his parents still got him a gift, a deck of cards. They were old and worn, but so precious to him he never lost them even throughout all the years he struggled with abandonment and anguish from their disappearance. He would always wonder where they went as he shuffled the small deck of cards.

However, Roy’s moment of bittersweet reminiscence soon ended as he was shoved into a small room, it contained nothing but a table and a chair with restraints. Knowing the drill, Roy lifelessly walked over and sat down, ready to be locked in. The little spark of life in his eyes was already gone by the time the guard had finished restraining him and left. He dully waited for the inevitable.

“Hello again Roy Xanatos, have you reconsidered our offer?” A cold voice calmly spoke. Roy focused his gaze and could make out a hazy shadow that seemed to have been there the whole time, the only difference is that he opened those two cold, light blue fiery ‘eyes’. “Don’t keep suffering for nothing, if you give it to us then we let you go free and heal your wounds. Even your toes, foot, teeth, ear, fingers and hand you lost can be returned. We will also give you anything you want, money, fame, power, love, all can be obtained if you just cooperate."

Roy stared at the shadow, feeling that today something was different, the way his voice sounded seemed as if he was excited and trying to hide it. “You keep asking for something and you won’t even tell me what it is. How am I supposed to give it to you if I have no idea what it is?” Roy sighed, he used to feel anger and resentment over being falsely accused in the past, but they broke him. Now he just felt dead inside and out.

The shadow seemed to sigh before speaking again. “The dark epoch is over, the Spectral Council has finally liberated all of existence from the tyrant! The one you serve is no longer able to protect the Varin from the just wrath of the Sirea!"

As Roy listened to the shadow spilling nonsense, he didn’t understand a word.

What is he talking about? What is all this about the dark epoch, some people who are called Varin and Sirea, and a tyrant being killed? What does this bullshit Spectral Council even want? I am normal... right?

As confusion engulfed his mind, he thought back as best he could to try and dispel his doubt. He could vaguely remember his family leaving somewhere, but he was always told they moved for his father’s job… did he really have some connection to all this madness?

As seconds turned into minutes the humanoid shadow seemed to get impatient. “Where is it? You know we were afraid to mention it in case the tyrant’s powers could lock on to us here, but now we will utter its name with impunity!” As the shadow was talking he hoped to see a reaction from Roy so he paused, and not seeing a single sign of comprehension, got angrier and angrier until he burst out yelling. “Where is the card to summon the deck?! The deck that the tyrant used! Where is it?! We know you have it!”

“Uhhhhh… what?” Roy heard all this and all he could think of was that he had no idea what the cold being in front of him wanted.

“You!...” The shadow seemed to have lost his voice and could only shake in rage, his icy blue flaming ‘eyes’ started to turn red.

However, at this time the door slowly opened and lazily sauntering in was a youth in a dark uniform, his dark chin-length hair was messily pulled to the side to reveal a handsome pale face with eyes as dark as his hair. What Roy really noticed was a perculiar symbol on it. The symbol seemed to be a white dot with a flaring spiral going outwards, as if everything in creation stimmed from that white dot.

The shadow seemed to be in shock when he saw the youth since he bowed in a hurry then said in a flattering tone. “I didn’t know that your highness, Second Prince of the Spectral Palace, the Maestro of Dolor, Zeroth Acheron himself would personally come to command this interrogation.”

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Ignoring the shadow completely this youth gave a small sneer to Roy as he spoke in a slow drawl.  “Your resolve is admirable young Varin, but it is too late for you, you have nothing left to fight for.” Then in the most superior and condescending tone he uttered two words. “Give up.”

Give up… the words ringed in Roy’s head as he started to believe him. what use is there fighting? It’s inevitable. just tell him what he wants, he deserves this, it’s your duty…

NO! Roy shouted in his head as he came back to his senses and looked at the youth with a long forgotten emotion, rage. However, it burned for only a second before extinguishing, unable to stay alight in Roy’s cold dead heart.

“Hm? Fascinating.”  When he noticed his voice didn’t seem to work the youth’s eyes showed a bit interest. “Well I guess I will have to use this now.”  he sighed as if it was such a chore to bother with Roy as he set down a deck of cards on the table in front of Roy. It was a worn, old, well loved deck.

It was the deck given to Roy as a gift by his parent’s.

“W-where did you find that?” Roy asked in a daze.

“Oh nowhere special, just your pocket when we kidnapped you.” Zeroth answered with a prideful smirk. Then after muttering a strange word under his breath a small flame started to burn on his long pale finger.

As he watched the flame draw ever nearer to the one thing he cared about, Roy started to feel himself going insane. “G-give i-it back. Give it back. Give it back!” Roy started to scream as he struggled against the restraints.

“Oho a fiesty one huh? Well tell us what we need and I’ll give this trashy thing to you.”  Zeroth grinned, a ghastly expression of enjoyment as he listened to the pleading screams of Roy.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ASSHOLES WANT!!!” Roy screamed as his last thread of sanity disappeared. “GIVE IT BACK.”

As soon as Zeroth heard Roy call him an asshole, the Schadenfreude grin left his face completely and it was replaced with a cold fury. “A mere Varin dares to accuse me? ME?!” In his fury Zeroth presses the searing flame on his finger to the card deck, igniting it in a small but brilliant blaze.

“NO!!!” Roy’s screamed louder and in more pain than he ever had when they were using all manner of terrifying and horrible torture to try to extract the information they required.

“Hehe…” The evil sadistic smile returned to Zeroth’s face. “Bring me a blade.”

The shadow nodded and left for a moment before returning with a rusted and chipped machete, it was dull and so chipped that it seemed as if it would be better used as a small club. It was a cliche yet favorite of the shadow whenever he tortured Roy. “Here you go your highness, a favorite of mine when torturing that brat.” he said while staring at Roy who was frozen in shock as he watched the one thing he valued burn to ashes.

When he saw the disgusting blade, Zeroth’s face darkened, he looked at the the nasty knife handle and put on a glove before picking it up like he was nauseous. “Ugh if I wasn’t in a mood to crush this pitiful Varin trash I would obliterate you for bringing such a disgusting, germ covered toy into my presence!”

As Roy saw Zeroth walking towards him menacingly as he raised the blade, he was far past feeling despair, he didn’t feel or think anything actually. Even as the blade fell he didn't move, and when it cut deep into his flesh there wasn’t even a whince. Seemingly getting more and more angry Zeroth started raining down slices with the rusty, chipped old machete. Chunks and slices of Roy’s flesh kept being brutally ripped and cut from his body but even as his life faded, Roy never moved. He no longer had that small flicker in his eyes.

After a bit Zeroth seemed to finally feel better, but before he stopped he raised the blade high, then imbuing it with some strange force, he brought it plummeting down upon Roy’s left arm. With a loud cracking sound echoing through the small room Roy’s left arm was violently half bashed and half sliced right off, yet Roy’s face didn’t change, he just kept staring at the pile of ash on the table.

Zeroth smiled as if he was pleased with his work, then stabbed the blade inside Roy, as if he was nothing more than a sheath. Afterwards he carefully removed his glove before tossing it across the room to get it as far away as possible. He then pulled out a handkerchief and started wiping his hand before turning to leave. However as he passed the table he suddenly grabbed one of the legs and lifted the table up then spun around swinging it full circle, crashing it into Roy. 

As if he was a toy rag doll Roy still tied to the chair flew across the small room and slammed into the far wall, blacking out for a few moments.

“Hmpf. Just try to keep that attitude when you’re left to die in this room.” Turning to the shadow he spoke in a completely authoritative tone. “See to it that he is left here till he dies. I don’t want any assistance given to him to last longer, just end his worthless life now, I feel he was just a fake to trick us. Let’s interrogate the others captured by the Cerberus Corps.” After receiving a nod of affirmation from the shadow, he sauntered out the door.

Looking with delight at Roy’s suffering, the shadow also turned to leave, however as soon as he walked out the door something happened.

Roy who had been lifelessly staring at the ash that was scattered slowly let his eyes close as the life ebbed from his body. But suddenly he noticed the ash start to swirl and gather together quietly, until only one perfect pile remained. Then it began to shake and fall away, revealing a single mysterious black card with a dazzling gold rim. As Roy stared in shock at the strange card he distinctly heard a throbbing hum emanate from within it. It was as if it was calling him.

W-what is this?... Roy wondered quietly.

As if drawn to it he struggled to stretched out right hand forgetting he was still chained to the chair. Then seemingly summoned by Roy’s action, the strangely simple yet unfathomable card floated to his hand. But the shadow creature seemed to sense movement and turned around only to freeze in shock at the sight.

“HE HAS IT!!!” The shadow bellowed as he flew straight at Roy. However earlier when the shadow saw the card, it stopped humming, as if building up pressure. Then right as the shadow was about to grab the card it pulsed. A huge shockwave exploded out and the shadow was sent flying out the door then only a second later the door slammed shut under the violent force. As the shockwave’s strength stayed strong the door was slowly melded to the frame, creating a formidable wall from the ancient magical metal.

Roy couldn’t do anything but stare in shock, he could physically see the shock wave that melted the walls till they were shiny like melting sand to make glass. But strangely he was completely unaffected. Turning his attention back to the card Roy noticed that there seemed to be words on it, however through his broken face and bruised eyes he couldn’t quite make it out. Before he could think of a different way to read it or pull it closer to his face he was given another shock. An inexplicably ancient yet powerful voice asked a question.

Do you have hope? This question seemed to echo in the deepest parts of Roy’s soul, and Roy didn’t know how but it was as if he knew it wouldn’t accept anything but the truth. So Roy asked himself that question.

Did he have hope? However Roy didn’t think he did as he listened to the yells of rage and excitement of the monstrous beings on the other side of the wall, He didn’t think he did as he looked at his body which was truly destroyed beyond hope, He didn’t think he did as he search for any emotion that wasn’t extinguished in his desolate heart.

Just as he was about to answer no, that spark Roy felt that spark that previously he assumed died. Starting off slowly it began to grow from nothing more than a miniscule spark into a raging flame. Thoughts began to swirl in his mind as the life in his eyes returned in a blaze.

I won’t accept this! I will make them pay! I will live unrestrained! I will climb and fight! They will not hinder me! I WILL DEFY ALL TO RISE! As soon as these thoughts had raced through Roy’s mind he noticed that the door seemed to be caving in from the attempts of the guards.

Feeling a hint of panic Roy quickly answered the card’s question. “Yes I have hope!” as his cracked and broken voice echoed out with undisguised desire, the card started to spin. Gaining speed slowly it spun faster and faster as it began to light up with a brilliant white light.

Suddenly Zeroth’s raging shout was heard from the other side. “MAGGOT!!! How dare you lie to me!!! Give the card to me now!”

As Roy heard this he started cackling before he full out bellowed back. “YOU'VE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE!!! You wanna know what it was? IT WAS LEAVING ME ALIVE!!! I’ll return all these endless years of torture by killing everyone around you! I will destroy this Spectral Council!!! YOU”LL ALL DIE!!! DIE DIE DIE DIE HAHAHAHAAA!!!” While Roy was maniacally laughing and shouting, each attack from his soon to be ex-captors bent the door farther and farther. He felt no fear, but his enemies began to have cold sweat drip down their backs as they silently begged the door to break quicker.

Then just as the door burst open the light from the card flashed with the brilliance of a thousand suns before the card and Roy disappeared.

Right before he disappeared, however, Roy was able to make out the name of the mysterious card.

Defiant’s Hope.