'48 hours had passed and Alex, now heading to his 'class' with Brody, thought: "Since my mandatory stay began, besides gathering information here and there, I haven't been able to devise a concrete plan, but I'm sure my approach to Brody will bear fruit. I believe that with more time, more information, and good timing, I will be able to persuade, or use, Brody, as my way out."

"Good morning, big brother Brody," said Alex, arriving on the lawn.

"Good morning, little brother," replied Brody, with a smile on his face. "Today we will have another type of training, follow me, little bro," he said, walking towards the building that Alex had just left.

Following him, Alex observed the areas of the large building he was visiting for the first time. Its interior was beautifully decorated in a vintage style, and Alex, who looked around while following Brody, pretend to admire the luxurious decoration, secretly memorized the entire route in his mind.

Brody, seeing this, nodded proudly, as if he was his own house.

Standing in front of a slightly more rustic door, which stood out in such a fine place, Brody took out a bunch of keys from the inner pocket of his leather armor, unlocking its various locks to the sound of *Click's* and gestured with his hand for Alex to go down. "This way, little bro."

After Alex made a brief bow and said, "Sure thing, big bro," he went down the stairs to what seemed to be a basement.

Entering the room that was as dark as pitch, in the time it took him to descend just a few steps, Alex, hearing a locking noise, looked back, realizing that the door was already closed, with only Brody, illuminated by the beams of light that entered through the cracks in the door behind him. The same, with a dark smile that could not be discerned, said: "You can go down… Little bro."

Obeying the order, Alex swallowed hard and went down the steps, one by one, as if savoring each interval of time, only coming to his senses when he reached the dirty and damp floor of the basement.

Brody, who was right behind, gave Alex a light pat on the back as he passed and moved towards the center of the dark room, lighting a lantern that, with its flickering flame, painted the room yellow, giving an even more sinister aspect to the basement, causing a drop of cold sweat to run down Alex's spine.

"B-big brother, could you explain what's happening?" Alex said, his voice trembling, but still forcing a smile.

"I'm sorry about this, little bro, it wasn't something I expected to be ordered… Well, not so soon," Brody replied, with a tone of ironic sadness, as he walked towards him.

Alex, seeing Brody slowly approaching and knowing that nothing good could happen to him there, took the initiative to try to do something for the first time since being kidnapped.

Seeing Brody approaching him, while taking a small baton from his waist, Alex, in desperation, ran towards Brody, trying to throw him to the ground, grabbing him by the waist, only to feel as if he were trying to push a concrete pillar, with Brody not moving an inch. "Damn, I didn't expect Brody to be so strong," Alex cursed in his mind.

"I'm sorry, little bro… Orders are orders," said Brody, before striking a blow to Alex's head, knocking him out instantly.

~~~

"Little brother, wake up." said Brody, shaking Alex, who was slowly waking up, feeling a sharp pain in his head.

Regaining his vision, Alex found himself tied to a simple wooden chair, right under the yellow lantern in the middle of the damp room.

"W… What's happening? D-Did I do something wrong, big brother? What are you going to do with me?" said Alex, stunned by the abrupt change in situation.

"Well, little brother, the truth is that I'm very sad to have to do this to you, but you know, it was an order and I don't want to miss the opportunity to finally have access to the Knight technique." replied Brody, in a sad tone, putting both hands on his waist.

Hearing the vague answer, with a trembling voice, Alex asked the question again: "And what were you ordered to do with me, Brody, I mean, big brother? If you let me go, I will surely get this Knight technique for you."

"Hahaha, you really are a good little brother." Brody couldn't help but laugh at Alex's promise. "You don't understand how hard it was for me to have the opportunity to get such a technique, little brother… But, as you've been a good little brother so far, I'll tell you what I'm going to do with you, maybe that will help you accept your fate more easily," said Brody, as he walked to a dark corner of the room and pulled a cart with some shiny tools.

"Little brother… I will inflict unimaginable pains on you, I will break every undesirable part of your consciousness and make you a high-quality product… only now, properly trained." finished Brody, casually, as he seemed to arrange the tools on his cart, then looking at Alex and smiling.

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That smile that Alex had seen many times: crooked and yellowed teeth, which made up a silly, simple, and even innocent face. However, now, covered by the veil of the dancing yellow light of the lantern, which seemed to reveal someone's deepest secrets, Alex could see the true face behind the silly smile: limitless malice and wickedness.

Alex finally understood what was going to happen to him, the same thing that happened to the other high-quality products, he would be 'properly trained'.

Alex swallowed hard, as if a stone was stuck in his throat, and his eyes widened, focusing on Brody, who seemed happy as he chose which of the shiny tools in front of him he was going to use.

"I think what I want isn't here, little brother." said Brody, breaking the expectation and turning to Alex, with a smile that exuded malice.

"Hahaha, what kind of look is that, little brother, don't be afraid of your big brother… You know, lit-tle bro-ther, even though you're a slave, I still notice the sweet way that maid treats you… A mere… slave!" Brody shouted, his voice containing traces of madness. Soon after delivering a punch to Alex's face, stunning him.

"You and your pretty little face, you and your cheap little attitude!" Brody says amid another blow.

"I always hated the cold way the Lady Maid treated me when I tried so hard to be well seen by her, while she always followed you closely and affectionately…" grumbles Brody. "When Sir Adam told me what I had to do, I was reluctant, but he opened my eyes." *Blow*, "You're nothing but a manipulative smartass, with your shitty little face." *thud*

"You… *Cough, Cough*, what the hell are you talking about, which maid are you talking about, the one who delivers food and is in charge of watching me? And another thing, a-are you really going to disfigure a high-quality product? *Cough, Cough*, I-i bet Sir Adam and Sir Henry won't like that very much," said Alex, spitting out a mouthful of blood amid a desperate attempt to get out of the situation.

"Hahaha, don't worry, my dear little brother, you, like all high-quality products, will receive a good healing potion that will make you as good as new," replied Brody, amused by Alex's threats.

Feeling now in a deep pit and without alternatives, Alex's heart sank as he could only think of one thing: "I'm screwed."

Seeing the now quiet Alex, Brody looked him up and down and, while taking off his armor, said maliciously while licking his lips: "Let's see if you're all that? Haha, I want to see how much you can take… Lit-tle bro-ther."

~~~

Alex didn't know how many days had passed, for him, the number of beatings, torture, and other abuses he had suffered in that dark and yellowish room was incalculable, completely losing track of time.

Even the time he was fed or even left alone was not comfortable. Feeling as if his throat was raw as he swallowed the smelly and disgusting mush that was given to him, or even feeling his whole body burn and throb, with intense pains everywhere.

At some point, his body, even while still groaning hoarsely in pain, seemed to disconnect from his mind, a mind that wandered through its own memories in search of refuge.

As the days went by, only the sounds of tools and taunts were heard, no matter how much his torturer tried to elicit some reaction; indicating that his… training, was a success.

Alex's POV ~~~

Lost in a dark and dense sea, I float in peace. This mental space where I am now, serves as an inn for my broken mind. Everything I went through, all the humiliation, is buried at the bottom of this mysterious sea, which is my mind. I feel that as long as I am here, none of this will shake me.

Focusing a little, I can feel my body, still now, being tortured. The sharp pain that was exerted under my nail, no longer bothered me, as if my mind separated from my body and considered it just a vehicle for communication with the outside world.

Removing my attention from my dying body, I float formlessly in a dark and shapeless sea.

Did I act too cautiously? What was my mistake? Seeking help from the first group I found, continuing the days in a servile way and without rebelling, or even believing that I could use a disgusting maniac as my key out of here… so many mistakes.

"Honestly… this is all very confusing, I wanted… I wanted to have the power to make these damn dogs pay for what they did to me… I'm tired of this shitty world and all the shit that happens to me!" I say, gradually raising my voice, while surrounded by the black waters that protect and isolate my consciousness. Each word echoing and shaping the environment around me. "Huh? What is this?" I wonder as I notice the changes in my surroundings, my frustration and sadness gradually changing to curiosity and hope.

Feeling euphoria at seeing such changes, I focus on trying to control the strange black substance in my consciousness, forming stronger and stronger waves and currents. "What the hell is this?!" I exclaim rhetorically.

The more I master this strange black substance, the more composed I feel, as if the despair, pain, and trauma I faced so far, no longer incapacitate my ability to reason.

My mood decreases when I remember that outside this comfortable mental space, my body is being tortured, while reacting unconsciously to the torturer's orders.

"That's what that damn guy meant by 'properly trained', they crush and torture the consciousness, until only an unconscious fragment remains, thus making trained dolls that only serve to fulfill orders… no wonder the opaque eyes of those three." I analyze before concluding: "Well, I feel that I can leave and return whenever I want in this space… Crazy how, a little while ago, what I wanted most was to die and leave this miserable existence… I will overcome this, for you! for the promise!"

End of Alex POV ~~~

Exiting his comfortable mental space, Alex feels the burning of the wounds inflicted all over his body, even his arms, now untied, were twisted at inhuman angles and the taste of blood in his burning throat made him feel an indescribable discomfort that left him petrified for a moment, before taking a desperate breath, after spending a good few dozen seconds without breathing.

"My little brother woke up, it seems," said Brody, who was waking up from a light nap in a wooden chair in the corner of the room.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for Alex, Brody could not be seen. At least not by a right eye completely closed with dried blood and skin swelling and by a left eye with a large internal blood stain that darkened even more the poorly lit environment of the place.

Knowing what must be done, Alex ignores the deplorable condition of his body and remains still and silent. Doing everything to embody the role of an, internally, dead slave.

"Good boy... good boy..." Brody repeats as he observes Alex, knowing that his job was done.