I woke up from my sleep when a nice aroma belonging to food assaulted my nose. I opened my eyes and tried to get out from the bed.

“OUCH!” I shouted against my will as the extreme pain was finally showing up after a day of rest. With much effort, I finally managed to sit properly on the bed.

I looked around, trying to spot where the previous aroma came from. After a couple of seconds, I was somewhat delighted to see a plate of food and a glass of water on the side-table beside the bed as I was actually starving. I slowly moved towards the small table and grabbed the dish.

I quickly wolfed down the food and drank the glass of water. The taste was something that I did not mind much as long as I could quench my thirst and hunger. Finishing the meal, I burped a little which was quite unsightly and was left with nothing to do.

I wondered for a bit who was the person that sent the food to me but then I was reminded by what the man in black said last night. I’m grateful for his hospitality at the very least.

I seriously want to get out of bed but all of my limbs were aching and hurting so I didn’t. I only used my eyes to look around the room.

First, there was no window so I was unable to tell the time. Besides the bed and the small side-table, there was a big bookshelf in one of the room’s corners and a full-body mirror beside it. There was also a closet near the bed. That was nothing more aside from those things.

Well, there was a door leading outside of the room however, I did not have enough guts to go against the man’s order. I guess my cowardice was still intact. How useless.

Not being able to do anything, I could only lay down on the bed. As I stared up on the empty ceiling, I began to think.

I’m no longer in the clan. There wouldn’t be any of those bullies here to beat me up. That’s a merit at least.

With that, I once again close my eyes to recover my injuries.

A week have passed. I was still unable to walk properly but I was able to slowly crawl. It reminds me of the times when I was still a baby. Rather, with this, aren’t I an overgrown baby?

During this period, all I could think was my hatred against the clan where I was born from. I did not want any relation with that despicable inhumane clan. I even wanted rip my eyeballs out of my eye socket. In the end, being the coward I am, I was unable to actually do it.

Also, in my abundant free time, I often took out a book from the bookshelf to read. I gained some knowledge about magic and its’ history but it was out of fun. I can’t really relate to it with my current condition.

Aside from all that, the meals will always come without fail. I would also sleep for a long time. I somehow felt that I am a prisoner since I was confined to this quite empty but large room. As I have mentioned before, I didn’t have the courage to open the door.

Today is the mark of a full week. I think. I count the days with how many meals I receive. I’m not sure it’s been that long or not. The man have not come yet. If my calculations are right, he should come today.

Even though each day was mundane like when I was in the clan, I was not beaten up or insulted in any way.

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I crawled out of bed and then proceeded to crawl to the bookshelf. I could not reach high with my current state so I just grabbed one of the books on the lower level.  I went back to the bed to read.

I have some thoughts that I was disabled but I erased the thought to make it easy for my heart. I already have so many things swirling in my head so adding another one might make me go insane.

As I was going  to read, a flash of black light appeared in front of me.

Oh, he’s here at last. – I exclaimed in my heart. If I am left alone here, only able to crawl here and there, I swear I would really go nuts.

“It seems that you didn’t break any rules.” The man broke the silence and started the conversation first.

“How would you know if I did everything you said?” I asked him, unsure of what to say really.

“I have had someone observe your activities.” The man paused his sentence and scrutinized me before continuing what he wanted to say, “It seems that your injuries are far more severe than what I had originally thought.”

“Then…” I paused, waiting for his answer.

“I’m no doctor but I’m confident that you will not be able to walk for your entire life if your legs aren’t fix. To top it all off, you have a shattered mana core. Wouldn’t you be much more useless than you already are?” He replied nonchalantly as he put his hand on his chin.

His words hurt and stabbed me like a thousand knives.

He knew…… - I thought.

“However, I didn’t provide you with hospitality if you were going to be useless. Wait here.” As soon as he finished his sentence, he once again disappeared followed by a flash of black light.

I collapsed on the bed as I deeply think about what would happen afterwards. The more I think, the more I feel that I’m falling to the bottom of an abyss.

While I was thinking, in the corner of my eyes, I saw the man in black appeared with an old man. I wanted to get up but was interrupted by a word that came up from the old man’s mouth.

“Stay.” He said. He glanced at me for a moment and turned his gaze towards the man in black beside him. “You. Isn’t this kid from that ancient clan?”

The man in question only silently nodded his head. Something feels wrong. Is it bad that I come from that disgusting clan?

“Kid, prepare yourself.  This will hurt.” The old man who turned his eyes back on me said that and placed his left hand to hover on top of my body.

Without warning, my body was assaulted with indescribable pain.

“AHHHHHHHHH!” I could only scream loudly as I felt my bones being broken and reformed. The same goes with my muscles and tissues. In that moment, I wished that someone would kill me already.

The process itself was excruciatingly long. My consciousness was fading as my vision was blurring. As time went by, I was unable to keep my consciousness and the darkness claimed me.