Where…
The room was—
Cold.
Darkness surrounded them.
Their eyes—
Shifted.
Nothing was in sight.
…is this?
A faint purple hue—
Formed.
Below their feet.
The body—
Chained.
Unable to move.
A crack—
Formed.
Gnashing as it opened.
It faced them.
Their gaze—
Held.
Staring into it.
The crack began—
Taking.
What didn't belong.
Don't…
It continued—
Deleting.
As if it was trying to make room.
Their head—
Sank.
Like gravity took hold.
A creaking—
Echoed.
The cuffs—
Clicked.
Releasing their body.
The chains—
Broke Off.
The crack—
Closed.
Disappearing into the hollow.
The body rose, slowly moving towards the dim light.
They paused before the threshold.
The right arm—
Raised.
Extending out in front.
A hand—
Crossed.
The veil before them…
…
A dim light flickered, gathering moths nearby.
The decrepit elevator descended.
Its gears—
Turning.
At the same interval.
Two guards stood beneath the light.
A dolly separated them.
Chains were—
Outlined.
By the light overhead.
A person—
Bound.
Unable to move.
Their eyes faced—
Forward.
Focusing on something beyond.
One guard opened a file in his hand.
The other positioned behind the prisoner.
They moved—
At the same time.
Pages were turned.
The guard's eyes followed.
—Prisoner 005—
Murder—of—-
—Personnel—
He flipped the page, continuing to follow the report.
—Deemed—
To—Confinement.
—Unable—
The guard sighed, closing the file.
His eyes moved to the elevator buttons.
The lowest floor—
Pressed.
The elevator continued down, passing the floors.
A view of the prison was revealed to them.
Each floor provided its own sufferings.
The first—
Labor.
Without end.
Guards provided—
Beatings.
At timed moments.
A clock—
Ticked.
The elevator continued.
The second—
Mining.
Prisoners backs—
Bent.
Their ankles chained to one another.
The third—
Continued.
The same sufferings.
The elevator entered—
Isolation.
Like it never existed.
The fourth floor—
Desolate.
Containing clear cages.
Prisoners were—
Fastened.
In the center of the cell.
No movement.
Screams—
Echoed.
Longing for death.
Pumps compressed.
The elevator rattled, stopping its descent.
A small chime sounded from above the elevator door.
In between the gear, the fifth number gave a faint glow.
The doors creaked open.
A tall figure—
Towered.
Over the dolley.
The guards snapped into position, saluting the man before them.
The man nodded.
"Documents."
One guard stepped forward, handing him the file.
He opened it, looking through the report.
The man turned and closed the file.
"Dismissed."
The two guards paid respects before returning to the elevator.
He headed for the end of the prison floor, hooking his thumb to the dolley.
"Follow me."
A woman responded, fixing her glasses.
"Yes, Warden Gaul."
She moved behind the dolly, pushing it towards him.
Gaul's stride paused, before a rusted door.
The word—
Zero.
Faded across the front.
He rustled his keys, moving a black key to the lock.
The lock—
Clicked.
Unlatching from the door.
This process—
Repeated.
Five different times.
The door creaked open.
Old air drafted out.
Rust fell to the ground in front.
Gaul exhaled, stepping past the threshold.
The chamber—
Dark.
No light entered.
His flashlight guided him to a center chair.
He raised his hand.
The dolly stopped.
Gaul turned, unlatching the prisoner.
He tossed him into the chair.
Chains hung from the ceiling.
The air—
Cold.
Four cuffs—
Bound.
The prisoner in place.
Gaul reached for the chains, latching them onto him.
The prisoners head—
Lifted.
His gaze—
Empty.
Gaul softly hummed, turning to the exit.
The woman followed close behind.
The last light—
Dissipated.
The room—
Blackened.
Gaul sealed the door, returning to the control room.
Monitors buzzed before him.
Guards monitored each prisoner.
Gaul waved his hand.
"Jayla…"
His eyes lowered to his desk.
"...prepare tea."
Jayla nodded, leaving the room.
He reached for a clock, turning its hands counterclockwise.
The desk—
Shifted.
Revealing hidden buttons.
Gaul lifted a panel.
A clear tube—
Bubbled.
Dark fluid flowed through.
Switches rested next to it.
The first—
Flicked.
The monitor's display changed.
Frost has been activated.
He grinned, flipping the second.
The display shifted again.
Chains have solidified.
A final switch—
Moved.
The screen—
Glitched.
Returning to its original state.
Jayla returned, placing a cup on his desk.
Gaul reached for a pen.
He began to work as usual.
His communicator vibrated.
Gaul reached, pressing the button.
Static sounds from the speaker.
It was cut.
A stern voice spoke.
"Is it…"
They raised a glass.
"...contained?"
Gaul leaned forward.
"Yes, sir."
The glass lowered.
"Good."
The communicator cut.
Gaul turned his end off, leaning back in his chair.
That…
His hat—
Tipped.
Covering his eyes.
…Prisoner.
…
8 years later…
The penitentiary—
Ticked.
In its same motion.
The procedures—
Followed.
Never faltering.
Clouds drifted over the moon.
A propeller—
Spun.
High above the surface.
The hangar door opened.
A figure stood, clad in black.
Their hands—
Reached.
Forming strands from their fingers.
An orange nucleus—
Molded.
On the ends of them.
Their eyes observed.
Two tall silos released smog.
A central tower stood between them.
A faint grin formed beneath the mask.
They leapt from the ship, falling towards the surface.
Fingers curled.
The strands—
Split.
Sparking the nucleus.
It burst—
Exploding.
Orange light rained down on the prison.
The silos—
Combusted.
Crumbling to the ground.
Alarms rang.
Buildings crumbled down.
Soldiers scattered around.
Screams of pain echoed.
The surface—
Burned.
Orders were—
Issued.
But no one followed.
The central tower—
Broken.
Falling to the ground.
The surface grew closer.
A small explosion cushioned his fall.
Three cables—
Descended.
Stopping next to him.
Three shadows—
Followed.
Standing above the hole he created.
One stepped forward, tapping the side of her mask.
A buzz signaled through each ear.
Her voice sounded a moment after.
"Let's go."
She jumped down.
The rest followed shortly after.
The first floor—
Engulfed.
In a storm of chaos.
Prisoners retaliated, cracking the guards skulls.
A commander stood—
Centered.
Watching the tower collapse.
His eyes—
Widened.
As he fell to the ground.
His body—
Shook.
An orange strand—
Snapped.
Bursting a nucleus.
Smog filled the air.
The ground crumbled.
A hole was created, leading to the next floor.
The intruders—
Descended.
…
The alarm roared throughout the prison.
Gaul's feet lowered.
His hat was fixed.
He tapped his communicator.
"Status Report."
A commander responded.
"Unidentified intruders—"
The transmission was breaking up.
"--Requesting backu–"
A shot—
Rang.
Before the sentence finished.
Gaul stood, turning to the door.
He stepped out into the hall.
Soldiers scrambled down the corridor.
Red light illuminated his path.
Jayla's heels clicked towards him.
A weapon rested in her hands.
Gaul fixed his blue sashes.
His arm—
Reached.
Lifting the shotgun from Jayla.
Tubes were—
Hooked.
Twisting into his arm.
He loaded the shells, heading towards the containment area.
The noise—
Dissipated.
Before he could arrive.
Only the alarm sound remained.
He passed the threshold.
His eyes observed.
The prisoners were—
Chained.
Still residing in their cells.
His guards—
Collapsed.
Blood pooled around them.
They all shared the same wound.
A gear—
Rotated.
His head—
Turned.
Facing the elevator.
The doors creaked open.
Its light—
Flickered.
Revealing three bodies.
A shadow stood—
Centered.
Between two.
Blood dripped from the chamber walls.
A guard's chin—
Rested.
On her fingertips.
His body—
Slipped.
Dropping to the ground.
Pink strings—
Manifested.
From her fingertips.
Gaul raised his gun.
The trigger—
Squeezed.
Pellets hit the elevator.
The intruder—
Shifted.
Elegantly moving closer to Gaul.
The shotgun pumped rapidly.
Each shot—
Dodged.
By an acrobatic maneuver.
She stood—
Close.
Within Gaul's striking range.
Her hands folded behind her.
She leaned forward slightly.
His fist—
Swung.
Colliding with something.
A squeak—
Echoed.
Dropping to the ground.
His eyes shifted.
A toy elephant was below him.
His jaw tightened.
The woman—
Giggled.
From a distance away.
Gaul turned to the sound.
His shotgun—
Raised.
Jayla's glasses—
Twitched.
Her body—
Moved.
Before sound could follow.
A heavy bullet—
Shot.
Grazing Gaul's shoulder.
Smoke rose from a long barrel.
A faint breath—
Blew.
The smoke dissipated.
Another shadow—
Dropped.
From the roof above.
They were past Gaul, tapping their mask.
Her voice sounded to the other.
"Focus."
The giggling stopped.
"Okay."
The intruder moved into the hallway.
Metal pipes lined the walls.
Clicking sounded from an open door.
She stopped, placing her hand on the wall.
The surroundings pulsed.
Her hand lowered, reaching for her pistol.
She stepped into the control room.
The triggers—
Squeezed.
Bullet shells—
Dropped.
The magazines were empty.
The guards—
Slumped.
A single wound shared between them.
She moved to Gaul's desk.
Her arm extended towards his computer.
Mechanical wires—
Detached.
Extending from her fingertips.
The screen—
Shifted.
Firewalls were breached.
The power—
Cut.
The prison darkened.
Alarms were silenced as the containment cells were unlatched.
Gun shots sounded from the floor.
Guards hit both ally and foe.
Prisoners attacked indiscriminately.
The ceiling—
Burst.
A golden-white light—
Illuminated.
The central point.
A figure stood in the rubble.
A scythe—
Pointed.
Facing the light.
A person—
Hovered.
Descending to the fifth floor with grace.
Four wings adorned his back.
A spear rested on his left.
Their lips parted.
"Filth cannot gaze…"
The floor grew closer.
Their fall continued.
"...upon God's servant."
The radiance illuminated the floor around him.
Light gathered at the spear tip.
It shot at the intruder.
The scythe—
Received.
Blocking the strike.
He burst towards him.
Their weapons—
Clashed.
The intruder returned to the containment area from Gaul's office.
She tapped her earpiece.
"Regroup at the exit point."
Her knee dropped, kneeling down.
Her palm touched the ground below.
A white glow flickered.
There…
She straightened her posture.
Her stride increased, heading towards a holding cell.
They stopped at the threshold.
Two prisoners sat inside.
One was slightly shaken.
The other's hand rested on his back, protecting him.
She tilted her head.
"Follow me."
The prisoner in front stood, helping the other up.
Pipes were busted.
Steam whistling from the holes.
They followed her to the east wall.
She pointed at their prisoner IDs.
"Remove those."
The two tore them from their jackets.
A hole—
Burst.
From the wall behind.
Orange light faded.
A path—
Cleared.
The shadow tapped her communicator.
"It's time."
Another joined them.
The pink strings dissipated.
A ray of light—
Beamed.
Across the ceiling.
A figure—
Slammed.
Into the wall next to them.
Metal bent inwards behind him.
His body slid to the ground.
One shadow checked on him, monitoring his wounds.
The air—
Shifted.
The floor—
Silent.
No more sound emerged.
Breathing—
Halted.
A single thought—
Crossed.
All their minds.
If I move…
Everyone's bodies—
Frozen.
…I die.
Chains—
Rattled.
In the distance.
Footsteps grew—
Closer.
A rustic door—
Creaked.
Opening beyond them.
Their pupils—
Rotated.
Facing the southern end.
A hand—
Reached.
Beyond the door.
The palm—
Opened.
Flesh tore apart.
A veil—
Covered.
Stretching beneath their feet.
Purple cracks—
Formed.
Opening before the ID numbers.
The cracks—
Closed.
The numbers—
Vanished.
Prisoners collapsed, missing fragments of themselves.
Guards dropped, with the same wounds.
Gaul's shotgun—
Raised.
His badge—
Shook.
Eyes—
Lowered.
It's…
His body—
Fell.
…gone.
The air—
Returned.
The figure—
Collapsed.
Falling out from the darkness.
The intruders caught their breath, glancing at each other.
They started moving into the exit one by one.
One shadow—
Paused.
Turning towards the origin of the disturbance.
Her eyebrows twitched, as words echoed in her mind.
Retrieve…
She began to move to him.
Her hand reached.
…anything useful.
She lifted the man, placing him on her back.
Her shoulders slouched as she carried him to the exit point.
A light glistened in the distance.
The surface was in sight.
An airship landed on the ground before them.
Its hangar opened.
The shadow entered the plane last, placing the prisoner on an open stretcher.
She observed him.
His body—
Cold.
Frail from a lack of food.
Long hair—
Covered.
Draping over his face.
She moved the stretcher to the sitting area.
Straps held it in place as she sat, buckling herself.
The airship ascended into the sky, as the door closed.
A different person pointed at the stretcher.
"What's that here for?"
She leaned forward, resting her head in her hands.
"Who knows."
The other sighed, relaxing his posture.
His eyes—
Closed.
The airship continued to the horizon.
Moonlight guiding its path.
…
Golden-white light—
Flickered.
In the center of the containment area.
Collapsed bodies surrounded him.
His wings—
Broken.
Fragments missing from them.
His face tightened.
A figure—
Appeared.
As if they had always been standing there.
They exhaled.
"That emptiness…"
His finger rested on his chin.
"...has emerged."
A broken wing twitched.
"That fiend escaped."
The figure softly hummed.
"And your wounds?"
The other lifted their chin up.
"Faith will…"
His eyes shifted to the figure.
"…restore."
The figure glanced away.
"Of course it will."
The other's eyes narrowed.
"What brings filth…"
His spear began to dissipate.
"...like you here?"
The figure glanced away.
"Curiosity."
Wings twitched.
"Garbage like you?"
A quiet pause.
"005."
The golden-white glow stuttered.
"Filth resonates with filth."
A faint smile touched the figure's lips.
His hand twitched.
"It needs…"
It formed a fist.
"...direction."