The sound of chains dragging across the damp, rocky ground tore through the silence of the long tunnel. Sohan walked among them, his hands bound behind his back, head lowered—but he was not broken. His eyes moved slowly, watching... memorizing.
The Withered escorting them were not like the foolish ones they'd fought before. These were calm, organized, clad in thick leather armor etched with strange symbols resembling scorched circles. One of them, wearing a metal mask, turned to Sohan and stared without saying a word, then continued walking.
There were other humans—former hunters, children, and women... Their eyes were lost, their steps weary. But all walked… toward the same fate.
One of the prisoners whispered,
"They're taking us to the slave Prison... a place no one ever leaves."
No one replied. Fear ruled this place.
After hours of walking, they arrived at a massive gate carved into a dark-tinged mountain. Green flames burned at the entrance, releasing a foul stench of rot and sorcery.
They entered one by one. The passages inside the mountain formed a maze of prisons and groans. The Withered led each group to their cells and threw them in without care.
Sohan was tossed into a narrow cell, the floor coated in ash and dried blood. No window. No sound except for ragged breathing from the cell next door.
He sat in the corner, head leaning against the cold wall. His body exhausted, his spirit heavy—but something inside him remained unbroken.
As he sank into thought, a whisper came from the wall beside him:
"Are you from Niram? Are you Sohan?"
He answered cautiously,
"Who's asking?"
"I… was there on the day the light fell. I know who you are, and I know why you're important to them."
Sohan lifted his head, narrowing his eyes:
"Who are you? And why does everyone know me?"
A soft chuckle came from the wall:
"Because you're not just a survivor, Sohan… You're one of the Keys of Light."
Sohan sat in the corner of the cell, staring at the wall where the voice had spoken those cryptic words: "You're not just a survivor… You're one of the Keys of Light."
He leaned closer to the wall and whispered,
"You know me, but I don't know you. Who are you? And how do you know about the light?"
The voice on the other side replied, clearer this time,
"I was like you… before I fell here. My name is Nymir, I was part of the Sun Scar Unit in the city of Iramora. That city burned five years ago."
Sohan leaned near the wall, heart racing.
"Iramora? I've heard of that city… they say it completely fell, no survivors."
Nymir chuckled faintly, a laugh hiding deep pain:
"Because those who survive aren't allowed to speak. Here… in the slave Prison… anyone who carries a fragment of sunlight is imprisoned, monitored, silenced."
Silence filled the space, until another prisoner from the opposite cell spoke in a rough voice:
"Wait… you said he carries sunlight? What's your rank, kid?"
Sohan raised his eyebrows, confused:
"My rank? What do you mean by that?"
The other prisoner laughed with a scarred voice:
"Don't tell me you don't know… Everyone who uses sunlight energy has a rank. Ash, Ember, Flame, Radiant Flame, Twilight Sun… each one tells how much light you can handle inside you."
Sohan muttered,
"I… haven't been classified yet. I didn't know ranks existed."
The silence lasted for a few seconds, then a third voice—soft and calm—spoke:
"That means only one thing… he hasn't reached his limit yet. Maybe he's more than just a boy carrying a shard."
Nymir responded,
"Yeah… and that explains why Sol Weather is interested in him. No one is sent to this prison unless they pose a threat to the Shadow."
Sohan felt a slight tremble in his limbs. The thought that everyone here knew more about him than he did was unsettling. He moved closer to the wall and asked,
"Tell me, what is this prison? Why is it hidden? And why imprison humans instead of killing them?"
There was a moment of silence before Nymir began to explain:
"The slave Prison isn't an ordinary prison. It's a camp meant to contain the light. The Withered realized that light can't be completely destroyed—so they started collecting it, watching it, and… training it."
Sohan said in disbelief,
"Training it? Are you saying they… use us?"
Nymir responded in a grim tone,
"Some of us, yes. There are sections of the prison dedicated to what they call 'Breaking Trials'—they send those with high ranks into internal challenges… they watch how we break. And some of us… become something else."
Sohan stood suddenly,
"Something else? What do you mean?"
The voice of the other prisoner returned:
"There are Withered fighters who are said to have once been human… then changed. Their eyes are no longer human, but their moves, their techniques… show human training."
Nymir continued,
"They inject them with mirrored shards—dark versions of the sun shards. Those who survive… become shadow warriors. Those who fail… melt into ash."
Sohan sat down again, swallowing hard. The world he thought he understood was unraveling. He asked,
"Why don't people rebel? Why doesn't anyone escape?"
The prisoner answered mockingly,
"Because escaping this place is impossible. Not even light reaches here. The walls are soaked in dark magic, and the gates are guarded by sleeping dragons."
Nymir said,
"But… there's a rumor. A prisoner said to be of the Twilight Sun rank. He hasn't been seen in years, but he's alive. And they say… he's waiting for the right person to start the rebellion."
Sohan whispered,
"And where is he?"
Nymir replied,
"In the depths. Where no sound reaches, and no light exists."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the outer corridor, followed by the clinking of keys. Silence fell.
A nearby cell door creaked open. A sharp voice commanded,
"Prisoner 214… to the trial."
One of the prisoners was taken. He didn't resist. He simply looked at Sohan and whispered,
"Don't let them break your heart… they don't need your body, only your spirit."
Then he vanished down the corridor.
Sohan leaned against the wall, his eyes still wide. He asked himself,
"Am I here to be broken? Or to break this place?"
And from the wall, Nymir's voice came one last time that night:
"Tomorrow… your trial begins, Sohan. And you… will learn your true rank."