“Rich or poor. Strong or weak. Just or wicked. It doesn’t matter. When the flames extinguish and the screams die, they all look the same.”

- Lieutenant Torrent, 9th Incinerator Company.

“Can’t you see it is over, Alexander? They have won. Count Lamb had won and your father had lost, and now, everyone that supported Lamb is getting rewarded and everyone that opposed him is getting burned alive. This fight is over! So the only thing you can do for yourself now is to tell me the name of those who helped you!” 

At this point, Warden Locke was practically screaming into Alexander’s face. It was only partially because he was terrified to the core. He also wanted to use this aggression to break a shaken Alexander. 

“It’s a fact that you will die in these cells, Alexander. The only question is how and when you will die. Tell me what I want to know, and I will give you a quick death. No fire. No audience. Just a quick shot to the head. That is the best you can hope for now, Alexander.” 

Alexander sat there for a few moments. At first, he was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Lamb’s operatives were literally burning people at the stake. To be fair, burning criminals and traitors in public was a common practice in the Holy Phoenix Empire, but Gerard Wolf wasn’t such a fan. As far as the then Count could see, there was no need to set someone on fire and let them scream and burn when you could just end it with a quick shot to the head. 

Most Imperial Nobles rejoiced in incinerating their foes. Some did it because they enjoyed the screams and the sight while most did so to enforce their rule with fear. Yet Gerard never needed to use such an extreme method to get people to serve him.

But no...Lamb bought this brutal method of execution back, and he was using it to terrorize his people by burning the innocent and the defenseless. By the looks of it, this tactic was working. 

Alexander looked up at the Warden. The older man was tall and scary, but Alexander knew that deep down, he was terrified. 

“So this is what’s happening.” He said quietly. At this point, he was almost whispering. “You are desperate to break me so you can prove your loyalty to Lamb. So you won’t have to worry about being kidnapped one day and burned at the stake the next. Is that it? You’re just afraid?”

“Afraid?” Locke repeated for a brief moment before suddenly snapping. “Yes I’m afraid! Of course I’m afraid! I have a wife and two daughters! I don’t want them to watch with tears in their eyes as I scream and burn! Even worse, I don’t want anything to happen to them! And the only way I can do that, the only way I can be safe...is to prove myself.”

“Indeed...prove yourself to the man who burned your innocent colleagues and threatened to do the same to you. Talk about loyalties…” 

“It’s not a matter of loyalty, boy! It’s a matter of survival!” Locke wasn’t impressed by Alexander’s mocking words. “Whether we like it or not, this is Lamb’s world now! We can bend our knees...or we can die! There is no second option!” 

He drew in a deep breath before telling Alexander something else. 

“You know, when those ONI agents came over, they told us a story. Do you know the city of Piett on the world Drogar III?”

“No. Should I?” 

“Well, Drogar III is a minor world and Piett is a city with 20 million people. One of the main population centers on the planet.” Locke said gravely. “When news of your father’s death came out, the entire city was furious. Your father was...well-loved there. The people couldn’t believe he would turn traitor, and they spoke up against Lamb and his narrative.”

Alexander bit his lips. He had a bad feeling about this…

“Count Lamb ordered the local police force, security forces, Imperial Army garrison, and government to arrest those responsible for spreading these lies and suppress the protests. They refused. Instead, the citizens of Piett armed themselves and fortified the city, ready to rally an attack against the Count to avenge their beloved fallen leader. When a squad of ONI agents landed in the city in an effort to control the situation and arrest the leaders of this insurgency, they were gunned down mercilessly.”

“Count Lamb then ordered the planetary defense fleet to rain fire on the city. When the fleet refused out of a matter of principle, Lamb ordered a fragment fleet of Battlefleet Obsidian to jump into position above Drogar III. After wiping out the planetary defense fleet in a brief skirmish, the Obsidian starships were ordered to turn on Piett...and rain fire on the city.”

“Oh god…” Alexander whispered as he closed his eyes in horror. He didn't know too much about warfare, but he still had some understanding of what would happen when a fleet unloads its full firepower onto unprotected ground targets. There was a reason battlefleets, not armies, have been dominating the battlefields for the past century. 

“The orbital bombardment went on for 10 minutes. In 10 minutes, 20 million people were burned alive. The local garrison. The government. The militias that were formed by the citizens. All gone with a single order. In the time it takes me to go for a stroll, an entire city is gone.” 

The veteran suddenly slammed his fist into the table, catching Alexander by surprise. 

“This is the modern age, Alexander! The modern age, where human lives don’t mean shit! Lamb will gladly sacrifice 20 million people so he can control 250 billion! He will gladly torture and kill anyone that gets in his way! And guess what, he holds the ships, so he can! So yes, boy, I am scared. I am terrified! I don’t want my family to become another victim of the Count, which is why I will get what I want from you! Who’s right? Who’s wrong? I don’t fucking care! I don’t have a damn choice!”

Alexander sat very still in his chair. There was a drop of tear in his eyes as he mourned the death of 20 million people. Unlike the traitorous scums that made up most of his father’s commanders and lieutenants, these people were actually grateful for what his father did for them. And when the time came, they fought. 

He would never forget their sacrifice, and by the name of all the gods in this universe, he would avenge them. 

“You don’t have a choice.” He opened his eyes and stared into Locke’s haunted eyes. “Just like how Count Lamb didn't have a choice. Like how Countess Valentine didn't have a choice. Like how Duke Wells didn't have a choice. You all had to do what you did.” He suddenly smirked. “None of you had a choice. I get it.” 

The Warden didn't answer, and Alexander simply sighed and continued. 

“Look, Warden. The situation here is very simple. You want to break me to impress your new Lord, which I understand. However, I don’t have an answer for you, and you can do whatever you want to me, and my answer will be the same. However...” 

He leaned forward in his seat as much as the metal restraints would allow him. 

“Listen to me very carefully, Warden. If I were you, I would kill me right now. Pump a bullet in my head and get this over with. If you don’t kill me now, if you don’t take my life today, well…” He declared coldly. “One day, you will regret it.”

Warden Locke stared back into Alexander’s eyes. There was no fear there. No hesitance. Only resolve. What he told Alexander in an effort to break his will only worked to strengthen it. It only gave the young man one more reason not to talk. 

“I admire your strength. I respect your determination. Yet I pity your naivety.” The Warden simply replied. “I will take my chances.”

He turned and went for the door. As the Warden, he preferred to leave the more brutal tasks in the prison to his much more eager underlings. He was only there to get into Alexander's head, and that attempt failed miserably. 

“Enjoy your stay here, Prisoner 4938.”

Two soldiers of the Darkbane Prison Security Forces dragged the bloodied form of Alexander down the 6th District of the prison. 

As the home of over 5,000 people, Darkbane Prison was a big place. The first 4 districts of the prison were dedicated to the prison personnel and guards. These districts included their sleeping area, dining halls, and other areas required. The Command Center and the Armory were also located in these four districts. There were a vast array of turrets, sniper nests, and machine-gun posts between these four districts and the six districts that the prisoners resided in. 

The 5th District of the prison was where Alexander had been staying before he was taken to Warden Locke. All the cells in that district were designed for one prisoner only. These cells were meant to keep prisoners too valuable to be allowed to get hurt. 

And then there were the other five districts. The five districts held most of the 3,000 prisoners in the facility. Almost all of the cells in those five districts were designed to incarcerate two or more prisoners. On one hand, this design was good for saving space. On the other hand, pairing the prisoners up also served a much more vicious purpose...

Alexander felt his knees ache as they were pulled across the cold metal floor. He wasn’t doing too well. Not at all, in fact. When Warden Locke failed to get a name from him via the nice way, he sent his goons to try the dirtier method. Unlike the interrogators from ONI, these prison guards were a lot more brutal and bloody with their methods. As of now, Alexander was missing half his fingernails, and multiple parts of the skin on his back were missing. And that was just a handful of the many brutalities done to him. 

Alexander knew very well that if he didn't meet the woman known as Agony and became one of her worshippers, he would’ve been broken then and there. Even spies trained in the art of counter-interrogation would think about talking when they felt their skin being peeled away from them slowly. Without his gifts, he would’ve sung like a canary, and thereby losing his leverage and likely dying in this prison. He would never be able to claim his vengeance. 

Yet, as of now, all the torture did was empower him. Alexander could still feel the pain, but it was a pain that he embraced. That he welcomed. Instead of tormenting him, the agony was his friend, and even as he was taken from the interrogation room to his cell, Alexander could feel warm energy in his body, ready to act on his command. 

The Essence of Agony. 

His interrogators beat him to an inch of his life, or so they thought. To prevent a valuable source of information like him from dying, they ordered that he be returned to his cell after receiving the minimal amount of treatment required to keep him alive. The medic suggested leaving him in her care for a little longer so he could heal more, but the interrogators believed that would just give Alexander a chance to regain his strength and resolve. Instead, they ordered Alexander to be taken to District 6 and placed within one of the two-people cells.  

As the guards pulled him by the arms, Alexander knew that if he made a move now, he could likely take the unsuspecting pair down. Perhaps he could even take their weapons. But so what? There were 1,500 soldiers of the Darkbane Prison Security Forces on this island, and he was far from invincible. Even if he could kill all the soldiers here somehow despite having no experience in hand-to-hand combat, there would be nothing he could do to get off this island. 

As much as Alexander wanted to make the traitors pay, he knew a rash move would only lead to defeat. No...to get what he wanted, he needed to be cautious. Unlike most of the prisoners in the cells who were looking at him with cold, dead eyes, Alexander knew he had powers that they didn't. 

Sooner or later, he would get out of this prison. And then, he would make the traitors pay. 

The pair of guards stopped in front of a cell that only had one prisoner inside. Alexander could see that the cell was anything but comfortable. It had two beds, both of them worn down and broken and with their sheets covered in unknown filth. There was a toilet in the corner of the relatively small room. 

One of the guards raised his shotgun and took aim at the prisoner, who quickly backed off into the corner with his hands raised, showing the guard that he had no intention of taking his chances. The other guard tapped something on the Mounted Interface on his forearm. 

With a loud click, the electricity flowing across the cell door ceased, and the door snapped opened. 

The guards tossed Alexander into the cell. As they shut the door, one of the guards turned to the prisoner in the corner. The prisoner was a large man. He had removed his prison jumpsuit, revealing chunks of muscles. 

“He’s all yours.” The guard said coldly, his expression hidden behind the fully-concealing black helmet. With that said, the two guards turned and left. 

The original prisoner, with a sadistic smile on his lips, slowly turned to Alexander.

That was the second benefit of pairing the prisoners up. Most of the prisoners here were desperate, hopeless souls who were routinely tortured and humiliated. They were already in a world of pain, and most of them would be all too happy to transfer that pain to their cellmates with highly creative and humiliating methods. 

The prisoner wouldn’t kill Alexander. He wouldn’t dare as the guards wouldn't allow it. The same guards had cruelties at their disposal that could make the most fearless and desperate prisoners scream and beg for a quick death, but there were a lot of ways to torture people without killing them...

And the interrogators? They were counting on it.