My eyes ached. 

They really, really ached. Which was bizzare, because in all of my years alive, I don't think I've ever felt them give even the vague smidge of pain. If you ignore my countless nights reading until I was physically dragged away. Oh, and when that demon smashed them to pieces. Good Times. 

Either way, I should probably stop reminiscing other times of my eyes hurting, after all you live in the moment. And in this moment I'm going to shut up and open my eyes. 

Colours flooded through my eyes, directly to my brain. All one colour - pitch black. Well technically black isn't really  a colour, but that's completely against the point. 

Ahem, so yes, black. The colour usually associated with darkness, death and evil. Not exactly the most bizzare thing for me. 

But I'm pretty sure this isn't where I went to sleep... 

Last time I checked I was on a holiday in the human realm, ready to relax and enjoy my day. And my bed was leagues above whatever stone slab I'm on! 

Well all good days start with some stretches. With that very hopeful thought in mind, I tried to stand up. Please note the use of tried. 

Instead, I felt the roof of my head burn, and most importantly my hair. 

"Oh you piece of sh-" I grunted. Now finally properly awake. 

Well this is just confusing isn't it. 

With gritted teeth I touched my now burnt stub of a hand. 

I'm pretty sure lead didn't melt away my skin and bones yesterday. 

What has happened to me? 

I've been seemingly kidnapped and put into a sort of lead coffin. 

Pure lead as well, something very expensive. 

And now, instead of just dampening my magical skills, lead burns away my entire arm. 

I closed my eyes shut, not at all changing how much I saw. Trying to rush mana towards my arm I realised something. Again. 

Does anyone mind explaining why I have close to no mana inside of me? And why it's regenerating by such a pathetically small amount? 

And before you even pull the 'Oh you're surrounded by pure lead' card then I'll have you know, mana can and does pass through lead. Just in very small amounts. And it seems more like the problem is with my mana circuitry. 

It's all been absolutely fried... 

My life's work, the whole thing that I've dedicated myself to. Gone. 

I felt the muscles in my leg tighten, before I released them. 

My leg shot like a bullet towards where I presumed the tombs cover is. With the feeling of burning and a broken bone or two, the header went flying off. 

Accompanying the bright light flooding my eyes was the ear shatteringly loud sound of metal slamming through the floor. 

Well, I'm definitely weaker then before. Can't remember the last time I broke a bone... And that was with all of my remaining magic reinforcing it too. 

And just after my newfound freedom. There was another problem, my head immediately felt like it had cracked in half. 

My entire body felt like it was tearing apart in fact, my vision was shaking. My whole body was shaking. I couldn't feel the cold of the outside, only the pain of my body dying. 

The feeling of slowly being torn apart, layer by layer. 

A scream escaped my lips. 

It felt like it lasted years, before slowly the pain numbed. 

W-what was that... 

I've heard of something like this happening to people before but.. 

That would mean I'm not a. 

My eyes, already open, darted down towards my body. It was paler then usual, not too bizzare but I could immediately tell. 

Although I look like a human, I most definitely am not. 

My best bet, is some kind of humanoid elemental, one with a physical presence as well... 

My existence already breaks so many basic Laws of Magic, Professor Lateton is probably churning in his tomb. 

But its the only explanation for why I almost died when I used all of my mana. Well, it seems like I can survive dying a few times anyway. 

Pushing away my thoughts, I focused on the most important thing. Survival. 

Well, while I'm in such a possibly dangerous area, especially with such a frail body. Getting out of here, and figuring out where I am comes first. 

My weak arms pushed against the padded flooring of the tomb, raising my body into the artifical light of magic lights. 

Well this is one randomly fancy room isn't it. I think I might have figured out why I have no mana. 

It's lovely to know that someone purposely decided to cripple me. 

My eyes swam across the room, focusing on the mana harvesting machines, used to force mana out of living creatures. Although usually they were small things, used to charge mana crystals. 

But these machines, well they were the size of a small house. 

The rough breathing inside of my chest calmed, my eyes closing shut. 

"You mana sucking vermin," 

A hoarse voice whispered through my lips. 

So I was just a battery, that's all. 

I was kidnapped and killed to turn on their fucking kettle. 

My remaining fist slammed into the metal machine, barely making a dent into it's surface. I drew my fist back, slamming it in again. And again. And again. 

I opened my eyes again, and saw the distinctive violet glow of my  mana. My bloodied fist reached into the pipe, slowly absorbing the remmenants of my mana stores. 

With the small amount of mana with me, I swiftly repaired my damaged body. Just because I was weaker doesn't mean I forgot basic magic. 

I didn't have anyway near as much mana as I did inside of that coffin, but hopefully it'll be enough. 

Unfortunate that whoever put me in here is probably dead, if not they're underestimating how easy it is to kill me. 

Turning around I set off down the hallway directly in front of my once tomb. 

I wonder what exciting guards they have. Surely there's something? 

I mean, this definitely isn't a cheap prison they have here. There's got to be some sort of automated security system. 

Only problem with that, is I can't exactly cast magic in this state. 

I guess physical combat it is. 

I unconsciously started humming a song as I strolled down the uncomfortably bright hallway. It's bleak walls were caked in white light. 

Just a few steps in, all of my mental alarms began blaring as I heard something. 

And suddenly, with a loud metal clank, a group of eight highly advanced golems landed on the floor right in front of me. Probably from those hatches just above them. 

I really need to be paying more attention. 

Well, if all of the golems are going to be this badly maintained then this should be a breeze... 

These 'Golems' were barely walking, their joints creaking at the barest suggestion of movement. I guess it'll be a good way to test my body. They can't be that dangerous anyways. 

Rushing towards them, I dived down, attempting to crush their legs with a single swipe of my fist. 

I pushed mana into my arm, and with all my force slammed it into the golems legs. 

Crack 

I felt my wrist bone crack and shatter as my fist impacted their metallic legs. 

My body, still carrying the momentum of my slide, was forced to continue forwards. It was too late for me to try and cancel my slide. 

Slowing to a stop I stood back up just behind the group of golems. 

My body shaking, I grasped my limp hand. Looking down on it, all I saw was a mess of glowing crimson blood. 

So I can barely cast magic, don't have any physical strength unless I use all of my magic to strengthen myself.... 

What am I supposed to do? 

I bit my lip, holding back a scream. 

I need some sort of way to repair my mana circuitry, so I can start regenerating my mana pool and also start casting magic. 

It also wouldn't hurt to repair my newly destroyed hand. 

Blood slowly trickled from down my lip. 

Unlike limbs, you can't just repair mana circuty. You can replace it, but you can't improve upon it using healing. 

And the only way for them to expand and grow is for you to use magic, or some of the more expensive rituals. 

Neither of which I can do... 

Unless... 

That might just work. 

These types of golems usually have a mana core inside of them, to power them obviously. Since it's likely my mana inside of them, it'll be fully compatible with me.

And that means, say I manage to get one of these cores and slowly absorb all of the mana inside.

I could push all of it outside of my body in one big push. It won't exactly repair them, but it'll widen them to the point of, well something.

It's like thrusting a spear through rats. Just with burnt circuitry tissue. What an awful example. 

The only problem with that, is I need to get one of their cores first. 

My eyes glazed across the golems bulky bodies. 

They were still coming towards me, however slowly that was. If I really wanted to, now would be my chance to run away. However I saw exactly what I needed, one of the golems had their core exposed, hanging by a small thread of artifical circuitry. 

If I managed to slip past the rest of them, grab it and run. Well, it would be perfect. 

Crouching down and stretching my legs beneath me, I leaped forwards. Using as little mana as I could. Just in case. 

To get to the targeted golem I would have to run past three other ones. Hard but not impossible, my best bet is staying as far as possible away from them. Just because they're slow doesn't mean they're weak. 

I'll run around them, bounce off the wall and grab the core using my body as leverage while I fall. It'll probably hurt against this reinforced stone floor, but it's the best way to do this. 

Okay, plan ready. I think it's time to go for this. 

I began running as fast as possible, this shouldn't take long enough for me to need to worry about stamina. 

Closing in on the wall, I just have to jump at the right time... 

And now, all I have to do is grab that big beautiful core. A wild grin spread across my face in anticipation. 

I felt something impact the side of me. And then I went flying. 

Three ribs cracked. Two of those shattered. Just about everything inside of me is bleeding. 

Well shit. 

I felt blood pool in my throat, I coughed up a mouthful onto the floor in front of me. 

I don't even know what happened, one second I was fine and now I'm... 

I need to get up, I need to get out of here.

 {̯̭͐̄́̔̕͢B̸̫̙͍̰̻ͭͫ̑̌ͮ̑ǫ̩͎̣̝̭̤͈͛̔ͭͧ͊͘͝o̳͕̩̣͓ͧͮ̄̾ͭ͘t̷̤̟̘̄̐į̨͔͒͂̀̄̈ͬn̴̡̪̯̗̳̮̗̓ͧ͆̽ͤ̈ͤ͛ͅgͬ̅͛ͪͮ҉̴̡̠͔̩̼}̖̜̖̫̞̓ͣ̈́̊̚͜ ͔͙̙ͫ̃̑̿́͟͠

W-what?