Chapter 3: The Masked Figure

As Vincent waited for the inevitable embrace of death, he was shocked to realize that the large orc was actually dragging him somewhere. His world was a blur as the creature dragged him along the rocky ground, his weakened limbs unable to put up any resistance.

His eyelids felt like they were weighed down by iron, as he struggled to keep them open even for just a brief moment. He had no idea how long they had been trudging through this godforsaken forest, but the ache in his bones told him it had been far too long.

"Get...off" he rasped out, trying to muster enough strength to unleash his water magic. To his dismay, it barely amounted to a weak trickle before dissipating into nothingness.

The orc snarled at Vincent in response, almost as if it was laughing at his pathetic attempt, before tightening its grip on Vincent's arm.

As he continued to be dragged, Vincent became aware of a faint voice murmuring nearby, impossible to discern amid the wind howling through the trees. Struggling to focus on the sound, his consciousness slipped away, plunging him into darkness.

—

When his eyes fluttered open again, he found himself in an eerie, dimly lit room that seemed to be carved deep into the earth itself. The air was damp and cool, pressing against his bruised skin like a gross blanket

"Where... am I?" Vincent thought, panic rising in his chest. He tried to move, only to find that his limbs were tightly strapped down by metal bands, rendering him immobile. The realization sent a wave of terror through him.

Vincent realized that he was now completely trapped. Strapped standing against a metal wall completely unable to attempt an escape.

"Help..." he croaked, his voice barely audible. "Someone, please help me!"

"Ah, you're awake" a cold, detached voice echoed through the chamber, sending shivers down Vincent's spine. "I must say, you've proven to be quite the resilient specimen"

Only a few seconds later, Vincent’s eyes were met with the image of a strange figure in a mask. Slowly trudging along, Vincent could feel the creepy stranger's eyes scan through his entire body, as if he was a simple slab of meat waiting to be prepared.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Vincent shouted, his fear momentarily giving way to indignation. He refused to let this masked figure have the satisfaction of seeing him cower.

"Patience" the masked man chided, his tone devoid of any emotion. "All in due time"

"Let me go!" Vincent demanded, anger coursing through his veins like wildfire, fueling his determination. He clenched his jaw and focused every ounce of his energy on the water magic he had been honing for years.

"Ah, I see you're attempting to use your abilities" the masked figure observed, his voice dripping with condescension. "I'm afraid that won't be possible under these circumstances"

"Release me, you coward!" Vincent spat, the words tumbling from his lips with a venomous resolve. If this was the end, he refused to go down without a fight.

"Your defiance is admirable but ultimately futile" the masked figure replied, utterly unaffected by Vincent's outburst. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have preparations to make"

As the masked man turned away, Vincent felt a renewed surge of terror and desperation course through him. He started to survey his surroundings carefully, in hopes of finding any possible hopes for survival

Initially, Vincent believed he was trapped alone in the underground room. But as his eyes darted around the dimly lit room, he could only take in the horrifying sight before him. The walls were lined with metal contraptions, each holding other captives, young men and women like himself, their faces contorted with fear

"Who's there?" a girl to his left called out, her voice trembling with fear.

"Vincent" he replied, doing his best to sound confident despite the situation. "Vincent Griffith. I'm a hunter"

"Are we... Are we going to die?" another captive asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Help... please..." gasped a girl to his right, her strained voice barely audible in the echoing underground chamber. As if on cue, the other captives began crying out in terror, their pleas echoing through the cavernous space.

"Quiet!" boomed a cold, unfeeling voice, silencing the cacophony. The masked figure appeared at the entrance, his presence casting an even greater cloud over the already oppressive atmosphere. Vincent felt a chill run down his spine as the man's steely gaze swept over the prisoners, settling on him for a brief, heart-stopping moment.

Continuing his examination of the room, his heart raced as he caught the glint of two massive dark blue orbs floating within glass containers that dominated the center of the room. Their purpose remained a mystery, but Vincent couldn't shake the uneasiness they stirred within him.

"Orc" the masked figure commanded, "Make yourself useful, go guard the entrance" At this, Vincent's captor lumbered obediently toward the door, its massive form blocking the only visible exit from this hell hole.

The realization hit Vincent like a tidal wave,  the orc was under the control of this sinister figure.

"Y-You control that monster?" Vincent stammered in disbelief, realizing the orc was under the command of the masked man.

"Indeed" answered the masked figure, unfazed by Vincent's shock.

Noticing the mysterious figure's complete indifference toward his question, Vincent’s confusion and fear bubbled up into an outraged outburst.

"Who are you?" he demanded "What do you want with us?"

"Questions, questions" the masked man replied, his tone dripping with disdain. "Always so eager for answers, aren't you? But you'll learn soon enough"

"Let us go!" shouted another captive from across the room, his voice trembling with desperation. "We haven't done anything to you!"

A light, creepy, snicker reverberated through the underground chamber, as the man didn’t bother addressing the captive screaming out.

With that, the masked figure strode purposefully toward the center of the room, leaving Vincent and the others to contemplate their fates in terrified silence. Vincent's mind raced with thoughts of escape and survival, but deep down, he could already feel himself losing hope.

Ignoring the pleas for help, the masked figure continued his walk. His cold, calculating gaze fixated on the swirling blue orbs housed within glass containers. The eerie luminescence cast grotesque shadows upon his concealed visage as he reached out with a long metal device, its end tethered to a set of pincers.

Vincent clenched his fists, sweat beading on his brow as he struggled to hold onto his courage. He tried to concentrate on his inner strength, but the fear gnawing at the edges of his resolve made it nearly impossible. He watched in horror as the masked figure used the metallic pincers to carefully grasp one of the orbs. The liquid inside shimmered and bubbled, emitting an otherworldly hum that sent chills down Vincent's spine.

"Wha- What are you going to do with that?" one of the captives asked, her voice trembling.

"An experiment" replied the masked man, his tone detached and unemotional. "One I intend to perfect"

Vincent's mind raced, trying to piece together what kind of twisted experiment this man could possibly be conducting. He couldn't shake the feeling that their lives hung in the balance, and every second that passed only seemed to confirm that suspicion.

As the masked figure approached a young man strapped to a nearby contraption, Vincent's pulse quickened, and his heart thundered in his chest. He gritted his teeth, desperate to help his fellow captive, but still, it was simply futile.

"Please... don't" the young man chosen for the injection pleaded, his voice growing weaker as his eyes filled with tears.

A scream tore through the chamber, the sound so raw and primal that it sent chills down Vincent's spine. He writhed and convulsed, his eyes rolling back in his head as the dark blue liquid spread beneath his skin like tendrils of toxic energy. The young man writhed in pain, as his chest began constricting as if invisible hands were crushing him from within.

He gasped for breath, his eyes bulging from their sockets, and then, with a sudden horrible wet crunch, his chest imploded.

"What the.." Vincent thought, his stomach churning with revulsion. “No, this can't be happening” he thought, his heart hammering against his ribcage. This has to be some kind of nightmare. But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it was all too real.

"Ah" the masked man said, examining the corpse with clinical detachment. "Not quite the desired result. But no matter, I still have plenty more test subjects to work with"

"Please, don't do this!" another captive cried out. "We're not your test subjects!"

"Your will is irrelevant" the masked figure replied icily. "You are nothing more than raw material for my experimentations"

The room descended into chaos, the air thick with fear and desperation. The other captives thrashed against their restraints, their eyes wide with terror as they tried to distance themselves from the grisly sight of the lifeless young man. A few succumbed to nausea, the sickening stench of blood and viscera mingling with bitter bile as it splattered against the cold stone floor.

As the panic surged through the room like a tidal wave, sweeping up every captive in its path. Vincent's heart hammered against his chest, each beat echoing the screams of those around him. Straining against their restraints, they thrashed and twisted in futile desperation, the air thick with their fear.

"Let us go!" one girl shouted, her voice cracking under the strain. "Please!"

Beside him, a boy choked back bile, his face a sickly shade of green as he tried to avoid looking at the remains of the first victim. Others weren't so fortunate; retching sounds filled the chamber as more captives succumbed to their disgust and terror.

As the masked figure started his walk toward his next captive, Vincent knew he had to make an attempt to save the others.

"Wait!" Vincent called out, drawing the masked figure's attention. His voice trembled, but he forced himself to continue. "You haven't learned anything from doing this to us. Why not try something else?"

"Your opinions are irrelevant" the masked figure replied coldly. He turned away, preparing to subject another captive to the same gruesome fate.

"Damn it" Vincent thought, his mind racing. "There has to be something I can do. Some way to turn the tables"

With no other answer coming to mind, Vincent had no choice but to resort to the only trick remaining in his arsenal, his water magic. Although his stamina recovered somewhat while being strapped to the machine, he knew this attack would be a long shot.

He could only pray that the masked figure was weak defensively. Though judging by his control over the massive orc, Vincent doubted such a thing

As the masked figure approached the next victim, Vincent focused his thoughts and channeled every ounce of his willpower into summoning his mana. "Please, let it work" he prayed silently, sweat beading on his brow.

But just as he felt the faintest connection to the mana in the air, the masked figure turned sharply, his gaze locking onto Vincent.

"An interesting development" he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "So, you possess some degree of magical talent”

Vincent's heart sank, realizing the masked figure had somehow detected his attempt. The other captives looked on in horror, their eyes wide with fear as the implications settled upon them all.

“Don’t bother with such futile attempts” the masked man sneered, before continuing his walk toward another captive.

“Don’t worry, your turn will come..”