Chapter 5

Strength and Will

'So, I was caught, huh! Well, so much for the destruction of a single battleship. Now then, Where am I?' I couldn't see anything around me. As I tried to use my senses I instantly knew I was dreaming. I couldn't feel my skin nor could smell anything around me. My hands and legs that were broken and twisted into different angles were also fine without a hint of single wound as if that never happened at all. But more than that I was in a vast space with just twinkling lights which were most likely stars, That were far from my reach. I don't know how but I was standing there all alone surrounded by countless stars.

As I was observing and trying to make some sense of my surrounding, I suddenly see a black silhouette approaching me. I couldn't neither hear his steps nor could see his face. His whole body was covered in a black mist that made it harder to see his facials. So, I tried speaking but at that moment I realized that since the moment I came in this space I hadn't breathed at all. I was usually calm but the feeling of suffocation made me panicked. I clutched my chest with my hand but my heart wasn't beating. I was in a Vacuum like structure where even if I were to bang my head, it wouldn't make a single noise. I felt like I was sweating buckets at this moment. Even so, I glanced at the approaching silhouette, But at that moment my body and mind froze.

It was as if my instincts were telling me to run away ASAP. I could feel all the hairs in my body stand simultaneously. The silhouette that was supposed to be few dozen meters away from me was directly looking at my face in front of me. The pressure he was giving off was immeasurable. 'Isn't this a dream? So, Why the hell does it feel so damn real, Goddamn it? '. It felt like he was some kind of predator watching its prey. As I had been through some serious life and death situation I knew the feeling of being overwhelmed completely. It was so vivid I felt like he was actually real but that wasn't correct. I know this is a dream but even so I couldn't stop myself from fearing him. The silhouette was staring at me but I didn't know what kind of face it was making me. I didn't have the time to worry about my suffocation nor my heart that wasn’t beating because I knew that they are only illusion but the pressure that was coming from him was real. The Fear was overwhelming every other thoughts in my brain. But suddenly the silhouette speaks..

" You... are... weak..."

He says slowly in small voice but his voice was so deep that it resonated throughout this whole vacuum space. But His voice was pained. As if he was expecting something much more and was disappointed very badly. After that he moves his hand that was covered in near my chest and just stops ahead of where my heart was. I was getting a very bad feeling right now. My instinct were tingling as if I had just got struck by a lightning. Then, At that moment,

" You... need... to... be... much... much... more... stronger...."

After saying that he pushes his hand inside my chest and grabs my heart. I was dumbfounded at that moment. Sure, I wasn't feeling pain but I could, literally feel his hands on my heart. That feeling of someone grabbing my heart was 'Absolutely' freakin real. I wasn't just afraid, I was terrified at that moment. I was in pure agony but that silhouette didn't stop there.

" Otherwise....."

After saying he squeezes my heart.

I screamed as hard as I could. After sometimes I calmed down a little. I was in a dark room bounded by chains in a wall. As I remembered That Lingering feeling in my heart I could tell that it was real. I knew what he was asking of me. I have to be stronger otherwise that silhouette will kill me. But Why? I didn’t know. The only thing I know is I never want to feel that again. The feeling of my heart getting squeezed and to be alive after that to feel It clearly. It was a terrifying to say the least. I wished I would never have meet that silhouette as much as possible. I didn't want to feel that Fear, that Terror and that Agony ever again. So, even to make that only wish come true I had to get stronger. But I didn’t where to even begin.

After I became more composed I observed my surrounding. My hand and legs were not only injured as I remembered they were bent to almost non-existent angles, So, I was sure That I couldn't use my limbs anymore. But I was happy it didn't turned that way because if it had I was dead for sure. Getting stronger? If I couldn't even move my limbs to walk How the hell was I supposed to get strong enough to face that silhouette. However the treatment was sloppy. Yes my bones, blood vessel and veins were all joined properly but it seems someone did it unwillingly. My outer wounds were left just like that with only few bandages wrapped around them, very sloppily, as I could see my injuries through various gaps. Nevertheless this was an alien ship alright, If my bones were crushed to bits in earth I wouldn't have been able to move my limbs or I would’ve have to replace them with some metals but here they were good as new, although sloppy, but it was good enough. If they really wanted to treat properly me I know there wouldn't be a single scratch in my body but I was an intruder that not only infiltrated their ship but also killed one of their ranked officer, to be honest I should be little glad to be alive.

It has been few hours since I woke up. After an hour of being awake, a soldier came to check me and was staring at me for a while before immediately running off. It seems after seeing me awake he went to report it to higher ups. After a few minutes he came back with a injection in his hands and without a second thought he injected into my arm. I was surprised they used injection in space but whatever. I was feeling a little dizzy and numb after that. Few minutes later, two soldiers entered the room and carried me out of the room. I was still chained but even if I wasn't I couldn't struggle which was probably thanks to that damn injection. Soon, We reached an white room, exactly opposite of the room I came from. When I was coming here I saw many metal cell with a lots of human in it. Some were banging their head, some were pulling their hair, some were passed out with fume and blood coming out of their mouths and some were dead as they weren't breathing. Then when I remembered the soldier who told me Chloros family was known for their cruel and inhumane experiment, I felt a chill in my spine.

After walking through the white room, I could see an another door and the closer I got, the bad feeling in my guts got even worse. And That, Unfortunately, came true. Of all the people in this freaking huge ship, this is the guy I didn't wanted to see. The General. With him there was a half octopus half human-like creature. He had red skin, many legs, spiky white hair, wore white lab coat and a pair of white glasses that covered his big, black and cold eyes. Conclusion, Definitely A mad scientist. So, just as that general told me I was going to be a guinea pig. I was freaking out right now. However, The general and Octopus were calmly discussing something after coming close to me. They were observing me.

"So, this is the subject that survived the language program. He doesn't look that special to me. Rather he looks quite pitiful to me."

The octopus says to the general while looking down on me. 'And I can hear you, You damn octopus. And, Hey! What do you mean by pitiful, huh! You wanna come at me, Huh!' I screamed at him in my mind. And while looking at me, the childish general who had that annoying smile plastered into his face again, answers.

" Trust me. This human may look like that but he has a lot of willpower and tolerance. Remember, that same language program killed few thousands subjects but he comprehended it in a few minutes. That’s why, I also give you permission to use special methods but make sure that 'this' experiment is successful. Subject like this are very rare and hard to find, Y'know."

" You can count on me General. I will do my very best. However, there's a small question I want to ask, General."

" What is it Dr. Otto? "

" Am I allowed to use him in other places besides 'that' experiment?"

"As long as It doesn't harm the subject and hinder the experiment, you can use him all you want."

" Thank You, General. I will start right away."

I was put in a white gown, just like the patient of surgery, by those soldiers. So, I was a guinea pig for all of their experiment. The general said that I wasn't to be harmed but In the eyes of this octopus name Dr. Otto, I could clearly see madness and coldness which didn't have shred of mercy in them, So naturally, I gave up all the hopes of surviving from here without any pain and made my heart strong for the upcoming amount of endless pain. I was laid down on a stretcher and was moved into a room that had many monitors and other stuff that you see in a hospital and then some. That octopus gave me an another injection which made my consciousness fade away.

Then from that day onwards I was experimented by that octopus every single day without stop or skip for few years nonstop.