Beastforged Bond

A stout man sat shackled to a cold metal chair, sweat dripped down his temples, his drenched back pressed against hard steel. His eyes darted left and right, unfocused, though the bare walls gave him nothing to fix on.

From the far end of the room, a towering figure emerged. A dark, translucent shroud clung to its form, concealing the figure’s features, as it glided forward, silent – unnervingly. Crimson eyes glowed within the haze, piercing through to the captive, who let out a strangled scream as color drained from his face.

In the adjacent room, beyond the one-way glass, stood a larger chamber lined with dozens of chairs. Families crowded the space, their faces pale and drawn.

A middle-aged woman with a round face, curled hair and wide, dark eyes lurched forward, pounding desperately against the glass. Her guttural cries shook her body as she watched the restrained man writhe, his movements frantic and restless, yet the window did not shatter, no matter how hard she pounded.

At her side stood a young man, his features echoing the prisoner’s. He pressed his hand to the window, voice breaking.

“W-what are they doing to Father?”

The woman gave no reply, only a whimper as tears blurred her vision.

Behind them, the rest of the displaced families stared. Some watched the captive with icy detachment; others glared at the grieving pair. Children sobbed, mothers whispered comfort, and the elderly stared hollow-eyed.

A girl no older than ten suddenly shouted, her voice sharp with fury.

“I hope they kill him!” She turned on the young man, her small fists clenched and trembling. “He killed my Papa! Why did your Papa do it? Why?!”

Her mother caught her before she lunged, pulling her close, whispering reassurances through her own trembling voice.

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From the other room came a crash, followed by a muffled scream. The figure shrouded in the dark hue loomed over the captive, shaking its head slowly.

Then the door opened. An unfamiliar man, small and burly, entered, his presence commanding silence. Hawk-like eyes swept the chamber until they found the woman and her son.

His voice carried with grim finality, “Berthold Merka has pleaded guilty. He accepts full responsibility for the tragedy his actions unleashed. He has rejected the chance to atone for his sins as one of the Hars Elites. Therefore, he will die.”

The woman let out a muffled gasp and her legs caved, her round face streaked with tears. Behind her, a handful of onlookers gave quiet cheers.

The burly man regarded them all with a strict stare, silencing them all, then spoke again.

“While we cannot bring your beloved back to life, we can honor them. It is our responsibility to aid you to get through this time of hardship. For breaking the Third Commandment, for the deaths of 15,935 innocents, the Merka Corporation, as a representative of Berthold Merka, shall be fined. Each family will receive one million Credits.”

Mrs. Merka shrieked, her cry cutting the silence. “That will destroy us!”

Cold eyes fixed on her, and she fell mute.

“We will not allow greed or cruelty to endanger the defenseless. Neither the Council nor the Rulers tolerate such vile, inhuman acts.” His voice rumbled with controlled fury as fresh, horrifying gasps rang out from the chamber. Medics rushed to aid two fainting women, but the crowd remained rooted, staring in horror to the room containing the captive.

The burly man turned to the adjacent room where his demonic Soulkin unraveled into a cloud of black mist that coiled around Berthold Merka. The fog forced its way into the captive’s body, flooding his mouth, ears, and eyes. Berthold’s shrieks rose, distorted, as the parasite burrowed into his brain, devouring him from within while mirroring the agony of his victims.

While the Bastion did not fall, the actions of one could have definitely resulted in a Collapse. This time, nothing happened, but they could not take any risks. Not after what happened in the past.

As far as the Council was concerned, they would never allow those who endanger mankind’s survival to roam the Bastions, be they unBlessed, young Novices, or greedy, self-centered powerhouses.

Those who endangered humanity had to be stopped; Beasts, traitors, as well as the vile, sentient creatures looming in the shadows of Razarn.