Chapter 9: The Beginning of the Nightmare
Several days had passed since Nahida left.
During that time, the Sage never visited me.
Only the people assigned to manage me came and went.
“Um⌠is there any way to know how many days have passed since I came here?”
“…It’s been two weeks.”
âTwo weeks⌠two weeksâŚ.â
âI thought it had been well over a month, but it hasn’t been as long as I thought.â
“Rest well while you can.”
“You won’t have time to rest soon.”
“âŚâŚ.”
âSaying things like that just makes me nervousâŚ.â
The fact that nothing had happened for weeks was making me more anxious.
On top of that, being alone in this large, empty room was so boring I was going crazy.
I couldn’t even rest comfortably.
There was nothing to do but sleep, so I curled up and lay on my side.
The cold floor felt like a reminder of my situation, making me feel gloomy for no reason.
But perhaps because of my young body, sleep came over me as soon as I lay down.
My eyes closed, and my consciousness slowly began to fade.
-No, Asara.
“Asara.”
“Ugh, what is it.”
I opened my eyes to a headache and saw the Sage.
The Sage was looking down at me, a sickening smile on his face as if something greatly pleased him.
“It is time to contribute to the resurrection of the great Rukkadevata.”
And that day marked the beginning of my nightmare.
Behind the Sage, people from the Akademiya entered the room, dragging various pieces of equipment.
Among them were some things that looked quite menacing.
Perhaps seeing the look on my face, the Sage spoke to me with an unsettling laugh.
“Ah, don’t you worry too much.”
“The things you’re imagining won’t happen.”
âEven if you say that⌠there’s no way I can believe youâŚ.â
As I continued to shoot him a suspicious glare, the Sage chuckled and pulled out a syringe.
Startled, I shouted.
“W-What are you trying to do?”
“This is for your own good, so don’t look at me like that.”
“It will just be a little difficult.”
An instinctive revulsion made me step back.
But feeling pressure on both my shoulders, I turned my head to see two men of sturdy build, each gripping one of my shoulders and restraining me.
“N-No.”
“Let me go!”
The more I struggled, the tighter their grip became.
The Sage slowly approached me.
The closer the Sage came, the more fear began to fill my eyes.
“Everything is for the great Rukkadevata.”
A sharp sting made me look down.
I could see the syringe’s needle piercing my skin, forcefully injecting its contents into me.
The sight was so mentally jarring that I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away.
Only after the entire dose was administered did the two men release their hold.
As soon as I was free, I collapsed to the floor.
“What⌠what did you put in me?”
My voice trembled with the fear that something unknown had entered my body.
The Sage, his eyes still filled with madness, looked down at me and spoke.
“It’s nothing much, just a drug that provides an enhancement effect.”
“Of course, the side effects might make it a little difficult, but you are a god, so you should be fine.”
“Enhancement⌠effectâŚ?”
“Yes, a drug that will make your abilities even stronger.”
“All you have to do is use that power to resurrect the great Rukkadevata.”
Grind.
I ground my teeth in helpless rage.
“We’ll be going now.”
“See you tomorrow.”
With those words, the Sage and the people from the Akademiya left the room.
Soon after, the door shut with a thud.
I was alone in the room once more.
When the cold air brushed past my cheek, I flinched and shuddered without realizing it.
The pain of the violence I first experienced on the day I was captured was still engraved in my body.
“Hnngh.”
And I could feel it.
My breathing quickening, a heat spreading through my body.
My heart pounded like crazy, ringing in my ears, and my head grew dizzy.
âIs this⌠that side effect?â
“Knghh.”
I leaned my back against the wall and closed my eyes.
I tried to seek sleep to forget the pain, but a piercing agony wracked my body every time I tried, making sleep impossible.
I could only pray in my heart for this moment to pass quickly.