"…Something's not right… I can't feel my mana," Indura murmured quietly, his eyes narrowing as he shifted on the floor. Every attempt to summon even the smallest trace of energy failed. His body felt different, lighter in some ways, heavier in others. "That's strange… I can't seem to turn back into my real form. Am I stuck like this?"
"So… what are you in here for?" Krovan asked, tilting his head slightly, curiosity lacing his tone as his dark eyes studied Indura. "I mean… " You must have done something crazy enough to end up in here," he added, leaning a little forward, his bound arms shifting as the magical restraints kept him in place.
Indura's gaze remained fixed on him, no trace of amusement or reaction crossing his face. The faint light from the walls caught his sharp features, making his expression seem almost statuesque, calm yet unreadable.
"Maybe he's a mute… Hey, mister, your highness, prince, your majesty, bless us with your divine words…" Cassandra chimed in, a smirk curling on her lips as she mocked him, tilting her head back slightly. Her voice carried a teasing lilt, exaggerated, drawing a laugh from Krovan beside her.
Indura didn't flinch. He only watched them, his eyes calm, observing their laughter ripple through the room. The contrast between their amusement and the silence that pressed against him made the space feel heavier, as though the air itself was waiting for him to speak.
"Sigh… that's enough… you insects," he finally said, his voice measured, low, the authority behind it cutting through the laughter.
The two froze mid-laugh, eyes widening as the words sank in. For a few moments, the room was filled with the quiet shuffle of restrained bodies.
"Wait… you can speak! Thank you for bless—" Cassandra started, voice trailing in excitement.
"Shut up. You're too noisy. You seem worse than the locusts of the night. Shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you," Indura said, his tone precise, deliberate, filled with an intensity that made both Krovan and Cassandra hold their breath for a moment.
The silence lingered. Then, slowly, a soft "ppfff" escaped Cassandra's lips. It was the precursor to a burst of laughter that filled the room, louder and more ragged than before. Krovan joined in, rolling slightly in his restraints, a tear sliding down his cheek.
"Krovan, did you hear that? He called us locusts of the night… I've never even heard locusts shouting in the night!" Cassandra gasped between laughter, her chest heaving.
"Hold on… he might actually be serious. He… he… might shut us up," Krovan added, wiping his eyes, his voice shaking with the last bits of amusement as he tried to catch his breath.
Indura's eyes shifted toward them once, assessing, indifferent. The laughter and humiliation in the room pressed against him, but it no longer drew any amusement. Instead, he turned away, attention falling to the restraints around his wrists and ankles.
With deliberate, unhurried movements, he gripped the bindings. They were thick, reinforced with mana, but under his hands, they gave a subtle resistance, then snapped apart as if they were nothing more than paper. The pale glow from the broken fragments flickered and faded as they fell to the floor.
Krovan's jaw dropped. "H-how did he do that? We can't even possibly break out of these… and he just tore them like paper."
Cassandra's mouth fell open. "Hey… red head… help us out, yeah? Come on, get us out of these," she called, voice a mix of awe and desperation.
"We will return the favor… please… help us," Krovan added quickly, eyes wide with disbelief, his voice nearly cracking.
Indura turned his gaze toward them, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Be glad I'm not in the mood to kill you both right now. Why don't you rot in here by yourselves… worthless insects."
His hands moved next to the heavy door. He pressed them gently, brushing against the surface, feeling the texture of reinforced stone and faint pulses from the mana fragments embedded within. The seals and shards that lined the walls glowed softly, pulsing in rhythm with the faint magical energy trapped in the room.
Then, with a simple flick of his finger, the door was sent flying into the corridor. It hit the walls with a shattering crash, bouncing across the floor, scattering shards of stone. The sound echoed through the white prison, leaving a ringing silence behind.
"I may be out of mana, but I'm not out of strength. Now then… let's see where we really are." His voice carried quietly, almost contemplatively, as he stepped forward.
Indura's feet pressed against the smooth corridor, each step deliberate. The walls here were lined with shards of glowing mana, embedded like veins within the stone. Small, radiant fragments hummed softly, pulsing with quiet energy, each one placed to maintain the prison's power. He ran a finger along a shard embedded in the wall. The glow danced across his skin, and for a moment, he paused to examine it.
"This is mana… is it possible to absorb it?" His voice carried more curiosity than expectation. He ran his hands lightly over the walls as he moved, feeling the hum of energy through the stone.
"Right… how do I do it again? I've never really tried absorbing mana itself. Well, I was born perfect from the beginning, but… sigh… it doesn't matter right now. I still have my strength. I just need to find an exit." His steps were steady, echoing against the corridor, deliberate and cautious. Why do I have to look for an exit when I can make one.
He looked up at the ceiling, crouched low, flexed, and leaped. Indura burst through the reinforced stone, shattered under his strength, breaking apart with sharp cracks, dust and fragments raining down. The ceiling collapsed behind him as he vaulted high into the air, emerging outside into the open sky.
Indura floated for a moment, taking measure of the space around him, eyes scanning the forest below. A vast expanse of green stretched endlessly, dense and untouched. No buildings, no signs of civilization. Only the quiet rustle of treetops and the whispering wind.
He descended gracefully to a high branch above the forest floor