Velkar stood inside the recovery circle.
A faint light wrapped around her body.
But she felt nothing.
No relief.
No warmth.
Only one thing—
something was off.
This… wasn't recovery.
She closed her eyes.
And the world broke apart.
A sound echoed.
Objects crashing.
Metal hitting the ground.
Shouting.
"You think you can run forever?!"
Velkar opened her eyes.
She was standing inside a narrow room.
Damp.
Dark.
Small.
"…Again…"
Another voice.
Softer.
Shaking.
"I wish… I never followed them…"
Velkar froze.
That voice—
was hers.
Today…
was the same as every other day.
"That's all you got?"
A slap.
The sound cracked through the air.
Velkar—young—fell to the ground.
Her cheek burned.
"I'm sorry…"
"I'll try harder next time…"
"Next time?"
A hand grabbed her hair and pulled her up.
"How many times have you said that already?"
A shove.
"You don't eat today."
Velkar didn't cry.
Not because she couldn't.
But because—
there was nothing left to cry with.
She looked to the side.
Other children.
Just like her.
Silent.
Waiting.
Enduring.
No one resisted.
No one could.
No one had the strength.
Days passed.
One after another.
No peace.
Beatings.
Insults.
Again.
And again.
Her body hurt—
but eventually…
it got used to it.
Three years later.
"GET DOWN!"
A scream.
Chaos.
Running.
Velkar didn't understand.
She only knew one thing—
run.
Then stop.
Curl up in a corner.
With the others.
No one spoke.
No one dared.
And then—
it ended.
Suddenly.
"Hey… are you kids okay?"
A voice she didn't recognize.
Light poured in.
Figures in armor.
Axians.
One by one, the children were taken out.
Returned.
But—
not Velkar.
"I'm sorry…"
The man knelt in front of her.
"Your parents…"
A pause.
"…are gone."
Velkar didn't react.
"They tried deep memory reconstruction…"
"Their brains… couldn't handle it."
No tears.
No sound.
Just—
emptiness.
After that—
she was taken in.
"Hey… what's your name?"
Silence.
"…Velkar."
The man smiled faintly.
"That's a strong name."
"Do you want to come with me?"
Velkar looked at him.
She had nowhere else to go.
She nodded.
At first—
she didn't speak.
Didn't respond.
Didn't trust.
But the man—
never gave up.
He was patient.
Calm.
Never forced her.
Little by little—
he broke the invisible chains holding her down.
Velkar began to speak.
To eat.
To live.
She called him "father."
Not because she had to.
But because—
she wanted to.
He taught her everything.
How to fight.
How to control herself.
How to endure.
And Velkar—
always had one dream.
To become a great Axian.
To conquer worlds.
Not to become stronger.
But to—
never be that weak again.
Years later.
"Are you going to eat?"
"…Probably not, dad."
Velkar answered quickly.
"Are you sure about your decision?"
"…I know what I'm doing."
"You should get your leg checked again."
"Yeah, yeah."
He tossed her a portion of food.
"Be careful."
"Hey."
A voice pulled her back.
"Why are you just standing there?"
Velkar blinked.
The present returned.
Nyxara stood in front of her.
"Let's go."
"We're not staying here forever."
Velkar looked down at her hand.
Her body—
had recovered.
But not because of the injection.
Because of herself.
Pain.
Endurance.
Distribution.
She clenched her fist.
This time—
she wouldn't just endure.
She would choose.
Her journey—
had only just begun.