I responded with a groggy voice,"Yeah, but you did disturb my sleep."
The man chuckled.
"I figured six hours was enough beauty sleep for you. But if I'm wrong, go ahead—doze off again."
'Six hours? Had I really been out that long?'
I ran a quick check through my body. The pain had dulled to a faint ache. My healing was kicking in fast. I glanced at Steve, he was awake too, eyes closed, but the slight smirk on his face gave him away. That idiot probably heard everything.
I made a mental note to steal one of those goggles the guards were wearing. Steve would appreciate that.
I replied,"No need. I think I'm well-rested now."
The man across the cell paused for a few seconds before speaking again.
"So, did you piss off that little noble brat and end up here?"
I shrugged. "Something like that."
That's when the other man in the cell, silent until now, spoke.
"So the Emperor still hasn't moved against the Holts. How long is he going to let those bastards rot our land from the inside?"
I glanced over. The second man looked oddly similar to the first. It took me a moment to spot the difference—his beard was trimmed differently, and his mustache wasn't as thick. Twins, probably. Hard to tell with all that facial hair.
The scarred one, the first guy, rebutted.
"Ming, don't blame the Emperor. What do you want him to do? Go to war with the Holts? That'll only weaken the Empire and give Peanu another shot at invading us."
Ming scoffed.
"And what's your bright idea, Xin? Sit on our asses while the Holts eat us alive from the inside? If destruction's inevitable, I'd rather go down fighting than rotting in a cell."
I tilted my head.
'Ming and Xin.'
They didn't even glance at me or Steve as they argued.
Xin replied.
"That heroic attitude is exactly what got us captured. You had to play the righteous warrior and confront them, didn't you? If you'd just waited—"
"I waited an entire year, you dumb idiot," Ming snapped. "How much longer should I have waited?"
Xin sighed and rubbed his forehead like he'd had this argument too many times.
"It's pointless talking to you."
"And it's pointless talking to you," Ming shot back.
Then silence.
I cleared my throat.
"Uh… if you don't mind, could one of you tell me where we are?"
Xin scratched the scar under his eye and asked.
"I'll tell you, kid, but first, how do you know that 'King' brat?"
I replied.
"We were in the same Elite unit. Just enlisted two months ago."
Xin chuckled.
"Hoho… promising kid. So, what happened between you two?"
"Not much. He was acting too cocky, so we beat him down a little. He didn't like that."
"That's it?" Xin asked.
I nodded."Yup. That's all."
Ming snorted."Pathetic. Couldn't handle a beating, so he called in his family. Typical Holt trash."
Xin stayed quiet for a moment, then said.
"Sounds a little suspicious, kid. But… I'll take your word for it—for now."
"There's nothing fishy about it. That's the whole story," I replied.
Xin chuckled.
"Alright, if you say so."
I pressed again.
"So… where are we, exactly?"
Xin took his time, his tone turning a bit more serious.
"This, kid, is the Holts' secret base, the place they operate from in the shadows, away from the royal family's eyes. And the reason they can't be tracked? Because we're not in the Empire."
I blinked.
"What?"
"This is a mini independent realm," he continued, "created by the Nagas. I'm sure you've heard of them, strongest race in our galaxy. This entire prison… the world outside… even the cuffs you're wearing, all of it was crafted by the Nagas."
My eyes widened.
'An independent realm created by the Nagas?'
I hadn't even considered that.
I asked.
"If the Nagas created it… how did the Holts get their hands on it?"
Xin shrugged.
"That, I don't know. But there are Naga prisoners here. If you're lucky, maybe one of them will talk. They haven't said a word so far."
I frowned.
"Then how do you even know this place was made by Nagas?"
Xin gave a crooked grin.
"If they ever let you outside, you'll understand why."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Outside?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. You don't think this prison is all there is, right? Trust me, kid, you'll be surprised by what's out there. If the royal family doesn't find a way in soon… the Holts are going to surpass them. And then, things will get ugly."
I leaned back against the cold wall, letting Xin's words settle in my head like dust on still air.
A realm created by the Nagas.
That explained a lot, the way my Psynapse felt dulled even before the collar was locked on, the strange hum in the atmosphere, the way energy flowed here. It wasn't natural.
And the Holts controlled it?
It didn't make sense. The Nagas were supposed to be untouchable, nearly divine in power. If even one of them had been captured or tricked… that said more about the Holts than I was comfortable with. Either they had help, or they had something worse.
I glanced down at my hands. They looked normal, steady but I could still feel the weight of the cuffs, the quiet suppression. I hadn't felt this powerless since I awakened.
I clenched my fists.
Steve and I came here knowing it'd be dangerous. We signed up for hell, not vacation. But still—this was something else. We weren't just behind enemy lines. We were inside a buried truth no one even knew existed.
And yet, I wasn't scared.
I was curious. I was angry. I was… awake.
This place reeked of old power, forgotten grudges, and hidden monsters. But it was also a forge—and I had always known that to grow stronger, I needed more than just battle. I needed pressure. Fire. Challenge.
I had no doubt Arkas sent us here for a reason. And whatever that reason was, it was bigger than just getting stronger.
I wasn't leaving this realm empty-handed.
No.
I'd tear its secrets out one by one.