Three Spheres

Chapter 102 - Escape

The headquarters of the Executive Unit in Albam is located on the outskirts of Gulltrad, capital of the Republic. It is a 4-story romanesque building, surrounded by a ditch that connects to the river running south. The building penetrates deep underground, with 3 levels of obscure dungeons.

On the first floor, in one of the rooms commonly used for interrogation, adjacent to the reception hall, two Knights chat, seated in front of a long-handled axe. The first one says:

_ That guy, the Body Aberration, is down there, right? Did you hear about what he did?

_ 'Course, everyone knows... Murder, betrayal, kidnapping, rape, who knows what else...

_ Looks like he'll be taken to Zaltracar, that Ruber maximum security prison, tonight. _ He looks around _ That's why there are so many people here...!

_ Lady Fortescue is still around too. She's the one who found him out, right. They said he turned into a horrible monster because of her purification.

_ By the way, what do you think of Fortescue becoming the Magnum?

_ It's good and bad at the same time, I guess... _ He shrugs his shoulders _ Her grandfather was a Magnum so I think she always wanted the job. Although it's an awful time to... Well, anyway, she's only interim for now. The Court of Paragons will only meet in a few weeks and that's when they decide who takes over, right?

Before the colleague could respond, a bell chimes in the distance, but its powerful sound resonates throughout the fort. Even in the depths of the dungeon the vibration can be felt. Along with the dust falling between the stones, Johan opens his eyes.

With his hands tied behind his back, he twists his fist into an impossible position and slowly scratches the seal around the metal. His fingers are covered in a yellowish liquid that reeks of chlorine. The insistence of that repetitive movement and the pain of the self-imposed subluxation gradually bruise his skin. He endures. Endures. Endures...

Finally, the seal tears and the paper comes apart all at once. He takes a deep breath, filled with an intense relief that blends with his pent-up anger. He thinks: "Time to put the plan into action...". With a sudden movement, he spreads his arms, breaking the metal of the handcuffs. His wrists bleed, but this isn't the time to feel sorry for himself.

One by one, he tears off the seals, first soaking them in the yellow liquid, then tearing them apart with his own nails. Breaking the chains is the easy part. Finally, he rips off the tight ring that strangled his lacerated neck. Swallowing and breathing without restriction is a pleasure he has never noticed before.

After so, so many hours of sitting in that uncomfortable position, he gets up, but the cell ceiling is low and he can't quite straighten his back. Johan stretches his shoulders and removes the destroyed shirt soaked with the yellow pigment.

He can't help but be shocked to see his own body wrapped in that black carapace that simulates coal. As much as he dug into his memories, he doesn't know how that came to be, but he believes it somehow relates to his "resurrection". By comparison, the black left hand is slightly larger and much less sensitive. The mobility is also superior to the original.

Sighing, he approaches the hyper-resistant cell grid. Even in that deep darkness, he sees clearly. Carefully, he starts to touch the bars, looking for something almost invisible. Finally, a slight change in texture reveals his target. He grips the bar with both hands, initiating a twisting movement. The shear at that tiny fragility point is the most effective force to move the bar just enough so that he can get his left arm through it, reaching the latch of the huge lock.