The Endless Loop
Chapter: 38
Adrian watched as the Old Man writhed in pain, the red lightning coursing through its decrepit form. The garbled screams echoed through the vast, otherworldly dimension. Adrian's expression remained cold and detached as he continued to increase the intensity of the torture.
"Let's change it up a bit," Adrian said, his voice calm but laced with menace. "How about we see how you handle a slow and excruciating erasure, with the pain amplified a thousandfold?"
He raised his hand, and a dark, swirling energy began to gather in his palm. The air around them grew heavy, charged with an oppressive force. Adrian focused the energy into a thin, needle-like beam and directed it toward the Old Man. The beam pierced the entity's chest, and the area around the wound began to disintegrate slowly, the edges burning with an intense, searing heat.
The Old Man's screams reached a new pitch, a sound that would have chilled the blood of anyone else. Adrian's eyes remained fixed on the process, his expression unyielding.
"Feel that? That's your very existence being erased, molecule by molecule," Adrian said, his tone almost clinical. "I wonder how long you can last."
The Old Man's body convulsed, the chains rattling as it struggled against the inevitable. The disintegration spread, the pain evident in the creature's every movement. Adrian intensified the beam, watching as the Old Man's form began to break apart even faster.
"Ah ah ah, can't have you dying now, can I?" Adrian said as he snapped his fingers. The Old Man's body started regenerating at the same rate that it was being erased.
As the Old Man regenerated, the sound of its garbled screams increased in volume. Adrian's eyes glinted with dark amusement.
"Oh, did I forget to mention? Every time you regenerate, the pain you feel amplifies by ten. Oops," Adrian said, a smirk playing on his lips.
The Old Man's struggles grew more frantic, its eyes wide with a mix of rage and terror. Adrian leaned back in his throne, watching with morbid curiosity as the creature was caught in an endless cycle of agony and regeneration.
"You see, Old Man, I've often wondered what it would take to break something like you," Adrian mused aloud, his voice carrying an edge of fascination. "Your resilience is impressive, but everyone has their limits. Even you."
The chains glowed brighter, the energy coursing through them intensifying the Old Man's torment. Adrian observed every twitch, every scream, with detached interest, as if he were studying a particularly intriguing specimen.
"I wonder if you can even comprehend what real suffering is," Adrian continued. "You've inflicted so much pain on others, but how often do you get to experience it yourself? Consider this... a lesson in empathy."
The Old Man's form was a blur of regeneration and disintegration, the relentless process showing no signs of stopping. Adrian maintained the cycle, his control unwavering.
"Perhaps, after this, you'll think twice before causing more havoc," Adrian said, his tone almost thoughtful. "Or perhaps not. But it's worth a try, don't you think?"
The Old Man's screams filled the dimension, a haunting symphony of pain that echoed endlessly. Adrian sat back, his expression a mask of calm as he watched his handiwork unfold. For now, the Old Man was contained, trapped in an unending loop of suffering.
#### 30 Minutes Later
Adrian stepped out of a portal with his hands in his pockets, the Old Man floating behind him, still bound by the scarlet chains, seemingly unconscious. Adrian raised his sensory capabilities, tracking down all Foundation personnel in the area.
Adrian smirked and spoke. "Good, some are in the area." He then raised his hand into the air and fired off a silver beam of energy.
After the beam dispelled, he dropped the Old Man on the ground and teleported away. As he vanished, multiple men in tactical gear stumbled upon the scene. The men stared in shock before a man who seemed to be the leader pulled out his walkie-talkie and spoke into it.
"Foundation, this is Lieutenant Reynolds of Task Force Epsilon-11. We have found SCP-106... but you guys might want to come see this," his voice trembled slightly, betraying his usual stoicism.
The man looked back at the Old Man and saw a note on its body that said, "You owe me. Signed, A."
The team exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to react to this unexpected intervention. One of the operatives muttered, "Who the hell is 'A'?"
Reynolds shook his head, his expression grim. "I don't know, but we need to report this immediately. Secure SCP-106 and let's get out of here."
As they began to secure the Old Man, the implications of Adrian's intervention hung heavily in the air, leaving the task force with more questions than answers.
Chapter 38: End