Chapter 003: Binding elixir.

The heavy iron door clanged shut with a finality that sent shivers down Fairfax's spine. It felt like the entrance to a dark, damp dungeon, not a room in a supposedly civilized building.

The white-robed men, dream guardians who surrounded him were the same ones from the previous day, but this time, fear gnawed at his insides. Unlike yesterday, his hands and ankles were bound tight to a cold metal chair, the unyielding surface digging into his skin.

"Now, now, there's no need to panic, young man," one of the men said, his voice dripping with a false cheerfulness that did little to ease Fairfax's growing anxiety. He reached out a hand and patted Fairfax's shoulder in a gesture meant to be reassuring, but it felt more like a prod. "This whole thing will be over before you know it."

Fairfax, however, wasn't buying it. The way they had roughly grabbed him after he'd spoken his name, the hurried march through sterile corridors, all culminated in this terrifying vault-like room. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to be afraid.

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly parched. "C-could I please have some water?" he croaked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Anything you ingest now will only slow us down," another man in white replied curtly, his tone devoid of sympathy.

The heavy door groaned open once more, revealing the leader Fairfax had encountered the day before. The man, clad in a white robe that seemed a touch too long for his short stature, strode purposefully into the room, the heavy door thudding shut behind him with a finality that echoed Fairfax's growing dread.

"Still haven't gotten your real name, have we?" the leader inquired, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. He surveyed Fairfax with cool, detached eyes. "Well, that's a shame."

Fairfax attempted a smile, but it twisted into a grimace on his face.

The leader simply nodded and said, "Let's begin, shall we?"

"With the, uh, the stinger?" one of the other men asked, his voice laced with a hint of apprehension.

The leader shook his head, his gaze fixed on Fairfax. "He seems cooperative enough. No need for the paralyzing agent."

A jolt of terror shot through Fairfax. 'Paralyzing agent?' The word echoed ominously in his mind. His eyes darted to the blue vial the leader had tucked away in a pocket of his robe just before. He recognized it, the same kind he'd seen used to subdue the young boy.

"It was you who chased that boy through the rain!" Fairfax blurted out, the accusation tumbling out in a rush. He hadn't meant to speak, but the words seemed to erupt from him unbidden.

The leader merely shrugged and offered a tight smile, but didn't answer.

Suddenly, a wave of anger washed over Fairfax, completely unexpected and intense. Despite wanting to remain calm, a torrent of words spilled from his lips. "You chased him outside in the freezing cold! And that snake- that tiny serpent, those are dangerous! How could you bite him with it?"

The metal chair beneath him vibrated ominously, and the restraints around his wrists and ankles dug into his flesh as he strained against them.

"Seems it's starting," one of the men muttered.

Fairfax felt a terrifying disconnect between his mind and body. The anger swelled within him, a tide he couldn't control. "They're bad for your health! Don't you know that?!" he yelled, his voice hoarse. The chair vibrated even more violently, the restraints biting deeper.

"Calm yourself, young man, before you hurt yourself," the leader said in a calm, measured voice that seemed to do little to quell the storm raging inside Fairfax.

"I can't!" Fairfax gasped, his eyes pleading for help. "I don't know why I'm so angry, but I can't stop it!" His breaths came out in ragged gasps as his outburst subsided.

"I understand," the leader responded, his voice devoid of surprise. "It appears your transformation didn't manifest as madness, but rather as uncontrollable rage."

A cold dread settled in Fairfax's stomach. "Is that bad?!" he shrieked, his voice laced with terror. The words escaped him before he could stop them. The metal chair creaked in protest as he strained against his bonds.

The leader's nod was slow and deliberate as he circled Fairfax. "Yes, and You'll feel the transformation, lad," he said, his voice low. "The emotions, the pain, all of it. But if it's madness, you'd be lost in an instant, swallowed whole before you even knew what was happening."

Fairfax felt a prickling sensation creep up his veins, like tiny ants leaving trails of fire in their wake. It was a horrifying feeling, alien and unwelcome.

"Make it stop," he rasped, his voice raw with annoyance. He strained against the restraints, his entire body yearning to escape the metal chair. "It's burning inside me, please..." pain flickered in his eyes as he squeezed them shut, but it was quickly consumed by a primal urge to simply make the feeling cease.

"It won't be long now," a calm voice soothed. "Don't fight it, lad. Embrace the change, and it'll be over quicker."

Fairfax's body began to tremble uncontrollably on the chair. The straps bit into his flesh, leaving angry red welts.

"Don't struggle," another voice warned, a hint of concern creeping into its calmness.

Fairfax felt his body vibrate as though possessed. His teeth grinded against each other, a frantic energy coursing through him. His vision blurred, and something strange seemed to be… mingling with his hands?

Then, with a tortured groan, his body went limp. The straps, unable to contain the sudden shift, snapped, leaving bruises on his skin. A trail of sweat slicked his back as he crumpled to the floor.

Struggling to regain his bearings, Fairfax felt rough hands pinning him down. Panic surged through him once more.

"It's trying to escape!" one of the men shrieked, his voice laced with alarm. His weight pressed down on Fairfax, pinning him to the cold stone floor.

Fairfax was a maelstrom of emotions, fear, anger, confusion, and something else entirely – a raw, untamed power that pulsed within him, desperate to break free.

"Hold him steady!" the leader's voice boomed, seemingly right next to Fairfax's ear. "Wait for it to fully surface, then inject him with the binding elixir."

"G-get off me!" Fairfax roared, his voice raw and primal. Then, with a surge of energy that left him weak and disoriented, something erupted from within him. The world blurred, his consciousness slipping away. Just before the darkness claimed him completely, he heard the leader's voice.

"Now!"

A prick at his neck, a burning sensation spreading through his veins, and then… nothing. Silence. The last thing Fairfax registered before sleep swallowed him whole were the leader's chilling words: "There's no place for you in our world, Terror."