Endurance Born of Pain III

Seiya sat on the cold floor beside his bed, his vacant gaze fixed on nothing in particular. The creak of his metal door jolted him from his reverie, drawing his attention to the imposing figure of his father entering the room. 

The man loomed in the doorway, his stern expression casting a shadow over his son. 

"Another session today" his father announced coldly, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

Seiya offered no response, his disinterest palpable.

Undeterred, his father stepped forward, hands clasped firmly behind him. "It's been over a week, and you still wallow in this pathetic state. I gave you space, hoping you'd regain your senses, but enough is enough!" His voice cut through the air, sharp with reprimand. 

His father's eyes narrowed as he leaned in ever so slightly. "Perhaps you'd like news of your siblings?"

The question pricked at Seiya's silence, compelling him to lift his gaze. The faintest flicker of interest betrayed him, earning a triumphant smirk from his father.

"Ah, I thought that might get your attention," the man continued. "Here's the story: I've been opening gates more frequently to ensure your siblings resume their duties. Surprising, isn't it? After all, gates can only be opened by monsters." He paused, his tone shifting to one of smug satisfaction. 

"You may not fully grasp it, but there are rules that govern our world. Gate-opening is one of them." 

He paused to clear his throat. "The fact remains —In this world, gates cannot be opened by mere mortals—not even by the esteemed 24 Elders. Only monsters possess that power. But I... I am the exception."

Pride gleamed in his eyes as he continued. "I made a breakthrough six years ago after years of research. Neither the government that funds my research nor anyone but my inner circle knows this. The knowledge is exclusive — mine alone."

Seiya's expression didn't change, but inwardly, unease stirred.

His father paced the room, continuing his monologue. "Your siblings were distracted by grief — sulking over you and your mother. I had to correct that and redirect their focus. Your sister has resumed her duties, though she had to join a different faction after her previous one turned against her. But rest assured, her new faction is far superior."

He stopped pacing and faced Seiya directly. "And as for Ozai? He, too, is back to work."

A moment of silence stretched between them.

"They're moving on, Seiya. As if you never existed."

Seiya's head dipped, his gaze falling to the floor once more. The weight of his father's words pressed on him like an invisible chain.

Mr. Sanio's voice softened, taking on a sinister kind of cheer. "But today, I bring good news. You must be curious."

Seiya wasn't. His mind lingered on his family.

"I've decided to give you a chance," his father continued. "Instead of treating you as a disposable tool, I will forge you into a weapon — one that surpasses all my previous accomplishments. Of course, that depends on whether you survive the test."

Seiya's eyes met his father's, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension flickering in them. 

His father's tone brimmed with cruel enthusiasm. "Survive this, and you'll even get to interact with the other children. But remember—failure has consequences."

At those words, Seiya felt a brief flicker of hope, only for it to be crushed by the memories of those he'd seen suffer. Could he risk forming bonds with others when their lives might be forfeited because of him?

Despite the faint glimmer of hope, Seiya's mind clouded with doubt. 

Due to the constant bullying he endured, Seiya had come to believe that others despised him. Interacting with anyone seemed an impossible dream. 

Only mom, big sis and big brother like me. Seiya thought as he clutched himself together in quiet sadness.

"Enough stalling!" his father barked, his tone icy with authority. "Get up. It's time." 

Seiya obeyed without protest, knowing defiance would only lead to worse.

He followed his father through the cold, sterile halls, eventually entering a room encased in glass walls. In the center stood a metal table surrounded by grim, familiar equipment — tools of torment and agony.

Outside, workers gathered beyond the glass, their eyes fixed on Seiya like spectators awaiting a gruesome spectacle.

But it was the sight beyond them that made Seiya's blood run cold. In a separate section of the room, a row of children lay strapped to metal tables, sharp guillotine blades poised above their necks.

Seiya's heart clenched.

"They're here because of you," his father remarked casually. "Their fate rests on your success."

Seiya's gaze remained locked on the children, dread coiling tighter around his chest.

Do you see the workers?" Mr. Sanio gestured to the onlookers. "Do you not wonder why they're so interested today? Why they've gathered when they usually don't care?"

"It's because they're certain of your death. They're here to witness your agony."

He grinned wickedly. "This test is different. Today's challenge doesn't involve physical torture. It's a test that starts from within."

Seiya's confusion deepened, but he remained silent.

His father continued, relishing the moment. "We developed a lethal serum — a concoction that no one has survived. Even our elites all failed, save for one"

Seiya didn't know who the elites were but he didn't bother asking either because the situation didn't allow that.

"After discovering this lethal poison, I've lost countless test subjects. No one ever administered on lived to see the next hours except for one child. That child is unique in many ways and it's been impossible to find another like him" He paused, like one reveling in sadness.

"Do you understand now, Seiya? Do you know now why they're here to watch you?! It is because death is certain for you and they want to watch the cruel way you die" 

In a twisted pride lacing voice, he said. "But I believe in you, Seiya. You have the endurance to survive. You must—for your mother and for those children"

He retrieved a metal case from a nearby table, opening it to reveal a long, sinister syringe filled with a dark, viscous liquid.

The substance inside glistened like poison.

Approaching Seiya, his father spoke with a chilling calm. "There's no need to restrain you. I trust you'll remain still."

Seiya lay on the table, chest heaving as fear gripped him. His mind raced, trying to prepare for the unknown.

Being subjected to brutal torture didn't make Seiya any more less afraid of the big syringe that was about to be plunged into him nor of the outcome.

"Relax," his father murmured as he positioned the needle against Seiya's neck.

The sharp pain of the injection was nothing compared to what followed.

The serum coursed through Seiya's veins like liquid fire. His breath ceased in his lungs and his chest jerked up—a fast upward lurch like one getting defibrillated only to slam his back down the next minute before a guttural scream tore from his throat.

Pain seared through him, unbearable and unrelenting. His body convulsed violently, muscles spasming as blood seeped from his eyes, ears and nose.

Seiya's mind spiraled into chaos. His thoughts fragmented, drowning in agony.

Why? Seiya found himself asking the same familiar question. 

Why has it always been like this for me? 

Memories flashed — a teacher once telling him that children were meant to live carefree lives while their parents bore the burdens.

But HE had never known such peace. His life had been nothing but torment.

Desperately, his hands clawed at his neck, an act to relieve the itch, the skin peeling away under his nails. He felt his flesh rotting beneath his touch.

Realizing his attempt to relieve a little of his pain caused him more, Seiya could only leave his hands shaking and seizing about.

Through the haze of pain, Seiya wondered whether he had offended his father when he was too young to remember because he could think of nothing else.

It must be so. I must've forgotten because I'm not very intelligent.

Seiya's body is wrapped in pain, agony and guilt.

Tears mingled with the blood streaming from his face as his lips trembled, the same words escaping over and over in struggle.

"Fa..ther. I'm…sorry. I-I'm….sorry"

The words came out broken, barely audible, but he repeated them over and over, clinging to the hope that his pleas might soften his father's heart to give him even the littlest taste of freedom from his suffering.

They didn't.

Mr. Sanio stood unmoved, watching his son writhe and convulse with a detached curiosity.

Seiya's body slowly succumbed to the unimaginable pain, his desperate cries slowed, his body seizing in one final convulsion before going still.

His father lingered for a moment, studying his son's rigid form — fingers and toes curled, mouth agape, blood pooling beneath him.

Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving Seiya behind.