A shell of what it was

Pressed against the rusted iron bars, Starlight instinctively backed away, only to feel the cold metal pressing into his spine.

Hundreds of creatures stared at him, some reaching out as if to grab him, but one among them kept the others from getting too close.

The alien voices murmured among themselves while Starlight hugged his own body in fear, overwhelmed by the sight before him.

These creatures resembled humans in form, yet they were clearly not human.

Starlight had encountered countless species before, but never had he been this vulnerable, this alone.

His body was naturally weak, incapable of withstanding much. That was why the Union had provided him with the supportive exoskeleton that he always wore beneath his armor. But now, stripped of both, he was practically naked—caged like a bird, his every detail scrutinized as though he were an object rather than a living being.

One of the insectoid beings unlocked the cage and extended a thin, stone-like hand. It grabbed Starlight's fragile arm and yanked him out with force.

"***********"

The creature spoke, then immediately began dragging Starlight forward, forcing him to stumble along behind.

"H-Hey…! Let go! You're going to break my arm!"

Starlight cried out in pain, feeling the iron grip crushing his delicate limb, but his protests were ignored. The creature did not slow down, nor did its grip loosen.

They reached a large stone building—the biggest structure in sight—and stepped inside.

The insectoid man threw Starlight onto the floor before another of its kind: an elder with deep-set eyes and a long white beard, seated on a throne-like chair.

A brief exchange followed between the insectoid men. Then, the elder rose from his seat, stepped forward, and took hold of Starlight's arm. He pulled him close, examining his body with an unsettling thoroughness before tossing him to another insectoid.

This new captor took hold of Starlight and led him away, deeper into the structure.

The room they entered was filled with cages—each one holding a different, unfamiliar creature. Without hesitation, Starlight was thrown into one of the cages, the door clanking shut behind him. The insectoid left without another word.

Starlight sat there, bewildered.

What had just happened?

What was going to happen?

The last thing he remembered before waking in that first cage was staring at the strange mountain… and now he was here, locked away in yet another cold, dark cell.

He curled up, gripping his aching arm as quiet tears fell from his eyes.

—

Years passed.

How many, Starlight could not tell. Time had lost its meaning in this place.

He remained trapped in the same cage, his once-bright eyes now dull, his beautiful blue complexion faded to a sickly pale from years without proper hydration.

"Fish ***** okay?"

Having spent so much time in captivity, overhearing the guards' conversations, Starlight had learned bits and pieces of their language.

"King ***** inform ***** take him."

They fed him food he did not recognize, but hunger forced him to eat. Whenever they provided water, he would drink some and use the rest to moisten his skin.

That was the only reason he had survived this long.

His species needed to stay hydrated at regular intervals—his body was not designed for dry environments like this prison. Though his kind could survive for extended periods underwater, they could not last indefinitely. The only reason his species had endured on their home planet was because of the scattered landmasses that allowed them to emerge when necessary. Without such an environment, they would have perished long ago.

—

For the first time in years, the insectoid men removed Starlight from his cage.

He did not struggle.

He had no strength left to fight.

They led him back to the same grand chamber where he had been taken before.

There, before him, sat the same elder insectoid on his throne, watching with unreadable yellow eyes.

"What ***** the pet?" the elder asked.

Starlight could not understand the full sentence.

"****** eats," one of the guards responded—at least, Starlight assumed they were guards.

As with the elder, he could only pick out fragments of what they said.

"Why ****** now?!" the elder suddenly shouted.

"Battery ***** unknown."

"Bring ****** NOW!!" the elder roared, his voice filled with rage.

The two guards quickly departed, leaving Starlight alone with the imposing figure.

For a long moment, the elder simply stared at the frail, malnourished figure before him.

Then, with a deep sigh, he closed his eyes.