The mysterious man leaned against the side of the cage. "Hmm, what do we have here?"
"Who are you?" Luv asked, his voice trembling.
"Nobody."
"Nobody?"
"Yes." The man laughed. "How did you even get in here? Magic?"
"Magic?" Luv scoffed. "Of course not. I came through the front door, you dumbass."
"The front door? Didn't the aliens see you coming?"
"Nope. They didn't see me." The man's gaze lingered on Luv. "But look at you. So weak and defeated. Looks like you're at your breaking point, isn't that right, Luv?"
"How do you know my name?" Luv stood, fear surging through him. Who is this man, and how does he know me?
"You just told me your name," the man replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "How else would I know?" He began to walk toward the cage.
"Hey! Don't come near me! You understand?" Luv backed up until his back pressed against the cold metal bars. The man placed a hand on Luv's face.
"Poor you. Look what they've done to you. These limbs... they've turned you into one of those freaks, those who've lost their humanity."
"No, no! I'm not one of those things! I'm Luv! I'm a normal person!"
"A normal person, you say?" The man's voice was laced with mockery. "Have you looked at yourself? Do you think anyone would consider you human?"
Luv's gaze fell to his altered limbs, a sickening wave of realization washing over him. What have I become?
"Do you think your mother would recognize you like this?"
"Mom..." Memories flashed: laughter, warmth, a bicycle ride.
"Come on, Luv, you can do it!"
"No, I can't! I'll fall!"
"Come on, Luv, you can do this! You're our boy, of course you can ride on your own!"
"Whoa! Hold me, Dad!"
Crash. "My hand! It hurts!"
"Okay, okay. This is how you learn, Luv. You fall down, and you hop right back up."
"Yes, your dad is right."
Another memory: a picnic, sunlight, the sound of his parents' voices.
"Where are we going, Mom and Dad?"
"We're going on a picnic, son!"
"Picnic! Yeah!"
He was thirteen. His parents were talking, his father's attention momentarily straying from the road. Then, the screech of tires, the impact of a truck. His father, gone. His unborn sibling, gone. Three months in a coma. His uncle, caring for his mother.
"Do you think your dad would accept you looking like this?"
"I... I don't know."
"Do you think your mother would accept you?"
"I... I don't know."
"Do you think your unborn sibling would accept you as a sibling looking like that?"
"I... I don't know!"
Luv's eyes snapped open. He was in a black room. "Mom? Dad? Uncle? Is that you?" He ran toward a figure in the darkness. "Mom, I missed you so much!"
"Get away from me, you monster!"
"What? It's me, Luv! I'm your son!"
"No! My son doesn't look like that!"
"Dad? Is that you?"
"Get away from us, freak! You're no son of mine!"
Luv turned. His eyes widened. A disfigured fetus crawled toward him.
"Y-you're like a brother... I... I can be your family..."
"AHHH! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FREAK!"
Luv scrambled backward, his back hitting the cage. He was back in the room, the man standing outside.
"Until we meet again, Luv. I hope you survive until then." The man turned to leave.
"Wait!" Luv cried. "Get me out of here! Wait! Let me out of here!" He collapsed, sobbing, his body wracked with despair.