DETENTION

OLAMILEKAN:

A burning pain stabbed through me as the restraints tightened around my wrists and ankles. The air became thicker with each step, my consciousness waning like a dying spark. Captain Graves had given the order, and now I was being dragged across the testing arena, my boots screaming on the waxed floor. I struggled, my muscles screaming in protest, but the restraints siphoned my strength, rendering my efforts useless.

A part of me wanted to fight, to summon my power and break free. But the moment I tried to summon my magic, a burning shock ran through my body. The restraints weren't just suppressing my powers; they were punishing me for even attempting to access them.

I clenched my teeth, not a sound of pain escaping me. The murmurs of the crowd above were barely perceptible to my ears as my vision blurred. Just a little more… just a little—

Darkness overcame me before I reached the exit.

---

JOSHUA:

"Let my brother go!" My voice echoed throughout the arena as I beat my fists against the glass barrier. The moment Ola's body went limp, something inside me snapped free.

I did not pause and shattered the glass with a blast of shadow energy and leaped into the arena. Shards rained down around me, glittering with the soft blue lights of the test area. The onlookers gasped as I dropped down, my boots crunching the earth beneath my feet.

The men holding Ola flinched but didn't release him. If anything, their grips tightened, their eyes darkening with a mixture of fear and determination. I raised my hand, shadows twisting around my fingers, a silent warning. "I will not say it again."

They didn't have time to answer before four more soldiers burst into the arena, carrying tranquilizer guns and restraining cuffs. I did not have time to think before they raised their guns and shot.

I responded.

The world blurred as I melted into the darkness, traveling through the shadows like a specter. The tranquilizers whizzed past, striking nothing but air. I solidified behind one of the soldiers, my hand lashing out like a snake. Shadows wrapped around his throat, dragging him off the ground before tossing him aside like a rag doll.

The other three hesitated. They had expected a recruit, a trainee at most, not someone who used darkness as if it were a part of him. That hesitation was their error.

I danced among them, appearing and vanishing with lethal precision. One soldier tried to strike me with his rifle, but I evaded, swept his legs out from under him, and drove my fist into his chest. One of the lungs with the cuffs, but I spun behind him, kicking my boot into his back. The final soldier got his gun up, but before he could use it, I wrapped the barrel in darkness, crushing it to dust.

The final man fell to the earth, unconscious.

There was a dense silence in the arena, the only sound my own ragged breathing. The examiners and instructors stared at me with horrified respect, their faces a mix of terror and admiration.

I whirled around and sprinted towards Ola. The two men still restrained him, but they were frozen, their faces pale. They knew they had no hope against me. I reached out my hand—

The air was rent with a sharp hiss, followed by the crack of a restraining net. 

I did not have time to react before it struck me. 

My body convulsed in agony as the net wrapped around me, churning with suppressive energy. My vision distorted, my limbs locked up. I fell to my knees, my magic dying like a flame extinguished.

Commander Real stood at the edge of the arena, lowering the modified rifle he had fired from. "That's enough," he said, his voice cold and final.

---

Dim, flashing lights labored to illuminate the cold, metal walls of our cell. My body ached from the aftermath of the net, but I had suffered worse. Ola, opposite me, was still unconscious, his breath ragged but regular. His bindings had been reinforced.

I breathed sharply, my fists clenched. I had underestimated them.

Minutes became an eternity before a groan broke the silence. Ola stirred, his eyelids fluttering open. His eyes locked onto mine, still hazy with exhaustion.

"You awake?" I asked.

He blinked slowly, then nodded weakly. "Where…?"

"Detention," I muttered. "Guess they weren't too happy about me breaking the glass."

A weak smirk played on his lips. "Reckless as always.

I laughed, but it was short-lived. The weight of our situation pressed down on me. "They're scared of us, Ola. You saw how they looked at us."

"Not fear," he whispered. "Expectation."

I had no time to respond before the heavy steel door creaked open. Footsteps echoed through the room, firm and deliberate. A man walked in, his presence suffocating.

Frederick Robertson.

One of the highest-ranking figures in the Awakening Facility.

Wearing an immaculate military uniform, his very presence commanded control. His piercing gray eyes assessed us, cold but calculating. He stopped a few feet away from us, his hands behind his back.

He looked us over briefly before speaking. "You two have caused quite a stir."

I scorned. "Your people attacked us first."

Frederick's eyebrow rose. "Did they?"

I clenched my fists, but Ola grabbed my arms before I could strike out. "Why are we here?" His voice was flat, calm.

Frederick's smile grew a little. "To the point. I like it." He stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back.

His eyes grew hard. "You will be brought to your breaking points. Your weaknesses will be removed. You will become unparalleled weapons or be broken in the trying."

I glared. "We won't".

Frederick's grin didn't slip."You can't".

Ola's eyes narrowed. "why not?"

"Because," Frederick answered, leaning forward a bit, "whether you like it or not, I'm in charge and I said so. This isn't a suggestion.it's a command".

Neither of us spoke as the weight of his words fell over us like a clamp.

Frederick stood up. "Rest while you can."

With that, he turned and walked away, the door shutting behind him.

Ola and I exchanged a look.

Neither of us needed to say it.

Everything had changed and this was only the beginning.