Imprisoned (1)

It didn't take long for Enzo to come back to the real world. There wasn't anything left for him to see, nor could he talk with the first monarch again as it seems like she was now gone... for good.

As Enzo's eyes adjusted back to the light of the real world, he could hear noises around him. He was immediately alerted as he was previously alone out of nowhere. But when he tried to stand up, he hit his face with something hard.

"Aie aie aie aie!" Enzo cursed at himself as he touched his head. At least he tried. After all, he never expected to see his hands chained as if he was a prisoner.

'Seriously what's happening?' He thought as he looked around to see if his butterflies were anywhere near. Alas, he failed. He could still sense them. Every single one of them actually. None of them died, which reassured him a little. But still, why wasn't he in the same spot as earlier when he swallowed the 'Memory of the Beginning'?

'It's always like this. Every time I come back, I'm never at the place I should be at.'

In the end, Enzo's surroundings slowly came into focus, and he realized that he was inside some sort of enclosed space. The walls around him were solid and seem to stand strong, and the ceiling was low enough that he had hit his head when trying to stand. As his disorientation faded, he began to take in more details about the room.

The space was dimly lit, the source of light coming from a small, barred window near the top of one wall. The air was slightly damp, and the atmosphere held a sense of mustiness. Enzo's heart pounded as he pieced together the situation - he was trapped, seemingly imprisoned.

Still sitting on the ground, Enzo examined the constraints that held his hands. They appeared to be heavy manacles made of some sort of dark metal, engraved with intricate patterns. It was clear that whoever had imprisoned him had taken measures to ensure his captivity.

Enzo tried to use his strength to break the chains, but he failed. Every time he pulled on them, the patterns glowed with a red hue before tightening around his wrist. Forcing him to stop. "Shit!"

Things would have been easier if he were to have his butterflies with him right now. After all, thanks to the first Monarch, he finally understood that his class had a more profound meaning than he initially thought.

Enzo's frustration and confusion gnawed at him as he sat there, chained and confined. His mind raced, attempting to piece together the events that had led him to this inexplicable situation. The memories of his interactions with the first monarch and the butterfly realm still echoed in his thoughts, but they provided no immediate answers to his current predicament.

However, now that he had some time, he could finally think about what had happened. Sure it was some old memories. Pretty old. But Enzo was sure of a single fact.

That the abomination at the end of the memory, it was still alive. He didn't know how such a vile thing could even come to the world, or rather, who could even make such a thing. But the reality was here. It was real. So instead of asking how such a thing could exist, it would be better to ask how such a thing could be defeated.

If it could even be defeated in the first place.

Enzo saw it well. Even the first Monarch, someone as strong and tactical as her could even shake in fear in front of this creature.

So if she couldn't even do anything to stop it, how anyone could ever hope to kill this monster?

Either it was made to be undefeated, meaning that the realms should be destroyed once this abomination appeared, or there were stronger people than the first Butterfly Monarch. Which could only surprise Enzo as he saw how strong she was. Sure there would be stronger beings, but after seeing her in action, he doubted this fact a little.

After all, she was both strong and intelligent, while having a strong army of thousands of butterflies under her command.

In the end, Enzo could only make assumptions... and get stronger as fast as possible. The thought of having to fight this abomination one day really made him sick.

As he contemplated his next move, the sound of footsteps approached the door of his prison. Enzo's attention snapped toward the entrance, his muscles tensing. The door swung open, revealing a figure standing in the doorway. It was a person, dressed in simple attire, their face partly obscured by a hood.

"Well, well, look what we have here." The hooded figure's voice carried a note of amusement.

Enzo's gaze sharpened as he studied the stranger before him. "Who are you? Why am I here?"

The figure stepped closer, revealing more of their face, which held an air of mystery. "Names aren't important right now. What matters is that you're here, and you're quite the curiosity."

Enzo's jaw tightened, his instinctual wariness resurfacing. "Curiosity? What do you want from me?"

The figure's lips curled into a faint smile. "I want your cooperation, or more precisely, your unique abilities. After all, you don't really have a say in this matter."

Enzo's eyes narrowed. "And why's that?"

"Pfft, dear I thought you were smarter," The figure chuckled before its eyes became as cold as ice. "You either die or cooperate. As simple as that."

Enzo looked at the figure with cold eyes, his jaws tightening at the fact that he was forced to work with this figure.

"You expect me to just bow down and follow your orders?" Enzo's voice dripped with defiance.

The hooded figure leaned in closer, their eyes boring into Enzo's. "No, I expect you to understand the gravity of the situation. There's a power struggle in the Nexus, and you're caught in the middle whether you like it or not."

Enzo's hands clenched into fists, the weight of the chains around his wrists becoming all too real. "So what? I'm supposed to be some pawn in your power struggle?"

The figure's smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "You're not just a pawn, Enzo. You're a wild card, an element that can disrupt the balance or tip it in favor of those who understand your potential."

"Pfft, actually, you guys are the funny ones," Enzo laughed out loud, making the figure frown. "What are you even expecting from someone who awakened a month ago? Aren't you guys putting too much hope in me?"