Pain

Lucian collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as he tried to pull himself up. His arms felt like jelly and his entire body felt like it was heavier than boulders. 

"Ugh..." Lucian groaned

His vision was blurry as well, he slowly blinked as he looked ahead. 

Suddenly, a single boot was planted right in front of him. 

"Hm." He heard Lunaris's voice, "Three days are up. How are you feeling?" 

"W-Water..." Lucian managed, "I need water..." 

"Stand up." Lunaris said

"I can't." He replied

It had been three days after Lucian's intense physical condition. Lunaris had him run miles into the wilderness, climbing steep cliffs, and lifting and moving boulders. This was all something that Lucian didn't know he was capable of doing but due to him possessing a Sealed Calamity, his physical prowess was immense. 

After all that, Lucian's conditioning was complete and he could feel nothing but a sore body. He doesn't remember having an intense workout such as this, but he does know that he's never moved boulders that weigh hundreds of pounds. 

"You won't water then." Lunaris said as she shook a canteen above Lucian

Lucian slowly looked up, his lips cracked and dark bags under his eyes, "G-Give me...." He managed

His clothes were completely tattered as well, almost like he was wearing ripped rags. Lunaris could notice his well-toned body; despite Lucian's demeanor, he had a strong body and she knew it. 

"Come on..." Lunaris said, "Get up." 

Lucian forced his arms to push him up, his entire body trembling and shaking, feeling like he'll collapse once again. Every bone in his body hurt, the pain was intense. He didn't want to move but he wanted water more than anything, so he had to. 

He got to his knees as he gasped for air, "P-Please..." He said as he looked at Lunaris

Lunaris smiled slightly and knelt down, handing the canteen to him, "Fine." She said, "I imagine that your conditioning should be finished." 

Lucian took the canteen and opened it, lifting it over his mouth slowly as poured cool water into his mouth. The feeling of water flow down his throat was sublime, so good that Lucian felt like crying. Every cell in him wanted to cry out in relief. For three days, he had been doing nothing but what Lunaris told him to do. 

As he gulped down the entirety of the water, Lucian felt most of it splash onto his clothes. Lunaris tilted her head and scanned his body extensively as if she was trying to see if there was any difference. 

"The Ether in you is more noticeable." Lunaris said, "Your body seems stronger, that is." 

Lucian gasped and wiped his mouth, his energy and strength suddenly returning, "I...." he started, "I just feel tired." 

Lunaris lifted the metallic tube and pressed on the button. 

Lucian then felt a slight vibration on his wrists, the cuffs that were placed on him, "Hm?" He said as he blinked

"Interesting...." Lunaris smiled, "You barely felt it. So your body is truly strong. Well, how about this one...." 

She turned a small dial on the tube and immediately clicked the button. Lucian felt a slight jolt in his wrists but it was more than an inconvenience to him. It didn't hurt, but he could feel it. 

"What?" He said, "I...." 

"It didn't hurt?" Lunaris asked

Lucian shook his head, "N-No...." He said, "That's strange, my entire body was hurting just a few moments ago. Why is it?" 

"Your body houses a Calamity, it's bound to be incredibly tough." Lunaris said, "The effects of the Seals must've worn off, your body is no longer sensitive. Your conditioning was a far better success than I thought, I am a genius at training." 

She straightened up and turned the dial on the tube, clicking the button once again. 

Lucian felt a stronger jolt of electricity in his wrists. 

"Ah!" Lucian flinched as he dropped the canteen

"Hm, the third of the 4 settings." Lunaris said, "That would've left you unconscious would your body still be sensitive. Interesting...You are better than I thought. A little more conditioning and you will be able to withstand the final setting." 

Lucian looked at her with a frown, "So..." He started, "I have to keep doing what I was doing?" 

She shook her head, "No." She said, "Rest for the day. At first light tomorrow, I am going to teach you the fundamentals. Let's see how good your Calamity is." 

***********************

Lucian laid on a hammock, strung up between two trees as he looked up at the night sky. The black void was littered with hundreds, no, thousands of stars that shone brightly above them. He also saw the three massive moons that were in the middle of the sky. 

"Infernis.....huh?" He said

He had taken a nap on the ground under a tree, shortly after Lunaris left him to rest, completely tired. A few hours later, he woke up, feeling energized and found that Lunaris's men set up the hammock for him to sleep in. 

He looked to his left, seeing the small camp down the hill. They were back where he was taken, in the middle of a field, by the side of the road. The Village he had attacked, without knowing, was only a few miles, further up by the River. 

He understood that they were in the country-side of the Bull Kingdom and he wondered if these medieval-looking men were from said kingdom. 

They all looked at him from a distance, with contempt on their faces. He saw that most of them were sitting by campfires as they gave glances at him. Something made Lucian understand of their demeanor. As far as he could tell, the Men were probably afraid of him; he was what they considered a Cursed One. 

He still didn't understand the whole ordeal but as far as he could tell, there was a great power inside of him. 

At times, he could feel it; the Calamity twitching violently inside of him. To him, it felt like something spreading through his veins, attempting to claw its way out. But the Seals did their job, Lucian felt...normal. As normal as he could feel in this situation. 

He would occasionally get flashes of memory; his rampage. Lunaris claimed it was for 10 seconds, but in those 10 seconds, he remembers being colossal, having immense power flowing through his body as he laid ruin to the land. 

He sighed, "I hope all of this is a dream..." He said as he looked back up to the sky, "If not....well, I guess I'll have to find a way to go back home.....A Calamity, huh? There's only one way to deal with this....." 

"I'll control this power and break free from control."