Chapter 4: Vengeance

"I still remember that vivid night, the entire towns celebrating with joy. As the long dispute ending by a bond of heart of two race. Oh, how I envy their smiles as I gaze in the night stars above. Then... One of the stars betrayed it all!. A scarlet star, came down and ruined everything! So don't even wish for salvation!." His tone was cold as ice.

Zyro's eyes were dull, it's luster slowly dying down. As blood flows down his neck, into the vines. He watch his life slowly being squeeze out, not being able to do a thing.

Amidst all the pressure, he can't fell his body anymore. It had long grown numb, as if it loss it's existence. Leaving only his

consciousness to witness it all, but even that is soon to fade out too.

Then... The vicious vines slowly loosen up, as if they're being robbed out of life. Their thickness reversing time as it grow backwards. Letting zyro go, he fell to the cage floor like a puppet cut out of its stings. With his back against the root floor.

Zyro's eyes jolted open as he desperately gasped for air, taking continues deep breaths over and over again through his helmet. 

'Damm, that hurt!'

After sometime, h stare at the shrouding darkness above behind the cage as he enjoy his respite. feeling drained, battered and pained. 

Somehow, his gamble paid off. In exchange for a painful price, his internals are damaged as well as his armor steel frames. Fortunately, it had not done much on his mind. Or else, he would be enjoying a chat with his mad neighbor. 

Zyro tiredly turn his head sideway to look at the narrow streams of light through the gaps below. Then shifted his eyes towards his neighbor's chamber.

As always, the man chuckled "What are looking at?" Said the man as if he can see through the vines. That even Zyro can't, even with the help of technology. 

Zyro was to busy gasping for air to reply, his sore muscle behind the armor, as well as his mind. Scream to rest, that he can't afford just yet.

The atmosphere became completely silent, as he stare at the mans cage. Not daring to let out a single sound or movement. 

So did his neighbor, bringing tranquility in the once lively scene. as if the two prisoner is playing a deadly staring contest with their life one the line. 

Then, strangely, the narrow gap Zyro's peering through seems be shrinking. 

'what now?' Puzzle, because he didn't even say a thing to triggered a trap.

Just as he thought everything is over. The narrow gaps started shrinking visibly, little by little. The rays of light became dimmer and smaller by second. The damage done to his body was mild, while the recovery time given are merely seconds. How could he recover?.

"Ohh, I like that one, I guess karma really do exist! But compared to your sin. A hundred years more of suffering will paid it all!. The thousands lives you forsaken, war you've created and the peace you've broken. But in the end it's not enough, only an endless death is deserving for you the Fallen knight!" the man laughed, his muffed voise made it sound more senester and evil.

Zyro's body hurt all over, sucked of every energy mentally and physically. Even so, what could he do? He could barely move his battered body.

The needles of light that shot below turn off one by one. As zyro gaze onto one, motionless to do a thing. Until the last light died, trapping him into the cage of utter darkness. 

Zyro's eyes were open wide yet all he see is black. All he could hear is the sound of his breathing under a mask as it slowed down. 

It's like staring at nothingness, which made him felt comfort. Nothingness means no pain, suffering or despair that he needed the most. His mind was severely fatigued, his eyelids were heavy. The pain in Zyro's body decrease but unable to move. Everything he owns demanded rest, and all he needed to do is close his eyes and fall into oblivion where everything is at peace. 

Speaking of peace, zyro close his eyes and recalled what the man said earlier. He deserves an endless death for all his sin, the war that broke peace of thousands. He forsaken thousands, which zyro denied. But... He have no proof, his memories before being encaged were none. He have no idea what could have happened that led him to prison. Zyro have no recollection of it, nor an ability to prove the man's lie. 

However, the man voice when he spoke Zyro's sin has no hesitation nor flaw. Rather, it was full of confidence and even though his a criminal encage. There was righteousness.

Then, he realized that maybe, just maybe, the man spoke the truth. This made him feel that all the suffering he have undergone was deserving. Even death felt deserving, he needed to atone for his sin. That's all he could do, he deserves everything that happened. The tortuous cage, enormous three-like structure, a dark gigantic dark mass above. Everything that seem wrong to Zyro became right. everything was right, even him deserving an endless death.

'Yes, I have to atone for my sin and di...'

Zyro eyes widened, he inhale, strangely. No air came in, no matter how much he tried. He gasped for air again and again. It's as if he forgotten the right way to breathe. 

'No worries, the cage won't kill me.

Then, his neighbor voice resounded once again.

"Boring isn't it? That trap is the most boring of all. All it do is suffocate you in darkness. Which is ineffective to Argon's who have strong lung capacity. Haha, Don't worry, a day more then you'll see the light again."

That's when Zyro came to a realization, the gigantic tree like structure, devine, Gricks and the man calling himself an argon. All of it, doesn't belong to where he came from. His a human from Earth, that's all he knows. Not an argon that belongs to this planet who can withstand a day devoid of oxygen. 

This is not earth, and they're not humans. 

'I'm gonna die?'

The thought of death made Zyro's heart burn, then. He felt fear.

Encaged in the dark, he tried his best to stand. Using his aching muscles as support, the short respite is enough for him to recover some strength. Even though the exoskeleton do most of the work. He stand to his knees, his onyx armor groaning.

"Stubborn, even if you struggle as hard as you could. It'll be in vain!, so just stay put and suffer what you deserve!" Said the man as Zyro struggle. 

'War?, broken peace?, Forsaking a thousand lives? I have not done such things for you people to judge my death! You have no rights to decide how I die!!' Zyro snorted internally.

As he face the dark cage floor, using his left hand as support to not fall.

"Thud!,Thud!,Thud!"

He raise his arm and deliver blow after blow. Making the cage tremble, human power alone cannot pack much power. However, if armed with exoskeleton armor that been developed for hundreds of years. He can even break cement walls.

Feeling his lucidity sliding away, He keep struggling to put a hole in the cage. Even though it's made of roots, it was surprisingly sturdy and thick.

Thud!

Zyro halt, he knew his just wasting energy without profit. With only mere seconds left to live.

'Dammit, if I only have a knife!' 

He do have a knife.

With every ounce of his strength left, he thrust his fist and subconsciously turn on the armor retractable blade.

"That's right, struggle more! No matter what you do. That cage is indestructi..."

A silver point came out in the top of his fist coming from his forearm guard. With silver blade, in a shape of a dagger the length of a forearm. 

In the moment of contact, the blade tip go through the tapestry of vines. Followed by the dagger half length. It rift through the wall of roots making a slit. A grin appear in Zyro's lips as he retracted the blade. A single stream of light shot in the darkness, letting some air come in. 

He fall to the floor, his lip close to the air hole. As he stare at the ray of hope in front of him, gasping for air.

His neighbor feel silent for a few seconds then spoke.

"H-how did you do that?" 

Zyro remain silent to avoid another trap that might close the rip he made. 

The man spoke again "you can speak" his tone was serious, as if he suddenly mature.

Zyro refuse to trust the man, but judging the seriousness in the man's words. And his surprise in Zyro's achievement. furthermore, Even if the slit close, the blade will not let it be.

Zyro gasped a mouth full of air and reply, his voice was calm, while his face possess a mocking grin.

"...Because I'm strong"