In the Pit.

Dusk. Deep underground in the negative floors of a once prestigious hotel, the muffled screams of people sounded out of a makeshift dungeon. The lord of the shelter was at it again. Torturing the newly captured refugees from the city. mankind was strange. Many years after the world went to hell and still people were trusting enough of strangers simply because wherever people lived was definitely better than being on the outside. Any shelter was safer than a few minutes outside. The lord of the shelter, Bane was an awakener. One of the few the apocalypse favoured. His ability was simply body enhancement and it made him almost a different species. Reaction speed, strength, agility and mental processing ability and constitution at almost 3 times the highest human specifications. Very mediocre when compared to the elemental awakened of the larger shelters and bases however to the malnourished and mentally stressed normal people, he was god. 

Inside the room where the sounds came from, there was a pit. A dozen metres in circumference with smooth walls painted with the blood of many. Today Bane was in a bad mood. His favourite concubine was dead. Died right underneath him as he tore through her in his excitement. These new refugees were found upon the daily hunt. They were a group of 5 young men and 3 middle aged women. the women were already washed and waiting in his room but these men were the unfortunate ones he was going to vent on. Due to his strength, he couldn't use any extensive methods in executing his torture otherwise they wouldn't last and he wouldn't be satisfied. He preferred a more productive and self gratifying method. That would ensure long survival of his victims.

He used a sharpened metal rod that fit perfectly in his palm. He was using the sharpened point to practice his calligraphy on their bodies. They were splayed limbs out and fastened to the wall with pegs he inserted with his inhuman strength. They were so tightly fastened that they could only move their necks. Carving away at them regardless of their screams, he toiled to improve his skill.

There was a man who looked to be in his mid twenties. Bronze coloured and muscular with a mohawk. His healthy condition was rare and weird especially after so many years into the apocalypse. However, he had no markings which showed he was from any base or shelter. He received the most attention from Bane. His healthy and strong nature ensured he would scream the most and for the longest. It was particularly due to him that this torture session was going on for so long. After writing each letter, Bane would wipe the wound with alcohol. By some twist of fate, alcohol became one of the easily accessible resources in the end times. It could be drunk, could be used to set fires, and could be used to power the new vehicles that the machinist and big bases were selling. He went as far as drenching them in it with a spray can at intervals just to keep them screaming. And if he made a mistake, he would peel off a thin layer of skin and start again. Nothing terrified the victims more than his focused and studious appearance, as if they were just canvases for his morbid art. 

Bane moved on to another as the muscular man slipped into another coma. This was the third time already and he had also been skinned completely on his front torso. Unbeknownst to Bane this coma was different from the previous two. The man was undergoing a unique change. Maybe the torture had caused his mind to transcend or the removal of a lot of skin had allowed him to be more connected to the world source. Whatever it was he was awakening. His name was Damien. Damien was currently in a hypersensitive and mentally stressed state due to the torture and thus was able to feel the change.

Many had investigated the awakening process to no avail. Whatever is assumed as the cause of one awakening couldn't be used to awaken another regardless of the number of people sacrificed to test it. Whenever one awakened, your spirit connects with the world source and the ability most suited to your soul would be chosen and imprinted on your spirit. This would then form a circuit with all of your body, allowing you to manifest your ability physically. During the formation of the circuit usually an origin storm forms around the body to evolve and tune the body to enable it to use the ability. It didn't happen for Damien because the excess energy was used to heal his body and replace the blood lost and mend his tortured spirit.

Bane and the others in the pit, too focused on themselves didn't notice Damien rapidly healing. The origin energy forcefully detained his soul in the same space as the world source in order to mend his spirit and all that his spirit was asking for was a weapon to fight back and kill all his oppressors and the world source obliged him. After all his spirit was more attuned to time but it was cheaper to grant him is wish and even upgrade it a bit.

The whole process barely occurred in a few breaths and massive aura spread out from Damien immediately his awakening was completed. His body and mind totally healed and his hatred and animosity stronger than ever. His eyes snapped open almost immediately. Bane was rushing to him with a fierce expression and his arms extended in a motion to stab into his head with the improvised calligraphy pen made of iron. 

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In the shelter outside, just as Damien awakened and his aura spread out, the guards holding the automatic rifles at the door to the pit immediately knelt down in fright, shivering and convulsing within their boots at the mere aura that diffused out of the pit. The shelter though silent before as it was night and most people were asleep, immediately became mute. It was as if a pause button was pressed. The flames didn't crackle or flicker, the wind didn't blow through the make shift tents and lousy wooden homes. Even the distant roars of beasts and high level zombies couldn't be heard anymore. 

Booom!!! A loud explosion ripped through the door, flinging away the guards and springing the camp back to life. people came out of their homes with expressions of horror and fear. Too loud. The sound was too loud. The beasts would be there soon and the zombies right behind them. The fastest people to react immediately grabbed their weapons and what little food they could find and rushed to the only exit of the negative floor. They needed to be out before it was choked by the vast number of beasts and zombies that would be there soon. their actions immediately alarmed the others and soon a stampede formed as the others also rushed to the exit. 

The guards upon reorienting themselves found that their guns had been taken by some quick handed and sharp guys and could only lament as they also joined the crowd to escape the negative floor. At least on the surface there would be a chance of escaping. The first few shelter residents managed to get out after totally dismantling the barricade and the crowd rambled after them. They had managed to reach the underground car park and needed to use the service stairs to reach the first floor. Roars echoed as beasts and zombies clashed at the blocked entrances of the car park. In a minute or two the improvised blocks and stacked cars would be breached. There were about six service stairs and picking the wrong one would lead to immediate death but the crowd just spread out and run towards whichever staircase they could see. too panicked to care if their relatives and friends were with them how much more which staircase was safe or not. 

CRACKKKE!! CRUNCH!! The sound of bone breaking and being chewed echoed out of the blue from the entrance to the negative floor. "Ratamons!!!" , somebody screamed. One of the entrances to the underground parking lot had been breached and some rat like beasts had rushed in with walker zombies. The end had come for this shelter. The panicked men with automatic old era rifles couldn't care less about not making noise as they fired on the zombies and beasts on their way to the stairs. The sound attracted the zombies in the buildings to make their way down. The stairs were getting increasingly dangerous. There were a bit above 1000 people in the shelter of which barely half made it out before the cretins of the apocalypse broke in and they were dropping like flies from the chaos of the bullets and the beasts. 

BOOOOOM!!! Another entrance imploded inwards as the car parts sailed in like missiles impaling and impacting people, zombies and ratamons alike. The blood finally attracted a muscle maw. A zombie known for its stature almost 5 metres tall looking like steroids and protein shake were its staple diet. So ripped it didn't even need skin. Just a whole lot of muscle tougher than Kevlar and steel bones. ROOOAaaRrr!!! Roaring and speeding into the fray it decimated its surroundings. not forgetting to stuff its mouth with all the fresh human pieces and beast meat lying about from its grand entrance. 

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Back on the negative floor where the shelter was situated. The rest of the people started fixing the defences to face the zombies. The beasts stayed in the garage with much more active prey. The zombies attracted by the deep stench of more that a 1000 people living in a confined area surged towards the shelter. A few makeshift blockades and gun points were made to deter the zombies whiles the guns, knives and spears were pooled together and the most capable persons at the front. All the survivors at this year of the apocalypse were combatants, even the children and women. Th remains of Bane's guard headed towards the pit to determine the fate of their awakener lord. if they were going to survive they needed his help to do so. 

Deep black smoke was billowing out of the door to the pit and prevented them from seeing inside. "Master Bane!", a guard shouted. " We need your help!". There was no answer only the crackling of a fire and a weird roasted meaty scent. It made the guards gulp down their saliva. They rarely had meat to eat. The beasts were edible when roasted well enough but hunting even the lowest ratamons wasn't easy. A gas mask was found and the lowest ranked guard was tasked to find out the situation in the pit. Suddenly, a metal rod flew out of the smoke piercing through 3 guards and killing them. A low moan of pain sounded from the pit as the scraping sound of a knife against the walls of the pit echoed out. It seemed Master Bane was alright.