Capítulo 9: new room
The pirate's key clinked sharply as it twisted in the steel lock, and with a low groan, the massive door creaked open. The pitch darkness of the room was pierced by the warm glow of the lamp in the pirate's hand, casting flickering shadows that danced across the cold stone floor. He set the lamp down, its flame trembling with the faint stirrings of air, and approached one of the prisoners—a frail, emaciated young man named Eden.
The pirate unlocked his old, rusted shackles, only to replace them with a fresh pair of tight-fitting iron handcuffs that bit painfully into his thin wrists. He called out another pirate who had been lurking outside the door. The second man roughly grabbed Eden's arm and hauled him to his feet, dragging him from the cell with casual brutality.
The first pirate, meanwhile, turned his attention to the opposite corner of the room, where another prisoner sat—this one different. Allen's eyes, clear and focused, betrayed none of the broken spirit that had infected the others. He looked stronger and healthier, and most importantly, there was a quiet resolve in him, something untouched by the despair that clung to the cell like a thick fog. The pirate lifted the lamp again, casting Allen's face in shadow and light as he gripped his arm and led him out of the grim confinement.
They walked for what seemed like an eternity, the wooden planks of the ship creaking beneath their feet as they made their way to land. As soon as Allen stepped on land, he instinctively raised his head to the sky, which was impossibly huge and blue, without a single cloud.
Eden, in contrast, kept his head bowed low, his eyes distant, as if the world around him no longer held any meaning.
The pirates led them down a beaten path to the heart of the pirate headquarters, where the base was sprawling like a festering wound. Allen looked around with mild disappointment at the buildings, which contrasted sharply with their unsightly poor and rather pathetic appearance with their ship's ominous grandeur. For pirates commanded by a captain with a bounty of fifty million, who had been captain of a huge crew for more than ten years, this place looked too pitiful, and not befitting the name of their crew.
Finally, they were led to a large, imposing building with barred iron windows and a thick steel door. It stood at the edge of the main square like a grim sentinel prison in every sense of the word. The pirates opened the door and, without concern for the comfort of the prisoners, roughly dragged the two young men inside.
The cell was larger than the cramped quarters they had been held in before, but it was no less oppressive. The space could accommodate fifteen prisoners, though now it held only two, save for the fading memory of a third—another captive who had succumbed to illness three days prior.
Eden and Allen were forced against the wall, their old handcuffs removed only to be replaced with new restraints, chains fastening them to the wall like tethered animals. The pirates left without a word, slamming the heavy door behind them, and the room fell into a suffocating silence
Allen sat with his back against the cold stone, his eyes scanning the new space with a detached calm. Despite the bleakness of his surroundings, Allen's expression remained surprisingly serene and his thoughts were focused on something beyond their prison. He didn't care about a new prison or being sold to some buyer. His thoughts wandered to another place entirely, to the quiet determination that kept him anchored, the belief that he would emerge from this stronger.
Eden, on the other hand, was curled up, his forehead almost touching the floor. His lean body trembled with exhaustion, his spirit long since broken. The realization of his position, the memories of the past, and the knowledge of his future pressed down with fear and despair.
Breaking the silence, Allen's voice drifted softly through the room, casual, almost lighthearted.
"You know, today was the first time I saw their ship. It's way bigger than I imagined. And honestly, it's creepy—whoever designed it must have had some seriously twisted tastes. But their base? Now that was a letdown."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"For such a big crew and a ship like that, you'd think they'd live in something a bit more... interesting. But nope. Just miserable little houses. I was expecting something unusual, you know? Some cool buildings or whatever, but... eh."
Allen suddenly shifted gears. "Oh! By the way, have you seen their Captain?"
Eden's voice cut through the air, sharp and pained. "Shut up," he snapped, the words muffled as he pressed his face to the floor. He didn't even lift his head.
Allen's light demeanor shifted in an instant, replaced by a more serious expression. He studied Eden for a while, watching the way his cellmate seemed to shrink into himself, crushed under the weight of his own misery. Words felt useless here, hollow in the face of such despair. Allen decided to let Eden be, knowing that he could hardly find the words to help Eden break free of his despair without revealing his secret.
He lay down on the cold floor, closing his eyes. Almost immediately, the soft and familiar warmth of those spectral hands touched his face, and the world around him dissolved. In a matter of moments, he found himself standing once more in that strange inner world, a place of still water that reflected a sky filled with mesmerizing light blue clusters of light.
A familiar figure stood before him, looking like an older version of himself, tall and collected, radiating a quiet strength.
"Let's get started," Allen said in a steady voice, adopting a fighting stance. The air around him filled with cursed energy as he prepared for the challenge ahead.
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I split this chapter into two smaller parts because I just didn't see it as a complete chapter.
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