Aurelian was sitting in the lab reading his book when security kicked the door down.
Filling the entire room, they all pointed rifles in his direction as someone walked into the room.
The Director.
He looked around the lab with indifference.
"Where is he?"
A simple question, with deadly implications if not answered properly.
"Sorry, we're not taking questions at this moment."
That was the wrong answer.
"Seize him."
Two burly guards surged forward and jerked Aurelian by his arms, throwing him before the Director.
"You placed your loyalty in the hands of someone without power, before someone with all of the power; that was your first mistake."
Before Aurelian could retort, something crashed into his head outside of his vision and everything went black.
Cold stone at his feet and a killer headache were the first things he noticed when he awoke.
Chains holding his arms back, forcing him into a kneeling position and too tight to allow any movement, were the second.
He was stripped of everything but a loin cloth to cover his bits.
The cuffs of his chains bit sharply into his wrist; any movement drove them deeper into his skin.
It was devoid of all light in his cell, no window or torch in sight.
Aurelian was left to uncomfortably shift, wincing at the pain in his wrist, for what seemed like hours, before the sound of a cell door, grating stone, resounded out.
Flickers of orange caressed his closed eyes, prompting him to open them.
The Director stood before Aurelian in his suit, cuffs rolled up, jacket missing, and torch in hand.
Next to him, was a guard he didn't know the name of.
"Grab him."
Aurelian's cuffs were unlocked, both hands falling to the floor as the guard grabbed him by his shoulder, heaving him to his feet.
Immediately, he swung his fist at the guard, hitting him square in the solar plexus.
Running towards the door, he pushed the director out of his way and went to escape.
Barely a foot out of the door, a fist was flying toward his face.
Much to the assailants' confusion, he tilted his head sideways to dodge, planting his foot to retaliate with a strike himself.
He underestimated just how weak his body had gotten.
The moment his knees bent, they gave way and forced him to the floor as a second punch approached his cheek.
Not quick enough to dodge, all he saw was darkness once more.
Aurelian woke choking, water filling his nose.
A cloth covered his mouth and nose, preventing him from extracting the air he so desperately needed.
Struggling meant nothing, he was bound, with his head pointed toward the floor, giving the water an interstate to his nostrils.
Every inhale was involuntary, his mind spiraled into one thought, he was drowning.
There was no convincing himself otherwise, death was imminent, here to demand its dues.
Light spilled into his sensitive eyes as the cloth was removed, giving him a view of the room he was in.
Torture chamber didn't cover it. This place was engineered to dish pain.
Every tool for agonizing pain was organized neatly along the counters and walls. Some Aurelian didn't recognize, but they looked brutal.
The same two guards were here, along with the Director.
He didn't look happy; they hadn't found Entro yet.
"I'm trying to be nice here, but you're making this very difficult for me."
The Director stepped closer, "Where is he?"
Aurelian smiled.
"I'm not good at the pronoun game."
A punch cracked off Aurelian's nose.
"Dunk him."
Once more, torture ensued. With his brain panicking, Aurelian thought back to the only other times he ever felt fear like this.
His father standing above him, beer in hand.
"You coward. How did my only son turn out so pitiful."
Aurelian's mother stood in the doorway, not doing anything to stop him. She was equally disappointed.
This was a common occurrence.
Whenever he didn't stand up for himself, let anyone push him around, or slack in his studies due to a lack of interest, Aurelian would hear these words.
That night, however, was different
Perhaps his father had a bit too much to drink, or the way Aurelian lowered his head in resignation, ignited a fury in his father like no other.
Aurelian went to bed with fractured ribs, a broken arm, and a concussion.
His father gave up trying after that incident, and when Aurelian turned 18, he sent his only son to work at Voldstadt Industries.
"Maybe you'll grow a pair. Get out of my sight."
Tuning back into reality, Aurelian was still being questioned but was now unresponsive.
It became apparent that abuse was the only hand of cards life would deal him.
Until he remembered why he was being tortured.
Those grey eyes, that only exhibited kindness and patience.
Aurelian couldn't choose the people he was related to, but he could choose his family, and right now that family was under threat.
If he folded, that family would be doomed forever.
Which meant he could never fold, never crack. He would stand by his promise and hold out until it was safe for Entro.
Sorting his conviction, Aurelian decided he would rather be subjected to hell than betray his only family.
No one would ever notice because of the towel wrapped around his head, but when he resolved to stand tall, his eyes flickered golden.