Tiza Narito

The Awakening

Pain.

A searing, all-consuming pain dragged me back from the depths of unconsciousness. My body felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together with fire. As my senses returned, I became aware of the cold, rusted chains biting into my wrists. My arms were stretched above my head, my body hanging limp, forced to carry my own weight. My shoulders burned from the strain, my muscles screaming for relief. The stench of blood, sweat, and filth filled my nostrils. Then came the voices.

"He’s awake."

A shadow loomed over me, followed by the sharp crack of a whip across my back. My vision blurred from the impact, pain exploding through my body.

"Good. We’re not done with you yet."

My captors took turns torturing me, their blows relentless. Fists to my ribs, boots crushing my fingers, blades carving shallow wounds into my flesh just to watch me bleed. But I did not scream.

"I would not give them the satisfaction".

Instead, I focused on my breathing, forcing myself to remember who I was. Narito Tiza, the Marked Wolf. Leader of the Dark Angels. I had endured worse than this. Pain was nothing. Pain was a gift. But my body was failing. My vision swayed, my strength slipping away with every passing moment. Then, through the haze of agony, I heard it. A whisper.

"You are not weak."

The voice did not belong to my captors. It came from somewhere deep within me—an echo from the past, or perhaps something even older.

"You are more than this cage."

Something stirred inside me, something primal. The mark on my face burned as if it had come alive. My heartbeat slowed, my senses sharpening beyond human limits. The scent of blood thickened in the air. Not just mine. Theirs. Slowly, I lifted my head. My captors men who had laughed as they beat me suddenly hesitated. Perhaps it was my eyes. Or maybe they could feel it too… Something had awakened within me. And they had made the mistake of setting it free. One of the soldiers stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror as he whispered aloud, more to himself than anyone else.

"Something... something is not right. He’s not human. He’s a monster... and we’re all going to die!"

The words hung in the air like a curse. But as he tried to run, his legs betrayed him. His body trembled violently, frozen in place. His breath quickened, but his limbs refused to obey. He wasn’t alone. Around me, the other soldiers stood motionless—trapped in the grip of an overwhelming fear. Their weapons clattered to the ground, useless in their hands. They didn’t scream. They didn’t flee. They simply… stopped. Paralyzed. Their hearts thundered like war drums, pounding louder and louder, echoing in my skull. I could hear each beat, each tremor of terror. Their fear was alive, and I fed on it. The chains that held me rattled as I slowly lifted my head. My eyes, once dull from pain and exhaustion, now glowed faintly with something ancient something raw and terrifying. The mark on my face pulsed with heat, a symbol no longer dorman.

“W-what are you?” another soldier managed to stutter, but I didn’t answer.

Because even I didn’t fully know. All I knew was this: the moment had come. The chains no longer mattered. The pain no longer mattered. Something ancient, something buried deep within me, had been awakened by their cruelty. And now, it refused to be caged. The metal links binding my wrists began to tremble. Cracks split across the stone ceiling above as if the very air had turned heavy beneath the force that surged through me. And with a single, violent roar, the chains shattered. But they had awakened a force that was never meant to be touched.Their fate was sealed.

They were no longer soldiers. They were prey. And I… I was no longer their prisoner. My chains groaned, then snapped with a thunderous crack, shattering against the stone floor. Their eyes widened further. I didn’t lunge. I didn’t run. I walked. Each step was slow, deliberate. A beast rising from its cage not in rage, but in revelation. My hands dripped blood, some mine, some theirs, but my body no longer ached. Something had awakened, something ancient and powerful, coursing through my veins like wild fire.

“Please…” one of them whimpered.

“Monster,” another choked.

I looked at them not with hatred, but with clarity. They were tools. Pawns. Just like I had once been. But no more. With a guttural roar, the room erupted into chaos. Some tried to run. Others screamed as shadows coiled around them like wild fire. I moved between them with inhuman speed. One by one, they fell. Not all by my hand some by their own, consumed by madness and fear. When it was over, silence returned. The air reeked of blood, sweat, and something else, power. I stood alone in the center of the room, surrounded by the broken. The chains were gone. Free I was, unstoppable.