Chapter:121
Title :The Descent into Alcatraz
The hum of the truck's engine faded into silence as the heavy vehicle came to a stop. Before it loomed an imposing gate, its iron bars towering high, etched with rust and the weight of countless condemned souls. This was Alcatraz Prison, a fortress of despair nestled in the desolate reaches of Nuuk.
Sakamoto, bound in thick chains, stepped down from the truck, his movements sluggish under the weight of his restraints. The soldiers surrounding him gave a signal, and with a groan of ancient mechanisms, the gates of Alcatraz yawned open.
Inside, the prison was a grotesque marvel—a coliseum of suffering , its circular structure lined with a thousand cells, each marked from Block A to Block Z. The air was thick with the murmurs of the damned, the clinking of chains, and the occasional scream echoing through the hollow corridors.
A figure emerged from the shadows, his footsteps measured, his presence suffocating. It was **Knight Fendro**, the **Warden of Alcatraz**, a man whose very aura seemed to drain the warmth from the air.
*"Welcome to Alcatraz,"* Fendro said, his voice smooth yet devoid of empathy. *"May your stay be… peaceful or blood filled"*
With a flick of his hand, the chains binding Sakamoto were released, clattering to the ground. The soldiers who had escorted him immediately turned and left, their duty fulfilled, The guards saluted, then retreated to the truck. The gates sealed shut behind them.q
Fendro began walking, his long coat swaying with each step. *"Follow me,"* he commanded, not bothering to check if Sakamoto obeyed. "I'd advise against trying anything clever." Fendro said as they walked.
"This place feeds on rebellion. You act out—you die. Simple."
Sakamoto smirked. *"Wasn't planning on it, just here for the vacation that's all boss"
The Warden halted at a checkpoint, where a set of **prisoner's garb** awaited—a dull gray uniform, stripped of identity. *"Change,"* Fendro ordered.
Sakamoto stripped and donned the standard Alcatraz prison attire—a dark-gray sleeveless uniform marked with a red prisoner sigil on the back. As soon as he did, a new set of chains were locked onto him by two guards of the prison and that was on fendro orders—thick and laced with S.U.H.A-grade Shen suppressors.
"Those restrict all Shen flow. And if you think of resisting… just remember the last guy who wore them and tried to..... Well he's buried 6 feet right now" Fendro said
Fendro examined him with cold detachment. "According to your report, you're condemned to Block Z." A pause. "You're too young to be there. But if the Minister and the court believes you belong there… then so be it."
Fendro tapped a control panel on the wall, giving the signal and then spoke into a mic saying,
"Open Cell 777."
A distant clank echoed as the mechanisms within the prison whirred to life. The Warden motioned for Sakamoto to step into a descending elevator. As they plunged downward, Sakamoto caught glimpses of other prisoners through the small reinforced windows in their cell doors—some reading, some staring blankly, others curled into themselves, broken.
Then, darkness.
The elevator shuddered to a stop. The lights flickered on, revealing Block Z—a place where even the air felt heavier, where despair clung like a second skin.
Fendro led Sakamoto down the dimly lit hall before stopping at Cell 777, its door already open. *"This is your new home," the Warden said. *"Dinner is at 8:00 PM. No breakfast. No lunch."
As Sakamoto stepped inside, a voice cackled from the adjacent cell—Cell 776.
*"Warden~!"* The voice was playful yet dripping with madness. *"It's been a while since you had someone down here! Heh… I hope you're fun, boy!"
Fendro didn't turn. "Asger," he said, voice laced with warning. *"You killed the last prisoner in 777. I dealt with you then. Behave… or I'll deal with you again."
The woman—Asger—laughed, a sound like shattering glass. *"Ohhh, how about you take those chains off the pretty boy? Let's see if he stands a chance against me I'm curious !" She smiled
The Warden ignored her, stepping back into the elevator. The doors closed, sealing Sakamoto in the abyss.
Alone, Sakamoto sat on the hard prison cot, exhaling. *"So… this is it, huh?"* He chuckled darkly. *"From Grandma dying… to sitting in a prison cell. How amazing."*
A whisper slithered through the wall.
*"Sure is amazing~"*
Sakamoto turned. Pressed against the bars of Cell 776 was a figure wrapped in tattered robes, her arms and legs bound in white bandages . Wild black hair framed a face that was both youthful and ancient—crimson eyes glowing like embers in the dark. A blood-red sash coiled around her waist, the only splash of color in the gloom.
**Asger**.
A woman who had lived 200 years yet looked no older than 18. A monster in human skin.
She grinned, her teeth sharp. "Welcome to hell, little boy."
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### [Interlude: The Interrogation Room in Seoul]
Elsewhere, Rokky convulsed violently as machinery needles stabbed into his flesh, forcing his body to shift against his will. Sweat drenched his skin, his muscles straining—but he refused to break.
Rajesh watched, his expression unreadable. *"Enough," he finally said. "We're getting nowhere."
**Mujin** clenched his fists. *"Sakamoto's already been sent to Alcatraz. We can't fight the system now."*
Rajesh sighed. *"I wonder… how is that boy holding up down there?"*
---
### [Interlude: The Hidden Lab]
In a concealed laboratory, Draven lay on a medical slab, wires snaking across his body, siphoning Shen energy from an unknown source.
**Circe** adjusted the machinery, her movements precise. Nearby, Huey observed, arms crossed.
"This technique will consume every drop of Shen in you," Huey warned. *"It's a godly art. A debt owed to The Ten."
Draven scoffed. *"Whatever. Just get it over with."*
Huey's lips curled. *"Very well. When I return… we shall awaken the strongest Shen user this world has ever known"* His voice dropped to a whisper. "He was thought to be gone… but he lives on."
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End Chapter.