A pitch-black room, so dark that one can't even see their own fingers, feels like being trapped in a quagmire.
In this dark space, everything is still, making it even difficult to breathe.
Even the source of light, the beam of artificial light scattering down from the reinforced glass skylight in the center of the ceiling, is not from the sun.
In this nearly empty 20-square-meter room, there is only a chair placed in the middle, with all four legs welded to the ground, unable to move.
And on this chair, there is a boy wearing a coarse straitjacket, with a gag in his mouth, sitting slumped, unconscious.
Although he is already restrained by the straitjacket, blindfolded, and gagged, his hands and feet are still bound to the chair with iron chains. In addition, there is a catheter inserted into the artery of his hand, delivering an unidentified liquid into his body, drop by drop.
The boy has been tormented to the point of exhaustion, almost reduced to an empty shell.
For him, this kind of life has become routine, with no glimpse of escape or imagination of what the future may hold.
All that is left for him is endless daily experiments and torment.
"Do you regret it?"
A sudden voice appears at the door of the room.
An elderly man walks into the room. Despite his old age, he looks energetic and agile.
There is a kind smile on his face, giving no hint of malice.
But he is the mastermind behind binding the boy here.
Obviously, the boy who has fainted cannot hear the old man's words, but the old man doesn't mind and continues speaking to himself.
"When I first took you in, it was only because I saw your physical potential."
"...However, the more I got to know you, the more surprises I discovered."
"Gradually, I also began to have some additional expectations of you, such as the cultivation of personality creation and transfer ability..."
The old man pauses for a moment, seemingly reminiscing about the good old days and then continues.
"Because of you, I feel like a child again, delighted as if receiving an interesting toy."
"Of course, I am well aware that people and toys are different."
"Toys are lifeless, while people have life."
"And any living thing, even if it's just an ant, will seek freedom."
As he says this, the old man's expression twitches, as if in that instant, his body feels immense pain.
The old man takes a deep breath and calms his expression, then puts the kindly smile back on his face.
"So, although I find it regrettable, I have prepared means to deal with you in advance."
"And then, that year, when you told me you wanted to leave the facility, to sever ties, I had no choice but to put on the prepared smile and say to you, 'Go ahead, whenever you want to come back, you are always welcome here.' These words that went against my true feelings."
"No one would willingly hear their toy, their handy tool, say, 'I want to run away from home.'"
"So, I had no choice but to calculate your departure into destroying you, so that even if you leave, you can still serve me until I terminate you and reclaim you..."
Muttering to himself, the old man's words become slower and slower, until he finally stops. He walks up to the boy, puts his hand on his head, and gently strokes his hair.
"I don't want to destroy you, but if I don't, I won't be able to sleep peacefully at night..."
"After all, Mingde, you are my greatest masterpiece, so after I extract the last bit of value from you, by extracting your physical data through experiments, we shall part ways forever."
