» Friable «

𝙞.

The monotonous sound of water dripping from a small leak in a rusty waste pipe could be heard echoing almost eerily in a gloomy, dark dungeon. In one of the grimy cells, a curled-up figure was seen dozing off peacefully to the sound. Besides that, it was silent until the heavy creaking of the metal door broke it.

The figure didn't even bother to move from his spot, thinking it was lunchtime. But instead of hearing the clanging noise of a steel tray thrown carelessly, a dull but heavy thud resonated inside the tiny prison cell.

That immediately caught his attention.

Still pretending to be asleep, the man peered up through his arms. He could only see the bulky figure of a soldier walking out of the room. His eyes then snapped down to the ground where he saw through the dimly lit area a body...

A motionless body.

He stayed in his corner but kept an eye on the unmoving figure. He hoped they weren't dead or something. His cell already stunk enough. He didn't want a putrid scent of a corpse circulating around the room he was stuck in.

Fortunately, the body didn't seem dead when he saw its chest faint, rising and falling. Then, he saw something interesting on their wrists. A nullifying handcuff. That means this person can use magic. As he continued his observation, he noticed the long hair splayed messily to the ground.

A girl.

As he came to that conclusion, he failed to notice that the girl was awake until...

"Ahhhhhkkkk!!!"

He jolted at the sudden shrieks of pain that echoed loudly in the silent dungeon. Seeing the stone embedded in the handcuff glowing, he hurriedly tried calming down the unnamed lady.

"Shhhh. Hey. Hey. Listen to me. Don't use your magic. It would only make the pain worse." He moved closer but didn't touch her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

After a while, the screaming decreased and was replaced by whimpering and heavy breathing. The girl tried to catch her breath, occasionally wincing from the lasting pain. Her face scrunching up whenever she made a tiny movement.

"What was that?" The girl whispered, voice hoarse from her screaming fit earlier.

"It's the handcuff. It's a device used to prevent someone from using their magic. They'll be shocked in return." He answered.

"Magic..." She trailed off, looking down at the cuff with slight surprise.

"Yes, magic." He nodded.

"And you... You can also use magic? Are you a witch?" She asked when she looked at his wrist, noticing the identical metal chains.

"No. I'm a beast summoner." The man clarified, though a little confused about her choice of words.