"I was captured by the Alliance."
"What…?"
"I was searching for information about Soul Weapons, and about the one who sent Velkaria after Earth when Yaleth died here.
"During the search, I got caught in a crossfire between the Forgotten Suns and the Alliance."
Jack leaned forward.
His hand tightened around the mug.
"And then?"
"I survived," Neo said simply. "But the Alliance noticed something was wrong with me. I survived a battlefield where Stage 5 Gods were slaughtered like chickens.
"They figured out I was a Heavenbreaker. Then they tried to extract my Willpower."
Jack's body went cold.
His lips parted, but no words came out.
He could only imagine how much Neo must have endured.
And yet, to his horror, Neo's story didn't stop there.
"When they failed to extract it," Neo continued, "they decided to turn me into a Berserker.
"They sent me to a Site.
"Their plan was to take me back once I had become a Stage 4 Berserker.
