The door creaked open again, and another prisoner was dragged into the room. Like the ones before him, he was bound and covered, struggling against the iron grip of the guards. They forced him to his knees and chained him to the floor before silently stepping out leaving Wein alone once more.
He pulled the cover off the prisoner's head, revealing a man in his early thirties. His face was hardened by experience, but his piercing eyes frantically searched the room. Despite that, there was something in his eyes, depicting he was not afraid; perhaps Wein would go further this time.
He narrowed his gaze.
"State your name!" Wein commanded.
The prisoner met his eyes but said nothing.
Wein sighed, rolling his shoulders.
He was beginning to understand the mechanics of this strange power. It wasn't simply about breaking into their minds, rather it was about dominance. To be able to read their minds or exert force, he needed a level of control over their conscious selves.
Currently, the act was still unstable and dangerous on both Wein and them. So, he needed to tread lightly.
He placed his hand behind the man's head and held him. This currently served as a gateway for him to access the mind. He pressed his fingers lightly against the man's scalp.
The world shifted once more.
The mist returned, swirling endlessly around Wein. The feeling of the solid ground beneath his feet remained unchanged. Again, he remained still and focused, honing his power more efficiently.
The strange hidden figure representing the prisoner appeared once more in his hand, but this time he immediately found a firm mental block denying him access.
Wein thought this man was far stronger than the other prisoners, perhaps he might last longer. He did not dare to utter a single word in that space.
An intangible force emanated from Wein and washed over the hidden figure, pushing the swirling mist away until there was a bubble of clear space around them. The hidden figure took a more tangible and solid appearance.
The cleared space was a sight. There was an empty pocket of space surrounded by swirling mist trying to enter but being unable to. Below, Wein saw what appeared like a reflective glass surface reflecting the reflections of him and the now visible prisoner.
Wein tried again and sent his will over the man. He tried to resist, and he was successful, but Wein was not deterred. Rather he was glad because there were no signs that the prisoner was badly hurt yet.
As Wein pressed more, a light green shield appeared covering the man as if protecting him from Wein's mental attacks. It was thick and durable, being able to push back. However, as Wein pressed on and on, his will slowly eroded the shield till cracks formed.
He smirked at that realisation, he was getting somewhere.
…
Outside, it had taken a split second while it took minutes in there. Wein stood before the prisoner whose eyes revealed fear. He could sense that Wein had entered his mind. That monstrous ability, it was something only nobles could do, and the common man was weak to it.
He gasped, and his entire body began to shake as if electrocuted. He tried to release Wein's grip on him but ultimately failed.
The man before him was a noble, they had inhuman strength even compared to physically strong races. A battle of strength between a noble and a citizen, even enhanced was futile. He knew it was over.
"That's it" Wein spoke, releasing his grip and stepping back, as he did the prisoner collapsed. Thankfully, he was still breathing, unlike the others. "That is your name…, Kyra!"
Kyra immediately entered the cell. She saw the collapsed man with Wein standing over him, looking at his hand smiling as if he discovered something valuable.
"My lord"
"I'm sure you found the names of these people, what is his?"
Kyra took a quick look at the body and back to Wein.
"Nico Stein, he is a member of House Ulix and …"
Wein had raised his hand to stop her. "No need for all that, I wanted to see if it worked and it did. I am getting a better understanding of my powers. Take him back and bring another one."
Kyra bowed, "Yes, my lord."
****
Wein emerged from the chamber, his clothes stained red with the blood of the prisoners he had been experimenting on to test his powers. For the past few hours, he had been dominating their minds and extracting information. Each time he got better and more refined.
After being familiar with this power, he moved on to train the offensive part.
By sending a mental shockwave Wein could kill the prisoners on the spot. He spent hours training this, but each shockwave instantly killed them. He had hoped to physically dominate them, but control was still difficult.
Kyra stood waiting outside.
"The experiments have been successful" he spoke.
"Be careful, my lord," Kyra cautioned. "Frequent use of such power often comes with a drawback. For you it might be worse."
"I know" Wein admitted.
He had already felt the drawbacks. Already, his skull was screeching with a ringing headache. Earlier he had to wipe his nosebleed and had felt his strength leaving him. Such was this power, it came at a cost of mental exhaustion. For Wein, born a commoner, it was multiplied.
Fortunately, Wein could still stand but he was far weaker. He stumbled a little almost falling over but was held back by Kyra.
"Using this power is draining. I need to rest a bit" he muttered, hanging on the side of Kyra, though smaller in build, she was strong enough to hold him up.
"Yes, my lord."
She carried him away from the chamber, but after passing a reinforced door, stopped.
"Forgive me, my lord. There is something I had been meaning to inform you of. We were only instructed to keep them alive, only the former Baron had full authority over them."
Kyra's words gave Wein pause, he could sense this was urgency.
"Continue."
"There are two prisoners… slaves that belonged solely to lord Neilson."
"Who are they?" he asked.
"I don't know their identities. It was forbidden for any of us to interact or enquire about them. But I know that they are… Vornkir"
At that name Wein's breath stilled and clenched his hands. He knew exactly what they were, everyone in the galaxy knew them.
The Vornkir. As a trooper, he'd heard the horror stories spoken in training halls. The most advanced alien race in the galaxy. Their weapons were so destructive they could single-handedly wage war on numerous species. Using their advanced technology, they sought to control the galaxy.
They subjugated weaker races and planets and ruled through fear. Stories spread of the inhuman actions; experiments, forced labour, and exploitation.
The war itself sent shockwaves through the galaxy, crippling many systems from both military and wealth. At the end of it, the Vornkir were stopped and put under heavy sanctions.
Their technology was confiscated, their colonies dismantled, and they were exiled to their home planet under tight surveillance. Possessing or recreating their weapons and technology was labelled a crime punishable by execution… or worse.
…
Kyra opened the heavily reinforced door with a hiss as it slid up, stale air escaped. Inside the chamber were dim red lights flickering at the corners. Wein stepped inside. His enhanced vision adjusted instantly allowing him to see clearly in the dim room.
Inside he saw them. Two figures chained against the far wall, their bodies barely covered in tattered rags. Their skin was pale with a rainbow-coloured glow washing over certain areas in intervals. Everything else was covered in blood and they were in a weakened state.
Wein could see signs of torture, their eyes were no longer defiant and had given up. He studied them more.
From their build, Wein could tell, they were male and female. They both had a tail-like appendage stretching from the back of their head, the male's was thicker and the female's longer.
"Do you know who I am" he finally asked.
The two figures who were frightened remained silent, looking back at the strange young man. They knew their tormentor very well, that old man had pure hatred in his eyes but this person before them didn't, still he was a human.
"What are your names?" Wein asked again.
"…"
The bigger one, male tried to speak.
"Zaelith…" then pointing at the female, "Zaya."
Wein's thoughts raced. Neilson must have used them to vent after the loss of his son. They were truly defeated.
What was he going to do with them? Unlike Neilson, who hated them, he did not but still he had Vornkir in his possession. Something like that could place him in danger.
He stepped out and Kyra followed him.
"Astra, you must have all the information about my predecessor in regard to this right? Who are they?" he asked.
"I have accessed the digital database the former Baron had, enquiry results matched" Astra replied with her cold robotic voice. "The subjects are Zaelith and Zaya Veyrath. They were secretly captured by Voss forces from an enemy command ship. Children of the Vornkir king."
Wein paused after hearing that. Those two were part of the royal family of the Vornkir, one of the most advanced races in the galaxy. Neilson must have known and used that as the reason for torture. Revenge for their family taking his son.
But still, royalty. This was becoming dangerous, more than he thought. If it were found that he had royal slaves, Vornkir royals, it could bring trouble for the Barony. But also, it was an opportunity in itself.
"Clean them," he ordered quietly. "Move them somewhere better and more secure."
"Yes, my lord" Kyra replied.
Wein cast one last glance at the chamber. The old man used them to quell his hate, but he would use them differently, for knowledge and power. After all, they were royals of an advanced civilisation, prisoners for him to do as he pleased.