"Ramp it up to, hmmm..." Ronald was openly faking pondering the percentage he wanted," Oh, I know, ramp it to 35%" Ronald spoke in a chilling tone.
" But lord..."
" Is he your son or mine," Duke Ronald interjected coldly. The head scientist, audibly swallowed hard. He went back to the other scientists to carry out the Duke's orders. He met Evan's pleading gaze with sympathy.
If he could, he would have already placed the child under a coma or anaesthesia and pulled out the veins long ago, but the duke did not have it. Just as he was about to ramp the pain, Elena raised her hand to pause him.
He silently said a prayer to all the gods for Evan's survival, not safety but survival. Meanwhile, Elena touched Evan's forehead with her index finger and tried and successfully scrambled his mind.
She sent him under mental distress. She found out, not long ago, that something hurt him more than visions of getting his manhood smashed to pulp. It was about the six figures. She simulated all sorts of torture using them, and it always pushed him closer to the edge.
He usually managed to eject her, but now, after what he heard, he was fragile. Not long after, she heard him choke back a scream, tears streaming down his face. She loved watching her younger brother like this.
She brought her face closer to his ear and whispered one name, "Evan Lighheart." She felt his mental defense break. Though she didn't know why, it was useful information.
Evan's head was scrambling for answers, only to get more and more questions,' How does she know? I didn't give up, not yet. Does she know I'm not from this world? Will this hinder me?'
Evan could only get one answer, she somehow accessed his memories and found out his past life's name. Suddenly, pain, like never, ever before, crawled through his body.
It was not fast like the other ones, no, it started from his toes and crawled up slowly. Evan felt his body shudder and tremble, he had already lost control.
He felt like peeing but nothing came out. Suddenly, like a death sentence, it sped up and shot through him at breakneck speed. Evan screamed with all his might.
He glared at the others and spoke, voice cracking from pain and rage," You- you MONSTER. I'M A CHILD YET THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME!?" He turned towards Ronald," In memory of your late wife, you don't care about her last son nor do you do anything but torture him."
"Who said your my son?" Ronald growled," Your name Is Evan Kingston. Kingston, not Augustine."
"ITS EVAN KINGSTON VON AUGUSTINE!"Evan shouted which earned him a scoff.
Ronald turned towards the scientists and said,"50%, now!"
Evan's body shook as if electrocuted. He felt his mind go numb, it was just too much for his small personage to bear. With the last of his remaining will power , he made them a promise which they all spat on.
"MARK MY WORDS! I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN! I WILL DRAG YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL, FROM HEAVENS' HIGHEST SEAT. I EILL NOT REST UNTIL YOU SUFFER AS I HAVE SUFFERED.
NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU. I SHALL REPAY TENFOLD. MARK MY WORDS, ANGELS WILL WEEP FOR YOU. SAINTS WILL PRAY THST YOU SURVIVE.
DEMONS AND GODS ALIKE WILL MOURN. YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME, MARK. MY. WORDS!"
Evan let out an ear shattering scream as his father personally messed with the dial, turning it way up then way low. The scientist behind the monitor spoke up, just voice echoing above Evan's voice.
"Cell deconstruction has successfully reached 16%." The words sent a chill down Evan's spine. His eyes locked onto Clara's. He remembered that she never touched nor spared him a glance.
He heard a faint ding- sound in his head, but before he could ponder, the pain brought him back. This continued for who knows how long. His father finally had strands of grey hair though maintained his regal appearance.
His step- mothers' got wrinkles, good for them. The children grew, while the girls grew prominent assets, the guys grew lean but muscular while others got muscular, surpassing normal body builders.
Evan's body also developed, he got 6'0" tall but still looked like he was a piece of skin attached to bones. It was demoralising when he looked at his siblings and himself.
Also, the world developed something more advanced than Earth's phones and tech. The treatment continued until it came for the removal of his mana veins. Turns out his cell deconstruction reached 81%.
The scientists decided this was enough to safely remove his mana veins. Not for his safety but for the veins' safety. The table like flat bed tilted horizontal. Advanced mechanical arms held him down, with some straps, the started sawing his skin and a little muscle.
He stared at them arms, grief on his face. He didn't know whether to laugh that it was almost over, or cry that this was the beginning of the extraction. The arms moved with abnormal efficiency and precision.
The pain was not like the rest, at least not fully, but this struck his very soul. He screamed to his heart's content. .They tugged and pulled out the veins,no , ripped them out. The machine had cut all cross Evan skin , then ripped it out. It felt like losing your hand to mutated bears, lions, and have them slowly rip off your arm.
He felt his mana pool drain leaving him with a terrible headache. It hurt but felt as if something was ripped away on a fundamental level.
The arms moved slowly making the process all the more agonizing. After days if this only his hands upto the wrists and his legs til the ankles' mana veins were stripped.
This continued for a long while and, after years, his lower torso and arms had been stripped. His mind would occasionally go numb but thanks to Casta, it never lasted.
'When will it end,'Evan asked as silent tears streamed down his face. He knew it was a long way off but he still had hope. One day, Duke Ronald and 'The Golden One ' Astra came.
"It's finally time, Astra. I'm counting on you to raise our family's name." Duke Ronald said in a warm, loving but serious tone.
"Yes, father." Astra nodded to her father's words. She had the talent and would have a way to temporarily reign in her destructive mana, until she was able to herself.
Duke Ronald stared at his son coldly," You were a mistake, you know that? After everything, you not only disgraced our family by having near useless mana but also killed my wife. You used my food, my water,slept under my roof without toiling.
You should be ashamed, Evan" Ronald felt genuinely disgusted by his son's appearance, but nothing could be done. He turned to the team of scientists,"Begin."
(A/N :This will be the last chapter for some time. I will be back after 3-4 months. Thanks for reading so far, I appreciate. I will continue once I'm back to finish the 'lab arc' and go into the :sunless mines arc.'