After a long stretch of silence... Ishiki finally speaks with his blue eyes staring right at the person sitting in front of him.

"Does it matter?" he shot back. "I saw the carriage filled with the crates marked 'perishable goods.' I saw them filled with kids and I know where they were going."

He leaned forward as much as his chains would allow.

"And the Partike Organization is involved. That's the real reason I was arrested—not because I killed a puny army guard, but because I saw something I wasn't supposed to see."

Silence fell like a shroud over the interrogation room.

Mira took a step forward, her voice low and dangerous. "Let me kill him, Aldric. Right here. He knows too much, and he's clearly not going to cooperate. We can dump his body below to let the beasts eat it, no one will ever find him."

Ishiki's jaw tightened. Indeed they could do that. This whole place was a floating island and that means that below this prison was more rock that would eventually end to reveal the actual ground above which the island was floating.

And for some reason... Ishiki was sure that if they had a prison in the underground they would also have a way to throw things below.

It wouldn't be convenient for them to carry a body out to the outer ring and throw it out the walls... so they needed a quick route.

"Tempting," Thorne said after contemplating on the option, his pleasant facade finally cracked. "But that's too wasteful. Power like his is rare, Mira. It would be a shame to squander it over a few unfortunate truths."

He turned his attention fully to Ishiki, and his smile was gone now—replaced by an expression of pure calculation.

"Let me educate you about reality, boy. Yes, the Velvet Market exists. Yes, it serves a very specific clientele with very specific tastes. And yes, the Partike Organization facilitates its operation. Do you know why?"

Ishiki said nothing.

"Because the Capital operates on a delicate balance of power and influence," Thorne continued, his voice sharp now. "The people who patronize the Velvet Market include people that are the pillars that hold this city together. Keep them satisfied, keep them invested in maintaining order, and the whole system functions smoothly."

His eyes bored into Ishiki's.

"Without that balance, we'd have chaos. The truth is... His Majesty, The Emperor of Aethelburg is only powerful enough to keep this place saved from the invasion of Withering beasts.

The one's who maintain this place are outside if Inner ring... Inner ring is a whole another world on its own. If we were not to maintain the balance then there would be Infighting and collapse of structure. So yes, we make certain... compromises... to ensure stability. It's not pleasant, but it's necessary. That's how civilization works, boy. Sacrifices for the greater good."

"Sacrificing Innocent people and even children," Ishiki said, his voice dripping with contempt. "For the greater good?"

"Spare me your moral outrage," Thorne snapped. "You're not a saint brat... you are a murderer yourself. You can kill people without hesitation. Don't pretend you're some righteous hero."

"When the hell did I said I was some hero? I hate nothing more than being a hero. And he was the one who attacked me first... I just defended myself." Ishiki said through gritted teeth.

"And you defended yourself with lethal force. Exactly what we need in an operative." Thorne leaned forward again. "So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to lay out your options very clearly, and you're going to choose."

He held up one finger.

"Option one: You accept our offer. Join the Partike Organization and work for us. You'll be well-compensated, well-protected, and alive. Whatever moral qualms you have about our methods can be set aside in favor of survival."

A second finger.

"Option two: You refuse our offer and face execution in three days. We'll end you publicly in the town square, make an example of you. The vagrant Awakened who murdered a guardsman. The crowds will cheer as you die."

A third finger.

"Or option three: You refuse to cooperate at all, and we simply forget about you. You rot in this cell until we decide you're no longer worth the resources it takes to feed you. Then we dispose of you quietly and move on with our lives."

Thorne lowered his hand and smiled.

"Those are your choices, Ishiki. Life, death, or oblivion. I suggest you choose wisely."

Ishiki stared at him and almost laughed... what do they think they are dealing with. One thing was certain, that if he used Soul Chain and fuse with the Shinobi's soul right now. He could kill them all easily.

No matter how strong they were, they were certainly not powerful enough to stop him during those thirty seconds. But he couldn't do that, there were restrictions to how much he could do in thirty seconds and then there were other factors too.

So, he needed more time for now.

Every option presented to him was a cage—just different sizes and different bars.

But then again... he wasn't actually a resident of this place and eventually... some day they will complete the scenario objective for sure. Then he will disappear from among these people just like they had appeared.

"No," Ishiki whispered after thinking carefully.

"No?" Thorne raised an eyebrow. "You're refusing our generous offer?"

"I need time," Ishiki said quickly, his mind scrambling. "This is... a lot to process. You're asking me to join an organization I just accused of trafficking children. I can't make that decision immediately."

Thorne studied him for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Then he nodded slowly.

"Very well. You have until tomorrow evening to decide. After that, we proceed with option two—public execution. I suggest you use the time to reflect on what matters."

He gestured to the guards waiting by the door.

"Take him back to his cell."

The guards moved forward immediately, grabbing Ishiki by the arms and hauling him to his feet. They dragged him back to his cell and as they did... on their way through the corridor.

Ishiki's mind was filled with murderous thoughts... he saw several rows of empty corridors stretching on both sides from the main corridor. Calling for him to use them and run.

Suddenly a cool wind sent shivers down his spine...

'Wind?' Ishiki frowned.

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