In an ordinary looking building inside the city, the director of the intelligence department was having his evening nap in his office's armchair.
It was a one hour of complete silence and relaxation he devotes each day to unwinding the accumulated stress his work produces. He even gave the explicit order to not be disturbed if nothing of utmost importance was needing his attention.
This single hour was especially important for him these days when the intelligence war between the two cities had reached its zenith, where a well-aimed and successfully carried move could mean the defeat of one of the cities.
The director was halfway through reaching that serene state where you don't think of anything but don't fall asleep either, when a sudden banging on his door startled and deprived him of it.
'This better be worth it!' he immediately thought, irritated by the intrusion.
"Enter!" he commanded.
After getting confirmation, the door opened and inside the office stepped an officer of his department.
She was clearly nervous as she stopped in front of his desk and saluted.
All the intelligence department knew that disrupting their director's rest was out of the question, and she wouldn't have done it if it was not absolute necessary. But the contents of her report she came to deliver hopefully would spare her any punishments.
"Sir! A report from the south gate's commander just came in. These are its contents..."
The officer proceeded to put the report's file on the director's office while recounting its key points of interest.
The director listened to the officer as he was scrutinizing the details of the report from the file. His earlier irritation vanished as he regained his collectedness to address the seriousness of the matter.
'The south gate's commander is well known for his discerning eyes and correct judgment. If he has the conviction this traveler is the enemy's most skilled spy in disguise, then I don't have a reason to doubt him.'
If it was indeed so, and they have in their custody this spy, then they just gained the opportunity to learn crucial information and attain the upper hand against their opponent.
"How long ago was the supposed spy brought to the underground section?" asked the director.
"Half an hour ago, director!"
"Hmm, if he truly is the most skilled spy of our enemy's camp, we need to be sure to break his will thoroughly before we pry information out of him. Maybe a few days without any food and water would be sufficient to get him to his breaking point. If it isn't, then it would be a great start to begin with" murmured the director as he devised a plan of interrogation.
"Have him stay in isolation for the next five days, with no food and water brought to him. Also, no one is allowed to interact with him or even enter his confinement room!" ordered the director.
"Yes, director!" Having received her orders, the officer saluted once again and quickly departed from the office.
"Let us see the scope of this spy's true capabilities and how tough he really is." said the director, mostly to himself, as he laid back on his armchair, continuing his evening nap without worries.
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Five days later, the director went to the underground section himself to interrogate the prisoner; that important he deemed the matter to be.
By opening the door, he was expecting to find a starving and dehydrated man, ready to break with the slightest pressure applied on him. Instead, he saw a healthy man staying still in his seat, watching him back in calmness in his eyes.
There was no trembling from the lack of food, nor dry lips from the lack of water, and the prisoner's eyes were gleaming instead of being lifeless.
The director was so shocked, the expression on his face froze the way it was, frowning from the seriousness just as it did when he entered the room.
He tried to find any other details on the prisoner's body which would show the deterioration the isolation should have caused but found nothing.
The disbelief he was feeling was indescribable, so much so his brow started twitching uncontrollably; in his body's own way to cope with the surreal situation.
As the director was trying to unwind this great conundrum, his detailed orders he had devised for a successful interrogation and passed to his subordinates before he entered, were being carried out as planned.
The door behind the director opened again for one of his subordinates to enter, bringing with him a wheeled table with interrogation and torture tools on top of it.
After he parked the table, the man left without saying a word, all the while failing to notice his superior's deep confusion.
The director ignored his subordinate entry and exit completely, still focused on finding any flaw in their prisoner's expression that shows his true distress.
'Maybe this is one of the rare cases when there are no symptoms of starvation and dehydration displaying on the surface. There is also the possibility the person under the effects is strong enough to even be able to control their body and emotions, hiding like that their true suffering.'
With logical theories, the director tries to explain to himself the weirdness in front of him.
In the meantime, the door to the room opened again. This time entering inside was a man wearing a leather apron, covering most of his torso and legs, similar to what a butcher would wear when working. His body was full of different scars he obtained through torture when he was younger, but a benefit nonetheless for his current line of work.
Seeing the skilled torturer he specially chosen for this interrogation enter, the director escaped from his deep thoughts and regained his usual composure. Now convinced the prisoner was somebody strong enough to control both his mind and body in order to hide his pain, a necessary amount of pressure from the torturer's capable hands would be just right to bring him to his tipping point.
Overflowing with confidence again, the director began to speak about this war between the two cities in a generic way like he was narrating history. Along the duration of his narrative, he began circling around the prisoner to instill mental pressure. He also didn't forget to stop a few times and throw a few targeted questions aimed at the true identity of the prisoner.
The interrogation was going well, as the director could see their prisoner adopting a worried face. Of course, he still had the feeling something surreal or wrong was in place, but he couldn't pinpoint its origin.
The questioning continued for a while, with many questions been asked in the process. Alas, those questions remained unanswered, no matter how many of them carried a subtle meaning behind them of the spy's identity or how many were unrelated completely.
This began to irritate the director and as time went on with the prisoner still having just a worried expression, the irritation slowly turned to anger.
Thankfully, he wasn't just a nobody. He didn't let his anger get the better of him and instead decided to stop his unsuccessful mental torture.
"This guy is tougher than we thought. Let's try your expertise!" Having said that, the director stood in place as he watched the torturer get to work.
The torturer's first option was a simple blade. He picked it from the table and moved in front of the prisoner. After getting in position, he placed the blade where the neck connects to the upper torso of the prisoner and in a flawless move, he swiftly swung it inwards along the skin and then outwards away from the body.
The expected cry of pain his skilled move was supposed to produce never came to his ears. Taking a confused look, he was shocked to the bone. No wound was present on the prisoner and no blood was dripping from the blade.
He and the spectating director were speechless; they couldn't understand what happened or what hadn't happened.
"What are you doing man, are you playing here?!" shouted the director to the torturer when he awoke from his stupor.
"N-No director, I swear! I put all my skill in that move!" answered the torturer back, also confused himself.
"Then what happened?! Is your tool made of rubber?!"
"I-I don't know director, I sharpened the blade myself this morning! Let me try something different that I am sure to work!"
"Fine! Get to it and fast!"
The torturer moved to the table at once, picking this time a metal spike with reinforced tip and moving on the side of the prisoner yet again.
Under the intense gaze of the director, the torturer brought the spike as high as he could. After gathering all the strength he could muster, he brought the spike down swiftly, intending to puncture the prisoner's right leg with force.
The impact was great, but the feeling it gave to the experienced torturer was unfamiliar. Nervously taking a peek at the leg, his eyes bulged out from the shock, almost popping out of their sockets. The director wasn't faring any better either.
Both stared with mouths agape at the reinforced metal tip touching the prisoner's skin but unwilling to proceed any deeper.
Both were in disbelief as they watched the undamaged skin. If they could blame the faulty tool the first time, what was to blame for the second time. The force alone should have at least done some sort of damage.
With an unbelievable reason - they would never have thought otherwise in any other circumstance - forming in their minds, they began trembling as they watched the unhurt skin and the prisoner in quick succession, fear beginning to show on their faces.