They stepped into the training room. Round LED panels lined the ceiling, casting shadows across the battered floor.
In the center, a young man executed push-ups on a single finger, his white tank top exposing lean, well developed muscle.
Impressive, but achievable. Except his finger hovered a full inch above the ground.
Rain's lips twitched into a half-smile. He tilted his head, studying the strange scene.
The invisible barrier supporting an entire adult's body weight was perfectly stable, vibrating so slightly that only the air distortion around the fingertip gave it away.
Jackson waved a hand. "This is Subject Seven—Ronaldo. He was among the first to wake up. "
"I'd like to ask a few questions, if you don't mind." Rain spoke.
The director nodded, then faced straight forward. "Number 7. Please cooperate."
Everyone watched him rise without using his hands, the motion too animated to be natural.
"What do you want to know?" the young man asked.
"Everything." Rain skipped the pleasantries. "Start with this so-called 'Rites.'"
His explanation came in halting sentences. The first rite that differed for each victim, the transportation to another place, a city filled with people with abilities.
Rain straightened when the inhabitants were mentioned.
"They weren't from our Earth," Ronaldo clarified.
"Not from Earth. But you were able to understand them somehow?"
"Yes. They spoke clearly to me. They said I could leave if I passed the second rite, but I couldn't return until our world was ready. They never explained what that meant. Only that the 'Nightmare curse' would keep spreading."
The gaps in logic multiplied the more he talked
"You said you gained a unique power after passing the first time. Does that mean everyone stuck there gets one?"
"I'm one of the few exceptions. They call me a 'Blessed By Darkness'. But that doesn't mean others can't gain power. They just learned them over time. And—"
He clawed at his head, his face contorting from pain. "I… can't… keep… going…"
"What's happening?" Rain asked.
Jackson interrupted. "That reaction is normal. Most of them lose their memories much sooner. Number Seven kept most of his—but pushing himself gives him severe headaches."
There was no point in pressing further. He let the matter go.
"Director. I would like to test his ability through live combat."
"Of course," Jackson nodded. "Number 7 please follow his instructions."
Confusion flickered across the young man's face, but he still took his stance.
"Hit me with your strongest attack," Rain's arms opened wide, exposing his entire torso.
"Don't blame me if you end up dead," Ronaldo pulled his leg back and held it.
The air around his foot rippled and warped. Pressure clenched like a kettle. Ten seconds later, his leg shot forward.
bang!
The repulsive force tore through the torso, launching Rain backward. He crushed into the wall, and the concrete swallowed him whole.
crack!
His hand emerged first. He pulled himself free slowly, peeling out of the wall like he had all the time in the world.
"That was an amazing attack. I didn't even see it." Blood painted his teeth red when he smiled.
Ronaldo's eyes widened. "Are you out of your mind?"
He threw that kick with the momentum of a runaway car, a strike meant to end lives, not get compliments.
Rain rolled his shoulders, snapping them into place with each crack.
"How about we spar a bit?" Rain asked, smiling innocently.
The gesture was harmless enough, but it sent a jolt through the young man, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Don't come closer!" Ronaldo was highly sensitive to danger, and right now he felt the same warning he had when running away from a monster far more powerful than himself.
"If you're not going to move…Then I will."
Before the words finished, he was already within striking range.
Ronaldo kicked, expecting his repulsion field to work. Instead, the force bounced back, flinging him across the air.
He barely landed on his feet, head spinning, ears screaming.
"How does this even make sense?" Sweat dripped down his face as he pushed off the floor.
Rain took a single step forward, arms loose at his sides. "Stop holding back. Try to kill me."
"Damn it.!" The young man's stance changed, weight dropping lower. "I didn't survive that hell for nothing.
"Good attitude."
They traded more blows, faster with each exchange. The impacts rattled the floor, sending shockwaves through the room, but neither gave ground.
In the corner, the spectators couldn't look away.
Ronaldo was top five in terms of combat ability, and yet he was struggling against pure physical strength.
The worst part: he was losing speed, while his opponent moved like a machine, tireless and relentless.
Just as expected, his defense crumbled. Rain's fist slammed into his ribs like a piston, sending him flying across the room.
He hit the floor hard enough to bounce, tumbling twice before sliding to a stop.
"That was a good warm up" Rain's casually commented.
Ronaldo's hand scraped against the floor as he dragged himself upright, ribs aching with every movement.
"You're definitely stronger than me. But that place… it's full of even bigger threats. You won't even get a chance to breathe before you're dead."
"Interesting." Rain laughed, and the air in the room changed. Everyone's fight-or-flight kicked in with nowhere to run.
"Are you really not related to the Nightmares?…You're more terrifying than the monsters." Ronaldo's voice came out smaller than he intended.