The Foundry Pt. 01

Jun shuddered. He had never done a single push up or chin up or anything in all his eighteen years of life. He plopped to the ground and tried to do one, struggling badly.

Takuya groaned. "What the hell, man? Are you that weak, ghostie?"

Jun flopped on the ground, nodding.

"Aish. Guess it can't be helped," Takuya said in a gentler tone, scratching his head. He leaned down and picked up Jun by his collar, lifting him in the air effortlessly. "We'll start with something lighter. Like weights."

He picked up a thirty pound dumbbell and handed it to Jun. He let out a small squeak at the unexpected heaviness of the weight. Takuya stood behind him, showing him how to properly hold and lift it.

Jun blushed when he felt the close warmness of Takuya's body, his breath gently on his neck. He tried to follow Takuya's instructions, though it was difficult with him unnervingly close.

"You're already training him, Reaper?" Mudora asked, waking up. He yawned and stretched, hopping out of bed. "Well, if that's the case, then I'm going to go ahead and take a shower."

"I'll be after you," Sogen said, still lying down in his bed. "It's quite painful to watch what Takuya's doing to that young child. Abusive."

"Shut it, you old geezer!" Takuya retorted. "I'm doing this kid a favor! He's not going to get any girls looking like a stick!"

Jun glumly looked down at the floor. 'I don't care about girls. I don't care about anything except getting out of here ...'

"Why'd you stop, ghostie?" Takuya asked. "I didn't tell you to stop! Do five more curls--"

"I can't," Jun interrupted in a soft voice. "I'm sorry, Takuya." He put down the dumbbell and walked back to his side of the room, sitting on the edge of his bed. 'What's wrong with me? Suddenly getting all depressed just because he mentioned girls.'

"Don't think you're getting out of training this easy," Takuya said. "I'll let you be mopey for now since it's your first time. But tomorrow, you can be sure it'll be different."

And it was. Everyday was a routine for Jun - wake up with Takuya, do a little physical training, take a shower, then breakfast with Mudora. Afterwards it was free time to do whatever, either games with Mudora or more training with Takuya. Lunch followed, then more free time with Mudora, Inari and Sayuri. They usually hung around the courtyard, talking.

And then it was dinner - the most extravagant meal of all. After dinner, Mudora and Jun usually parted ways with Sayuri and Inari, heading back to their respective cells. There, they would relax and talk or play games until eleven, when the lights went out.

Jun's life in the Foundry consisted of doing just that. He was grateful to have helpful and nice companions like Mudora and Sogen, but as he laid in bed each night, staring at the ceiling, he couldn't help but wish to return to his old life. He longed for his family back, for his innocence back, and most of all to not have the horrific Skill of Soul that brought nothing but tragedy to him.

'It's cool, but it's not worth it,' Jun thought as he tried to fall asleep. 'I want my life back. I don't want to be here.' He turned to his side, snuggling into the soft pillows and covers, readying himself for another morning with Takuya.

CHAPTER SIX: Skills of Soul

"Alright, ghostie. Show us your Skill," Takuya said. It had been a week and a half since Jun's imprisonment at the Foundry, and while he hated it, he had to admit that it definitely wasn't anything like he expected. When he stepped foot inside, he anticipated brutal beatings, name calling, torture, and possibly even rape.

But everything that happened to him so far was far from it. Although the heartless Chief Warden Sakina managed to strike fear into him in a bad first impression, his prison cellmates helped make his residence in the Foundry a little less grim.

He met Takuya, a tall, handsome young man four years older than himself, who turned out to be a perverted, yet strong companion. He met Mudora, a nineteen year old boy who acted as his guide and proved to be a reliable friend. He met Sayuri, a girl his age who, despite the darkness of the Foundry, managed to stay cheery and bright. He met Sogen, a wise, elderly man full of knowledge and kindness. And now, after ten days of adjustment, they were ready to help Jun with his Skill of Soul.

In the Foundry, he discovered and learned a lot about the mysterious powers he and everyone else here possessed. The Skills of Soul, which Mudora and Sogen had taken time to explain to Jun in depth, were ancient powers that only a select few individuals in the world had. No one knew how to obtain one; it almost seemed as if the Skills chose their vessel itself. Those who possess a Skill are called 'Cursed'.

Legend stated that in the beginning of the world, the very first Cursed was a wise monk who resided in the mountainous temples. It was said that he possessed all the Skills of Soul, and with them, he carved the world into the way it is now. He raised mountains, sank lands, moved oceans, and created vast forests all on his own. He also instilled values and morals amongst humanity using the mystical arts of his Skills. As time passed and the monk died a natural death, his countless Skills transcended from his body, residing in other, new hosts. The new Cursed used their Skills to carry out the monk's legacy, and when they died, the Skill would find a new host, thus keeping the cycle strong.

There were two types of Skills of Soul: tangible and intangible. Certain people possessed tangible Skills, or ones that embodied an element of nature, such as fire or water. Intangible Skills represented the unseen, though existent, forces of the world. Each Skill balanced another, creating an equal scale of strength, although a few very rare Skills managed to outclass the others.

The inmates of Cell C2 decided it was time for Jun to embrace his Skill of Soul. During breakfast, they had him slip outside to try and use it for them. Jun concentrated intently on his open palm as the rising sun glowed in the sky. Within seconds, a small crystal shard began forming - much faster than the previous times.

"Ice crystals," Sogen muttered. "There's no mistaking it. That's the Frost Monarch."

"Frost ... Monarch?" Jun repeated slowly. "These Skills have names?"

Mudora nodded. "Each Skill is different. So it only makes sense to name them. Your Frost Monarch, like the name suggests, is the Skill to create ice crystals. It's up to you how to control it."

"Is that all you can do?" Takuya asked, pointing to Jun's miniscule crystal.

Jun nodded softly. "So far, yes."

Mudora smiled. "It's okay. We're not expecting you to be an expert right away. It takes time to learn how to use your Skill. Don't push yourself too hard."

'But I have to get better!' Jun looked at his hands, determined to improve. 'If I can master this Skill of Soul, maybe it'll come in handy in finding who killed my family and sent me here. I have to get better!'

He looked up at his three cellmates with desperate eyes. "Is there anyway I can get better faster?"

Sogen and Mudora both turned to Takuya.

"Hell no. No way," Takuya said, shaking his head. "The kid can't even do a single push up. No way in hell I'm taking him on as an apprentice!"

"Come on, Taku," Mudora pleaded. "You're the best out of all of us. If anyone can make Jun control it better, it's you!"

"I'm not taking care of some weak little brat!" Takuya snapped back. "He'll get better on his own!" He turned around and began walking back to the cell.

"If you turn your back on him now," Sogen said, "how will you know? Watchful eyes are the most wise. You won't know a thing about him if you walk away."

Takuya stopped in his tracks, mumbling to himself. Sogen's wisdom always managed to strike him where it mattered. He turned around only to find Jun standing right behind him with a begging look in his blue eyes.

'Fuck my life,' Takuya thought. He closed his eyes and sighed, then said, "Jun, was it? I'll teach you, okay?"

A smile slowly crept up on Jun's youthful face. He hugged Takuya excitedly, thanking him profusely as Mudora and Sogen laughed.

"I won't disappoint you this time!" he said, squeezing his head into Takuya's warm and hard chest.

Takuya found himself chuckling softly at Jun's adorable behavior. "This kid," he mumbled, ruffling his own black hair.

That evening, during dinner, Takuya took Jun out to the open courtyard. He stood about five feet away, facing the younger Cursed. There weren't that many people around, ideal for a one on one training session.

"Alright, ghostie. The key to controlling your Skill is to not focus and concentrate too much," Takuya said. "It's not a math test, so you don't need to worry too much. Relax and let the energy inside you flow on its own. Try to feel it move too, so you get the hang of it. You have a tangible Skill of Soul, so it should be easier to form."

Jun nodded and stared at his hand.

"Don't stare at it!" Takuya yelled. "Do you stare at the ground where you walk? No, it happens naturally. Just look at me."

Jun lifted his gentle blue eyes to meet Takuya's tough golden ones. 'God, he's really hot. But he's so scary! I wonder what kind of person Takuya was outside of here?' His thoughts were cut short by Takuya's fingers snapping in front of him.

"Pay attention, ghostie!" he said sharply. "The hell were you staring me down for anyways?"

Jun blushed brightly and quickly turned away. 'Oh god! He caught me! Now he probably thinks I have a crush on him or something! No!'

"I said look at your hand, ghostie!" Takuya repeated, his voice growing impatient. "Damn, what the hell is wrong with this kid?" he muttered to himself.

Jun eyed his hand and found a large, spiky crystal ball hovering in his palm. 'Whoa! Wh-when did this get here?'

Takuya laughed. "Shocked? See, let your Skill form naturally and don't force it out. Now that you've grasped that concept, we'll be working on perfecting it. No need to rush. Let's call it a day, alright?"

Jun nodded as Takuya headed back to the cells. He stood there, not believing what just happened. 'I did it. I made the crystal form so easily! I'm one step closer!'

"Let's go, ghostie!" Takuya called out, walking ahead of him towards the cafeteria. He held his hand up and motioned for Jun to follow. "We've still got some dinner time left!"

Smiling and proud of himself, Jun happily tagged behind him. Although he didn't want his Skill of Soul, like Sayuri said, he already had it, so he needed to make use of it.

"We still got about ten minutes of dinner left," Takuya said, judging the time from the sun. "Come on, we haven't even eaten yet!"

Jun laughed and stuck close to Takuya, although there wasn't much people left in the cafeteria to get lost in. Fortunately, for the two of them, the Reaper was right, and there was still time to squeeze in a quick meal - steamed vegetables with rice.

"Now don't get too cocky," Takuya warned with a mouthful of food. "Just because you can make spiky ice don't mean shit. Keep practicing, and keep going."

Jun nodded as he gulped down his dinner. He was happy. Although it wasn't anything major or groundbreaking, just being able to effortlessly use his Skill was good enough. 'I'll break out of here once I fully control this thing! No one's gonna stop me!'

The next few days, Jun saw his routine really change. Instead of focusing on physical training, Takuya spent every waking moment with Jun practicing his Skill of Soul - which surprised the younger man since Takuya didn't seem to eager to do so at first.

In order to attract less attention, in between meals, Takuya began teaching Jun in the prison gym, away from wandering eyes. Due to his status and reputation, the Reaper was able to clear out the gym of everyone, becoming an unspoken rule that no one was allowed in the gym save for the Reaper and Ghost. It was rude and inconsiderate, bullying the other Cursed, but in the Foundry, no one cared. After all, no one dared to challenge or defy the Reaper.

Days turned to weeks as Jun and Takuya spent hours practicing. The Ghost wasn't necessarily good and often fumbled around clumsily, but he pushed himself more and more - something that seemed to spark an interest in Takuya.

Takuya taught Jun all types of ways to use the Frost Monarch, although Jun's skill with the Skill of Soul paled far in comparison to the Reaper's. Jun didn't mind, though - in fact, he enjoyed being with Takuya. He learned more about the Foundry, the Skills, and even Takuya himself as he spent his days training. They bonded quickly, becoming inseparable.

One stormy day, weeks after Jun's imprisonment, the power was failing the entire A-Block and C-Ground. Inmates were advised to stay inside their cells at all times, save for meals. Unable to head outside or to the gym, Takuya and Jun decided to stay with their cellmates and enjoy a relaxing, normal day. It was after dinner, and the pouring rain still didn't let up as they decided on how to spend their night.

"This is a new game!" Mudora said gleefully, holding up a game with zombies on the cover. "Just got it yesterday from the prison mailers!"

"But that's only a single player," Takuya pointed out, his interest and happiness quickly fading. "Super not fun."

"Fine then," Mudora said, putting his game down and picking up a zombie movie. "We'll watch a movie instead. This is my favorite. It's called 'White Plague'. It's about a group of young adults fighting in a zombie apocalypse. The zombies are all white and stuff because of a radioactive disease from a bomb. In the end, a mad scientist was responsible for making the zombie disease."

"But you just basically told us what the movie's plot and ending was," Takuya pointed out again. "Thanks for the spoiler, fun sucker!"

"We could watch 'Titanic'," Jun offered, his eyes sparkling. "It's a gorgeous movie about two lovers who go on a fancy cruise ship. Of course, it's tragic because the ship sank and almost everyone died."

"Too soft," Takuya said, slumping down into the sofa. "Not into lovey dovey cheesy romance tragedies. How 'bout some porn?"

"They don't carry porn in prison, Reaper," Mudora said, chuckling. "Use your imagination for that. And since we can't seem to decide and agree on anything, how about you two just fill me and Sogen in on Jun's progress?"

Takuya sat up in the sofa. "Well, ghostie, why don't you show them instead? It'll save me some words." He nodded and smiled at Jun.

"Don't expect anything flashy," Jun said nervously. "I'm still learning a lot, but I'm getting better, I think." He held his hands out, facing them towards each other. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and almost instantly a spiky crystal formed in the space between.

"You definitely are getting better, young child," Sogen said from his chair. He had been quietly reading the whole time, only stopping to observe Jun's progress. "That seemed almost effortless."

Mudora flashed him a thumbs up. "Great job, Junno! Just a few more weeks and you'll be making crystal sculptures in no time!"

Jun laughed, playing with the crystal. He shrank the spikes and turned it into an angular crystal sphere, then crushed it, blowing the dust out of his hands.

Takuya ruffled Jun's spiky hair, chuckling to himself. "I gotta admit, ghostie, you did get heaps better. I like you more than I thought I would."

Jun blushed as Takuya's warm hand rested on his head. It felt good; comforting, actually. His heart pounded faster, and he clutched it, confused. 'Why is it beating so hard?'

Mudora laughed at Jun's flustered reaction and got up to start his new video game, when a loud knock on the metal door interrupted them.

"Now who could that be?" Sogen wondered aloud, putting his book down. "It's late already."

Takuya walked over and opened it, towering over a scrawny young man carrying a messenger bag. He was shaking, scared by the intimidating and aggressive Takuya. In his trembling hand was a dark red envelope.

"M-mail f-for Takuya K-Kougi," he uttered out.

Takuya tried to smile kindly, although it came off more as a vicious smirk. He took the envelope from the messenger's hand. With a quick nod/bow of his head, the messenger quickly bolted from the cell, slamming the metal door shut behind him.

"Dumbass," Takuya muttered under his breath, looking at the door, as if he could see through it to the fleeing messenger. He shook his head then opened the envelope. His golden eyes scanned it quickly, then a smile spread across his handsome face. "Fuck yeah!"

"What, Taku? What is it?" Mudora asked excitedly. "Something good?"

Takuya beamed, tossing the envelope down on the table so his cellmates could see. There, on the fancy deep red envelope, Jun could see a simple message:

"Takuya, 'Reaper', we of the Foundry have selected you to be one of two participants in the first Blood Bath tomorrow night. Participation is not optional."

CHAPTER SEVEN: The Blood Baths

Anyone who's ever had to make a nerve wracking presentation in front of people would know the uncomfortable pit of anxiousness in your stomach just moments before. And anyone who's ever had to fight for their survival would know the desperation you feel when the going gets tough. Such is the case with the announcement of a Blood Bath - the anxious anticipation of the names of the participants is beyond nerve wracking.

In the Foundry, the most infamous and profitable yet secretive and controversial method of income is the Blood Bath - a vicious duel with two randomly picked Cursed placed in a large secret underground arena to fight for victory. Participants are able to use whatever means necessary to win - be it brute strength, deceit and trickery, or their Skill of Soul.

It is publicized in the dark, seedy districts of the outside world, with wealthy spectators betting large sums of money on the Cursed of their choice. On lookers are also able to travel to the Foundry in a secret submarine and observe in person through an obscured entrance kept hidden out of sight of the Chief Warden and her subordinates.

The amount of money the Foundry receives from Blood Baths is enough to fund all of its services and keep it running - which is why it refuses any governmental or outside assistance. The Blood Baths are kept secret from mainstream society, and only those who know their way around the dark streets are able to look on the vicious fighting and place bets. The brutal ruthlessness of the Blood Baths are widely known to all the prisoners - for they were all eligible to partake in one, just as Takuya was.

"The ... Blood Bath?" Jun read off the letter. He was still confused about the whole thing.

Mudora nodded. "Yep. I kinda told you about it before, but I never got more in depth. Two Cursed from either A-Block or B-Block are chosen at random," he said, holding up two fingers. "If you're picked, then you have to go. If you put up a fuss and refuse to do it, it's the End Penalty for you."

Jun cocked his head. 'End Penalty? This place has a lot of rules and names for things.'

"The End Penalty," Takuya explained, folding his arms, "is just the Foundry's way of death, except in a far more twisted and gruesome way, like the rest of this prison is. You get it by doing extreme things, not just by refusing to partake in a Blood Bath."

Jun gulped nervously. "R-really?" He looked all around him, paranoid that a hidden camera would suddenly catch him doing something worthy of the End Penalty.

Mudora placed his hand on Jun's shoulder. "Relax, Jun. You're safe here." He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, Blood Baths are a form of entertainment. It's a dog eat dog fight, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser getting eliminated from the tournament altogether - if they survive. It's important too, because the money goes to pay for all the nice things about this place."