The Shattered Vortex

“Fight!”

“Fight!!’

“Kill him!!”

The voice increased in volume as chaos erupted within the walls of Zeta Doom, the strongest prison on the continent, or maybe even the world.

Where they dropped the craziest monsters, the ones normal containment couldn't hold.

They had brought in two men; both were enemies on the outside.

Vega Mongatomery, the leader of the Neon Syndicate, a tall, hulky man, convicted of the murders of three families and abducting the mayor’s daughter.

Standing across from him, with tattoos on his face and a skull symbol on his chest, his fists drenched in blood.

The man slowly uses his hand to rub the blood on his lips, tasting it.

Diego Inco, the Fifth General Commander of Dark Leviathans.

Convicted of massacres of about five hundred people. Sentenced to five thousand years without parole, he had been sent there three hours ago.

Vega had spotted him, and almost immediately a fight broke out.

Sixteen inmates were already in the infirmary as a result of their fight; two were confirmed dead.

In a prison filled with actual monsters, those two stood out like a sore thumb.

“Come, Diego, come to your death!” Vega took his stance, his body radiating energy as he stared at Diego.

“Tsk…the moment I am done with you, I will make this prison worthwhile!” Diego spoke as he took his own stance.

All the inmates took cover, trying to avoid getting caught in the mess.

“The guards aren’t doing anything?!”

“What if they wake him?”

“Then they will have to deal with him; I heard Ol Vinny died from that hit…”

Suddenly the doors of Cell XXX creaked open; silence fell in the corridor.

A young man stepped out.

Mid-twenties, tall, lean build, long curly black and white hair tied to a ponytail, two strands falling over tired, bright emerald eyes. The expression on his face resembled that of a child who had been pulled out of a wonderland they didn’t want to leave.

Yawning, he cleaned his eyes.

“Now which of you woke me up?”

Darius Winters…

Inmate XXX.

He walked over to the two men, looking around to see the mess they had created.

“Are you two responsible for all this?” He raised a brow, looking at them. “Clean this up and be quiet; I need my sleep.”

Vega’s eyes narrowed; he saw the boy standing before him, proud in his bearing.

“Get out of my way, twerp!” Vega raised his hand, about to strike Darius without even thinking about it.

Darius turned to look at him; he dodged the attack. Pulling Vega in, striking him down with his knee, snapping the man’s neck in a split second.

Everything happened too fast for anyone to see, but the inmates already knew who took the man down.

Diego, seeing Vega down, knew that it was his chance to take control of the prison and make it his.

“Well kid, I think he passed out from all the hits I had landed…” Diego clenched his fist, about to hit Darius.

“Dont take this personal, kid, but you have to die!!”

The punch was about to connect with Darius, but he turned and raised his finger, stopping the blow inches away from his face.

“Do you brutes come with all muscle and no brain?”

Darius pulled his hand back, then delivered a punch on the man’s chest, and his hand went right through.

Diego was killed on the spot.

Darius threw the body aside, turning to look at the inmates hiding in their cells.

The new ones were in awe, and the old ones walked over to Darius and handed him a rag.

“Any more injured?” He asked, looking at the inmate who gave him the rag.

“No, Lord Winters, the hurt has been taken to the infirmary…”

Darius nodded; he turned to the others.

“Fix people to clean that up and please head back to your cells, I need my sleep!”

“Yes, Lord Winters!” The inmates roared in unison, scrambling to their positions.

He walked back to his cell, sat down on his bed, and looked up. Slowly slipping down to the bed, trying to close his eyes and get his long-awaited rest.

Zeta Doom had been a lawless ground, long before Darius was thrown in there.

Warlords, Generals, Syndicate leaders, criminals who caused an uproar in the world before they were thrown into the iron and concrete cage.

The police couldn't even do anything to control it.

The guards had lost hope; they could only toss inmates and let the rest take its course.

Blood, riots, and deaths were routine in Zeta Doom.

Then Darius arrived.

He was fifteen when he entered.

Three years in, riots and random prison fights stopped.

Six years in, warlords and the evil generals in the prison bowed.

Ten years in, Zeta Doom had a Lord, one whom every inmate feared and respected.

Darius wasn’t known for talking much; men who challenged him were sent to the infirmary and fitted with prosthetic limbs, and the others were sent to the cemetery.

But his strength alone wasn’t what made him a scary figure.

He was a healer…

Healing and caring for inmates the prison doctors couldn't help; he healed them.

His hands could take life, but they could also restore it.

They gave him the title, The Golden Dragon Emperor…

The inmates trusted him…

Even the guards had grown to respect Darius, knowing that he was the reason why Zeta Doom had become habitable.

Even the Warden spoke to him differently.

Darius’ eyes almost closed shut when he felt someone’s presence by his cell door.

“Mr. Winters…”

Standing by the door was a man in his mid-forties, with a cold look on his face, two guards standing right by his side.

Warden Arnold Zigga.

The most powerful man in Zeta Doom.

“I need your help,” Arnold spoke, his voice polite.

“It can wait; I am about to take my nap…” Darius frowned as he turned to the wall.

Then he heard a thud, turning slightly to see something he would never have imagined.

The two guards were in awe.

Arnold Zigga was on his knees.

“Please,” the man spoke; his voice sounded like he was forcing it out.

“I need your help to save my family. They contracted some terminal, incurable illness, according to the doctors. They have been taken to different places for help. But no one could help them; they have been given two more days to live, but if there is anyone who can save them…”

Arnold bowed his head to the floor, his eyes filled with tears.

“It’s you, Golden Dragon Emperor!”

“I have seen you heal men who we declared dead; you have done things not even the doctors out there could do.”

Silence painted the hallway; inmates dared not speak or breathe.

The most powerful man in Zeta Doom was on his knees.

Darius slowly pulled himself up, turning to look at Arnold.

“And why?” Darius spoke slowly, his face darkening as he stared at the man. “Why should I help you, after what you did to me?!”

Arnold, in shock, looked into Darius’s eyes, and he could see the disappointment there.