The Dawn of the New World

"Hmph. As expected, all you people are the same. Each one scummier than the last and..."

Dai Zhi could not be any less bothered by the prisoner's words as he listened intently for a long time. But after a while he heaved a deep sigh, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

"Tsk, you, are just trying to buy time."

"-and all you could manage to do was- E-Eh?" the prisoner stuttered mid-sentence, coming to an abrupt pause.

Dai Zhi stood up, walking up to him with slow but steady steps.

The prisoner tried to speak up again but his lips wouldn't part no matter how hard he tried. His heartbeat quickened and each one became stronger, pumping so much blood through his veins and with such force that waves of pain shot through him.

Dai Zhi came to a stop right in front of him, brushing his dainty-looking fingers over all over the various bumps, bruises, and wounds on the prisoner's face as he unsuccessfully attempted to break away from his hold.

No matter how hard he tried it felt like someone was holding him down from the inside out and the pain only got worse and worse the more he struggled.

"Hmmm!" he tried to say something but with his lips closed it just sounded like he was humming.

Every spot Dai Zhi's fingers moved over, the skin started to heal and recover and within seconds the prisoner's face was completely healed. He obviously couldn't see the changes happening but the puffiness and the pain subsided the moment he stopped fighting back.

He looked like a middle-aged man with a few old scars here and there. His darkened skin and bands of unkempt white hair created a wild air as if he had been living away from civilization for a long time.

"Hmm, I expected someone a little more refined," Dai Zhi mumbled.

"What's your name?" he asked and when the prisoner tried to speak only the answer came out of his lips.

"Ade Oquendo."

"Alright, Ade it is. So, tell me Ade. Who do you work for?"

Ade snickered inwardly but when he spoke up, only the answer came out.

"The resistance."

"Good boy Ade. Now tell me everything you know about the resistance."

Ade opened his mouth again but this time he fought back as much as he could. His eyes slowly turned red and with tears of blood streaming down the side of his face. He grit his teeth and held on despite the excruciating pain.

Dai Zhi simply looked down at him with a playful grin on his face, watching in amusement. When it looked like the veins on his face would all burst open he snapped his fingers and Ade fell on the floor, breathing heavily while coughing out blotches of bright red blood.

"Well, at least you have some willpower. You should be proud, not many people can fight back like that. Well, not many people like the pain but I suspect that's not the case for you, is it Ade," he kicked playfully but Ade flew back and hit the back wall of the room, throwing up another few mouthfuls of blood.

Dai Zhi looked at his white shirt that was splattered with blood and wiped his hand over a few droplets, licking his fingers clean after.

"Not bad, not bad at all. I can taste your hardships. It wasn't an easy life was it?"

Dai Zhi continued talking but Ade's ears were ringing like a church bell and he could barely even stay conscious.

"You *gasp* will...never win *gasp* you-"

He tried to talk back but Dai Zhi waved his hand and Ade's body suddenly shot up into the air, his arms spread eagle. Cracking and popping noises came from his body as several bones that had been dislocated popped out of the skin, painting even more of the room red.

Ade slowly floated closer to Dai Zhi, stopping just a few inches away.

"Did you know that all your memories are stored in your blood? From the moment you take shape into your mother's womb till the moment you die, your blood lays witnesses to it all. It does not twist the memories to better suit what we THINK is right, it simply chronicles everything impartially."

"It is the one thing that connects us all, fair and just. It gives us life and then takes it away. It is the elixir of life itself yet people underestimate how much value one's blood can hold. They bleed all over the place and hope nothing happens."

Dai Zhi extended his hand the moment he finished talking. All the blood that had been scattered on the floor and walls, even the few drops that were absorbed by his white clothes were pulled up into the air and gathered in one tennis-sized ball of liquid.

The ball floated into his palm and seamlessly disappeared into his skin. Dai Zhi closed his eyes for a moment as a series of images flashed past his eyes.

"Oho, quite the feat you people have achieved. Gathering so many and leading them....where is this? Underground somewhere? Is this your plan for a last stand? Do you think I wouldn't be able to find you if you tunneled your way into the earth?"