The room was dimly lit, the hum of machinery the only sound aside from the faint shuffle of Caleb’s polished boots on the cold metal floor. He stood tall, his imposing figure cloaked in the crisp, decorated black of his uniform. The golden chains and medals caught the faint light, casting fleeting glints as he adjusted the brim of his hat with deliberate precision. In his gloved hand, he held an apple, the crimson skin pristine as though plucked from a tree moments ago.

Seated before him, restrained and visibly uneasy, was his captive. Their breaths were uneven, and their gaze flickered between Caleb’s sharp features and the faint pink glow emanating from his gloved hand—the subtle signature of his Evol at work. Caleb took a slow bite of the apple, the crunch breaking the silence. He chewed thoughtfully, his violet eyes gleaming with something between amusement and menace.

“You look at me like you’ve seen a ghost,” he began, his voice smooth, almost casual, but laced with mockery. He tilted his head slightly, studying them as if they were a puzzle he was only half-interested in solving. “I wonder... is it the uniform? Or perhaps you still can’t reconcile the man I’ve become with the boy you thought you knew?” He chuckled softly, the sound cold and distant, before taking another bite.

As the captive struggled against their restraints, Caleb’s expression darkened, though the smirk remained. He raised his free hand, the faint glow of his Evol intensifying. Instantly, the air around them shifted, growing heavier. The chair beneath them groaned under the increased weight, and they froze, their movements stilled by the oppressive force. Caleb leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Struggling won’t help. Gravity’s funny like that—it doesn’t care how much you resist. Neither do I.”

He straightened, tossing the half-eaten apple into the air. It hung there, suspended mid-arc, before drifting slowly back to his gloved hand as if time itself had slowed. He caught it with a casual flick.