When Mile woke up, he found himself lying on a cold, hard floor. His body ached, and his head throbbed. He felt something warm and metallic around his neck, and when he touched it, he realized it was a collar. It was engraved with symbols that made his skin crawl. He tried to stand up, but found that he couldn't move. He saw chains attached to the wall, and realized he was shackled to them.

"Hello?" he called, and his voice echoed through the dark chamber. Silence was the only answer he received.He laid there for a while, trying to process what had happened. Had he somehow been drugged and kidnapped? And by who? A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about the figure in black, and the insane things they had said about him being their apprentice.

Hours seemed to pass. He was very hungry. After a while, the sun began to shine through a small window high above him.Then he heard footsteps. Someone was coming. He heard the door open, and the sound of someone breathing heavily. Then a figure stepped into view, casting a long shadow on the floor.

"Ah, you are awake," they breathed, obviously pleased with Mile's capture.

"Who are you?" Mile asked again. "Like, really?"

"I am your master now," the figure replied, coming closer. "Your teacher. And soon, your friend."

"Whatever," Mile scoffed. "But like what's your name? And what is your purpose with me?"

"My name is..." The figure paused, as if considering whether to tell him. "You may call me 'Sombra' for now."

"Ok, so are you going to let me out of here or not?"

"Oh, that," the figure chuckled. "Well, you see, I have big plans for you, my dear Mile. And you're going to need some time to adjust. But don't worry, you'll enjoy it. Eventually."

Mile shivered at the statement. "Will you let me out?" he asked.

"In time," the figure responded, walking closer. "But for now, I want you to focus on learning. I'll be back soon with something to help you begin your training." With that, the figure disappeared again.

"I just want to get out of these chains!" Mile yelled, but the figure was gone. He tugged at the chains around his wrists, but they didn't budge. He heard footsteps approaching again, and someone set down a tray of food and a book on the floor nearby. He reached for it and was able to pull it close enough to grab and put in his mouth. It tasted fine, but he couldn't help but feel like he was being tricked.

"I just want to go home," he thought. "Go home and see Mei."

"That won't happen any time soon," a voice said, and Mile looked around for who spoke, but no one was there. He wondered if it was his own thoughts.

He lay there for a while, he wasn't quite sure how long it had been. Then he heard a sound like someone approaching.

"Finally," he thought. "Maybe they'll let me out." But when he saw the figure that stepped into view, he knew that wasn't going to happen.

It was a large animal, something like a panther, but larger and with darker fur. It had glowing red eyes and sharp claws of metal. Mile was again paralyzed with fear.

It crept closer to him, sniffing the air. "Ah," it growled, "you are the one they call 'Mile'. I am here to assist your master." It paused, and then added, "My name is Obsidian."

Mile didn't say anything, but just glared back at the beast, who was looking at him in a strange way, almost with delight.

"Your training begins now," Obsidian said. "Your master has prepared a special place for you, and you will need to learn to control your abilities." It took a step closer, and Mile felt a chill run down his spine. "I will help you."

"What new abilities?" Mile asked under his breath.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Obsidian chuckled. The beast came a little too close to Mile for comfort, and he could feel its breath on his neck. "You'll find out soon enough."

Suddenly, before Mile could even blink, the panther struck him with one of his razor-sharp claws, slicing open his arm. Pain coursed through his body as blood dripped to the floor. He screamed, more from shock than anything else.

"This is how I help you in your training," the beast growled, and struck him again, this time on his other arm. "You must learn to control the pain, to master it." The panther circled around him, its claws gleaming in the dim light. "Your first lesson is to learn how to heal yourself."

This time the panther lashed out with its sharp fangs, biting into Mile's leg. He cried out in agony, but forced himself to breathe deeply, trying to focus. Slowly, the wound began to close, the blood stopping as the skin knit back together. He looked up at Obsidian, his face pale and sweaty from the effort.

"Good," the panther purred, "you're learning quickly. Now, try it on your other wounds."

Mile closed his eyes, focusing once more. The pain was still there, but it wasn't as overwhelming. He felt his heart racing as he directed his energy to the other wounds, forcing them to heal. Blood trickled down his arms and legs, leaving behind fresh, unblemished skin.

"Well done," sneered the cat. "This is the first of your trials. There will be more, much more. But if you survive, and if you prove yourself worthy, you may earn your freedom. And perhaps, in time, you will discover the truth about who you are, and why you were chosen."

Mile didn't reply, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to control the pain. He didn't understand what was happening, or why he was being subjected to this torment. All he could do was try to endure it, and hope that one day he might find some kind of escape.