Kiyan was sitting on the statue. He took a deep breath and sat up straighter. When he saw his upturned, almost inhuman arms, he was shocked. "What happened to me? How did I become a monster?"

He looked at his thighs, torso, and shoulders. Kiyan touched his back, neck, and pockmarked cheeks with trembling fingers.

Reality finally dawned on him. My body's filled with disgusting scars of the torture that was inflicted on me. I don't even look human now, do I?

"Did you forget what happened, mate? A bastard called Steingard kidnapped you and took you here." Felix also took a deep breath, then he told Kiyan the truth. "He tortured you, his test subject. Again and again. The ways he tormented you They were hideous. Eventually, a demon took over your body, but the Vipers drove them away and brought you back."

"Test sub Shit. That experiment!" The muscles on Kiyan's face started to tremble like they were going to cramp up.

His breathing became heavier, and memories crashed in his mind like waves. The boat, the seas, the storm. There was fury curses howls and nothing.

Shards of memories and conversations slowly connected and restructured themselves. Eventually, everything was in place, and Kiyan could make sense of it.

I remember it now. Before I was spirited away, I was on the Flying Stag, working as security. And then one day, the captain told me I had to share my cabin with someone named Steingard because of 'insufficient space.'

Unlike most humans, that sorcerer didn't scoff at witchers. He was soft-spoken and well-mannered. His eyes twinkled with wisdom. Everyone who talked to him felt respected.

After some time, he started letting his guard down around the mage, and he didn't realize it.

Unbeknownst to him, the sorcerer had some dark plans lying in wait. While he was meditating one fine night, Steingard numbed him with magic and drugs. Things were a blur for him after that. He could hear waves crashing against the boat, storms raging on the seas, ships clashing, and the crew howling in agony.

Steingard cared nothing for that. He took Kiyan back to the laboratory against his will. And thus, his days of torment began. The operating theater was his bed caked in dried blood. The tortures were relentless, and so was the pain.

It slowly overwhelmed him. Kiyan resisted in the beginning, but eventually he broke down and begged for mercy. He told the sorcerer all of the Cat School's secrets, but still the nightmare went on. The demon never showed him any mercy.

He kept pushing Kiyan on, until his mind was numb to everything. Everything but death. The last thing he remembered was meeting the gaze of an animal statue. The crimson eyes sucked him into them, and his soul was freed from its prison of pain only to be trapped in yet another prison.

He had no idea what was happening outside, nor did he dream. There was no delight nor sorrow in that state. He would hear the occasional shuffle and feel a faint glimmer of light.

And now that nightmare had come to an end. The darkness could no longer bind Kiyan. Every breath he took smelled like freedom. He wanted nothing. Nothing but revenge.

***

"You saved me, my friends." Kiyan took a deep breath and snapped back to reality. He had never seen these witchers before, and he wondered why they would save him. "But why? Do I know you?"

"Allow me to explain. This is Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Roy from the Viper School. They went through a lot and saved you from a grim fate."

The Vipers nodded at Kiyan.

"And I am Felix. We met once fifty years ago, while I was heading to Vizima. Do you still remember that?" Felix took on a warm attitude, for once. "You told me about your dream. You wanted to tuck away a mountain of crowns, get a big house, marry someone, and adopt a pair of children. We parted hastily at Vizima. I had a request to handle, after all. I didn't even tell you how to contact me." Felix looked a little sad. "It's been fifty years since then. I couldn't stand by when an old friend of mine was suffering."

"Felix" Kiyan closed his eyes and fell into silence. "I remember you. You're six years younger than I am. You were in the batch right after me. And the Trial didn't drive you insane. You're one lucky bastard. We got along, didn't we? We're both in our right minds." A glimmer of light shone on Kiyan's grotesque face.

"That is true."

"Felix, Vipers, you have my gratitude for pulling me from the abyss." Kiyan hopped off the statue and bowed at the witchers. "And your deed will not go unforgotten. I swear it shall be repaid."

"And we'll talk about it another day. How do you feel?" Auckes heaved a sigh of relief, and then he started looking at Kiyan curiously. "Do you feel unwell? That damn demon took over your body for three years, after all. And it just left."

Everyone looked at the statue. They thought the demon would scurry back into the statue after it was exorcized. The blood on it had dried, but there were no changes to the statue. The magic around it felt even weaker, in fact.

Everyone looked surprised, and Roy played along.

"Maybe we killed the demon. Not many can withstand a barrage of Axiis."

"Well, that saves us a lot of time and effort."

***

"I feel powerful." Kiyan closed his eyes again and touched his chest. It had been too long since he could feel his own heartbeat.

He rolled his limbs and neck around, cracking his joints. Kiyan then clenched his fists and leapt high into the air effortlessly. His face was grotesque, but this body's lifeforce was beyond his wildest imagination. His reaction speed and strength were, for the lack of a better word, monstrous. "I've never felt better in my life!"

***

Roy cast Observe on Kiyan again. To his surprise, something in him changed drastically after the demon was devoured.

'Cryptic Strength (Passive): Kiyan's body has been modified by unknown energy. His mana and lifeforce are increased. +5 to Constitution and Spirit. He loses all sense of pain.'

Before this, Kiyan could sustain himself through absorbing the elements in the air, just like a golem could. He also had hyper regeneration, but all of those traits were gone. However, his Will had bounced back to its original level.

"Kiyan only managed to survive without food and water for decades because of that demon."

The demon locked Kiyan's soul away while it was in charge. After it was exorcized, it left a powerful body for its victim. I guess this is a blessing in disguise.

Roy was reminded of the powerful cursed ones he met on his journey. Curses and demonic possessions. In some ways, these are shortcuts to power. Evil paths, though.

***

"What year are we in, my friends?"

"18th Saovine, 1261," Serrit answered. "One more month until Midwinter."

"1261" Kiyan mused on it for a moment, and his eyes became unfocused for a moment. "So thirty years have passed." Since that fateful day on the Flying Stag.

The witchers were astonished. Most people would have died from dehydration if they were locked in a lab for thirty years, but Kiyan was still alive and kicking. Besides his horrifying figure, he was healthier than most people. This was nothing short of a miracle.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Serrit was staring at him. He wanted to know all about Kiyan's modified body. "I think you need a full-body checkup and a magic healing session tailored for you."

Kiyan said nothing to that. He said icily, "I have a question, my friends. Have you seen any sorcerers since you came to this lab? There are supposed to be two of them." He narrowed his eyes.

His emotions didn't rage at first. His long imprisonment within his own flesh had erased all of that. However, as memories of his fate started to awaken, so did his desire for vengeance.

He had to close this chapter of his life and cut all ties with his past. History might judge his actions as evil and vindictive, or justified and merciful, but that was the path he had to take to free himself of the shackles binding him.

"You mean Steingard and Sigula?" Letho crossed his arms and shook his head. "We found a body. One of them's dead, leaving you with one enemy left. He escaped the laboratory, and we don't know his whereabouts."

"I see" Kiyan clenched his fists and nodded.

"Thirty years is a long time, old friend. The world has changed a lot, and it'll take some time to get used to it." Felix extended his hand. "Come with us. You need to settle down somewhere, then we can talk about your vengeance."

Felix was extending an olive branch for a reason. What happened with the gang lords back in Novigrad was a grim warning. Witchers had to band together if they wanted to stand tall among these people. The Vipers had gathered four members, and Felix thought he should get a Cat on his side as well.

"What's outside? A city in the north?" Kiyan shook Felix's hand. "The Flying Stag was heading to Novigrad's port before it was wrecked."

"We're in a secret cave under the Temple Isle. It's on the northernmost tip of Novigrad."

"Do you think I can go around when I look like a monster?" Kiyan looked at his horrifying body and forced a smile. It had been decades since he smiled. His facial muscles had atrophied, making his smile a stiff one.

With his monstrous look, he would scare the living daylights out of someone if he were to walk around the city.

***

"Kiyan, you've been in this trade for decades. You know witchers don't care about looks," Auckes lied.

Even a veteran like him was shocked when he first saw Kiyan. Truthfully speaking, even a ghoul looked like a cute puppy compared to him. But I gotta weave a white lie. Don't wanna hurt his pride.

"The world's a big place. 'Slong as you're healthy, have an appetite for food, battles, and Gwent, you'll always find something to do."

"But if you really care about how the world sees you" Serrit gave Roy a look, and the young witcher understood what he needed to do. He whipped out a set of clothes from his inventory space. "Here's a cloak, hood, mask, and sunglasses. It's enough to keep anyone from seeing your true face."

"I have a place beside Novigrad's canal. Change into these clothes and come with us, old friend." A hint of desire flared in Felix's eyes. "And I just took in a new apprentice. His name's Carl. A little timid, but he has talent. Perhaps you can teach him something as well."

Kiyan contemplated his answer. He was all alone in this world, without anyone he could call a friend. "Very well. Thank you for taking me in."

Kiyan took the set of clothes and covered himself with the black cloak. He pulled the hood over his head and hid his face behind the mask and sunglasses. He looked like a thief alongside a group of witchers.

***

The Vipers exchanged a look. Unlike Felix, they didn't know Kiyan that much. There was barely any trust between them. They sent the youngest member to see what kind of man Kiyan was.

Roy pushed the weapon and diagrams he had acquired to Kiyan. "Now that your mind is your own, I think I should return these."

Kiyan took Moonblade and caressed it. He swung the blade around, and a silver ribbon flew through the air. The witcher looked excited to be reunited with his trusty blade. He then looked at the diagrams.

"Moonblade is all I need." He owed them a debt of gratitude, and repayment was always due. "You may take these diagrams. Of course, I still owe you my life." Kiyan paused for a moment. "But as I recall, I used to have five diagrams with me. One of them must have been left behind on the ship. Once I find the shipwreck and retrieve the diagram, I shall give it to you."

"We can't accept that!" The Vipers exchanged surprised looks. He's being awfully generous. Guess he's not a bad guy after all.

"Just take them, Roy," Felix persuaded. The Vipers did help out a lot in this rescue mission. "You deserve these. But once you retrieve all the diagrams, we would like to take a look."

"But of course." Roy 'reluctantly' took the diagrams back.

***

They packed everything up and looted the laboratory before they left, but this time, all they took were the books. The alchemy apparatuses were left behind. If they could kill the escaped researcher, this laboratory could be converted into a Cat School secret base.

Building a non-human secret base right under Eternal Fire's HQ. Thrilling.

The witchers didn't leave the statue behind either. Roy tucked it into his inventory space. After all, this statue was tempting enough to a demon from another dimension. It should come in handy if he could learn a thing or two about it.

***

***