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[Ethan's Perspective] My defiant words proved meaningless against the creature's overwhelming power. The spherical entity moved with a speed that rendered my attempts at resistance futile, capturing me with an ease that spoke to the vast disparity between our abilities. Within moments, I found myself immobilized, unable to speak or move as the world around me dissolved into darkness. When awareness returned, I discovered myself in circumstances far worse than I had initially feared. The creature - which I would later learn was called Drek - had transported me to what appeared to be a massive construction site, where the skeletal framework of an enormous tower stretched toward the sky like the bones of some ancient beast. "How many children did you capture this time, Drek?" a harsh voice inquired nearby. "Ten," came the reply in that same otherworldly tone that had first announced the creature's presence in the apple grove. "And the village?" "Eliminated. As always." The casual nature of this exchange struck me like a physical blow. In a handful of words, these beings had confirmed the destruction of everything I had come to know in this second life. Marcus, Elena, Dr. Aldric, Mary and their children - all gone, reduced to nothing more than an operational detail in whatever scheme these entities were pursuing. Grief and rage warred within me, emotions made all the more acute by my complete helplessness. I had allowed myself to grow comfortable in Aramunda's peaceful routines, never truly considering that this world's wonders might come paired with horrors beyond imagination. The days that followed introduced me to a nightmare I could never have conceived. Along with dozens of other captured children, I was forced into labor on what the overseers called the Tower of Heaven - a monument to dark purpose that would be built with the blood and suffering of the innocent. The work was backbreaking, the conditions deliberately harsh. Our captors seemed intent not merely on using our labor, but on breaking our spirits entirely. Children who had known only love and security were systematically reduced to hollow-eyed shadows of themselves, their will to resist ground away by endless toil and casual brutality. Yet in the depths of this manufactured hell, I encountered something unexpected: hope, embodied in the form of an elderly man whose gentle demeanor seemed entirely at odds with our grim surroundings. "Hello there, young one," he said during one of our brief rest periods in the cramped sleeping quarters. "My name is Robert, though most call me Rob. What might yours be?" The kindness in his voice was so unexpected that I almost wept. "Ethan," I managed, studying this man who could maintain such warmth in such a place. "You seem remarkably composed for someone in our situation," Rob observed. "Most children your age would be inconsolable by now." I considered how to respond. The truth - that I possessed an adult's understanding trapped within a child's body - would only invite questions I could not answer. "I suppose I understand more than most about how dangerous the world can be," I said finally. Rob nodded with the air of someone who recognized hard-won wisdom. "Understanding our circumstances is the first step toward surviving them. Tell me, Ethan, do you possess any magical abilities?" The question brought back memories of Dr. Aldric's evaluation and his claim that I possessed no ethernano. "The village doctor tested me. He said I had no magical potential whatsoever." Something flickered in Rob's expression - surprise, perhaps, or skepticism. "That seems... unlikely. Ethernano exists within all living beings, flowing through every part of our world. Even those with minimal magical ability possess some measurable quantity." He paused, studying me with increased interest. "There is a rare condition called Magic Deficiency Disease that can cause ethernano levels to drop dangerously low, but you show none of the symptoms. Would you permit me to examine you?" I gestured to the heavy shackles that bound our wrists. "Can you perform magic while wearing these restraints?" "Not spells, no," Rob admitted. "These devices are specifically designed to prevent magical casting. However, they cannot completely block the most basic functions - sensing, for instance, requires so little ethernano that the suppressors don't register it as a threat." The irony of questioning the effectiveness of our captors' equipment was not lost on me, but curiosity outweighed caution. "Very well. I suppose I have nothing to lose." Rob moved closer, placing a weathered hand gently on my shoulder. For a moment, I felt a subtle warmth flowing from his touch, a sensation unlike anything I had experienced before. His eyes closed in concentration, and the silence stretched between us. When he finally withdrew his hand and stepped back, his expression had transformed entirely. Where before I had seen kindness mixed with casual interest, now I saw something approaching awe. "What did you find?" I asked, disturbed by his reaction. Rob cleared his throat, seeming to struggle for words. "The doctor who examined you was... mistaken. The quantity of ethernano within you is extraordinary - far beyond anything I would expect to find in someone your age." He paused, his gaze meeting mine directly. "You possess the potential to become a truly exceptional mage, Ethan. I can only imagine what you might accomplish when you come into your full power." [Rob's Perspective] In all my years - first as a member of Fairy Tail, then as an unwilling slave in this accursed place - I had learned to recognize the signs of magical potential. Some individuals carried their power like a beacon, while others concealed it beneath layers of self-doubt or inexperience. Rarely, however, had I encountered someone whose true nature was so thoroughly hidden from casual observation. The child called Ethan intrigued me from the moment he arrived. Unlike the other captives, who wept and wailed in understandable terror, he shed his tears quietly, with the controlled grief of someone who comprehended the full magnitude of his loss. This was not the bewilderment of innocence confronted with inexplicable cruelty, but the sorrow of experience recognizing a familiar pattern. When I finally had the opportunity to speak with him, my initial impressions only deepened. His responses carried a weight that suggested understanding far beyond his apparent years. Most telling of all was his immediate acceptance of our circumstances - not resignation, but the practical acknowledgment of someone who had learned not to waste energy on futile protests. His claim of possessing no magical ability seemed so improbable that I felt compelled to investigate personally. The moment my hand made contact with his shoulder, I understood why the village doctor might have chosen deception over truth. The ethernano within this child was not merely abundant - it was overwhelming. In my weakened state, I could barely maintain the connection long enough to complete my examination. The raw power I sensed lying dormant within him surpassed anything I had encountered, even during my years alongside some of the kingdom's most renowned mages. Yet what struck me most profoundly was not the quantity of his magical energy, but its nature. There was something ancient about it, something that spoke of depths and complexities I could not begin to fathom. This was not the simple potential of a gifted child, but something far more significant - and potentially dangerous. As I withdrew from the examination and offered him encouragement, I found myself wondering what forces had conspired to place such extraordinary power within the hands of our enemies. The Tower of Heaven was being built for dark purposes, and I feared that Ethan's abilities might be precisely what our captors had been seeking all along. The path ahead would test us all in ways we could not yet imagine, but of one thing I was certain: this young man would play a crucial role in whatever was to come. Whether as salvation or catastrophe remained to be seen.