We rush into the dark cave and immediately hear the entrance close behind us. It is pitch black in here, so dark that we can't even see anything with our cat eyes. Theoretically, I could use magic fire to create light, but I still remember the terrible pain the adults inflicted on me the first and last time I tried. And above all, I remember the despairing face of my sister, who was unable to help and had to watch.

Not only is there absolute darkness here, but a complete silence also prevails. Especially after all the hours of hearing something somewhere, like screams of pain, the last words of the dying, and the sound of metal bouncing off stone or something similar, this silence seems downright eerie. I appreciate this silence in itself; it's so incredibly beautiful to leave all the noise behind me. But I know what lies behind the calm here. And above all, it never lasts too long. 

"Sit down!" a deep, distorted voice echoes through the room.

We immediately obey and sit down on our heels, our shins touching the cold stone floor.

"Three minutes and 27 seconds. Faster than yesterday. But too slow! Arms up!" the voice blares through the silence again.

We raise our arms above our heads and tense our core muscles because a second later, a blow digs into my stomach, threatening to squeeze almost all the air out of my lungs, despite my physical and mental preparation. But I mustn't move. Any movement, any sign of weakness, would be punished immediately. And then comes the next blow, this time to my side. And the next and the next and the next and the next. So many blows. I can feel every single one of them, but my pain receptors have become so numbed over the years that everything seems unreal, distant, and dull. What really hurts is the sound of the punches hitting a body to my left. That's where my sister is sitting, receiving the same treatment. I want to tear everyone around her apart, but that would only make things worse, so I have to restrain myself. I know she feels the same way.

"Enough!"

The blows stop immediately, and it feels strangely out of place not to be receiving any more, now that my body has adjusted and grown used to them.

"Arms down!"

We obey the order.

"Don’t move!"

I take a deep breath in and out, trying to relax as much as possible, and focus on my breathing to prepare myself for what is to come. Then my mouth is forced open, a pill is put in it, and I am forced to swallow it. Seconds later, it feels as if the inside of my body is trying to bulge outwards. My intestines want to tear themselves apart, and I want to stick my hand down my throat so I can vomit as much of the poison as possible. But that would only cause more agony.

More seconds pass, and I notice how I lose my sense of direction and control over my other senses and instincts, and I can't breathe. Nevertheless, all movement is forbidden. This stabbing pain is all over my body. No matter how often I have experienced such agony, no matter how hardened I may be, it is something I can never get used to. And I doubt that any creature capable of even the slightest sensation would fare any better. 

It feels like hours have passed, even though it was probably only a few minutes at most, when my mouth is violently opened again, and a juice flows down my throat. Instantly, I can breathe again, and I hurry to do so. Because all the pain that has just subsided explodes like fireworks around my heart. And yet. I! Must! Not! React! Even though I know my sister is going through the same torture. But the anger building up inside me, swelling for so many years, helps me to hold on. Without making a sound. Without showing any sign of weakness.

Finally, the pain subsides. Once again, it felt like an eternity, but I know that in reality it was only a few seconds. This terrible remedy that makes us immune to the deadly or otherwise terrible poisons they administered to us in the pill. And all for a single reason. So that poisoned blades wielded by enemies have no effect on us, or so that we ourselves can use the poisons extensively and in high concentrations against our targets without always having to rely on antidotes that may not even work properly.

"Get up!"

I mustn't stumble or stagger! And I hope my sister can hide her weakness well, too. Since there are no sounds of punches connecting even after a few moments, and I don’t get hit myself, it seems that, as so often, we have succeeded. However, there is never any guarantee, because sometimes the poisons are so potent that even we cannot hide all the aftereffects.

"Take off your clothes!"

Quickly and as best we can, we take off our clothes, which would otherwise get in the way or be damaged.

"Step forward!"

We take a few steps forward until the voice sounds again.

"Stop!"

We stand frozen like statues, wishing we were just that. Statues. Because then what is to come would be easier to bear. My eyes are blindfolded from behind so that I cannot see anything, even though the room is now filled with a cold light. At least I can tell that much. Then my arm is grabbed and I am dragged forward a little, turned 180 degrees, and roughly pressed against a solid surface. Cold, iron shackles are placed around my ankles, and my arms are also fixed close to my body. Finally, my head is held down with a hard object.

Breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly. Breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly. I concentrate completely on my breathing while my body is moved into a position that suits those who will be working on it. Sometimes that is a lying position, sometimes an upright one. And today it seems to be the latter. Breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly. I feel the air flowing through my nose, down my throat, and into my lungs, revitalizing my body. And then back again, the same way. Breath by breath, I try to forget everything else. But even the best meditation can only guide me so far through this torment. The moment the adults unleash a tremendous amount of magical energy on my heart, all concentration is broken. Nevertheless, I fight against the pain and try to get back to breathing. At least as long as I still have the chance. Because soon after, they force me to swallow something. Like a fire that consumes everything, it flows down my throat. And that's despite the fact that fire normally can't harm me due to my close connection to the element.

Instead of making its way to my stomach, this fire stops at my heart, where it connects with the concentrated, raw magical energy and spreads explosively throughout my entire body. Incomparable pain overwhelms me, and even I can no longer suppress my voice, screaming my suffering into the world and joining my sister in a song of agony. Even though no one but our tormentors can hear us here.

Like waves of a deluge, pain and the terrible certainty that my sister is being tortured in the same way overwhelm me. Finally, they wash away all reason and mental clarity, dominating my entire being. I am literally swimming in agony. It is so overwhelming that I would love to lose my mind. But since it is simultaneously filling my entire body with sheer unbridled energy, I am denied this relief. Instead, every single second feels like I am being burned from the inside out. A fire that has already engulfed my entire body and is consuming everything.

A considerable amount of time passes, and finally, the pain subsides, and I can think clearly again. Whatever was covering my eyes has been burned away, down to the last bit, by the magical flames that I, as so often in these experiments, have released uncontrollably. Meanwhile, pure darkness reigns in the room again, so I still can't see anything. From where my sister is, I can feel ice-cold air colliding with the hot air emanating from me, seeming to fight until a balance is found and the temperature evens out. Boundless rage fills me, not because I had to suffer so much, but because my sister had to go through similar torments. They can do whatever they want to me, but they should keep their damn hands off her. However, I have to hide my anger deep inside, just like she does. We are not in a position to rebel against the adults. They have the power and control over us. We cannot resist. Not yet. Not now. But one day we will. And we will make them pay for everything. They will pay for what they have done and will do to my sister. And the price will be terrible.

While I am still suppressing my boundless rage, my bonds are loosened. Apparently, the adults' experiments and work on our bodies, which superhumanly enhance our physical and magical abilities, are finished for today. But since I still have no control over my body due to the torture, I fall to the ground unchecked and hear my sister hit the ground next to me. Hands grab us by the arms, drag us to another part of the cave, and throw us into cold water. Instantly, I feel the feeling return to my limbs, and as soon as I can move enough, I swim to the surface. If the water ever stops having this invigorating effect on us, my sister and I will drown in it. The adults would certainly not help us.

As always, my clothes are waiting for me where I climb out of the pool, dripping wet. Fortunately, the fabric hardly absorbs any water, so it doesn't become uncomfortably heavy. Even though my sister and I can move again and defend ourselves in an emergency, this ordeal has pushed us to our limits, and exhaustion is setting in.

"Go!"

Thanks to our trained senses and the experience we have gained from countless visits here, we are able to find our way in the darkness and, despite our physical and mental weakness, reach the exit without any problems. With wise foresight and painful experience, we close our eyes as the entrance opens and a blinding light shines towards us. We take a few steps forward, and instantly, the cave of our greatest daily torment is sealed behind us again. Only punishments are worse torture, but thanks to our achievements, we rarely have to experience them. Moreover, they are only so bad because we are always in the dark about what the adults are doing to the other. If you only consider the pain, nothing can surpass this ordeal here.

I cast some fire magic and dry us off. Since we can tolerate each other's elements well and our clothes are made out of highly fireproof material because of my abilities, it is done pretty quickly. We lean against each other and go back to the dining hall, where hopefully dinner is still being served. As good as our sense of time is without a clock, we always lose it after our special training. If we're unlucky, dinner will already be over and we'll have to go to bed hungry. And then it's back to our cells to sleep, so that tomorrow everything can start all over again. I really hope my sister gets another assignment soon so she doesn't have to endure this daily routine for at least a few days. Of course, I would wish the same for myself, but normally, only one of us is sent away, and the other has to stay behind so the adults can control us even better. And after every mission, this merciless daily training routine begins again.