Amara POV,

I felt a fatigue that was considerably more than just physically. Beneath me, the icy stone had turned into an unwanted friend, pushing into my injured flesh and soaking out the last of my warmth. The gnawing emptiness in my chest overshadowed the ache that seared where the ropes had scraped my wrists raw.

Mira's little fists gripped my sleeve as though releasing go would mean losing me forever as I sat with her in my lap. Her little face was buried against me as she sobbed gently in her sleep. Her days were filled with silent weeping and terrified looks, and her once-bright spirit was all but gone.

I tried to ignore the trembling hands as I carefully brushed the tangled strands of her hair away from her face. The others, old Garet, Myrin, and Loras, sat close by, just as broken and silent as I was. Dry tears ruined Myrin's cheeks as she swayed back and forth. Loras stared at the ground, his shoulders slumped as though the weight of the world pressed down on him. Even Garet, who had once been the strongest voice of reason in our village, had been reduced to muttered prayers that seemed more habit than faith.

We were the remnants of Aklam, the shattered survivors of a life that no longer existed. Everything has been seized by the goblins. Our relatives had been killed or dispersed, and our houses were vanished. Those of us who had been spared were dragged here to this hellish cave, where the goblins jeered at us like crows circling a carcass.

"Amara," Myrin said, her voice raspy from sobbing for days. "Do you think they'll…" She rambled on, but I understood what she was saying.

Despite being crushed by the weight of her inquiry, I forced myself to look her in the eye. I spoke the words, "We'll get out of this," slightly shaking. "We have to."

"And how?" Loras snapped, his tone sharp with despair. "No one's coming for us, Amara. You know that as well as I do."

"Enough," Garet murmured, his eyes closing briefly. "We don't need to lose hope entirely. The gods work in mysterious ways."

Loras snorted but remained silent. I tightened my grip on Mira, wishing I could believe Garet's words. In reality, though, optimism had been sliding out of my grasp like sand. It became more difficult to cling to every day.

The goblins—those vile, savage animals. With their beady eyes flashing with hate, they looked at us while constantly bickering among themselves in their guttural language. Afterward, the hobgoblin appeared. Never in my life have I witnessed something so horrifying. With thick, scarred green skin and icy, calculating eyes, it was enormous and towered above the lesser goblins. Unlike the others, it didn't chatter or shriek. Like a predator waiting for an opportunity to attack, it only watched.

Mira stirred, pulling me back from my thoughts. Her eyes fluttered open, wide and filled with fear. "Amara," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm scared."

"Shh, little one," I murmured, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

But even as I said the words, a bitter voice in my mind mocked me. What could I do? I was powerless, trapped like an animal. I couldn't fight. I couldn't run. All I could do was pray that whatever cruel fate awaited us would at least spare her. If I could trade my life for hers, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I doubted the goblins would show us even that mercy.

The sound of heavy footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. The hobgoblin was approaching, its massive axe resting on its shoulder. I tensed, my arms instinctively pulling Mira closer to me. The other captives stirred, their eyes darting to the creature as it stopped in front of our cage, its cruel gaze sweeping over us. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for whatever torment it had planned.

"Do you think it's choosing one of us?" Myrin whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Don't say that," Garet hissed, his tone sharper than I'd ever heard it. "It won't take anyone. Not today."

But the fear in his eyes betrayed his words. We all knew it was only a matter of time.

And then… chaos.

It happened so fast I could barely process it. A shadow moved in the dim torchlight, swift and silent. There was a wet, sickening sound, and one of the goblins near the cage collapsed, its throat slit. The other goblins turned, shouting in their guttural language, but before they could react, another fell. And another.

"What's happening?" Loras gasped, his voice trembling.

"I don't know," I whispered, my heart racing. "But… someone's here."

I initially believed that I was dreaming, that a savior had appeared out of thin air in my anxious imagination. Then I caught sight of him. The young man's blade flashed in the firelight as he moved through the cave like a phantom. He was fast, accurate, and completely unrelenting. The goblins fell one by one, their bodies thudding dullly to the earth. The man did not recoil when the hobgoblin growled and raised its enormous axe. He moved almost too quickly for anybody to follow as he ducked the strike with incredible quickness.

I clutched Mira tightly, my eyes never leaving the battle. The other captives were frozen, too shocked to even breathe.

"He's fighting them," Myrin said, her voice filled with a mix of awe and disbelief.

"But who is he?" Loras asked. "Where did he come from?"

It was a vicious and disorderly brawl. The hobgoblin persisted even after the young guy defeated goblin after goblin. With horrifying strength, it swung its axe, and each time it missed, the blade carved deep grooves into the stone floor. I could see the effort in his eyes and the way his chest heaved with each breath, but the man's motions were precise and fluid, like a dancer's. Despite his might, he was merely a human.

"Do you think he can win?" With a quivering voice, Myrin inquired.

Softly, "I don't know," Garet said. "But he's our best chance."

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Then he did, in one last desperate move. With a loud crash, the hobgoblin's enormous body fell to the ground as it stumbled.. The man stood over it, his sword dripping with dark blood, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.For a moment, the cave was silent, save for the crackling of the torches.

His eyes met mine as he turned to face us. There was a mixture of resolve, tiredness, and something more in his eyes. I couldn't place it exactly. I felt my pulse thumping in my chest as he took a cautious, determined step forward.

"Are you hurt?" he said in a steady, quiet voice.

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came. All I could do was shake my head, tears streaming down my face as the weight of everything came crashing down. He knelt by the cage, his hands working quickly to undo the lock. When it finally swung open, I stumbled forward, clutching Mira as though letting go would mean losing her again.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Thank you…"

For the first time in days, I felt a spark of something I thought I'd lost forever. Hope.

Aldric POV

I turned toward the cage.

The captives stared at me, wide-eyed, fear and disbelief etched across their gaunt faces. A woman—dark hair matted, eyes filled with pain yet unyielding—held a small child tightly. The child's wide, terrified gaze locked on mine, but the woman's eyes were steady, filled with quiet strength.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, my voice hoarse, barely more than a rasp.

She shook her head, tears streaking down her face. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you…"

I nodded, kneeling to undo the rusted lock. The metal groaned in protest, but after a moment, it gave way, swinging open with a reluctant creak. The woman stumbled forward, still clutching the child, her steps unsteady but filled with quiet resolve.

I glanced around, scanning the dark cave. "Are there any more of you? Or goblins deeper in the caves?"

Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Almost all the goblins were here. There might be a few more—three or four—somewhere deeper. But I don't think there are any more survivors... The hobgoblin usually goes that way for something."

I nodded grimly. It wasn't over yet.

With a heavy sigh, I turned back to her. "I'm Aldric," I said, offering my name as I glanced at the others, their eyes full of gratitude and fear. "What's yours?"

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, her voice still shaky. "Amara."

"Okay, listen," I said, my voice firm. "Amara, I'm going in there to check if there are any survivors. You give them these beef jerky and water." I handed her a portion of my supplies. "Wait for me here. I'll be back in a few minutes and take you to shelter. Understood?"

She nodded, holding the supplies tight.

I gave one last glance at the captives, then turned and slowly made my way deeper into the cave. The vastness of it struck me—its walls stretching high and wide, jagged rocks jutting out like teeth. The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows, creating a strange, almost surreal atmosphere.

After several minutes, I heard something. The sounds of low grunts and the scrape of stone. I moved closer, careful to stay hidden in the shadows. I spotted them—two or three goblins, working feverishly at the cave wall. They were digging, focused on some task.

There were only three. I could handle that.

I drew my blade and moved in swiftly, dispatching them one by one. It was easier now, far easier than it should have been. The goblins barely had time to react before their throats were slit, their bodies crumpling to the ground.

But something about the wall intrigued me. The goblins had been digging here for a reason. I stepped closer, inspecting the exposed stone. There, embedded into the wall, was something strange—blue stone, glowing faintly in the dim light.

I reached out, instinctively placing my hand on it. Immediately, it started to glow brighter, its warmth intensifying, until it felt like the stone was burning.

My heart raced. What the hell was going on?

Then, the system message popped up, glitching and stuttering:

[You $#%^ f*%^%d ?????]

What was this? The system… reacting to the stone? My confusion only deepened.

[Do y&u want to con#%sume ?????]

I stared at the message, my mind racing. It seemed connected to the stone—whatever it was. Despite my growing anxiety, I hesitated.

"Consume it?" I murmured to myself, unsure. But curiosity and the pull of the system pushed me forward. I gave a mental command, choosing to take the risk.

[Pl%ce &and on ?????]

I braced myself, placing my hand back on the stone. As soon as I did, a surge of heat shot through my body, searing my skin like a thousand needles. I gasped in pain, unable to pull away. My body felt like it was being consumed from the inside out, burning with an intensity I had never felt before.

[WARNING ]

[System overload.]

The screen flickered erratically, lines of code and glitches scrambling before my eyes. I tried to pull my hand away, panic surging in my chest. But no matter how hard I tugged, my hand was stuck, as if the stone had fused to my skin.

I gritted my teeth, tears blurring my vision. The pain was unbearable. I had never felt so helpless in my life.

Then, as quickly as it had started, the pain subsided. The stone's glow dimmed, and I could finally pull my hand away. I staggered back, gasping for breath, feeling every muscle ache and burn from the ordeal. The system seemed to stabilize, but the message had stopped.

I was left standing there, dazed and breathless, staring at the now quiet stone.

What the hell had just happened?

I quickly called out, "STATUS."

Nothing.

I shouted again, and again, but no response came.

Is it gone?

A sinking feeling of despair washed over me. Had the system… abandoned me? What had I just triggered? What was the point of all this?