As Carn's consciousness returned, he could feel a throbbing pain in his head. His eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light that filtered through the cracks in the ceiling. It was a small, windowless room, and the only visible objects were the cold metal chair he was bound to and the steel door that separated him from the outside world. He felt a shiver rush through his body as he was completely naked.
The air was thick with a musty odor as if the room had been sealed for years without ventilation. The walls were made of rough, unpainted concrete that looked like it had been poorly constructed. As Carn tried to move his arms and legs, he found that they were tightly bound with thick metal bands that dug into his skin.
He tried to speak, but his mouth was gagged, preventing any sound from escaping. Panic started to set in as he realized he had no idea where he was or who had brought him there. As his eyes adjusted further, he noticed a flicker of light coming from under the door, suggesting that someone was watching him from outside.
Despite the overwhelming sense of dread, Carn's mind raced to come up with a plan. He struggled against his restraints, but they seemed to be tightly secured. The only sound in the room was the dull thud of his heart beating against his chest.
As he struggled against the restraints, the door creaked open and a figure stepped inside. It was a tall, thin dark elf with a gaunt face and piercing eyes. He wore a long black coat and had a twisted smile on his lips.
"Well, well, well, look who's awake," the man said in a deep, menacing voice. "I hope you're comfortable Carn, because you're going to be here for a while."
The man removed his gag and Carn tried to speak, but his throat was dry and scratchy. He cleared his throat and managed to rasp out a question. "Who are you? Why am I here?
The man's laughter echoed through the dark room, sending shivers down Carn's spine. "Who I am is not important," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "What is important is that you're a very valuable asset to us. Well, to anyone, really. We have looked long and hard for one of your kind, and to think that you would appear in front of the public in such a weak state... honestly, I might have to pay that Sanaa girl. This opportunity is just too good."
Carn managed to croak out, "What do you mean, 'someone of my kind'?"
"Don't play dumb," the man said, his grin widening to reveal a row of sharpened teeth. "We heard it from your girlfriend's mouth, and we have already confirmed it ourselves. You are half high-elemental. To think your girlfriend was the esteemed White Mage herself... what a catch."
Carn's anger boiled over. "Did you hurt her?"
"As if!" the man replied, chuckling. "We aren't dumb enough to face her in combat. My boys grabbed you and ran."
Carn gritted his teeth. "What do you want from me?"
The man's smile turned sinister. "Every part of your body is quite valuable. High-elemental body parts have shown great prowess in a wide variety of uses in the underworld. Your blood, for example, when properly treated, can grant even the weakest person an immense boost in power temporarily. Outside of that, well... I don't see why I should tell you."
He placed a gag in Carn's mouth and stepped back, revealing a dark hallway beyond the door. "It might be very painful, but you are going to make me a very rich man, so don't feel too disheartened. Oh, and we have had one of your kind before, so you don't need to worry about dying from a lack of fresh air. Maybe you'll break the last one's record. We used them for ten years... maybe we can push for eleven with you."
The man left with a wicked chuckle, and Carn struggled against the metal restraints, his mind racing. He had to get out of here. In his head, he thought, "Call Alicia Williams."
After a moment of silence, a voice rang out in his mind. "Communication has been hindered. Please find somewhere with a better connection to make a call."
Carn's heart sank. He was alone, trapped, and at the mercy of these twisted individuals. But he refused to give up. He would find a way to escape and make them pay for what they had done.
Carn’s mind raced, trying to find a way out of the situation, but he was coming up empty. His heart sank as six figures entered the room. Five of them wore surgical gowns, masks, and gloves, and the sixth was draped in rags, looking almost lifeless. One of the surgeons carried a massive pole into the room, covered in demonic symbols and drawings seemingly etched in blood.
“Turn it on,” one of the surgeons ordered, their voice androgynous and hard to place. it was as if a different person spoke with each syllable. They spoke to the others in a hushed tone, “You two are on the arms and legs, you two will be on the organs, and I will deal with the eyes.”
Carn watched in horror as one of the surgeons shoved the ragged man towards the pole, and with a glowing red hand, beheaded him. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating the pole and causing it to glow ominously. “We have twelve hours,” the head surgeon declared. “Let’s begin.”
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The other members nodded as they brought out long sharp instruments as the chair Carn lay on flattened like an operating table. A surgeon jabbed a syringe into Carn’s neck and injected a toxic orange liquid inside him. The liquid seemed to paralyze him as he couldn’t move anything on his body at all.
The following hours were the worst pain Carn had ever felt. It was like he was at a butcher shop with each cut sending ripples of pain through his body. The pain he endured was far greater than even what the tier-up ceremony had caused. The totem seemed to heal all the injuries caused by the surgeons shortly after they occurred and by the time they had finished, it had crumbled into a fine powder.
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“ALICIA!”
As she was about to sleep Alicia heard Carn scream in the other room. Without a second thought, she teleported into his room only to find it completely empty. Her eyes started to glow and a vision of what had transpired appeared in front of her. She saw Carn scream desperately as he was knocked cold. The perpetrators took Carn and vanished into the shadows below. Moments later she saw herself appear.
Alicia tried calling him multiple times but it didn’t work, "No, no, no!" she muttered under her breath, frustration and worry consuming her. She had never encountered these assailants before and had no idea where to start looking. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her strength, and then teleported out of the empty room, determined to find Carn at any cost.
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The conference room was packed with reporters, their cameras flashing as they jostled for position. Rumors of something big happening had drawn them all here, and they waited eagerly to see what would unfold. Suddenly, the lights went out, and a hush fell over the room.
In the dim light, a figure in a white dress stepped up to the podium. It was a dark elf, her sharp features illuminated by the glow of a single spotlight.
“Two nights ago, Carn Roswal was taken by these men,” she declared, her voice carrying a steely edge. The projector hummed to life, displaying images of the men responsible, their faces obscured except for their mouths.
“If you have any information regarding this group, I will personally pay a hefty price for it,” she continued. “And to the kidnappers, I have a message: when I find you, I will not only kill you, but your friends and family as well. There will be no mercy. If you think you can take my boyfriend and get away with it, you are sorely mistaken.”
Her anger was palpable, and the pressure in the room was almost unbearable. The reporters were stunned into silence, not daring to interrupt the dark elf's speech. Only when she walked off the stage did they finally release the breath they were holding.
As the reporters struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed, one voice rose above the din, “Wait, so Carn is Alicia’s boyfriend?” The revelation was electrifying, and the reporters scrambled to write or talk about this major story, eager to get their exclusive take on the explosive news.
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Alicia had spent the entire night fruitlessly trying to find any leads on Carn's whereabouts. She had hoped that revealing he was her boyfriend would yield some results, but the trail had gone cold. Exhausted, she finally succumbed to sleep, only to wake up in a luxurious private room provided by her guild.
Just as she was about to take a breather, her phone rang. "Shaun Bradley is calling you, will you accept?" the AI assistant asked.
"Accept," Alicia replied groggily. "What is it, Shaun? I'm really not in the mood for a joke right now."
"It's nothing like that," Shaun said seriously. "Ever since they kidnapped Carn, I’ve been keeping an eye on my friends list, and wouldn’t you know it, I see he's online."
Alicia's eyes snapped open wide. "Where did he last log off? I'll be right there."
"Sienna Village Private Rooms, I believe," Shaun replied. "I'm in the hallway right now."
In a flash, Alicia teleported to the hallway outside Carn's private room. "Send me his player ID," she demanded.
"Right away, boss," Shaun said, sending the information to her. "Are you going to use Commander's privilege to enter his room?"
"Of course," Alicia said, determination evident in her voice. "Let's go."
Alicia's heart was racing as she and Shaun approached the door to Carn's private room. She took a deep breath and used her finger to write Carn's name and player ID on the surface. The door glowed a faint blue and a voice resounded in her head, "Carn Roswal’s private room code has been entered. Would you like to enter with your privilege as a Guild Commander?"
Without hesitation, Alicia replied, "Yes." The door opened, revealing a pitch-black room with only the bare essentials. She scanned the room and saw Carn curled up in a ball with a knife in his hand, pointing it at them.
"Don't hurt me!" Carn shouted. Fear was etched on his face as he pushed himself further into the corner of the room. His feet pushed against his sheets in a desperate attempt to drive himself back as much as possible.
Alicia spoke softly, "Carn, it's alright. It's me, Alicia, and Shaun." She approached him slowly, trying not to startle him.
Carn's arm wavered for a moment after hearing Alicia’s voice. In a low tone, he whispered, "Don't come closer."
“My God, what did they do to him?” Shaun whispered under his breath from the corner of the room.
“Get a specialty healer here now!” Alicia ordered Shaun.
A minute or two later Shaun brought in an older man who wore priest robes and wielded a staff, “It seems the boy has undergone significant mental trauma. I will lessen the effects and help soothe his mind.”
Alicia nodded and the man waved around his staff and spoke words in a hushed tone. The man's staff glowed with a green light that seemed to wash over the entire room before concentrating on Carn. Soon, Carn stopped shaking and dropped the knife. Alicia ran up to the bedside and hugged him, "Everything is going to be fine, I promise."
Tears flowed from Carn's eyes as he embraced Alicia. She rubbed his back in a desperate attempt to soothe him, repeating the same words over and over, "Everything will be fine."