Adrian’s entire body ached, a deep, relentless throb that dragged him slowly back to consciousness. The first sensation was a biting cold that gnawed at his skin. What… is this?

When the boy opened his eyes, he saw chains coiled tightly around him, locking him in place like a caged animal. A shallow gasp escaping his cracked lips as the oppressive gloom of the cell closed in around him. Walls of damp stone loomed inches away, glistening with moisture, and the air reeked of mildew and decay, clawing at his nostrils. How did I get here?

Images flashed through his mind: a twisted figure wreathed in black energy, Romulus grinning like a madman as his abomination drove a blade through Adrian’s body. Not sure why he kept me alive, but I'll make sure he regrets it. No way I'm going to just rot in this stupid cell.

When he looked outside his cell, Adrian spotted two figures just beyond the edge. Most of their faces were obscured, but the sigil on their tunics gave them away: a serpent coiled around a sword, its fangs poised to strike.

Blythe thugs. His jaw tightened as bitterness surged through him. So they’re the ones who dragged me here. Should be easy enough to deal with.

The larger of the two stepped forward, his bulk blotting out the flickering light for a moment. Scars crisscrossed his face, and his eyes gleamed with a cruel delight. A twisted grin spread across his brutish features as he leaned closer, his breath reeking of stale ale and rot. “Oi, look ’ere. The little rat’s wakin’ up, eh? ’Bout time.”

His companion, wiry and jittery, let out a sharp laugh. "Took ‘im long enough. Thought he’d gone and died on us, did ya?" He leaned closer, his yellowed teeth bared in a nasty sneer. "Betcha wish ya ‘ad. But nah, we got plans fer ya, we do."

Adrian forced himself to stay calm, though his thoughts churned. Laugh it up. Keep talking. His eyes darted to the chains holding him, trying to assess their strength, the rust on the hinges, anything he could use.

The scarred thug crouched, his beady eyes narrowing as he peered at Adrian. "What’s the matter, boy? Cat got yer tongue? Or maybe ya just know better than ta mouth off ta the Blythes. Smart, that."

Adrian didn’t flinch, his eyes locked on the chains binding him. Let them talk. Let them gloat. Just one slip, one mistake, and I’ll make them regret this. He forced his breathing to steady, though his fury threatened to boil over.

The scarred thug sneered at Adrian's silence. “Oi, don’t think yer little act’s foolin’ no one. Quiet types like you think yer tough, huh?” He then spat on the ground. “I don’t like yer face.”

The thug stood, motioning to his companion. “Watch the door. I’m dealin’ with this brat myself.” He reached for the cell door, his keys jangling as he unlocked it and stepped inside. The wiry man laughed, leaning lazily against the wall, enjoying the show.

Adrian’s focus sharpened as the scarred thug loomed closer. He tried to summon his magic, to but as he channeled his energy, the chains binding him flared with an eerie glow. A searing pain shot through him, ripping a scream from his throat before he could stop it. His head fell forward, his vision swimming with red.

The scarred thug roared with laughter. “That’s right, boy. We know what ya are, aye. A little magic rat thinkin’ he’s got power. Well, we don’t take chances, see? Them chains, they keep ya nice and quiet. Can’t have ya throwin’ fireballs around now, can we?”

Adrian gritted his teeth against the pain. Damn, these chains must be enchanted to restrain mana flow…

Suddenly, the thug’s boot slammed into Adrian’s side with brutal force, driving the air from his lungs in a sharp, agonizing rush. He gasped, his ribs screaming in protest, but he bit down on the pain, refusing to give the man the satisfaction of another cry.

Another kick landed, harder this time, slamming him into the cold, unyielding wall. The rough stone scraped against his back as the thug sneered above him. “Tough, are ya? Let’s see how tough after a few more, eh?”

Laughter echoed in the cell, coarse and mocking, each jeer a spark feeding the inferno that churned within Adrian. He curled inward instinctively as another blow struck his side, pain lancing through him like fire. But beneath the agony, his anger churned: raw, molten, volatile. That's enough.

The air thickened around him, heavy with an almost suffocating heat. Adrian’s head snapped up as the scarred thug raised his foot for another kick. His eyes burned, a fierce, otherworldly blue that seemed to pierce through the dim light of the cell.

“What the—?” the thug stammered, stumbling backward as the glow around Adrian intensified.

The chains binding Adrian cracked and hissed, their cold steel heating rapidly until they glowed white-hot. With a deafening burst, the links disintegrated in an eruption of bluish flames, the shockwave tearing through the cell. The scarred thug flew backward, his scream strangled as the flames consumed him, reducing him to nothing more than blackened remains.

The wiry thug sprawled across the floor, clutching at his chest as the force of the blast knocked the air from his lungs. His wide, horrified eyes fixed on Adrian, now rising from the wreckage of the broken chains. Flames licked at Adrian’s form, encasing him in an ethereal blue aura that pulsed with his fury.

Adrian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His gaze flicked to a puddle of stagnant water near his feet. In its trembling surface, his reflection stared back at him: the familiar halo of blue fire hovering above him. So… this must be the true power of my enhanced state. How quaint.

A scuffle of movement snapped his attention to the wiry thug, who staggered to his feet, his trembling hands raised in a futile gesture of defense. Adrian took a step forward, the heat in the room intensifying with each movement.

“Wait—” the thug stammered, but Adrian’s boot drove into his chest with unrelenting force, slamming him against the wall with a sickening crack.

Before the thug could crumple to the floor, Adrian seized him by the collar and hoisted him off his feet with terrifying ease. The blue flames flickered and danced around his clenched fist as he leaned in close. “Tell me everything.”

The thug’s face contorted with fear, but defiance lingered in his trembling frame. He spat at Adrian’s face, the glob of spit mingling with the soot and blood staining Adrian’s skin. “I ain’t tellin’ a brat nothin’!”

Adrian’s face remained cold, as his grip on the thug’s collar tightened, the fabric beginning to scorch and smolder beneath his fingers. I'm not done with you.

The heat around them intensified, the air growing thick and suffocating. Without a word, Adrian’s arm shot forward, driving the thug into the crumbling wall with a deafening crash. The stone gave way under the force, shards and dust raining down as the man’s body slammed through. A sickening crack echoed in the silence, and the thug’s form crumpled to the floor, motionless.

Adrian’s chest heaved, his glowing eyes fixed on the wreckage for a moment. The blue flames licking around his body pulsed angrily before receding slightly, like a beast momentarily satisfied.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Waste of time. He wiped the spit from his face with the back of his hand, the heat from his aura scorching the offending spot clean.

The stillness pressed against him, broken only by the faint crackle of his flames and the slow drip of water somewhere in the darkness. Adrian turned away from the thug’s limp body, his gaze falling on the heavy metal door at the far end of the room. That has to lead somewhere.

Adrian approached the metal door, his footsteps ringing out in the confined space. His flames swirled around him, illuminating the rusted surface and casting distorted shadows on the stone walls.

He paused for a moment, his fiery aura thrumming with restless energy. One way or another, I'm finding Romulus, and he's going to regret what he did to me.

With a sharp inhale, he raised his leg, the flames surging downward and coiling around his foot. Heat radiated fiercely as he kicked the door with all his strength. The impact roared like thunder, the metal buckling and tearing away from its hinges. The door flew down the hallway, slamming into the far wall with a deafening crash, sending dust and shards of stone exploding outward.

Adrian stepped through the now-open threshold, looking over the corridor ahead. Several Blythe thugs turned at the sound, their expressions shifting from confusion to alarm as they spotted him.

“Oi! It’s the brat!” one shouted, drawing a heavy club from his belt.

Another thug, broader and heavily armored, barked an order. “Don’t just stand there! Take him down!”

Adrian smirked, his flames flaring brighter as he strode forward. They don’t know what they’re up against.

The first thug charged, his club raised high. Adrian moved like a streak of fire, sidestepping the clumsy swing effortlessly. He grabbed the man’s arm, the flames licking at the thug’s sleeve before engulfing it entirely. The man screamed as Adrian flung him to the side with a fiery shove, sending him crashing into the wall.

Two more rushed him at once, one wielding a sword, the other a jagged dagger. Adrian ducked low, the blade whistling over his head. He spun, his fiery aura expanding outward in a burst of heat. The force knocked them both back, their weapons glowing red-hot from the sudden surge of energy. Not even close.

He lunged at the swordsman first, fists blazing as he drove a flaming punch into the man’s gut. The thug doubled over with a choking gasp before Adrian grabbed his tunic and hurled him into the other attacker. The two collided, crumpling into a heap on the ground.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Adrian growled, his voice echoing down the corridor.

The remaining thugs hesitated, glancing at each other uneasily. One, more foolish than the rest, stepped forward. He was tall, his arms corded with muscle, and wielded a massive warhammer. He sneered at Adrian, his confidence bolstered by the weapon’s size. “Yer just a kid, I’ll smash ya flat!”

Adrian’s flames surged in response. Big weapon, slow swing. Easy target.

The thug roared as he swung the hammer in a wide arc. Adrian darted forward, his speed leaving streaks of blue light in his wake. He ducked under the blow and delivered a flaming kick to the thug’s knee. There was a sickening crack as the man’s leg buckled, sending him toppling forward. Adrian followed up with a fiery uppercut, his fist colliding with the thug’s jaw in a burst of heat and sparks. The man hit the ground hard, unconscious before he even landed.

The remaining thugs faltered, their courage crumbling beneath the suffocating heat and the sight of Adrian standing amidst the smoldering remains of their comrades. Their eyes darted to each other, then to the corridor behind them. They turned and bolted as they attempted to flee.

Adrian didn’t hesitate. No mercy. Not for them.

The flames enveloping his body surged as he thrust his hand outward. A torrent of blue fire erupted, roaring down the corridor.

The fleeing thugs screamed as the inferno engulfed them, their desperate cries swallowed by the roar of the flames. The corridor blazed with an unearthly light, the fire consuming every inch of space ahead until the walls themselves glowed with residual heat. When the flames receded, nothing remained but scorched stone and the acrid stench of charred flesh.

Adrian stood motionless, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. His fingers uncurled, trembling slightly, as the flames around him dimmed to a faint shimmer.

He looked down at his hands, still streaked with soot and blood. Slowly, he wiped them on his tunic, the fabric smearing the grime rather than cleaning it. His gaze shifted to the devastation around him: the charred remains, the lingering smoke, the heat that still radiated from the walls.

That was… easy. The thought slithered into his mind, unbidden, unsettling. Too easy. I thought that I would feel something more after killing so many people, and yet, I feel nothing.

Adrian stepped forward, his boots crunching against the brittle, blackened remnants beneath him. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t feel much of anything, and that absence of emotion gnawed at the edges of his mind. No horror, no revulsion, no guilt. Just a distant, hollow acknowledgment of what he had done.

No, they deserved it. Every single one of them. He told himself this, clenching his fists as if to force the truth into his heart. Yet the act felt mechanical, as if it wasn’t him at all but someone, or something, else pulling the strings.

His reflection flickered in a puddle of water at his feet, distorted by the ripples of a stray droplet falling from above. The faint halo of blue flames still hovered above his head, though weaker now, pulsing in time with his breaths. He crouched down and stared into the puddle, his own glowing eyes meeting his gaze. Shouldn’t this feel… different? Shouldn’t it matter?

The emptiness within him grew louder. Adrian straightened, his jaw tightening. The flames dimmed further, shrinking into faint embers that clung stubbornly to his form. But there's no time for weakness. Not now.

He went ahead and stood before a reinforced iron door. He clenched his fists, his knuckles glowing with heat, and drew a steadying breath. Romulus isn't far, I can feel it.

With a sharp exhale, Adrian channeled his power into a single, devastating kick. The impact sent the door flying inward, tearing it from its hinges and slamming it against the far wall.

The boy stepped through the newly made opening, entering a room that was dominated by towering pillars etched with strange, glowing runes. Their faint hum filled the air, a thrumming presence that made Adrian’s skin crawl.

At the far end of the chamber, a group of figures stood in hushed conversation. But more importantly, there was one person that he wanted to see more than anyone else at the moment. Romulus.

Standing with Romulus were several figures wearing grotesque masks, each one appearing to weep blood from hollow eye sockets. The Mourne, and doesn't seem like the one's aligned with Seven.

Adrian’s fiery aura flared brighter, his steps echoing through the chamber. The sound drew their attention. Romulus turned, his eyes widening for the briefest moment. For the first time, Adrian caught a glimpse of fear in his expression. He didn’t think I’d make it this far.

But Romulus recovered quickly, his lips curling into a sly smile. “What an unexpected surprise. I must admit, I didn’t think you’d—”

Adrian didn’t let him finish. Memories of his last encounter with Romulus surged in his mind, especially the signature spell that required him to speak falsehoods to activate. Not this time.

Immediately, Adrian inhaled deeply, summoning the inferno within. As he exhaled, a massive torrent of bluish flames erupted from his mouth, roaring across the chamber like a living force of destruction. The Mourne reacted instantly, several of them raising their hands in unison. Crimson barriers flickered to life, their color deep and ominous, forming a dome-like shield in front of them.

The flames collided with the barriers in a blinding clash of light and heat. Adrian poured more power into the attack, his flames crackling as they pushed against the magic. The Mourne strained, their hands trembling as their barriers began to crack under the relentless assault.

Romulus, meanwhile, moved as fast as he could. Adrian’s eyes caught the gleam of a small case in his hands. He opened it, revealing a vial of vivid red liquid, and downed its contents in a single gulp.

What’s he doing? Adrian thought, his flames surging as the barriers before him finally shattered. The Mourne members were thrown back, their bodies skidding across the stone floor. The wave of fire rushed toward Romulus, threatening to engulf him entirely.

But instead of succumbing, Romulus leaped high into the air, his form blurring as he vaulted over the flames. He landed gracefully atop one of the rune-carved pillars, moving far too fluid to be natural.

Adrian ceased his attack, the torrent of flames dissipating as he narrowed his glowing eyes. “What was in that vial?”

Romulus wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a dark smile spreading across his face. “My salvation, and your undoing.”