AMON:

“He’s dead,” a guard’s voice echoed down the hallway, waking me from my slumber.

Opening my eyes to the delightful sight of a corpse painting the floor red I grinned and sat along the wall. No longer did I sense the boy nearby, meaning that my plan to fake my death worked perfectly. Though for some strange reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the bastard wanted to stab me.

That bitch back home dared say my acting wasn’t any good, but now I could silence her once and for all. I’ve done such a marvelous job keeping my identity a secret that it was indeed praiseworthy if I do say so myself. However, I must give credit where it’s due. To think that her clairvoyance which was often misinterpreted granted me the chance to meet someone like him. He indeed was worth the trip and was bound to help us in the future whether he wanted to or not, if he survived. No, I knew he was going to survive.

In all my years I’ve never seen such a talent. Not only did he awaken a powerful gift at birth, but his ability to manipulate mana and form a frozen core in less than two minutes after only being drained once was unprecedented. In fact, it was so quick that I almost failed to fake my death in time. Had that happened, she would’ve laughed at me for decades.

“There’s one more inside!” yelled out another guard while gripping his sword and staring at me. “Hey, what happened here?”

Had it not been for the seal, Alexander would’ve undoubtedly reached unimaginable heights for a human, likely to even rival legends, of that I was certain. However, he now possessed two mana cores that complemented each other flawlessly and if trained properly would make it so that nothing could stand in his way. A monster was moments ago unleashed into the world and it was all thanks to me.

“Answer me!” the guard yelled out, pointing his weapon at me in annoyance after I burst into hysterical laughter.

By the time I stood back up, four more gathered around him, armed to the teeth.

“The old man’s crazy,” one of them commented, making me look at my bony arms.

“Oh. . . Right,” I chuckled, clearing my throat and pinching it with my fingers before tugging left and right. “Yes, much better,” I said with a youthful and silvery voice.

It felt exhilarating to slowly revert to my majestic humanoid self after spending three weeks in that revolting state. My body transformed right before them, making their eyes go wide. I wondered if it was the elflike ears or my breathtaking beauty that got them staring like that, but deep down I knew it was just my twin three-pointed obsidian horns that curved back like a crown, the mark of my infernal heritage.

“Where was I?” I asked out loud, glancing at them with my crimson red eyes that hungered for their souls. The sound of my voice made one of them fall to his knees as their hearts filled with despair. Even to someone as lowly as them, the difference between us was apparent. “Ah, right. I was to finally leave this filthy place.”

Hearing me say I was leaving must’ve given them at least a sliver of hope that they’d survive meeting me. However, if the roles were reversed a smile on their face was all I would see. One could call this karma as I despised weaklings that abused others believing they were strong. For them to do that, they would at least need to be worthy of my praise.

Extending my hand toward them I subtly cast a silence spell without the typically needed incantations, manifesting a barrier that prevented sound from escaping within a certain radius. Their screams that began as soon as I took a step closer would never reach outside. Snapping my fingers while having a sadistically sardonic grin on my face, I conjured a violet shimmering portal that cracked open the wall behind them.

It was a gateway to a dark void infested with unknown eldritch horrors that served under my command. The void warped the fabric of space and was filled with a cacophony of whispers. Dozens of squirming, ebony tentacles lashed toward them, wrapping around their limbs and dragging them off into the abyss. Once they were gone the portal closed, leaving me alone with the corpse Alexander left behind while restoring the wall to how it was just prior to its manifestation.

“They will make fine incubators,” I told myself, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

Walking out of the cell, I noticed the second body that Alexander left behind. While I was glad to see him using his newfound power, I hoped he would be a bit more discreet. Just this once I was willing to lend a hand, snapping my fingers, conjuring two portals that swallowed the corpses.

“Alexander, there is much I hope you achieve. However, regardless of how far a monster like you reaches, you’ll never be able to surpass us.” With confidence, I extended my hands out calling forth a large quantity of mana. “Greater Teleportation.”

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ALEXANDER KALLIS:

Taking a deep breath trying to calm down, I looked toward the right path that led to the stairs. With everything on the line, I couldn’t afford a single fuckup as it might lead to either my capture or immediate death. What made matters worse was that there was no clear way out, but standing around wasn’t going to do me any good either. I needed to be confident.

The curved hallway connected to a smaller somewhat empty room that I had the pleasure of seeing before. Walking into the light cast by hanging lanterns, I encountered new faces. It worked out in my favor as a familiar guard could’ve recognized me. Flanking me was a man sitting at a desk playing with a butcher knife, making it spin with one finger; the other stood next to the stairs on the opposite side of the room, snoozing off placidly.

Guards that escorted me last time didn’t say a word so I tried mimicking their behavior by smugly walking through. However, it appeared I caught the attention of the man with the knife as he cleared his throat.

“Not even gonna say hi, are ya?” the man asked putting the knife down.

All I wanted to do was let out a sigh and ask myself why everything had to be so difficult.

“Hi,” I said without even looking, sounding a bit annoyed.

Carefully turning around to face him, I made sure to have a smile on my face and to give him a small, respectful nod.

“Hi to you too,” he chuckled, leaning on the desk with his elbow. “Show me your papers.”

“Papers?” I asked taking a step closer, making sure he was within range of my sword if necessary.

His intentions remained unclear as his tight-lipped smile gave little away, and since I’ve never seen anyone carrying papers around, his request left me baffled.

“You think you can just walk on by without any papers?” He looked me dead in the eye. My hand slowly inched closer to the hilt, ready to lash out. We stayed silent for a few seconds before he burst into laughter. “Ha! Got ya, didn’t I? You should’ve seen the look on your face. Almost had me believing you were an escapee,” he kept on laughing, allowing me to sigh in relief.

“Good one.”

Little did he know, his poorly timed joke almost cost him his life.

“Thanks. Seems like you’re a good sport unlike most of the stuck-up assholes down here. Sometimes makes me wonder if they had to stick a broom up their bum as part of recruitment.”

“I feel ya. . .” I chuckled along.

“So, you heading upstairs?”

“Yeah, got stuff still needing to be done. Hopefully, I can finish up quickly and just laze around for a while.”

“Well, it just so turns out I have a deck of cards we could play. My shift just started so I ain’t going anywhere. Interested?”

“Maybe once I’m done.”

“Okay,” he sighed, picking up his knife again and carving away at the table. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“Right,” I said, turning around.

Walking away from what almost ended up being a very tragic joke, I noticed that the guy snoozing by the stairs still hadn’t woken up. There was a part of me hoping I could one day be just like him again. Letting out a sigh, I headed toward the loud noise on the other side.

Once at the top, I opened the small wooden door that led me into what I could only describe as a gargantuan gathering hall. The strong smell of alcohol and sex obliterated my senses, not allowing me to ignore the all-out debauchery around me fueled by a seemingly limitless amount of alcohol that no less than a hundred men got to enjoy. They were joined by female slaves that had little to no clothing and were either sitting around or forcefully being taken on top of a table while the crowd cheered. While I was disgusted by the surroundings, I couldn’t help but be thankful that their guard was down. Being one of the few people carrying a weapon around made me feel at least a bit safer. That being said, my job wasn’t any easier as the crowded hall turned out hard to navigate.

What interested me the most were the metal reinforced doors to my right that likely led to what I assumed was the outside. There weren’t a lot of people mingling around there but it remained heavily guarded by two spearmen wearing chain shirts. It was unlikely that I could simply waltz off out of there, so I decided to blend in and bide time until I either came up with a better plan or someone showed me how it’s done.

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From what I gathered, most of the folk hung around the kitchen. All the alcohol was there and many preferred getting it themselves over waiting on a free slave to bring it back. There was also a chance someone would snatch the woman for a bit of fun. Those who were brave enough or had prior dealings preferred sneaking into the kitchen which allowed them to have some private action. It wasn’t as if they used it to actually cook the food.

Noticing that my disguise was working, I began to relax believing that it would be hard to find me even if they wanted to. However, I ended up bumping into a kid around my age that was carrying an expensive-looking bottle of wine. He dropped on his ass but kept the bottle intact, saving both of our lives at the same time.

“Sorry! Are you okay?” I reached out with a helping hand.

“Yeah,” he said, forced to take it so as to not get stomped on by the crowd that was moving hazardously.

The first step he took afterward made him almost fall over again as he yelped in pain.

“You sure you’re okay?” I asked again, grabbing him by the arm and helping him find an unoccupied place to sit.

While it might’ve looked like I had forgotten that I was a prisoner, my goal was to try and build up a rapport with some of the members so I had at least one person to cling to while I looked for an opportunity.

“My ankle hurts a bit,” he said, muffled by the nearby table that began to sing what sounded like a sea shanty. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Go ahead.” I accepted, knowing I could ditch the work if I didn’t end up liking it.

“I need you to take this bottle up to the captain’s room upstairs. He’s busy with a girl and if I’m late he’ll have me punished,” he sighed helplessly.

“Won’t he be shocked to see me instead?” I asked thinking about the benefits of his request.

Seeing the captain in itself was a massive risk of him recognizing me. That alone was enough to scrap the dangerous idea but there was more to it. Limiting my options wasn’t going to do me any good in a desperate situation. If there ever was a good time to see a captain it would be with his pants down.

There were countless other benefits as well which included the right to explore the upper floor that until now had never been accessible to me. With no windows in the gathering hall, the promise of one sounded appealing. Seeing outside would’ve given me a good idea of where I was and I thought that maybe if I got lucky, I could even climb out of it or jump into a nearby body of water.

“As long as he gets his wine it should be fine,” he looked at me with puppy eyes, hoping I’d lend a hand.

“Fine, I’ll do it. It’s my fault anyway.” I accepted, taking the bottle from him. “Which room was it again?”

“Once you go upstairs, the first room to the right.”

“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”

“Thanks,” he smiled. “What’s your name?”

“Eliot.” My step-brother’s name was the first to come to mind.

“Pleasure meeting you Eliot, name’s Jamie.”

He looked to be a sweet guy that got dragged into a messy situation. Made me think of the kid I killed earlier, but it was too late to feel regret about it. Taking a deep breath, I prepared for my next destination, the captain’s room.

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My idea of helping Jamie out proved to be fruitless as the upper floor was nothing but an empty hallway with a bunch of doors leading to what I presumed were private rooms. There were no windows, making me believe that we were still underground despite being on what I believed would be the first floor. If that were true then the metal reinforced doors I’ve obsessed over didn’t lead directly to freedom. Tartarus yet again proved to be an inescapable maze.

Standing in front of the captain’s door, I considered turning away and acting like nothing ever happened. However, I still hoped to profit by risking it all. Since he was busy enjoying himself, I wanted to see if capturing him was possible. Getting him to talk was my best bet in finding the exit. Because he was busy and I doubted many would just burst into his room, his inevitable death wouldn’t be discovered as easily. Even if that wasn’t the case, all the blame would be pinned on Jamie before they managed to discover the truth. He looked like a good guy, but I couldn’t afford to forget that everyone in Tartarus was my enemy and despite there being exceptions, my survival came first.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door while holding the wine. Truthfully, I was a bit curious about what it tasted like, having never seen the brand before.

“Who the fuck dares disturb me?!” A loud adenoidal voice rang in my ears.

“Sir, it’s your wine,” I said confidently.

“Just bring it in!” he commanded sounding utterly annoyed before letting out a demonic laugh.

Abiding by his wishes I entered, closing the door behind me.

The room was unexpectedly claustrophobic, without windows and barely any furniture that stood out apart from a comfy-looking king-sized bed on top of which the captain stood butt naked. Granted, after sleeping for two weeks on the cold floor, everything looked refreshingly comfortable.

The poor girl whose face I couldn’t see laid under him, tied up by her arms and legs, stripped of any clothing. Her soft bruise-covered pale skin was covered in scratches, forcing me to bite my tongue and avert my gaze.

“Bring it here,” he grunted, lowering his tone.

Turning around to face me, his flaccid manhood forced me to make eye contact as to not look down. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable approaching someone before.

“It’s not even open yet,” he complained, grabbing the bottle out of my hand and walking over to the bedside table. “Can’t you idiots do anything right? Let’s see. . .”

My gaze which was anything but lustful fell to the tied-up girl. Unexpectedly, I knew exactly who she was by the red hair and well-endowed chest which my shirt covered most of the time that we spent sitting across one another in our cells. The tearful look in her eyes must’ve meant that she recognized me as well, but the gag in her mouth prevented her from saying anything. With a look of sympathy, I reached for the hilt of my sword which must’ve spooked her as she began shaking her head vigorously, leaving me to wonder if she thought I’d kill her.

“There we go,” he said to the sound of the bottle popping open before turning back to me. “Wait, why do you?-”

Before finishing the question, his eyes went wide with the realization that I wasn’t one of them. He wanted to throw the bottle at me, but my draw was too quick for that. He froze in place just as my sword reached his throat, barely avoiding death by decapitation.

“Get on your knees,” I ordered, coldly staring into his eyes.

Having a better look at him, he was a middle-aged man with an appalling physical appearance, but his eyes indicated he had seen quite a few battles. Probably a veteran that turned to mercenary work.

“Who do you think you are to order me around?” he asked scornfully.

“Someone impatient.”

My warning was sincere and I believe he figured that out as he listened to my orders by getting down on his knees. Many in his situation would’ve foolishly attempted to throw the bottle at me anyway in hopes of taking me by surprise. However, his experience must’ve made him realize that his chances were inexistent.

“What do you want?” he asked, desperately trying to get me to talk.

“Carefully put the bottle down and roll it over to me.” My voice remained modulated, showing that I was in control. While the bottle wasn’t much of a weapon against me in a situation where I had a sword pointed to his neck, my goal was to snuff out any hope he might’ve had of escaping without giving in to my demands. “Now.”

Without hesitating, he obediently placed the wine bottle down on the stone floor and rolled it slowly toward me. It spilled most of the liquid inside, but that hardly mattered.

“Let’s talk this out. Killing me will make sure that there’s no hope of escaping out alive.” He refused to relinquish control even in such a humiliating position. “However, work with me and I can assure you that we’ll both get what we want.

“Silence.”

My commands were short and easy to understand, giving away as little as possible. There was no mana coming from him that I could sense and considering he hasn’t acted out meant that he likely didn’t possess a core. Regardless, I didn’t take my eyes off of him.

Taking a step back I reached around the bed and cut the rope binding the girl’s arms, setting her free.

“Is it the girl?” he asked, believing he figured me out.

“Last warning.”

The Captain broke a cold sweat knowing that he couldn’t get a single emotion out of me past my cold expression.

“Why would you do that?” the girl asked with a brittle voice, freeing her legs and removing the gag. “You’ve just gotten us both killed.”

“Has the definition of death changed since I was imprisoned? Calm down,” I told her as I walked back to him, avoiding looking away even while talking to her. “He values his life.”

“That’s right I-” he confidently spoke up, certain I wouldn’t do anything but quickly found out that his gamble didn’t pay off as I mercilessly chopped off a few of his left-hand fingers.

He wanted to scream but ended up groaning in pain while gripping his hand, aware that loud sounds would get him killed.

“Seems you finally understood me,” I ridiculed him, placing the steel edge against his throat. “Without wasting words, tell me where the exit is.”

He glared at me silently before exhaling deeply. “There isn’t any.”

“Elaborate.”

“Everyone comes through a teleportation circle which can only be accessed by our mages. You’re the noble’s kid that was brought in two weeks ago, right? Yes, Alexander Kal-“

I interrupted him by sliding the blade across his skin, making a small cut.

“You’re wasting words,” I warned him, unsure if he was being deceitful or not. “Your explanation sounds improbable. If anything were to happen to this place, you’d have no ways of escaping.”

“That’s a risk Tartarus must take in order to be what it is,” he explained nervously as his eyes were glued to the sword. “I’m telling you the truth.”

“What about the mines?”

“All the tunnels were sealed off. Getting through there would take years.”

“There must be something you’re not telling me.” I wanted to click my tongue out of annoyance, but couldn’t show him that I was getting emotional over the claimed revelation.

“There isn’t, but I could secure a way out by helping you teleport. Both you and the girl.”

While I understood that he was glad to find a way that could potentially save his life, his furtive grin made it obvious he was hiding something.

“That would never work. Don’t take me for a fool.” I stared at him condescendingly. “Tell me something useful or I’ll slice your throat. Final chance.”

“What about the hidden tunnels in the kitchen?” The girl asked, grabbing my attention.

“Hidden tunnels?” I asked both.

“There’s no such thing,” he denied it but his expression quickly turned to annoyance.

“Silence,” I commanded, turning to the girl. “Tell me more.”

She was too focused on the situation to bother getting dressed which made me quickly look back to the captain.

“I overheard a few men mentioning it while drunk. Apparently they’re connected to the kitchen which lead outside, but was closed of for some unknown reason.”

“Is this true?” I glared at him.

“You’re a fool if you believe you can escape through there.”

“Do you happen to know where the entrance they mentioned was?”

“I think I know. . .” she mumbled, clearly lacking confidence. “While cleaning the kitchen floor, I heard a howling sound coming from behind the shelves.”

“She’s lying!” he raised his voice and uttered his final words as I mercilessly slit his throat.

The girl covered her mouth in shock, gripping the sheets. She must’ve been frightened.

“Why did you kill him?” she whispered, panicked that someone might hear us. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“He wasn’t going to tell us anything and besides, I never intended to show him mercy. After all, he wanted to. . .” Letting out a sigh, I stopped myself from finishing my sentence. There was no way I could tell her that the whole time I was haunted by the vivid imaginations of my sisters crying in a place like Tartarus.

“He wanted to rape me, I know.” She sighed. “Thank you for saving me, but we still needed him. Maybe you could’ve forced him to tell us where the entrance was.”

“Even if I got him to speak, he would’ve lied. Besides, I trust you.”

“But I don’t trust myself,” she sighed.

“What you heard was likely wind and considering we’re underground, it likely meant that there was something behind the shelves.”

“What if I just misheard things?”

“He seemed intent on convincing me you were wrong, so I doubt you are. We can do this if we work together, okay?”

She silently looked at me before letting out a frustrated sigh.

“Fine, but before we do we must come up with a proper plan.”

“Agreed.”

“Name’s Anna,” she introduced herself, standing back up. “Thanks for the shirt, Sir Hero.”

“Alexander,” I said, finally showing a hint of emotion by softly smiling at her. “Well, Anna. . . Are you ready to get out of here?”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.

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