Chapter 10:

In the wake of the unsettling ceremony in the main square, the passage of time in this windowless room had become a disorienting experience. My only anchors were the regular meals that Lida and Walden delivered. Twenty-three meals had come and gone, and I estimated it’s been about a week. Yet, the lack of natural light – visible only as a faint sliver from the crack beneath the door – had blurred the concept of days into something indistinct. The sound of rain hitting the outside of the house was the only thing that changed between the days.

I was also given a bucket to use as a chamber pot. Combined with the lack of ventilation in the room, it posed a problematic scenario, but to my surprise, Walden himself came twice each day to pick it up and replace it with a clean one.

The aftermath of the prayer ceremony still lingered vividly in my mind. As Vera concluded her prayer, the villagers, with an eerie unity, hummed a different one in words I couldn’t understand. The sound crawled under my skin, making me even more uneasy. Lida, who remained beside me as I knelt before the statue, refrained from joining the unsettling hum. Her eyes bore into mine with a disturbing intensity, and her smile made me feel sick. Throughout the ceremony, she incessantly ran her fingers over my shoulders, each touch leaving me more unsettled than the last.

When the humming finally ceased, every villager approached me in turn. Their hands reached out, gently brushing against me. Some caressed my hair, others my forehead or cheeks. The collective touch of so many strangers sent shivers down my spine, and their grins only intensified my discomfort. After the villagers retreated to their homes, Vera, accompanied by Belferon, Walden, and Lida, cryptically declared that in precisely thirty-three days, I would receive the greatest of honors. The vagueness of her words left me bewildered, yet none of them inquired further. Lida, still maintaining the ethereal chain around my neck, led me back to my isolated room.

When I was left alone, my mind continued to struggle to understand what those lunatics wanted from me - their motives, their desires. The uncertainty bred tension inside me, and my heart raced non-stop with fear, not just for myself, but more profoundly for Ren. She was confined in the infirmary, far away from me, and remained a constant concern. A week in this bizarre village might have left her in a deteriorating state. The rhodonite was used on her almost two weeks ago. So much time had already passed since then. Too much. I caught myself wondering if they have cared for her, but I quickly dismissed the notion - what reason could these crazy people possibly have to show any concern for her? When I joined the Blood Moon Foxes, she was always willing to help me, even though I repeatedly rejected any form of help or support. She even looked out for me when I came down with the flu while Elandor was away. And now I was so useless...all I could do was constantly worry about her.

The urgency to escape intensified with each moment, yet the task proved far from straightforward. After the gathering, Lida, in a peculiar oversight, left the hairpin in my possession. Naively, I thought that she might have forgotten. I hoped that, even though my first escape had been planned by them, my next attempt would catch them by surprise. But each escape endeavour since then met the same result: Lida, with her commanding presence, would appear, forcing me to return to this room, all the while patronizing me for her own twisted amusement.

I tried searching for people who didn’t seem local, believing they might be able to help me, but there were none to be found. The one outsider I did manage to stumble upon turned out to be a traitor as well. During one of my failed escape attempts, I met him in a chance encounter. The person, a man in his thirties with blond hair and a rough-looking face, told he was a traveller as well and offered an alliance, showing me a knife he had supposedly stolen, promising protection. Reluctantly, I agreed, only to be betrayed once again, much like with that Martin before him. Lida praised the betrayer with the same twisted satisfaction she reserved for her 'loyal dog'. It was obvious I could not trust anyone in this village.

It became clear later on – the same way I miraculously found it on the floor, the hairpin had been left for me intentionally. I didn’t know why yet, but Lida wanted me to try escaping. The sick pleasure she derived from watching my failed attempts had become evident. She enjoyed seeing my misplaced trust turn into betrayal, all under the influence of her twisted magic. Yet, even with this knowledge, the hairpin remained my only means of escape. I knew I had to stay persistent, clinging to the hope that one day Lida’s arrogance will cause her to falter, allowing me a chance at freedom. I only needed her to slip up once.

When I wasn’t trying to escape, memories of Elandor, Will and Frenkie resurfaced, threatening to crush me under their weight. Suddenly, I could recall so many moments I had shared with each of them - moments that once seemed so insignificant and forgettable. For instance, I remembered how Will was overjoyed when I finally moved in with them, expressing how happy he was that another friend had joined their ranks. At that moment, I wanted to tell him that we weren’t friends, but out of courtesy, I decided not to. Now, looking back, I felt ashamed for even thinking that way.

Memories of my mother began to haunt me as well. She died when I was ten, and that was the catalyst for how the rest of my life turned out to be. My father had been killed five years earlier, and with no other relatives to turn to, I was sent into an orphanage where every child was mistreated. I managed to stay there for a year before I ran away to the streets, where I made my new home.

My mother was sick with Shadowsbane, a devastating affliction that spared no one. On one sunny day, she just fell victim to this terrible disease, an illness that had claimed countless lives over the years as no traditional treatment or magic could cure it. Shadowsbane manifested in the gradual withering of the soul, a slow descent into darkness both figuratively and literally. As the disease took hold, its victims exhaled dark mist with every breath, and their own shadows gradually faded until they vanished entirely.

I remember the long, arduous days and nights when she fought against the relentless advance of the disease. No minerals held the power to ward off the literal darkness that grew within her. Many believed it was a curse crafted by the gods, but no one could offer a hypothesis on why the gods would be so cruel. Most victims succumbed to the disease fairly quickly, yet my mother, with a tenacity that defied the prognosis, clung to life. In my child’s eyes, she was a beacon of strength and bravery. I remember worrying about her, urging her to rest, but she would always smile and say. “Don’t worry, I’ll be the first one to survive the Shadowsbane.”

She stayed on her feet long after the healers had predicted she would be bedridden. At times, I even believed her words - that she would be the first one to survive it. The sound of her weakened laughter and the determination in her eyes conveyed a strength that was almost tangible. But as the disease’s hold on her grew, her once vibrant features faded, and the sparkle in her eyes dimmed slowly. The warmth of her smile waned, replaced by a haunting image that mirrored her inner struggle.

The disease claimed her after two years of relentless battle. She was bedridden by the end, but even then, the fire in her spirit refused to die out. As a ten-year-old, I grappled with the pain of losing her, and the world seemed a colder, lonelier place without her. It was her fighting spirit, despite the overwhelming odds, that shaped who I am today. Her words, her will to fight, and her enduring spirit became the foundation of my belief that survival, against all odds, is the most fundamental of human instincts.

I approached the door, preparing myself for another escape attempt. My fingers reached for the lock, hoping that this attempt would be different. But as my fingers began manipulating the hairpin in the lock, the sound of approaching footsteps outside caused me to retreat quickly to the corner of the room. Who could it be? Walden already brought me lunch an hour ago...

The door swung open, revealing Lida, her expression disturbingly joyous. “Good afternoon, my dear Luca!” She chirped with an unsettling cheerfulness. The dissonance between her pleasant greeting and her true nature was sickening.

I remained seated, my voice cold. “Screw you.”

She feigned a hurt expression. “Is that any way for a young man to talk to a lady?”

“You’re not a lady.” I shot back, my tone harsh. “You’re a crazy, psychotic bitch.”

Her smile only widened at my insult, which only deepened my resentment of her and the very air she breathed. However, my defiance proved futile as she resorted to her magic and the invisible chain around my neck materialized once more. “Greet me.” She commanded, her voice sweet but authoritative. “Pleasantly.”

Her words resonated through the ethereal chain, and against my will, I found myself complying, the words forced through gritted teeth. “Good afternoon, Lida.”

Her grin widened with triumph. “Nice start.” She said, her expression growing even more pleased. “You’re a slow learner, but who knows? I might just make a fine gentleman out of you before we’re done.”

She began to glance around the room, as if searching for something, mumbling to herself. “Where is that damned stool...”

Her disappointment was evident when she realized the stool she brought the other day was missing. Without any second thoughts, she whistled sharply, and the sound of hurried footsteps across the wooden floor outside the room had me on high alert. Moments later, Martin entered the room, crawling on all fours, wearing nothing but his underwear. The broken man stopped beside Lida, his eyes wide with anticipation, expecting her next command.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Good boy.” She greeted him before issuing a command. “Now freeze. Stay still just like this.”

Martin obeyed, though it was unclear to me whether it was due to her magic or because he had already surrendered his free will entirely. Lida then proceeded to sit on his back, turning him into an impromptu chair. As I watched Martin, his gaze fixed downward, I couldn’t shake the disturbing feeling that gripped me. His expression held a mixture of pain and deep shame.

“My eyes are up here, Luca.” Lida chuckled, snapping my attention back to her.

She watched me silently, a grin stretching across her face. The unsettling intensity in her gaze felt like a mixture of hunger and something far more disturbing – something I’d rather not dwell on. Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed me, a mix of amusement and interest flickering in them. Finally, she broke the silence, her tone surprisingly casual. “Luca, have you been working out this past week?”

I chose to remain silent, avoiding her gaze as much as possible. In this empty room, with nothing else to do but planning my escapes, I resorted to training - basic exercises like push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Anything to pass the time and gain some semblance of strength. I needed to become stronger if I had any hope of making it out of here.

Ignoring her question seemed to agitate her. She used my silence as an opportunity to close the distance between us. Rising from her makeshift seat, she approached me, and I noticed Martin release a sigh of relief as she left him. Lida then squatted in front of me, her hand running sensually across my shoulder and down my right arm. “Your arm muscles and overall frame look a tad bit more defined than before.” She remarked. She then placed her hand on my face, her fingers tracing the tiny scar on my right cheek. “What’s the story with this scar?” She asked, a grin spreading across her lips.

Instinctively, I pulled away, unsettled by her touch. Her laughter echoed through the room. “Oh, I’m sorry.” she offered an obviously feigned apology. “Got a bit carried away.”

Seizing the moment, I pressed her for information. “What about Ren? How is she?” I asked, my voice urgent, hoping for any clue about her condition.

Lida, visibly indifferent to my concerns, dismissed the question with a careless wave of her hand. “Who cares about that one? I’m here for something else, actually.”

She returned to her makeshift seat on Martin’s back, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she pulled three objects from the front pocket of her pants. She extended her hand, revealing them to me. My heart sank as I recognized the items she held in her right hand - the amethyst stone Axel Bane had given me, Elandor’s black tourmaline ring, and the most important of the bunch - the calcite.

I already knew my personal possessions were in their hands, but seeing them displayed so casually made my heart race with both anger and panic. Lida, clearly enjoying my distress, remarked offhandedly. “I’ve been rummaging through your stuff, Luca. These three caught my eye. I’ve never seen anything like them before.” Her gaze sharpened as she studied the stones in her hand. Then, as if adding insult to injury, she singled out the Elandor's black tourmaline ring. “What mineral is this black ring made of?” she asked, her grin widening, her eyes locking onto mine. “I thought it was onyx at first, but it didn’t work when I tried using it – meaning that it was not. So…what is it?”

To use the magic of any mineral, one first needed to know what type of magic it allowed them to wield. Without that knowledge, it was nothing more than a pretty rock. Some minerals were so common that everyone knew their purpose - moonstone and hematite, for example. But the world was filled with countless minerals, some so rare that you might only encounter them once in a lifetime. Others were even rarer, to the point where they seemed almost mythical, and people questioned their existence. Tourmaline was one of those. If I revealed that the ring was made of tourmaline and allowed teleportation magic, Lida could exploit it for her own purposes. The ring’s life expectancy was already at its limit, and if she used it, my plans for escape with Ren would crumble.

I glanced at the ring in her hand, my mind racing. The desire to resist her control and confront her physically was immense, but I knew I was powerless against her magic. Even without it, she seemed fit and strong enough to overpower me - she was, after all, one of the people responsible for the village’s security.

As the seconds ticked away, I made a decision. Confrontation would only provoke her to use her magic, and a blatant lie would likely yield the same result. I needed to lie so convincingly that it would sound believable enough to keep from double-checking me with her magic.

“It’s called black tourmaline.” I answered truthfully, hoping she hasn’t heard of the mineral before. Then I added a lie, trying to sound casual. “And I have no clue what it does. I stole it from some rich guy in Willox, hoping to sell it along the journey for some hefty coin.”

She raised her eyebrow, her expression thoughtful. “Tourmaline, eh?”

I kept my face neutral, hoping she’d believe the lie and let it go. She inspected the ring closely, then her smile turned chilling. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Her question sent a chill down my spine, but I managed to stay calm. “I have no reason to lie when I know you could always use your magic to force the truth out of me. Besides, if I knew what this ring does, do you really think we’d be here right now? Do you think Belferon would have found us wherever he did, in the state we were in? Pretty sure I wouldn’t be in this sorry position if I knew what to do with it other than selling it.”

She kept her gaze on me, seemingly weighing my words. “Okay, I’ll bite.” She said, then picked up the amethyst stone and held it up. “What about this one? And please, don’t lie.”

Amethyst wasn’t as common as moonstone, but it was still well-known for its use in long-distance communication. I suspected she knew that too and was either testing my honesty or fishing for information about who might be on the other end of it. If it was the latter, I had a plan to steer the conversation in the direction I wanted. Though, I could only hope that everything would play out as I intended.

“It’s an amethyst.” I answered simply.

She smiled, clearly knowing the answer already. “Who’s your contact on the other end of it?”

I cleared my throat before telling the truth. “The ‘Dragon’ – Axel Bane himself.” I knew she wouldn’t believe it, and that’s exactly what I was aiming for.

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And here I thought we were making progress, and you’d stopped lying to me.”

The ethereal chain around my neck began to glow with its pink hue, and she repeated her question, her tone more commanding this time. “Who’s on the other end of this amethyst?”

Under the power of her magic, I couldn’t lie. “The ‘Dragon’ – Axel Bane himself.” I repeated.

Her expression shifted to a mix of surprise and shock. For a moment, it seemed as if her self-confidence wavered. She glanced at the pink ring on her finger, likely questioning whether her magic stopped working.

Everything went according to plan. Though this moment might have seemed small and insignificant, it was joyous to experience, and I had to supress my smile. I was still a long way from getting out of here, but at this point, I’d take all the wins I could get.

After a few seconds, she returned to her old, cruel self and smiled. “You weren’t lying.”

“I told you.” I replied. “There’s no point in lying to you anymore, so I’m done with it.”

Her smile softened slightly, but it still held that disturbing presence that made my skin crawl. She leaned in closer, clearly feigning compassion as she ran her cold hand across my cheek. “I’m sorry I doubted you, my Luca.”

I sighed, enduring her disgusting touch, while trying to maintain the small advantage I created. “It does sound bizarre, even if it is the truth.”

She chuckled, seemingly enjoying what she perceived as my submissive act. “Bizarre doesn’t even begin to describe what it sounded like. How in the hells did you end up getting an amethyst from Axel Bane?”

I knew I had to stick to the plan: Make the lies believable and the truths as far-fetched as possible. That way, every time she used her magic, she’d realize I was telling the truth and, hopefully, become more trusting – something I could use to my advantage in the future. Just as I was about to answer, she cut me off. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re his bastard son or something?”

The surprise on my face made her laugh. “I’m just messing with you. He’s obviously not that old.” She said, her grin ever-present. “But seriously, what’s the story there?”

The thought of actually using the amethyst crossed my mind, if only for a moment. If Axel Bane did come, he’d save us easily. He won’t even break a sweat. But I didn’t trust him, nor did I believe he’d actually show up.

“It’s a long one.” I replied, buying myself time. “I’m not even sure he’d answer if I used it.”

“We’ve got plenty of time.” Lida said, her tone both patient and amused. She held the calcite between her middle and index fingers, twirling it slightly. “And I still need to ask you about this transparent stone.”

Before the conversation could go any further, the door swung open, and Walden rushed inside. His usually composed demeanor was replaced by visibly anxiety, and sweat beaded on his forehead. “We need you, Lida.” He said, exhaling heavily.

She raised an eyebrow at him and spoke patronizingly. “What happened this time, Walden?”

“It’s those freaking bandits we caught last week. Their leader is creating trouble again.” Walden replied.

Bandits’ leader? Jhad? Funny how life can change in an instant. Last week I was willing to kill him with my own two hands for threatening our safety, and now I was cheering him from afar for whatever trouble he was giving those bastards.

Lida looked at me and smiled. “Sorry, honey. We’ll have to finish this talk another time. Walden here is useless without me…”

Walden looked embarrassed but didn’t show any retaliation against her words. He exited the room, and Lida followed at a slow pace, making it clear that his urgency was not hers. She had all the control and time in the world.

“Come on, doggo.” She called to Martin, and the man, still keeping his dog-like posture, followed her, matching her pace.

She closed the door behind them, yet there was no sound of the lock clinking into place. It was left unlocked, leaving me with the realization that she encouraged me to try and escape. She didn’t think I could.

A part of me wanted to quit trying. If she didn’t even bother locking the door, it meant that in her eyes, I had no chance of escaping. Which had proven to be the case over the past seven days. But I suppressed these thoughts. I would keep trying to escape until I succeed. I couldn’t quit - Ren was counting on me.

I quietly approached the door, cautiously listening for any signs of presence beyond, then I slowly turned the handle, and the door swung open without resistance.

As I stepped into the corridor, I turned left toward the window. It looked like it was around afternoon, and outside, the villagers seemed to be engrossed in their mundane routines. I turned around and approached the staircase. Reaching the ground floor, I cast a quick glance outside. The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the street. After a group of villagers passed by the door, I seized the opportunity and slipped out into the narrow street. The ground was slightly wet, with some puddles scattered here and there.

My numerous escape attempts had taught me that the house where I was held was fairly close to the jailhouse, where I assumed Lida and Walden had just gone. Luckily, Ren and the infirmary were in the opposite direction. I crouched and proceeded slowly, trying to stay alert to any passersby. The time of day played against me, as many people were outside, and since they were all in this together, no one could be trusted.

Before I could progress any further, I was abruptly halted as a hand clamped over my mouth from behind, and the cold steel of a knife pressed against my neck. Panic surged through me as I froze in place. My initial thought was that it was Lida, and that Walden needing help was just another ruse to get me excited at the prospect of escape before they broke my spirit again. But the voice of my attacker did not belong to either of them.

“I’m sorry, but I have to kill you.” The young female voice behind me said.