A Terrifying Revelation
Valerius shivered against the cold metallic surface of his cell as the shadowy figure stepped closer, his piercing eyes scanning Valerius as if dissecting him with his gaze. The man’s towering form loomed over him, exuding an aura of menace and authority.
“You reek of Bravo,” the man said, his voice smooth but laced with disdain. “Weird. Earthers are humans, no exceptions. Yet you… you're not human. You’re an Elvhein. How?” His gaze narrowed, scrutinizing Valerius as if searching for answers. “What are you? You defy common sense.”
Valerius met the man’s gaze, anger burning behind his emerald eyes. “Who are you?”
The man’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “And why would I tell you that?”
Before Valerius could retort, the man crouched down, his face now level with his captive’s. His eyes glimmered with curiosity and something darker. “You don’t know this, but one’s body cannot circulate both Mana and Bravo. And yet you… you might be the key to our success. With you, I feel an absurd amount of Bravo, and yet…” He tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening. “It doesn’t circulate. It just lingers there. How fascinating.”
The shadowy figure stepped back, his expression shifting to one of amused interest as he examined Valerius. “You haven’t undergone any formal training, and yet the potential in you is staggering. So, how is it that an untrained boy wields such dormant power?”
Valerius, gritting his teeth, glared up at him. “You’ll regret this. I promise you.”
The man chuckled, the sound low and mocking. “Regret? I doubt that.”
With an effortless motion, he grabbed Valerius by the collar and lifted him off the ground with one hand. “Let me show you why.”
The man hurled Valerius across the room. He crashed into the iron railing at the edge of the cell, the impact forcing the air from his lungs. As Valerius gasped for breath, his eyes widened at the sight below.
The space beneath his cell was a macabre laboratory. Rows of glass tubes lined the chamber, each filled with murky liquid and floating body parts—arms, legs, even severed heads suspended in eerie stillness. Metal tables bore the dismembered corpses of humans, their lifeless faces twisted in agony. Strange mechanical devices whirred and hummed, their sharp instruments dripping with blood.
The smell hit him next—iron and decay, so thick it made his stomach churn. The horror of it froze him in place, his mind racing to comprehend the grotesque scene.
“See?” the man said, walking over and kneeling beside him. He grabbed Valerius by the hair, forcing his head against the railing. “There is no escape.”
---
Yelleen’s Guidance
When the man finally left, Valerius slumped back against the cold floor of his cell, his breathing ragged. His emerald eyes darted around the chamber, trying to block out the gruesome imagery below. Then, in the silence, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
“You’ve been awfully quiet these days, Yelleen,” Valerius muttered under his breath. “Aren’t you supposed to help me?”
Yelleen’s tone was calm, almost amused. “You must overcome this yourself, Valerius. Consider this your first trial.”
“First trial?” Valerius whispered, his voice rising in frustration. “That madman is going to chop me up. There are bodies everywhere!”
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“I know,” Yelleen replied, her tone unbothered.
“Then help me escape!” Valerius hissed.
There was a pause before Yelleen responded, her voice tinged with something that might have been pity. “I will help… a little. I’ll send your location to your siblings.”
Valerius blinked, his anger giving way to confusion. “Wait. How do you know where I am?”
“I can see everything you see,” Yelleen answered matter-of-factly.
“Seriously?” Valerius muttered, incredulous. “Well… damn.”
Yelleen’s voice took on a lighthearted tone. “I’ll activate the Baby Monitor.”
“The what?” Valerius asked, his frustration returning.
“Don’t worry about it,” Yelleen replied. “Just hold on.”
---
A Message from Yelleen
Back at the safe house, Ziraiah leaned against the table, staring at the map Eryndor had spread out earlier. The silence was thick, punctuated only by the faint hum of the runes inscribed on the walls.
Then, without warning, a 3D holographic map flickered into Ziraiah’s vision. A red dot glowed in the center, labeled Valerius. She gasped, her hand flying to her temple. “What… what is this?”
Yelleen’s voice chimed in her mind. “That’s Valerius’s location. Hurry.”
Ziraiah bolted from her seat, rushing to Eryndor, who was sharpening a blade nearby. “Eryndor! Look at this!”
Eryndor frowned. “At what?”
“This!” Ziraiah pointed to the air in front of her. “You can’t see it?”
Yelleen’s voice interrupted. “Sharing now.”
Eryndor froze as the same holographic map appeared in his vision, the red dot glowing ominously. “Valerius…” he murmured, his calm demeanor cracking slightly.
Ziraiah’s panic shifted to urgency. “We have to tell Kaelan.”
Yelleen’s voice was firm. “I’m not connected to Kaelan.”
Eryndor grabbed a piece of parchment and a charcoal stick, quickly sketching the map. His strokes were precise, almost artistic.
Ziraiah watched in awe. “Since when can you draw like that?”
Without looking up, Eryndor replied in his elegant tone, “Who do you think drew those paintings at home?”
“Definitely not you,” Ziraiah quipped, her tone disbelieving.
Eryndor smirked faintly. “Thank you, dear sister, for I am most offended.”
---
Kaelan’s Fight
A piercing scream cut through the forest, shattering the quiet of the safe house. Ziraiah and Eryndor froze, their eyes wide with alarm.
“That’s Kaelan!” Ziraiah cried, rushing toward the door.
Outside, Kaelan was locked in a desperate battle with the shadowy figure. The man’s towering frame dwarfed Kaelan’s as he stood almost motionless, deflecting every strike with effortless precision. Kaelan’s rune-inscribed blade glowed with energy as he swung with all his might, but the man blocked each attack with a flick of his hand.
“For an Elvhein, you’re awfully weak,” the man said, his tone almost bored.
Kaelan gritted his teeth, his movements becoming more frantic. “Never… have I been called weak.”
The man chuckled darkly. “Really? Let me show you.”
In a flash, the man disappeared from Kaelan’s vision. Before Kaelan could react, a powerful hand clamped onto the back of his head, slamming him into the ground with bone-crushing force.
“To me, you’re but an ant beneath my boots,” the man said coldly.
Kaelan gasped for air, his mind reeling. “What… just happened?”
The man pressed his boot onto Kaelan’s back, applying crushing pressure. Kaelan screamed in pain, his voice echoing through the forest.
---
The Siblings Confront the Shadow
Ziraiah and Eryndor burst into the clearing, their eyes widening at the sight before them. Kaelan, the strongest man they knew, was pinned beneath the towering figure’s boot.
“Kaelan!” Ziraiah screamed, taking a step forward.
Eryndor grabbed her arm. “Run!”
“I can’t move!” Ziraiah cried, her body frozen in place.
The shadowy figure shifted his eyes toward them but didn’t turn around. Stretching his arm backward, he clenched his fist, and Ziraiah was yanked off her feet, pulled through the air as if by an invisible force. She screamed as the man’s massive hand clamped around her neck, lifting her effortlessly.
Eryndor roared, grabbing Kaelan’s discarded blade and charging forward. “Let her go!”
He swung the blade with all his strength, continuously striking the man, but the man didn’t flinch. Eryndor stepped back, consumed by fear as his attacks were completely ineffective. Turning his head slightly, the man’s gaze locked onto Eryndor. At this very moment, for the first time in his life, Eryndor knew true fear, it felt like a raging beast stood before him, then Eryndor collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Kaelan, bloodied and broken, shouted, “Stop! It’s them—they’re Elvheins!”
The man froze, releasing Ziraiah, who crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. He turned, his gaze lingering on her tear-streaked face before moving to Eryndor’s unconscious form.
Kaelan, battered and bloodied, crawled his way towards Zaraiah, "am sorry", he faintly utters.
After careful gazing at Eryndor, the man walks to a nearby rock, sitting down, he muttered, “It seems… it was true.”
---
To Be Continued…