As soon as the prisoner's lips parted, words spilled out like a torrential downpour. His voice was hoarse.
"We took the girl," he began, his words punctuated by short gasps of breath. "We think she's a holy essence wielder, you see. And we planned to use her power to bring back the demon king Sitan."
His hands shook as he spoke, the weight of his words heavy on his shoulders.
Claire's eyes widened as the prisoner uttered the name of the demon king "Sitan". Her mind struggled to accept what she had just heard. Sitan had always been nothing more than a myth, a character from old stories and legends meant to scare young children.
"It can't be true," Claire whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's just a story."
But the prisoner's eyes held a fierce determination, and his words carried a weight that could not be ignored. Despite her disbelief, Claire couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.
The prisoner's gaze dropped to the ground, his body trembling with fear and regret. It was as if he couldn't bear the weight of his own words.
"We thought the same," he said, his voice tinged with raw emotion. "Until she told us everything."
He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts before continuing. "A woman came to us one night," he said, his voice trembling. "She promised us a better life, one that we could only dream of. And all we had to do was help revive Sitan."
Claire's words were infused with a seething anger as she demanded, "Where are they now?"
The prisoner remained silent, his head bowed low as if he were too scared to speak. Claire's patience wore thin, and she slammed her fist onto the table with a resounding thud, causing it to shake. "Where is she?!" she yelled, her voice rising with each passing second.
The prisoner's silence was finally broken, his words coming out in a quiet, trembling voice. "They're in an abandoned building outside the kingdom," he said, "in the slums."
Claire leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the prisoner's face. "And where exactly in the slums?" she demanded.
The prisoner hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I don't know the exact location, but they told me 'it's a big, abandoned warehouse.' You can't miss it."
He looked up at Claire with fear in his eyes, as if he was worried about the consequences of revealing this information. "But if they ask how you found out, you didn't hear it from me," he added, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want any more trouble."
Grace and I obtained the crucial information necessary for the rescue operation, and without wasting a moment, we hastened out of the interrogation room. As we closed the door, the prisoner's demeanor transformed into one of utter panic.
"What? W-what's going on?" he stuttered, frantically searching his pockets as flames abruptly kindled around him. "I feel a sudden surge of heat." The flames intensified, completely engulfing his body, causing him to let out a piercing scream of agony. "Aaaaaarghh!"
Noticing the commotion near the chamber, Claire and the knights rushed to the scene in a state of distress. Claire darted back into the room to extinguish the flames, but her efforts proved to be futile. The prisoner was already enshrouded in the raging inferno, his agonizing shrieks echoing throughout the room. Claire was transfixed with horror, watching as the flames devoured him whole until his screams were silenced. Tem and I arrived too late, witnessing the tragic scene in dismay.
After everything had calm down. Claire examined the remnants of the fire and conducted a thorough investigation of the cause. She noticed a glistening object right outside the pocket of the deceased prisoner and promptly stooped to pick it up.
Claire stood up and lifted the object for all to see, a serious expression etched on her face. "This must be the culprit behind the fire," she asserted. "It appears to be a tracking device, but it has been enchanted with magic. I wonder who the user is and what their intentions were." She gazed at the others, her tone laced with concern. "We need to exercise caution. If they resort to such ruthless methods to eliminate individuals, we might also be at risk."
Suddenly, the item disintegrated into thin air, akin to ashes being swept away by the wind. "Its only purpose was to kill," Claire remarked somberly. "And just like that, it's gone."
"Okay, it's time to get to work," Claire announced, her tone transitioning into a more serious one. "Our next objective is to locate the abandoned building in the slums. I'll assist with the search, but I need everyone to fan out and comb through every building in the vicinity. If you come across anything that seems suspicious, do not engage. Call for backup right away."
With a resolute expression, the knights affirmed their commitment to fulfill Claire's orders.
"Rest assured, Claire, we'll find her," I reassured her with a firm nod.
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Claire acknowledged my assurance and led the way as we began our quest to discover the abandoned building in the slums. It was an arduous and perilous undertaking, but we were resolute in our determination to retrieve our friend and return her to safety.
Claire, Tem and I scoured the deserted and dilapidated alleyways of the slums, frantically seeking any indication of Grace's whereabouts. The thought of the obductors possibly overhearing our investigation and fleeing intensified the urgency of our pursuit.
Every abandoned building and suspicious looking home we entered brought us closer to finding the missing person, but also increased the risk of the kidnappers attempting to flee. Despite the danger, we remained determined and resolute in our mission.
As we strolled along, Tem couldn't help but be curious on the scarce presence of people. "What happened to this place?" Tem asked Claire with a concerned expression, turning towards her. Claire let out a sigh and ran her hand through her hair, her sorrow evident on her face. "This used to be a respectable and clean place," she reminisced, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "I recall passing by here as a child, seeing numerous children playing and laughing." She gazed around at the dilapidated buildings and deserted streets with a heavy heart. "However, it has now become a place of peril and hopelessness. Despite the kingdom's apparent prosperity, there are numerous parasites within it. This part of the kingdom is governed by gangs. The king, fearing that it might pose a significant threat to the kingdom, walled it off, segregating it."
"I see" Tem replied, Looking down
Following an exhaustive search of several buildings, we stumbled upon a colossal four-story building. It stood out among the rest in this section of the slums. Claire informed us that it was formerly an orphanage. As we drew closer to the structure to inspect it, we heard muffled sounds that resembled a heated dispute emanating from within. Attempting to catch a glimpse of what was happening, we peeked through the gaps between the doors, but nothing came into view. With caution, we opened the door slowly, ensuring not to make any noise that might alert anyone inside of our arrival.
During our investigation, we determined that the source of the commotion was not originating from inside the orphanage, but rather beneath it. As we combed the premises for a possible entrance, we scoured through anything that appeared to have a door, and it was Tem who eventually stumbled upon a sizable rug beneath the table in the kitchen. Despite the building being deserted, the rug was in pristine condition, as though it had been moved and returned to its original position. Tem cautiously pulled the rug aside and revealed a hatch concealed beneath it.
As Tem prepared to fetch us, the wooden hatch suddenly creaked open, revealing a man's head. He locked eyes with Tem, freezing both of them in place. The man's face twisted in terror as he realized the danger, but I swiftly intervened, knocking him out before he could utter a sound. "You should've told us that you found something." I chided as Tem and I hauled the unconscious man out of the hole, his limp body weighing heavy between us.
Claire quickly tied the unconscious man, making sure he couldn't move or speak, and then gestured us to help her remove the table that was on top of the hatch. We stared at it for a brief moment before looking at each other and nodding in determination.
Together, we lifted the table and carefully set it aside, revealing the open hatch below. With cautious movements, we descended into the hidden room below, taking in the enormity of the space as we went. The room appeared to have been designed to conceal a substantial group of people, with long rows of bunk beds lining the walls, beckoning our attention.
As we made our way through the underground room, our senses heightened, and we moved with utmost caution, treading softly and avoiding any unnecessary noise. The sound that had previously piqued our interest grew louder, taking on a more distinct form - the unmistakable hum of human conversation. We saw a room at the end of the huge underground facility that has it's door open. Curiosity driving us, we edged closer, desperate to hear more. Lining up against the walls, we took up our positions, with me at the front, followed by Claire and then Tem. With a careful peek through the open door, I saw a stranger and my heart began to race with anticipation.
The Stranger's anxious voice pierced the silence, his words laced with a sense of desperation and fear. "I told you this was a bad idea!" he exclaimed, his tone fraught with worry. "Now they know, two of our men are dead, all for this girl. We don't even know if she has the holy essence within her!"
As we listened intently, my mind racing with possibilities, the mention of a girl caught my attention. "The girl he mentioned must be Grace," I concluded silently. Claire and I exchanged glances, both of us equally perplexed and unsure of our next move.
The man's words had been directed at a hooded woman whose face was covered by a mask. She appeared almost ethereal, like a hologram projected from another dimension.
Despite the man's anxiety, the woman remained calm and collected, her voice steady and reassuring. "Don't worry, all is good," she spoke softly. "I can assure you she has the holy essence within her. After you extract it, we will be closer to our goals, and we will achieve our dreams."
As I peeked around the corner for a better view of the room, my heart sank at the sight of Grace, lying unconscious on a bed with her limbs bound tightly. "There she is," I whispered to myself, filled with a mixture of relief and concern.
Turning to Claire and Tem, I nodded in agreement, indicating that we had indeed found Grace.
As the hooded woman's voice trailed off, she issued a chilling command to the man. "Start the extraction process now, while there's still time," she ordered, her tone unwavering and resolute.
The stranger complied with her request, responding with a simple "Yes." As he moved to carry out the task, the hooded woman suddenly vanished, leaving the room bathed in an eerie silence.
With a sense of urgency, the stranger rushed towards a nearby table and retrieved a paper talisman. Chanting in a language that was foreign to us, he quickly approached Grace and placed the paper on her forehead. Almost immediately, her body began to emit a radiant light, indicating the presence of the holy essence within her.
As we watched, the stranger's sinister smile grew wider, and it became apparent that he was one step closer to achieving his goals. It was clear that we needed to intervene, and fast.
As the extraction process began, the screams of agony coming from Grace were almost unbearable. It was clear that the process of extracting the holy essence was causing her an excruciating amount of pain. It was as if she were being skinned alive.
The sound of Grace's screams alerted Claire, who burst through the open door, her face contorted with both fear and anger at the sight of her friend's suffering. At the same time, Tem charged towards the stranger, fueled by a fierce sense of protectiveness towards Grace. In a swift motion, he kicked the stranger away from Grace, causing him to collide with the wall.
Aaron, desperate to stop Grace's pain, tried to pull the paper talisman off her forehead
The stranger bellows "Stop!" his voice filled with a mix of anger and desperation. He sneers as he speaks,"The extraction is a delicate process, suddenly ripping that extraction talisman off could mean death. By the looks of it, you don't want her to die now, do you?"
His tone is firm and urgent, as he taunts us with his words, trying to make us understand the gravity of the situation, all the while an evil gleam in his eyes. He is trying to make us understand that if the extraction process is interrupted, it could cause serious harm or even death to Grace, but not out of concern for her well-being but for his own twisted agenda and sinister desires.
Claire's voice trembled with fury as she shouted, "Put a stop to this immediately!" She took a determined step forward, poised to take action to defend her friend. "Or else I'll–"
Before she could finish her warning, the stranger cut her off with a cruel sneer. "Or else what?" he taunted. "Kill me? Hahahaha." He let out a sinister laugh, his eyes brimming with a blend of conceit and disdain.
The stranger rose to his feet slowly, his face a mask of determination. "I will fulfill my dream at any cost!" he declared, his voice echoing through the room. Suddenly, a surge of energy pulsed through the air, and a portal materialized on the wall behind the stranger. It opened up to reveal a dark and ominous void.
With a commanding gesture, the stranger motioned towards an unseen entity on the other side of the portal. "Come, my pets," he bellowed with malice, "dispose of these obstacles who stand in the way of our ambitions." The portal widened, and five ferocious wolf-like creatures emerged from its depths, poised to carry out the stranger's wicked bidding.
"Those are dire wolves," Claire said, her voice filled with concern as she glanced over at Grace. "Individually, they may not be much of a threat, but as a pack, they're nearly unbeatable. How did he manage to tame them?" Tem steps to the group.
"Let's end this quickly" I said. Tem clenched his knife, Claire drew her sword, and we prepare to fight.
It was evident that the stranger's fixation on his dream had driven him to take drastic and perilous measures. He was ready to harm or even kill anyone who obstructed his path. This revealed a reckless and dangerous mindset, showing just how far he was willing to go to achieve his ambitions, regardless of the cost to others.
End of Chapter