Aerendil's POV

Two days had passed since Elanor had sought his assistance. She hadn't yet clarified what she required from him, and her intentions remained vague. However, deep down, he sensed that it had something to do with Mani. She had dropped subtle hints, perhaps attempting to gauge his thoughts about her.

Whatever the case, it looked like he passed.

Elanor had reiterated many times that this would redeem their family's reputation. Aerendil's only desire was to mend what he had broken, so he refrained from questioning her. She led him into the building where Mani was being held at.

He wasn't informed about what her fate was. Elanor seemed to avoid the topic every time it came up. As he held the door open for her, she walked past him with a smile.

"Are we here to escort Man- the human to the trading spot? Or has the exchange already taken place?" Aerendil inquired, observing as Elanor instructed the guards to open the door leading to the dungeons.

"Not quite," Elanor responded, chuckling softly as she walked through the doorway. She offered no further explanation and began descending a long flight of stairs, with Aerendil following closely.

Aerendil furrowed his brows, following behind her. "Then what is it?"

"You'll see, Aeren. Now, stop with the questions."

Aerendil's shoulders slumped in disappointment, but he quickly straightened them. The staircase was a straightforward descent, in contrast to the eerie spiral staircases he had seen in other regions, likely a design choice of Fejuhn's governor.

Upon reaching the base of the stairs, Elanor continued down a corridor, and Aerendil could hear a voice growing louder.

"Be a good sweetheart and look at me! It's no fun when you don't scream, but I guess there isn't much I can do about it," a voice that Aerendil recognized as Zeran, Ylvanna's chief interrogator, echoed through the passage. "Aw, sweetheart. What's with the thousand-yard stare?"

Aerendil glanced at Elanor, seeking answers, and she patted his arm reassuringly. Yet, his heart sank as he slowly pieced together the unfolding situation.

When they arrived at the targeted cell, Aerendil's eyes widened, and he struggled to suppress a gasp. His jaw hung open as his eyes roamed the gruesome scene before him.

There was blood everywhere, splattered across the walls and ceilings. A trolley loaded with torture equipment was stationed beside Zeran. Evidence of recently regurgitated vomit pooled on the floor. Zeran stood before the person shackled to the wall. The person,

Mani.

She... didn't look normal. Even as the footsteps of Elanor and Aerendil approached, she never looked up, her head remained bowed, and her eyes were fixed on the ground.

Zeran noticed their arrival, grinning as he turned to face them. "Hello! I'm glad you finally made it."

Aerendil was rendered speechless, but Elanor entered the cell without hesitation.

"Of course. Any progress?" Elanor inquired, casting a glance at Mani.

"See for yourself," Zeran replied, gesturing toward Mani, who was slumped over. "She's not dead, by the way."

Aerendil entered the cell but kept his distance. "What... What is happening here...?"

Zeran redirected his attention from Mani to Aerendil, then back to Elanor. "You didn't tell him?"

"No, it was better that way. He's here now, is she conscious?" Elanor didn't acknowledge Aerendil's bewildered gaze.

Zeran shrugged as he answered, "Barely."

Aerendil's eyes rested on Mani, and her condition was nothing short of pitiful.

Elanor crossed her arms and inquired, "Barely?"

Zeran ran his fingers through his hair. "Barely as in, it's on and off."

"Elanor... What the fuck is happening here?" Aerendil demanded, growing frustrated.

"Aeren, this is necessary. If we traded her for father in a normal state, there is a chance that she could make the humans stronger," Elanor explained, placing her hands on Aerendil's shoulders. "If this works, we will get father back while the humans get a damaged doll."

Aerendil's jaw dropped further. "Torture... You're trying to break her...?"

"Aeren, you must understand that this is necessary! You don't care for her, do you? Do not damage our reputation more than you already have. This is your chance to truly redeem yourself," Elanor squeezed his shoulders, staring straight into his eyes. "Do this for mother, for father, for me."

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Aerendil closed his mouth, he gulped before speaking, "Do... what exactly? What am I supposed to... do?"

Elanor gestured to Mani. "Remember how I told you to be friendly with her? If you are the one to hurt her, it may be her breaking point her breaking point, Aeren. It's all up to you now."

Aerendil took a step back in horror. That was why she ordered him to treat Mani nicely? He had no idea she had become so manipulative over the years he was gone. She was nice to Mani too, was that a trick as well? Had she already taken part in her torture? But… she may be overestimating his familiarity with Mani.

"Elanor... You..." Aerendil trailed off as he couldn't find the right words.

"Everything I do is for our family, Aeren. Will you do the same?"

Aerendil, left almost speechless, nodded subtly.

"I... I will."

***

Mani's POV

Another nightmare had plagued Mani as she slipped into unconsciousness. Xavier repeatedly stabbed her while Estes and the others watched, their sinister grins etched in her memory. The distant voices roused her from her nightmarish slumber, and her eyes fluttered open.

"I will," a voice echoed.

Aerendil?

She didn't dare look up, unwilling to confront the grim reality that he, too, had become a part of this ordeal.

Zeran noticed Mani's nightmare ended and he turned to her. "Elanor, she's awake."

Footsteps approached, soon Zeran's shoes came into her view. He crouched down and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up. "Sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

Mani offered no response. Her gaze remained locked on his, void of emotion. Her once brilliant crimson pupils faded into a dull hue, reflecting the hopelessness she felt. Aerendil flinched at the sight, but Elanor took hold of his hand. She opened his palm, placing a dagger on it. He glanced down at the dagger, it's been inscribed with runes, fire runes.

"Look who I brought, my sweet. He's no Estes but he's good enough, hm?" Zeran quipped as he stood, stepping aside to reveal Aerendil holding the dagger. With his grip released, Mani's head sank back into a bow.

He crouched before Mani, the weight of a dagger in his hand amplifying his hesitation. "Mani..."

He gripped the dagger tightly in his hand. He paused at the sound of Mani's mumbling; her erratic, shallow breaths coupled with her incoherent mutterings only heightened the spine-chilling atmosphere. He heard the last part when she began repeating the same phrase repeatedly.

"I'll kill you all. I'll kill you all. I'll kill you all."

It was for his family, his family trumps all. He must. He will.

"I'm sorry, Mani," he whispered, his voice trembling as he raised the dagger.

With eyes tightly shut and jaw clenched, the blade pierced Mani's thigh, but she remained eerily silent. The wound emitted an acrid scent, as if burning flesh. When Aerendil reopened his eyes, an unsettling sight sent shivers coursing through him.

Mani's eyes, once filled with pain and terror, had now transformed into something utterly disturbing. She stared with an unrelenting, hollow intensity. Her pupils had dilated to an unnatural extent, swallowing the crimson of her irises, making them resemble dark, vacant voids.

"Do it again," Zeran commanded, rubbing his chin with a twisted fascination. "Don't stop unless I say so."

"But—"

Elanor interrupted him, her tone firm, "Do it, Aeren."

Gritting his teeth, Aerendil turned back to Mani. Her unnerving gaze dared him to continue.

He removed the dagger, holding it above his head. He paused, noticing Mani's head twitch as her gaze flickered toward the door. Suddenly, a boisterous cackle echoed from the hallway, shattering the cell's silence.

A guard rushed to the cell, his face etched with terror, urgently shouting to Elanor and Zeran, “CAPTAIN! THERE ARE INTRUDER—"

Before he could finish, a bolt of golden lightning incapacitated him. He crumpled to the floor, joining two other guards that were once stationed nearby. Elanor unsheathed her sword, Zeran drew a dagger, and Aerendil readied his claymore.

"What the hell?" Zeran cursed, his stance offensive.

The source of the lightning remained concealed. Tensions flared as they prepared for another attack from this anonymous intruder.

However, it wasn't an intruder who emerged next, but another guard, wearing an elven helmet, who dashed into the cell. The trio remained on edge.

Elanor raised her sword towards the soldier. "Halt, soldier! What is the meaning of this? What is happening?"

"An intruder, Captain! He's killing every soldier he comes across! We need to get the prisoner out of here!" The soldier's voice revealed her as a woman.

Zeran glanced at Elanor, searching her reaction.

Elanor narrowed her eyes at the soldier. "Where is the intruder now? He attacked those guards just now, so he must be nearby."

The soldier pointed down the hall. "He's—"

The air buzzed with static, another bolt of lightning appeared, hitting the soldier. Elanor watched as the soldier fell limp to the ground.

Zeran stepped back. "Shit. Elanor, it has to be a subsetter. Electric."

"What do we do?" Aerendil inquired, but he seemed calm despite the situation. He had to be.

"Elanor responded, her calm unwavering despite the danger, "There's nowhere to go. We have to eliminate him."

Zeran, astounded and frustrated, asked, "Are you kidding? He's killing soldiers left and right. Are the soldiers in Fejuhn that inept?"

"...Fejuhn's guards are among the best, considering they border Shamir," Elanor said, and the room fell into silence.

Mani remained motionless, observing the soldier who had entered her cell. She wasn't moving, but her breaths persisted. Suddenly, the room filled with a thick smoke, obscuring view. It emanated from the soldier's body. Mani's eyes widen, I fucking knew it.

As the smoke grew denser, Elanor yelled, "Stay with the human!"

Aerendil turned, hurrying to Mani's side.

"Zeran! Kill the soldier on the ground now!" Elanor ordered, coughing from the smoke as it filled her lungs.

Zeran tried to locate the fallen soldier but found nothing in the smoke. "Fuck! She’s gone!"

The smoke was suddenly blown away by a gust of wind. There was no time for the trio to get their bearings as bolts of lighting began to strike into the cell. They all dodged the first strike, however the bolts continued to strike consecutively. Unable to avoid them all, they were struck down.

Strangely, none of the bolts hit Mani and the soldier, who was now standing right by her side. Although the strikes were precise, the soldier stayed flat against the wall to avoid any accidents. A whimper left the soldier's mouth as she faced away from the lightning.

Once the strikes came to an end; Aerendil, Zeran, and Elanor lay on the ground.

The soldier hastily ran up to Elanor's body and searched her pockets. She fished out a key ring and dashed back to Mani.

"Hey boss, let's see... Not this one... Not this one..." she muttered, the jingling of keys accompanying her search.

The masked intruder appeared, followed by another masked figure. Mani raised her head to look at them, although they both donned mask, their identities were unmistakable; just as she had recognized the soldier's voice.

It was finally over.

"Mani!"