The sand exploded with every movement.
The giant worm, ten meters long, had erupted like divine fury, crushing three guards in a single bite.
Its body, covered in rocky scales, gleamed under the blazing sun, while sword-like teeth jutted from its gaping maw.
"Formation!" shouted a knight clad in black armor, unsheathing a massive enchanted blade.
Five knights moved into position, each spaced with precision.
The ground still trembled.
The worm rose into the air, casting a vast shadow over the scene.
A bestial roar tore through the sky.
One of the knights — seemingly the youngest — leapt into the air, his cape dancing behind him like flames.
He spun mid-flight and brought his blade down on the monster's head.
CLANG!
Sparks flew from the impact. The blade had barely scratched the worm's thick carapace.
"Too tough! Aim for the inside of its mouth!" the mage shouted.
She raised her right hand, her eyes turning white with pure energy.
A magic circle shimmered in the air, etched with ancient runes.
The air grew heavy.
A massive spear of ice formed with a thunderous sound.
FWOOOSH!
She hurled it with deadly precision. The spear tore through the air and pierced the worm's open maw just as it roared, wrenching a shriek from deep within its throat.
The monster recoiled, thrashing wildly in pain.
Its body whipped against the ground, sending waves of sand exploding outward.
Another knight — the one wielding a massive axe — seized the moment to close in, his muscles bulging with mana.
He leapt, spun, and slammed his weapon into the beast's side.
BA-BOOM!
A section of its scales shattered.
Black blood burst forth.
The worm growled, twisted violently, and flung the knight away.
His body bounced three times across the sand before lying still, half-buried.
"Damn it! Buy me time while I prepare the final spell!" the mage cried.
She began crafting a new magic circle — larger, more intricate.
Her hair floated upward, as did her robe.
Magical energy crackled around her like lightning.
A third knight, swift and masked, sprinted along the worm's body like a ninja, making his way toward its left eye.
He drew two daggers and drove them deep into the pupil.
SHLAAAK!
The worm writhed in agony, its scream shaking the air — even cracking the chains of the nearest slaves.
Amid the chaos, in the back rows, the slaves watched in stunned silence.
And him…
He stared at the battle with a strange feeling in his chest.
It wasn't fear.
It was something else.
While the knights and the mage fought fiercely against the worm, no one paid attention to the slaves.
The chaos of sand, screams, and spells masked everything.
He, still standing, heard a crack.
CLINK.
He looked down. One of the rings binding his wrists had just cracked.
His heart skipped a beat.
Just a little more...
He gritted his teeth and pulled.
His muscles tensed like those of a wild beast.
CRAAAK!
The chains shattered with a metallic snap, flying into pieces.
Free. For the first time in years.
He took a deep breath.
The desert air, thick with heat and dust, had never tasted so good.
But now wasn't the time to celebrate.
In the distance, between two dunes, he spotted a fissure. A chasm.
Deep. Dark. Perfect to vanish into.
Without thinking, he ran.
Each step kicked up a cloud of sand.
He ran fast. Too fast for a starved, thirsty slave.
As if his body no longer belonged to him.
But then, behind him, a voice pierced the chaos:
"HEY! HE'S ESCAPING!!"
Other slaves.
Jealous. Angry.
Their eyes weren't filled with fear—but hatred.
"GUARDS!!! A SLAVE IS ESCAPING!!!"
Damn it...
He pushed harder.
The wind howled in his ears, but soon, the sound of the sand changed—
Heavier. More rhythmic.
Hooves. Boots.
He was being chased.
Three armed guards appeared ahead, swords already drawn, blocking the way.
One pointed at him:
"On your knees, slave, or we'll send you back in pieces!"
He didn't answer.
In his hand, he still held a piece of broken chain.
His gaze was calm. Cold. Almost empty.
I'm not going back.
The first guard charged.
He stepped aside and dodged.
The chain lashed out like a whip.
CLACK!
The metal struck the guard's throat. A sickening crack.
The guard collapsed, choking, his windpipe crushed.
The other two shouted and surrounded him.
He took a step back. Drew a deep breath.
And threw himself into the dance.
The two guards lunged.
Their coordination was perfect. One came from the right, blade slashing diagonally.
The other from the left, aiming to pierce.
A cross attack. Deadly.
But he, with that empty gaze, sensed their intent long before they struck.
Boom.
His knees bent—he launched forward. The ground cracked beneath him.
He slid beneath the first blade, spinning on one knee across the sand.
The chain coiled around his hand, humming with tension.
"One, two—now."
He twisted up in a spiral, arm raised, and cracked the chain like a whip at the second guard.
SWISH — CLACK!!
The metal struck the man's hand. Bone shattered. The sword flew.
The guard screamed.
But he didn't stop there.
He yanked the chain back.
It coiled around the wounded man's torso, pulling him in violently.
He leapt—knee raised.
CRACK.
The knee smashed into the guard's jaw with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered.
The body dropped, limp.
No time to breathe.
The last guard was already upon him, blade poised to strike.
He turned just in time.
The blood-stained chain coiled around his arm like a living serpent.
CLANG!
The sword was caught in a spiral of metal.
He leaned in close—so close he could feel the guard's trembling breath.
"You scared?"
And he smiled.
He kicked the guard's knee. A wet snap.
The man collapsed, screaming.
With a smooth motion, he raised the chain, looped it around the guard's neck—
And pulled. Hard.
The guard clawed the air, eyes bulging. His throat closed. He was choking.
But he didn't let go.
He leaned in and whispered:
"You made me walk under that sun for days. You think I'm a slave?"
He pulled harder.
The snap of a vertebra breaking.
The body slumped to the ground.
Silence.
Blood in the sand. Moans in the air. The heavy breath of the only one left standing.
And him—on his feet, chest rising slowly.
Free.
Truly free.
He was about to run.
I'm free… he thought. I have to escape. It's now or never.
His legs pushed him forward at full speed. The chasm lay ahead, in the distance.
Each step kicked up sand.
Each breath burned—but he felt alive.
Just a few more meters… and no one will ever chain me again.
But suddenly—
BOOM.
A deafening crash shook the ground.
The giant worm collapsed with a monstrous groan, its body slamming down like a mountain. A heavy silence followed.
Then—shouts.
"He's escaping!"
"He's running! Hey, look over there!"
"It's him! He broke his chain!"
He turned his head.
The slaves.
They were pointing at him.
No… you…
"Get him! He's going to get us all killed!"
"Hey! GUARD!! GUARD!!"
He clenched his teeth.
Why…? I didn't do anything to you! We're all slaves… Why betray me?
He ran. Faster.
Harder.
I'm getting out. I will—
Then he felt it.
The air.
It turned heavy.
Electric.
Instinctively, he stopped.
His heart pounded.
He slowly turned around… and his blood turned cold.
A knight.
Standing there. Motionless, a few meters away.
Sword drawn. The blade gleamed under the sun.
What…? When—?
And then—
FWOOSH.
The sword cut the air.
His body froze.
One step.
Two.
He looked down at his torso.
No wound.
One breath.
Two.
I… I'm alive?
Then—
A red line.
Thin. Almost invisible.
It slowly spread.
...No.
The ground cracked beneath him.
The shock hit instantly.
BAAAAM.
A shockwave shattered the sand, launching him into the air.
His body flew like a broken arrow.
The chasm awaited.
He fell.
His arms flailed in the void.
His breath was heavy.
His chest… on fire.
It hurts… but I'm free… I think…
He looked up one last time.
The sun.
Blazing.
Then—
Darkness.