Chapter 17 - Chapter 17 – Chains and Resolve

The forest closed in around Aditya Roy like a choking shroud. The deeper he pressed, the heavier the air grew—thick with damp earth and the iron scent of blood long dried. His sword hung ready at his side, aura simmering steady, an unseen cloak of vigilance. Each step crushed rotted leaves and snapped brittle twigs beneath his boots, sounds magnified in the oppressive silence.Signs of recent orc passage scarred the land—trampled undergrowth, gnarled branches shredded by heavy claws, swollen footprints filling with muddied rainwater. One print caught Aditya's eye—a monstrous indentation far larger than any orc's. His jaw clenched with grim certainty.The king—he was drawing closer.An unnatural aura crawled over his skin like a storm on the horizon. Somewhere ahead lay the heart of the disaster. The place where the orc threat found its dark root.Adjusting his grip, Aditya pushed forward—step by step—toward whose shadow cast coldest.Meanwhile, within the prison's cold stone and rusted iron—Veer tugged again at his shackles, wincing as coarse metal bit sharply into bruised wrists. Sweat dripped onto his brow, heart hammering in frustration and fatigue. Countless attempts to break free—twisting, pulling, channeling energy—met only with unyielding bonds forged for the Awokened."Damn…" His whispered curse echoed hollow in the dark cell.Suriya across from him lifted calm eyes. "You'll waste strength—and hope."That stoked Veer's fire, fueling rage that begged to erupt into rebellion. Instead, he fought it.Breathing deep, he forced a moment of stillness. Frustration was a trap, as real and deadly as the chains.Slowly, exhaling, Veer spoke steady, quieter. "You're right. We can't break these without… more."Anika, still wary, looked up from the shadows. "Then what?""We need information. On each other. On them." He gestured toward guards pacing outside. "We can't fight what we don't understand."Meeting Anika's eyes, Veer pressed, "What's your power?"She hesitated, lips thin. Then, with a whisper, "I create shockwaves from my palms. Unstable—and dangerous if I'm too close."Veer's thoughts flickered, a seed blooming deep inside. An idea forming.Suriya shifted, voice low and careful, "And the plan is to use her power?"Veer didn't answer directly. Instead, his gaze swept the cell.Something struck him.Every prisoner radiated aura—faint or fierce but unmistakable.All Awokened."They don't keep us alive for mercy," Veer murmured. "They're choosing… Like us."Anika paled, the silence pressing.Veer whispered, only half himself:"Then we'll choose too. Our way."A wild, dangerous, half-born plan. But in his mind, the pieces already aligned—the shockwaves, kinetic energy, the breaking point.Insanity. Yet perhaps the only chance they had.