Some guards stepped back, clearing a path as if fearing that the aura I had emanated moments before might return.
"Finish what we started," a voice barked from behind them. It was the leader. I lifted my gaze; my vision was still blurred, and cold sweat ran down my forehead, but I forced my body to remain steady. He walked slowly, his sword clattering rhythmically against the side of his boot.
"But we've barely begun," he said with an insignificant smirk, the kind worn by those who believe the game is already won. "I must admit, for someone with no combat experience—or even experience using the Aether—you manage to surprise me a little."
He stopped a few meters away, closing the distance with predatory confidence.
"Well, since you're being honest, I'll be honest with you too," I said, looking him straight in the eye, ignoring the weakness in my knees and the blood staining my tunic. "For someone with experience, you're well below average."
His smile faltered. The insult cut through the air faster than any blade. I watched the vein in his neck bulge and his knuckles whiten around the hilt of his weapon.
"You…" the leader began to growl, fury replacing arrogance. He took a step forward, his blade trembling.
I didn't know exactly where I was. My hands were suspended by chains, and the cold metal bit into my wrists without mercy. I felt every inch of that pain, but the heat radiating from my chest—that strange energy from the Web—was the only thing keeping me conscious. I looked up, seeing the dull glint of the chains holding me. I wasn't just a spectator; I was living every second of that humiliation, and it only fueled my will to strike back.
"You really are the piece of shit everyone says you are," he spat, trying to regain his air of superiority as he watched me immobilized and bleeding.
I stared him down. Blood ran down my face, but my eyes did not waver.
"Did I sleep with your wife by any chance?" I asked, looking at him with a mocking grin that seemed out of place for someone in my situation. "Because if I did, she wouldn't speak of me like that."
The silence that followed was broken by the dry thud of an impact. A punch struck my face with full force, snapping my head to the side. Pain throbbed in my jaw, but I said nothing; I only turned my face back slowly and spat the blood flooding my mouth onto the courtyard stones.
"Your wife would be more affectionate," I said, looking at him again, the smile returning to my lips, now stained red.
He growled, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. He was about to draw it right then and there to end my insolence, but one of his men stopped him, grabbing his arm urgently.
"We don't have the order yet, sir," the man said, his tone heavy with dread.
The leader huffed, his breathing heavy, but he eventually pulled his hand away from the weapon. He leaned close to my face, the smell of sweat and metal hitting me.
"Consider yourself lucky, because the King's order hasn't arrived yet to wipe this filthy blood from the face of the earth," he said, every word a promise of future death.
I remembered everything I saw in that vision—the neglect, the coldness, and the cruelty of the palace. Honestly, I shouldn't care so much about what mere mercenaries said, but perhaps it was a prickle of the true Aether in me that kept me from staying silent. It was as if the original soul was roaring for dignity.
"Faithful little dogs to your master, that's all you are," I taunted, my voice sounding hoarse but firm despite the blood choking me. "Are you afraid of the King's yoke?"
The leader hesitated for a second, fury battling the fear of royal orders. But the insult was too much. Before he could think, he landed a blow, then another, and another. His fists hit my stomach and face with a violent cadence.
As he vented his hatred, I gripped the chains holding me. I began to focus all the essence of the Web into them, heating the metal with my palms. They were so entertained watching their leader beat me that they didn't even notice the subtle glow beginning to emerge. The chains were turning red under my hands, the intense heat burning my own skin, but I didn't let go.
"Going to keep going?" he asked, breathless, his knuckles stained with my blood.
"Your wife would want me to continue," I replied with a bloody smile, looking him in the eye.
That was the breaking point. The barrage of punches resumed, but now they were much stronger. Each impact felt like it would pierce through me, breaking ribs and stealing my breath. The world wobbled before me, but I kept heating the chain. The metal was now incandescent, nearly at its breaking point.
I only needed one more second. The pain was unbearable, but the heat I felt was welcoming—it was my only way out.
Suddenly, the blow he dealt was strong enough that the chains, already glowing and weakened by the heat of the Web, snapped. I fell onto the damp cave floor, the sound of stone and shattered metal echoing off the narrow walls.
They stood frozen in surprise for a few seconds, the torches flickering with the sudden movement. But I couldn't let this chance slip away. With the last bit of energy I had stored in the depths of my soul, I slammed my hands onto the rocky ground.
"Gaia's Barrier!" I shouted, feeling the Web drain the last of the consciousness I still possessed. The wall of earth and stone rose with a crash, sealing the cave corridor and momentarily muffling the mercenary leader's roars of fury.
I stood up with extreme difficulty; the darkness of the cave seemed to crush me. Every bone in my body protested the movement. I began to run—or rather, stagger—using the uneven, damp walls for support. My lungs burned with every breath.
The explosion behind me was deafening. Gaia's wall must have already been down, and the vibrations sent dust and small debris falling from the ceiling onto me. I knew it wouldn't last long, but I had to keep going.
Soon, the biting cold of the night hit me. I could see the pale glow of the moon ahead, marking the end of the tunnel. But before I could celebrate, I felt a wave of heat coming toward me. I threw myself to the ground instinctively as flames grazed over me, illuminating the rock.
I looked back and saw their silhouettes advancing. I had to run faster. I stood up with absurd difficulty, my hands fumbling over the cold ground at the exit. Again, I imagined the ground giving way, every thread of the Web connecting under my feet. My whole body ached agonizingly, but I didn't stop.
"Quicksand," I whispered, nearly breathless.
The ground beneath the mercenaries began to writhe and sag, turning the firm path into a viscous trap. I stood up one last time and dragged myself out of the cave, feeling the freezing air surround me completely.
I was in the middle of nowhere. The horizon was an unknown vastness under the moonlight. I didn't know where I was, nor how far Valenreach was from that place, but I had to move. I walked, tripping over my own feet, until I reached a steep drop. It seemed we were on a mountain near Valenreach, but in the darkness and with a mind clouded by pain, I had no real idea of where I truly was.
Soon I heard heavy footsteps behind me. I turned around, and there they were, dark silhouettes against the glow of the moon.
"Look at that, the little shit has a few tricks up his sleeve, I must admit," the leader said, a smirk on his face. "The intel said you were someone who had never even used the Web. I have to admit, you have potential."
He drew his sword with a fluid motion. The blade gleamed under the silvery moonlight, reflecting absolute murderous intent.
"But unfortunately, you die now," he sentenced, taking the first step for the final strike.
I looked back at the black abyss of the slope. It was my only chance. I would either die by the sword or break my neck descending that deadly incline. There was no third option.
He came at me with terrifying speed. There wouldn't even be time to try blocking with Gaia's Barrier or to dodge the blow. So, I simply threw myself off.
I felt the vacuum for a second before the impact. I tumbled violently down the slope. I hit rocks, tree trunks, and the frozen earth. Every collision was like an iron punch to my already broken body. The world became a blur of pain, branches tearing my skin and the sound of my own bones protesting against gravity.
I stopped inches from a river. The sound of water crashing against the rocks was a constant reminder that if I fell in, it would be the end; my strength was at its limit and I wouldn't have the energy to fight the current.
I lay there for a moment, looking up at the starry sky. The moon seemed to contemplate me in silence, a cold witness to my agony. I stood up with extreme difficulty; every movement was a torment. I breathed with difficulty, feeling my ribs scream with every gasp, sending stabs of pain through my chest.
I walked a few more meters, staggering over the smooth stones of the bank, trying to find a place to hide in the shadows of the forest. But soon, the voice I feared most made itself present, cutting through the noise of the river.
"Did you have fun?" the leader asked, emerging from the trees with a cruel smile.
I looked around and saw the silhouettes of the others. It was them. They had come down a safer path and surrounded me. I looked at my trembling hands and at the river behind me. I wouldn't make it out alive on my own. My broken body and my enemies were only a few steps away.
The leader raised his sword, the moonlight reflecting off the cold steel. I had no way out.
My end was near, but I felt somewhat at peace; perhaps death no longer scared me. I could no longer stand, and my hands felt like they would shatter if I tried to use the cannon one more time. They came toward me calmly, as if they already knew I was at my limit.
I touched my hands together, ready to use the last of my strength, when suddenly, the sound of footsteps appeared behind me. They were calm.
The mercenaries seemed to hear it too. Their expressions shifted to confusion. I turned my blurred vision, but I couldn't see clearly who was there; the silhouette looked like a woman walking calmly.
I was about to fall. My strength was gone, but her hands caught me before the impact.
"I was only away for a few days and this is what I find," the voice said. I recognized it instantly. That emotionless voice.
"You're a little late," I said, forcing my eyes to focus on her blue eyes.
"Lygni."
I said, finally yielding to the darkness.