As he came to his senses a bidding headache assaulted him, making his eyes closed due to the dull pain. The back of his skull throbbed like the beating heart of a newborn. He bit out his lips to curse and moved his hand to inspect the damage and found that he could not move freely.
His legs too were immobilised, which he noticed when he tried to get up.
The violent hum of the bizarre whip while streaking through the air assaulted his battered body, calling forth a grimace of agony. A steady dripping sound echoed around him but he did not know the source.
All he could see was a pure white ceiling room without any furniture. His hope of returning to the days of glory was thoroughly crushed.
Following the unknown figure, instead of the life of safety that he was promised, all he got was endless torture. Since that day every moment of his life had become dull being pulled into darkness and all he could do was lay around and get abused.
Only after going through all this, he knew the value of trust and the difference between evil and good.
If he had been a good boy, he would have never gone through something like this. He wished to return to the past.
He wished to ask them for forgiveness.
He wanted to weep but he had no tears.
He wanted to curse but he had no words.
He was now nothing but a hollow lifeless shell which had no value.
He at that very moment wanted to die. Even death would be a mercy that would save him from his current predicament.
Every day he would repeat one thing to keep the small fire of hope from extinguishing.
'It's all a dream, a dream. Only a fleeting nightmare. I will wake up any moment from now and be free.'
However, everything was for naught. When people wake up their nightmare ends but unlike them when he opens his eyes, his nightmare begins.
Every time he tried to wrench his arms free, the narrow straps wrapped around him containing narrow thorns would dig into the flesh. He would sob and cry out in pain and kept battering at the straps with his forearms. They sawed deeper and drew blood.
His every instinct forced him to fight this unseen enemy, to escape the bonds, and to run free once again.
He thrashed his hand back, the impact dizzying him for a moment. He hit the wall again with the back of his hand, pounding away at his restraints.
He yelled out, a shout echoed filled with fury and panic.
The stuffy air invading his mouth, caused him to gag. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the stench of excretion, like tentacles of decay forced down his throat and lodging in his heart.
A squeak from rusty hinges echoed, followed by a loud shout from outside.
"Stop causing trouble."
"Bastard, know your place and learn to lay low."
"At least you have the privilege of getting food and shelter above your head. Instead of dying in the street, it's better to stay here."
The man locked the door and walked away while a man beside him asked curiously, "Why are we keeping him?"
"We brought him because of his fair good looks. He would fetch a great price as a slave. We can also sell to nobles who want to adopt a shadow child."
"So, why are we waiting?"
"Because of his anonymous background. When we brought him, he repeatedly screamed that he belonged to the Ghost Clan. After some extensive investigation, we found that the heir of the Ghost clan had been missing. So, the leader is taking caution. If he turns out to be that heir, we can erase his memories and brainwash him to depict us as saviors and make them owe us."
"Brilliant plan!"The other man gave a thumbs up.
Meanwhile, in the white cell where they have left him to rot in darkness, his tortured throat lets out a pathetic cry as he looks at the straps.
Unable to muster any more energy, he fell to the ground.
He did not know the flow of time nor did he know if he would survive but he swore that if he got out of there alive, he would be a good man and fight against the dark forces to repent.
Days went on and the rattling sound would emit every day. It was faint but for him who had been laying in the empty room, it was discernible.
Then one day.
THUD!
A small block from the bottom of the side wall fell forming a small gap. From that gap, a doll-like figure with disarranged air emerged and stared at Parth in bewilderment.
The figure ran towards him and squatting down started to cry.
Parth whose eyes were lifeless, flashed with confusion. Her body was as battered as his, and there were bluish spots on her skin but at least she looked to be in better condition.
Unlike him, her eyes were filled with vitality and courage.
"Why are you crying?"He asked.
"What have they done to you?"
Sob...Sob...Sob...
"Wh...Who are you?"Parth asked mustering his courage.
The figure weeping out the tears, casting a beautiful smile answered"I am here to save you."
"Just like you, I have been kidnapped here. I am sure they are talking about ransom with my family after which I will be free. The tiles on the side walls are loose through which I heard you scream and cry."The doll-like figure cried and caressed Parth's hair trying to comfort him.
"Don't worry, once I am free I will free you but now I have to go back."
Parth didn't know what to say so he just nodded. The girl would visit her every day and check up on him and also would feed him food.
She was his only light in the darkness. The only hope and happiness that burnt in his heart calming down the raging storm of despair.
"I heard, I am going to be free soon. Once I go out, I will request them to free you."The girl muttered and as she engaged in talk, suddenly something hit her.
"Noooooo!"Parth screamed and tried to get up seeing her body pushed away but he stumbled on his steps.
With an expression of panic, he looked back.
In his view, a man wearing a white ceremonial robe of a Priest appears joining both of his hands.
"I hope you are doing well, Immanuel."The man muttered, giving a goofy smile that struck fear in Parth's heart.
"Please forgive me for this sin Goddess but I am just doing my duty. That is to clear the darkness in the world."
"And in this quest, I hope you will help me Heir of the Ghost clan, who rule the darkness from the shadows."Smiling he placed his glowing hands on Parth making him yell and wail in panic.
This last thing he remembers before his consciousness plunged into darkness.
.......
"Wow! I can't believe you made me remember such a shitty member. Congratulations, you will suffer worse than death. You will not die, you will not leave. For years you would just float in darkness and turn into an empty husk."
Hearing his words, Joseph and the other priest's senses screamed in panic.
Seeing deep darkness emanating from the depth of the person's body, their scalp went numb.
As soon as Parth opened his eyes everything became dark.
All they saw was dark, there was no colour except the bottomless pit that pulled them deep down the abyss.
Parth's entire pupil was darkened and the oozing darkness from his body made him look like a demon crawling up from the chasm.
The Priest held their holy Cross and recited the prayer. Their bodies shone with dazzlingly bright light.
"May Goddess Bless us."
"May Goddess punish this sinner."
"Why are you looking for the Goddess for such a simple task? Let me fulfil this wish?"
Darkness erupted and covered the entire hall. Many intangible tentacles shot out from the darkness and bound them.
The priest flinched back in terror and lost their eyesight.
Blood trickled down from his lips. His body was too weak to bear this power currently but he didn't care.
Through the very darkness that stirred the despair in their heart, they heard a cold sinister voice.
Raising his hand, Parth used his bloodline ability for the very first time.
[Mystic Darkness Manipulation]
[Engulf]
The holy light was swallowed by the darkness and before they could react, hundreds of tentacles of darkness bind them and soon the faint light that lingered in their body disappeared as they were pulled into the abyss.
And as the darkness receded except for Parth, the entire wall became empty.
......
Heizen, shaking away the dust and debris, stepped in through the hall and found the boy kneeling on the floor.
He was not able to get a glimpse of the boy's expression but from the boy's shivering back, he was sure that boy had succumbed to the fear of this scene.
"You have seen something you shouldn't have. Blame your luck for stepping here."
Heizen gave a vicious laugh and shot at Lucas.
Extending its gnarly claws, he aimed straight at Lucas's neck and attempted to cut his neck as swiftly as possible.
Just as his claws were about to touch Lucas's nap, a blow with a terrifying speed, terrifying enough to even stupify Heizen, was executed.
His eyes opened, and the surroundings were distorted as if the space was pulled tearing it apart.
Water droplets brushed past Heizen's body.
An arm of Heizen flew back due to the momentum of a sharp clean cut and Heizen let out a bitter cry.
On stepping back, he saw Lucas turning towards him.
As soon as his gaze met Lucas, his body shivered to see the ferocity displayed in those eyes.
It was cold and as hard as cold steel that penetrates deep into one soul.
It was pitch black, piercing and seething with anger, brimming over like boiling lava that seeks nothing but the destruction of the obstacles that lay before it.
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