บท 118: Revealed
Abyss of Blaze: The Underground Prison...
The Abyss of Blaze was a place where hope dared not tread. Deep underground, the screams of the damned echoed through narrow, stone corridors, mixing with the thick, choking heat that clung to every surface. The air was rank—a toxic brew of decay, sweat, and excrement. There was no corner, no crevice untouched by filth. Light scarcely penetrated this hellish pit, save for the occasional flicker of a red torch as an overseer made their rounds, their shadows long and ominous against the stone walls. Every flare of light was brief, swallowed quickly by the all-encompassing darkness.
Erebus hung in his cell, shackled and exhausted, his back a tapestry of fresh, red welts. The heated iron whip had bitten deep into his skin, leaving it raw and tender. He feared infection; the stench alone seemed to carry disease, and he was painfully aware that his wounds were exposed to the fetid grime surrounding him. He shifted slightly, and the chains clanged against the stone walls, sending fresh waves of pain rippling through him as the searing metal bit into his wrists and ankles.
The heat was oppressive, pressing in on him from all sides, making it difficult to draw breath. Sweat slicked his skin, mingling with dried blood in a sticky, foul-smelling layer. The prison was a furnace, a place where skin smoldered and breath felt like fire. The stones beneath him radiated heat, and he could feel blisters rising on his knees where they pressed against the floor. Every movement was agony; his joints were stiff, his muscles bruised, and even the simplest shift brought fresh torment as the shackles dug deeper into his flesh.
Erebus's hair, sticky with sweat and blood, hung down over his face, blocking his vision. He was beyond the strength to lift his head, his body trembling with pain and exhaustion. His mind drifted in a haze, consciousness slipping as his body tried to retreat from the pain. But the silence was suddenly broken by approaching footsteps, echoing down the corridor like the ticking of a death clock.
One of the overseers appeared, his armor dull in the dim light, his face hidden behind a mask that obscured any trace of humanity. He unlocked the iron door to Erebus's cell with a loud creak, stepping back to allow another figure to enter.
"He's here, sire," the overseer intoned, his voice cold and detached.
Erebus struggled to focus, lifting his head with effort to make out the silhouette of his visitor. His blood turned cold as he recognized the familiar, hated figure stepping into his cell. The voice that spoke next was like venom, a poison that seeped into Erebus's bones.
"Well, has he spoken yet?" the visitor asked, his tone smooth and mocking.
Erebus's anger flared, cutting through the haze of pain. Strength surged within him, a burst of defiance that made him strain against his chains, the metal digging deeper into his raw skin. "Asmodeus!" he snarled, his voice a hoarse, guttural growl as he lunged forward. But the chains snapped taut, dragging him back down with a fresh wave of agony, his wrists and ankles burning from the metal's bite.
Zavaikal looked at him, his eyes thick with disdain as he looked down at Erebus with cold amusement. "A beast will always remain a beast, no matter the illusion of nobility." His eyes glinted with malice.
"You dared to steal what was mine, to bed her, to plant your seed within her—and then, you struck me, a royal, as if we were equals. Did you truly believe that sharing blood made you my equal?" His boot struck Erebus's gut with brutal force, and a fresh wave of blood filled Erebus's mouth.
"You've no idea the mess you've caused with your pathetic meddling," Zavaikal continued, his words punctuated by the sickening sound of another blow, this time to Erebus's face. His lip split open, blood trickling down his chin. The pain blurred the edges of his vision, but Zavaikal's words pierced through the fog, each syllable laced with contempt.
Erebus's body slumped, bruised and bloodied, his skin a canvas of cuts and bruises, his breathing shallow and ragged. Zavaikal knelt beside him, grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking his head back, forcing Erebus to meet his gaze.
"Did you really think that silence would protect her from me?" Zavaikal sneered, twisting Erebus's head to the floor. His lips curled in disgust as he stared into his brother's face, battered and bloodied, yet hauntingly similar to his own, except for the golden eyes. He looked into Erebus' pitch black eyes that were difficult to read.
"She'll be brought to me soon enough."
"Keep your filthy hands away from her," Erebus rasped, his voice raw with defiance, as he spat blood onto Zavaikal's face.
Zavaikal's face twisted with rage. He grabbed Erebus by the jaw, slamming his head against the stone floor, leaving him dazed and bleeding. Wiping the blood from his face, Zavaikal's lips twisted into a dark, humorless smile.
"Let me enlighten you," he said, his voice a low, menacing whisper. "While studying the ancient scrolls, I stumbled upon something fascinating. The golden seal bearers, they're meant to unbind Iblis's chains. But there's a secret—a truth hidden from even the Tzar. We have the same blood. Do you know what it means?"
He relished the look on his face as understanding dawned in Erebus's eyes, a spark of horror glimmering beneath the pain. "If light and darkness mingle… if they breed… then the chains weaken when their offspring is about to be born. The link is formed indirectly with the golden seal bearers."
Erebus's breath caught, his heart pounding with disbelief and dread as Zavaikal's words sank in.
"Yes… now you see, don't you?" Zavaikal's grin widened, his voice a triumphant hiss. "She is a creature of light, and you… you're nothing but darkness, so vile even the devils reject you. And now, she carries your bastard, the perfect catalyst to bring me the power I seek."
The realization crashed over Erebus like a wave, leaving him hollow and numb. All along, he had been a pawn in a twisted game, a puppet manipulated by forces he hadn't understood.
"Drown in your regret," Zavaikal murmured, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he leaned close. "That's punishment enough, watching the woman you love be sacrificed, knowing it was your own foolishness that delivered her into my hands."
As Zavaikal turned to leave, Erebus's vision swam, the pain, regret, and anger coiling into a burning pit in his chest. And in the darkness of his cell, he could do nothing but watch him go, his body shattered, and his spirit teetering on the edge of despair.
"Luciana...!" His voice cracked, suddenly coughing up blood.
He could only pray that she had escaped the hellhole by now.
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