The sickening thud of a blunt object echoed horribly within the cramped confines of the wagon.
Before Alrain could even voice his question, a heavy blow landed squarely on the nape of his neck. Sharp pain exploded for a split second before his consciousness rapidly faded. His body crumbled, collapsing limply onto the cold wooden floor of the wagon.
Beside him, he managed to catch the sound of Yonna's stifled shriek before a second thud rang out.
Alrain's world went pitch black.
....
....
The stinging scent of copper was the first thing to greet Alrain's senses as his consciousness slowly returned.
His head throbbed violently, the aftermath of the blow he had received. With great effort, he struggled to open his heavy eyelids. The dim glow of torches lining the stone walls met his blurred vision.
Alrain attempted to move his hand to massage his aching head, but he jolted. His hands would not move.
He snapped fully awake, adrenaline flooding his system. Alrain looked down to find his body bound tight against a massive, cold stone pillar. Rough hemp ropes coiled around his torso so tightly they constricted his breathing.
"W... Where is this?" he hissed in a hoarse voice.
As his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, the true horror revealed itself before him.
He was in a vast underground chamber, resembling an ancient hall of worship. The ceiling was high but shrouded in impenetrable shadow. Surrounding him were other colossal stone pillars supporting the structure. And Alrain was not alone.
To every pillar, a man was bound. Some still hung limp, heads bowed in unconsciousness, while others had begun to squirm, groaning in the same confusion that gripped him.
However, it was the sight in the center of the room that made Alrain's blood run cold.
In the heart of the chamber stood a pitch-black stone altar, elevated by several steps. Encircling the altar, dozens of figures in black robes, their faces hidden beneath hoods, stood chanting incantations in a language Alrain did not understand. Their voices hummed low, creating a bone-chilling atmosphere.
Alrain's eyes widened as he realized what they were doing.
Upon the altar, a young woman lay helpless. Her clothes had been forcibly stripped away, leaving her skin exposed to the room's cold air. One of the robed figures raised a short sword that glinted in the torchlight.
Zrash!
Without mercy, the blade was driven down. Fresh blood sprayed, flowing into the carved grooves on the altar's side. The woman's body convulsed once, then fell silent forever.
Alrain's breath hitched in his throat. His body trembled violently, not from the cold, but from the sheer terror he was witnessing.
"Bastards... what are they doing..." Alrain muttered with quivering lips.
He looked left and right in panic, his eyes sweeping every corner, searching for the one person most precious to him.
"Sister... Sister Yonna..."
There were no women tied to the pillars. All the hostages bound to the pillars were men. A feeling of dread slammed into Alrain's chest like a sledgehammer. If the ones tied to the pillars were men, then where were the female hostages?
The answer came moments later, an answer that made Alrain's heart feel as though it had stopped.
Two black-robed figures carried a body out from the dark corner of the room toward the altar. Long green hair, so familiar to him, trailed across the dirty floor.
It was Yonna.
Yonna was still unconscious, her body limp in their grasp. They lifted the woman's body and laid her upon the altar, which was still slick with the blood of the previous victim.
Alrain felt his world crumble. Fear, rage, and despair coalesced, exploding from his chest. He no longer cared about anything. He didn't care about his own life.
"STOOOOP!!!!"
Alrain's scream broke, echoing thunderously throughout the underground chamber, bouncing off stone walls and piercing through the cultists' chanting.
Instantly, the ritual halted. A suffocating silence blanketed the room.
All the robed figures near the altar turned in unison toward Alrain. Not only them, but Alrain's desperate scream also roused the other men tied to the surrounding pillars.
Those just waking up blinked in confusion, but upon seeing their bonds and the gruesome sight at the altar, mass panic ensued.
"Let me go!"
"What is this?! Where is my sister?!"
"Help! Someone help us!"
The sounds of struggling and terrified screams filled the room. They fought against their restraints, making the chains and ropes grate harshly against the stone pillars. Uncontrollable chaos began to spread.
"SILENCE, ALL OF YOU!"
A booming shout, filled with absolute authority and dominance, exploded from the direction of the altar. The voice was so powerful it instantly killed the echoes of the hostages' screams.
Silence gripped the room once more.
From the shadows atop the altar, a man stepped forward. Torchlight illuminated his face, revealing an identity that made Alrain's knees go weak.
Alrain's eyes widened to their limit. He recognized that face. Everyone in Astoria Kingdom recognized that face. The face that was supposed to symbolize justice, protection, and glory.
The man was Dalvanel Yudavius En Astoria. The 20th King of the Kingdom of Astoria. The leader they had always revered.
"Your Majesty... The King?" whispered one hostage, his voice trembling violently. "Why...?"
King Dalvanel stood tall at the altar's edge, looking down on his subjects as if they were livestock. There was not a shred of guilt in his eyes. Only a cold, arrogant gaze, and a hidden madness.
Seeing the figure most responsible for this nightmare, Alrain's fear turned into blazing fury.
"What are you going to do to my sister?!" Alrain shouted loudly, his voice laced with hatred, no longer caring for etiquette regarding the king standing before him.
King Dalvanel turned slowly toward Alrain. The corner of his lips curled into a cynical, disparaging smile. Slowly, he descended the altar steps and walked casually toward the pillar where Alrain was bound.
He stopped right in front of Alrain, staring intently at the green-haired young man's face as if observing an interesting insect.
"For what, you ask?" King Dalvanel repeated, his voice loud enough to be heard across the entire room. He spread his arms wide, as if welcoming a divine revelation. "To be used as a sacrificial offering to obtain immortality, of course!"