The cold stone floor was slick with blood, both fresh and dried, as Ashen and Pyro lay motionless, their bodies shattered beyond recognition. Their limbs ached, broken and twisted from the endless cycle of punishment. The tormentors came again, as they always did, each time more inventive, more brutal. There was no end to the pain, no respite from the agony that gnawed at them, tearing away their strength, their hope, and their very humanity.
Ashen lay still, his vision blurring as the incessant ping of the system echoed in his mind.
System Notification:
Warning: Critical Condition. Health Points at 1. Immediate action required.
It was the same message, over and over. Each time his health was dragged down to a single point, he was spared only by the cruel mechanics of this world. The regeneration would begin just enough to heal him, barely. And then, it would start again. A sick game of survival where the only prize was more suffering.
