In the dimly lit cell, Chase hanging on the wall, the blood, sand, and dirt tried upon his fingers, "Click" the clinking of keys reverberated through the cold stone walls, signaling the return of Benson, like the footsteps of a malevolent specter approaching. The heavy wooden door creaked open, and Benson cloaked in dark, tattered robes stepped inside, his sadistic sinister presence filled the room.
Chase, weakened but courageous, glared at Benson with unwavering determination. "You betrayed your own kingdom and torture me for what?" he said, his voice hoarse from days of captivity and hunger. "Why are you doing this?"
Benson sneered, malice gleaming in his eyes, like a venomous snake reveling in its prey's suffering. "The Power Master possesses the ability to control the world, and I've chosen to serve him," he spat back, his voice laced with venom, like a poisoned dart aimed at Chase's heart. "This kingdom has grown weak, and I saw an opportunity to rise to prominence."
"You'll never get away with this," Chase retorted, his hands still bound but his spirit unyielding, like an unbreakable shield protecting his honor. "The kingdom will hunt you down, and even if I die, my spirit will haunt you to the ends of the earth," he vowed, like a ghostly specter promising revenge from beyond the grave.
Benson chuckled sadistically, the sound sending chills down Chase's spine, like icy tendrils of fear gripping his heart. "Hunt? Oh, my dear Chase, finding me will be nothing but an illusion," he taunted like a malevolent puppeteer pulling the strings of fate. "Once the Master calls for me, I will be far away from here. Once I solidify the Master's rule, no one will dare challenge me. Your futile resistance only amuses me," he gloated, like a conqueror reveling in his imminent triumph.
Benson circled the cell, his footsteps echoing with twisted pride, like a predator circling its trapped prey. "I have plans for you, Chase. Plans that will break your spirit and reveal the deepest secrets of your heart. I will use your own weaknesses against you, turning your strength into ashes," he threatened like a malevolent puppeteer plotting his next move.
Chase's eyes flashed with defiance, refusing to succumb to fear, like a beacon of light shining in the darkness. "You may have me locked in this dungeon, subjecting me to torture, but my spirit is free, and I will never break," he declared, like a warrior vowing to stand tall against all odds.
"Ha! Ha!"
Benson's laughter filled the air once more, devoid of any trace of humanity. "We shall see how long your spirit lasts," he hissed, withdrawing a wicked-looking instrument from the folds of his robe an ominous device designed to inflict both physical and emotional torment.
With a sudden motion, Benson pulled the lever, causing Chase to drop to the ground. He seized Chase's mouth tightly and forcefully shoved something inside like a sinister puppeteer controlling his victim's every move. Chase started choking and coughing violently, trying to expel whatever Benson had forced into his mouth.
"Cough!"
"Cough!"
As he coughed, blood spilled from his lips, adding to the gruesome scene.
Meanwhile, Ava had been tirelessly searching for Chase for days, but the stress and pressure were taking their toll on her personality. In a meeting with Luke and Freya in Freya's room, frustration was mounting as they hadn't found any substantial leads.
"We still haven't found anything yet," Ava said annoyed, feeling exhausted from running fruitlessly.
"Sorry, Ava, but I don't know what else we can do," Freya said sadly, sharing the frustration, like a captain navigating through stormy seas without a compass.
Just as Ava was about to retort in anger, the door swung open, and Alex entered, accompanied by a terrified mercenary.
"Why did you bring a mercenary here, Alex?" Freya asked uncertainly.
Alex pushed the trembling mercenary forward. "I found out that mercenaries attacked Chase while he was saving the children," Alex explained, his expression grim, like a bearer of grim tidings. "A couple of them managed to escape."
Without hesitation, Ava lunged forward, her movements shrouded in shadows, and she gripped the mercenary's mouth, slamming him to the ground, like a vengeful specter punishing a wrongdoer. As the house shook from the impact, the mercenary spat out blood, like a harbinger of impending doom.
"Where is he?" She shouted angrily at the mercenary's face, like a relentless storm demanding answers.
"I-I don't know who you're talking about," the mercenary stammered, trembling in fear, like a mouse cornered by a fearsome predator.
Ignoring his pleas, Ava lifted him again and slammed him back down. "The man with the spear attacked him! Tell me where Chase went after you escaped!" she demanded, like a relentless interrogator seeking the truth.
The mercenary's memory of Chase came flooding back. "I-I don't know where he went after I escaped," he replied honestly, but Ava wasn't convinced.
Ava raised her foot above his groin, threatening him, "I don't believe you. If you don't tell me the truth, I'll crush your jewels," like a merciless executioner ready to deliver punishment.
"Wait, Ava, I think he's telling the truth," Freya interjected suddenly, trying to prevent any further violence.
But Ava disregarded Freya's words and still stomped down on the man's groin. The mercenary screamed in pain for a moment before foaming at the mouth and passing out. Alex and Luke winced, cringing in sympathy.
As Freya worriedly thought about the change 'She is really changing' in Ava's behavior 'I hope we find Chase quickly for the better'
Back in the cell, Chase, who is still coughing up blood, had a puddle of blood under him while Benson looked at him with a sadistic grin, like a malevolent demon delighting in its victim's torment.
In the cell, Chase continued to cough up blood, the pool beneath him growing, like a wellspring of suffering. However, an even stranger phenomenon was occurring inside his mind. With every cough, it felt as if he were releasing water, but the water kept returning, like an endless torrent of torment. "No, stop wasting blood!" he heard a loud malevolent voice echoing in his mind, commanding him to stop wasting blood, like a relentless tormentor.
Benson, wearing a sadistic grin, observed Chase's suffering. "Chase, I will return in a couple of days," he said, his sinister presence lingering as he left the cell, leaving Chase to wonder about the sinister entity controlling Benson's actions.