Aldous was dragged through the forest, his body aching from the beating he had received. The bandits had taken him back to their hideout, a dark and damp cave hidden deep in the forest. They threw him into a dark corner, leaving him there to rot.
For weeks, the bandits tortured Aldous. They beat him, cut him, and burned him with hot irons. They didn't care about his screams or his pleas for mercy. They were cruel, ruthless, and enjoyed causing pain.
Aldous was at the edge of despair. He couldn't escape, he couldn't fight back, and he couldn't even die. He was trapped in a nightmare, with no hope of ever waking up.
But then, something unexpected happened. A woman appeared at the entrance of the cave, her face hidden by a hood. She walked towards Aldous, her footsteps echoing in the darkness.
"Aldous," she said, her voice cold and mocking. "You look like a fool."
Aldous squinted at her, trying to see her face. But she remained in the shadows, her identity a mystery.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"Someone you know," she replied. "Or rather, someone you used to know."
And then, she took off her hood, revealing her face. It was a woman from Aldous' village, someone he had grown up with. He couldn't believe it.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Why not?" she replied, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "You were an easy target, just that simple."
Aldous felt sick to his stomach. He had never expected someone he knew to betray him like this.
"What did I do to you?" he asked, desperate for answers.
"You didn't do anything," she said, shrugging. "I just wanted to see you suffer. Is that so wrong?"
Aldous couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always thought that his village was a place of kindness and fairness. But now, he realized that there was a darker side to it, a side that he had never seen before.
The woman laughed, mocking his shock and pain.
"You're pathetic, Aldous," she said. "You always were. And now, you're nothing but a toy for me to play with."
Aldous closed his eyes, his heart heavy with despair. He knew that he was trapped, and that there was no way out. The woman had won, and he had lost everything.