The woman who had betrayed Aldous was named Elara. She was a powerful sorceress, feared and respected by many in the kingdom. But to Aldous, she was nothing but a monster, a sadistic creature who enjoyed causing pain.
For 40 days, Elara tortured Aldous. She used her magic to inflict wounds that were beyond anything he had ever experienced. She burned his flesh, broke his bones, and even tore his mind apart with illusions that made him see things that weren't real.
And yet, every time Aldous was on the verge of death, Elara would heal him with magic, bringing him back to life, only to continue her torture.
At first, Aldous tried to fight back. He tried to resist Elara's magic, to break free from her hold, but he soon realized that it was impossible. She was too powerful, too skilled, and too cruel.
As the days went by, Aldous' mind began to deteriorate. He started to lose his grip on reality, his thoughts becoming more and more fragmented. He saw visions of his family, his village, and his dreams, all twisted and distorted by Elara's magic.
He screamed and begged for death, but Elara only laughed, enjoying his pain and his suffering.
"You're a weakling, Aldous," she said, her voice cold and mocking. "A coward who can't even stand up to a little pain. What happened to your dreams of becoming a mercenary, hmm? Did they shatter like your bones?"
Aldous could barely hear her words. His mind was a blur of pain and madness, his body nothing but a vessel for Elara's torture.
But even in his madness, he knew one thing: he had to escape. He had to break free from Elara's hold, no matter the cost.
So, he began to plot his escape. He waited for the right moment, the moment when Elara was distracted or weakened, and then he struck.
He fought with all his strength, his mind and his body pushed to their limits. He used every trick, every skill, every bit of knowledge he had learned as a mercenary, and somehow, he managed to break free.
He ran through the forest, his body battered and broken, his mind a whirlwind of pain and confusion. But he didn't stop, didn't slow down, didn't look back.
He ran until he reached the edge of the forest, until he saw the first glimpse of a village in the distance. And then, he collapsed, his body giving up, his mind slipping into darkness.
But even as he fell, he knew one thing: he had survived. He had escaped from Elara's torture, and he had proven to himself that he was not a weakling, not a coward, not a fool. He was a survivor, and he would never forget that.
"Once a fool always a fool" a voice in the darkness of the forest said
"Did you really believe you had escaped?"
As Aldous jumped from the figureless voice, he began to notice something strange. The forest around him began to warp and twist, as if it was alive. The trees grew taller and thicker, and the underbrush became impenetrable. Aldous tried to turn back, but he found that he couldn't. The forest had trapped him.
Aldous realized that the woman's magic was still affecting him. He was trapped in an illusion, and he didn't know how to break free. He walked for what seemed like hours, but he couldn't find a way out.
Pulled back to reality, Aldous realized he's still in the cave and the torture wasn't over. This was only the beginning of what was in store for him,Elara view Aldous and his whole village as an eyesore and an honor for people like him to die for her pleasure.
As the days passed, Aldous became more and more broken, physically and mentally. The pain was constant, and his mind began to play tricks on him. He saw visions of his family, his friends, and his village burning in flames. He would hear their screams and cries for help, but he was powerless to do anything.
He couldn't remember the last time he ate or drank. His body was emaciated and weak, and he felt like he was on the verge of death. The woman would often taunt him, saying that he was weak and that he would never be a real mercenary. Aldous could feel his sanity slipping away, and he began to doubt himself.
Days turned into weeks, and Aldous grew weaker, both physically and mentally. He began to understand the woman's magic and how it worked, and he used that knowledge to his advantage. He would feign unconsciousness, just for a moment of peace but unfortunately that was short lived.
Aldous felt himself slipping further into despair. Elara continued to torture him, but he stopped responding to her taunts and the pain. He became unresponsive, barely conscious and uninterested in anything that was happening around him. Elara grew bored with her toy and eventually stopped visiting him, leaving Aldous alone in the dark.