The inside of the little cabin radiated comforting heat, with the lively fire in the fireplace throwing playful silhouettes against the timbered walls.
The fragrance of fresh herbs and damp soil hung in the air, intertwining with the soothing smell of a bubbling stew cooking over the flames.
Not far from the left wall, a trapdoor lay embedded into the floor.
"You claimed your hunt turned up empty, yet that stew tells a different tale," Aerovind remarked, hiding his body from Thorgar's eyes.
"Hold on, did those words fall from my lips? My memory must be playing tricks," Thorgar murmured, sinking into a decrepit chair that creaked ominously near the flickering hearth.
"But suffice it to say, the source of our food is something of a secret."
His voice echoed eerily in the dimly lit room. "Now, allow me to fetch you some clothes."
He rose slowly from his seat, his silhouette casting long shadows against the stone wall.
"And while I'm occupied, please make yourself at home," he added, his tone laced with an unspoken dread that hung heavily in the air.
He bent down and lifted the trapdoor, revealing a set of rickety stairs leading down into the darkness below.
As Thorgar disappeared into the cellar below, Aerovind was left behind alone in the old cottage.
The warmth of the fireplace did little to calm his racing thoughts as he struggled to make sense of the situation.
A small voice inside him warned that something was amiss, but he pushed it aside, trusting in Thorgar's judgment.
Yet, as he gazed at the bubbling stew, doubts crept in.
Was there something sinister hidden within it? Should he take a risk and eat or trust his gut and refrain? Uncertainty gnawed at him as he weighed his options.
Aerovind remained uncertain as the trapdoor began to open with a slow creak. Thorgar appeared, his eyes shrouded by hidden intentions, holding out a tunic and a pair of pants.
Silently, he flung the garments in Aerovind's direction, causing him to catch them unexpectedly. "Put these on," Thorgar instructed, speaking in a low tone.
Aerovind nodded, his eyes filled with questions as he took the clothes and began to change.
He was grateful for the warmth they provided, but something felt off about them. As he ran his hand over the fabric inside, he noticed a small patch of dried blood.
Aerovind's heart hammered against his ribcage as he stole a furtive glance at Thorgar.
Thorgar's countenance had undergone an eerie transformation, his grin contorting into something far more sinister.
His mouth was a jagged display of predatory teeth, and his eyes held a chilling glint that could make even the most courageous souls on Soulinya question their sanity.
"Thorgar, what's the meaning of this? What happened to you?" Aerovind choked out, inching away from the altered man before him.
Thorgar let out a hearty chordless laughter that reverberated off the walls of the cottage, sending shivers down Aerovind's spine.
"I welcome you to the feast, dear friend. And oh, what a feast it will be. You see, tonight you are the main course. But first, I must have my fun with you... after all, that's what this whole game is about—my twisted pleasure."
Aerovind's blood ran cold as he stared at Thorgar, the sinister grin and predatory eyes confirming his worst fears.
Quickly, he glanced around the room for any means of defense or escape, but there was nothing in sight. The walls were solid stone with no visible cracks.
Thorgar stepped towards him, and Aerovind backed away, tripping over the rug and falling to the ground.
The Morang lunged forward with inhuman speed, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him close.
"We are created from the torture of the innocent, my friend. Don't hold a grudge—I liked you more than the others I killed," Thorgar hissed into his ear, his breath hot and foul. "Maybe in another life."
The world around Aerovind blurred as Thorgar's grip tightened around his throat. His vision darkened, and all he could hear was the thumping of his heart in his ears.
In that critical moment of peril, Aerovind's primal survival instincts surged forth with unexpected intensity.
Desperation lending him strength, he clamped his teeth into Thorgar's ear, tearing it off in a savage act of defense.
Thorgar howled in pain and fury, releasing Aerovind just long enough for the latter to scramble away.
He dove for the trapdoor, frantically pulling himself down the stairs into the dark below. His descent was a cacophony of clattering and thudding as he tumbled through the darkness, his only guiding light the faint glow from above.
Aerovind's heart raced as he made his way down the rickety staircase, his feet slipping on the worn wooden steps.
He could hear Thorgar's heavy footsteps pounding behind him, growing closer with each passing second.
The musty smell of earth and blood filled his nostrils, making him gag.
The darkness was suffocating, and he could barely see his own hands in front of him.
But he fought through the fear and kept moving, his fingers tracing the rough stone walls as he desperately searched for a way out.
When he reached the bottom of the cellar, Aerovind found himself in a dank, cramped underground cave.
The walls were smeared with dried blood, and there were mounds of what looked like human remains scattered here and there.
The floor was slick with fresh blood, forming grotesque patterns and symbols that seemed to writhe and pulse under the dim torchlight.
There were also statues that stared into the boy's soul, their eyes aglow with an otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Their twisted features and contorted bodies gave off a sickening stench of decay and suffering. It was clear that this place was not of this world, and the thought sent shivers down his spine.
As he pivoted, a bone-chilling wail echoed from the ancient altars. The once stoic statues began to weep rivulets of crimson, their tears staining the stone floor beneath them more.
Their movements were unnaturally swift and faster than the blink of an eye. The moment Aerovind turned his back on them, they lunged towards the poor boy with an eerie silence that was more terrifying than any sound.