The fort loomed ahead like a giant corpse, a massive, decaying monument to whatever bloody battle had torn through it. The air was thick with the scent of death—rotting flesh, spilled blood, and something far more sinister: the stench of demonic energy still hanging in the atmosphere like a rancid fog.
Every breath I took was laced with the metallic tang of blood, the sickly sweetness of decay. It clung to the back of my throat, made my stomach churn, but I shoved it down. There was no time to lose my nerve, not now.
I forced myself to keep moving, my boots crunching on the rubble-strewn ground as I entered the fort. The place was a wreck, walls cracked and crumbling, bodies strewn across the floor in grotesque, twisted shapes.
It was obvious that a fierce battle had taken place here, but it wasn't just the destruction that set my nerves on edge it was the silence. The oppressive, heavy silence that weighed down on me like a physical force.
The kind of silence that told me whatever had gone down here was over, but the echoes of it were still rattling through the air.
I gripped my sword tightly, the metal warm and familiar in my hand, my senses on high alert as I moved cautiously through the fort.
My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins after the fight with those rogue demons outside. I could feel the remnants of their dark energy clinging to my skin like a greasy film, but I ignored it, focusing instead on my surroundings.
Every shadow, every flicker of movement in the corner of my eye, made me jumpy, but I couldn't afford to let my guard down. Not here. Not now.
I ventured deeper into the fort, my eyes scanning every inch of the dimly lit corridors for any sign of Aeliana or Nathaniel. But there was nothing no bodies, no movement, just the lingering sense of something terrible that had already happened.
It was like the place was holding its breath, waiting for something, anything, to disturb the uneasy peace that had settled over it.
My mind was racing, a thousand thoughts and possibilities swirling around in my head, each one worse than the last. What if I was too late? What if I found her here, lifeless, her body cold and broken? The thought made my chest tighten, a sharp pang of fear stabbing through me, but I shoved it aside.
I couldn't think like that. I had to stay focused, had to keep my head in the game. There was still a chance I could find her alive. I had to believe that. Because if I didn't... well, I wasn't sure what I'd do.
The deeper I went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The air was heavy with the remnants of dark magic, the kind that clung to your skin and made your bones ache. My flames flickered to life in response, purple and angry, casting long, eerie shadows on the cracked walls.
They danced and twisted like they had a mind of their own, reflecting the turmoil I was desperately trying to keep under control. I was on edge, my nerves stretched to their breaking point, but I couldn't afford to let my emotions get the better of me. Not when I was this close.
Then, just as I turned a corner, I felt it. The faintest trace of something familiar in the air, cutting through the stench of death and decay like a knife. Aeliana's scent. It was so faint, almost lost in the overwhelming miasma of blood and rot, but it was there.
My heart skipped a beat, hope and fear crashing together in a violent surge of emotion. I quickened my pace, following the scent as it grew stronger, leading me deeper into the fort.
But as I got closer, something else hit me. The unmistakable smell of blood. Fresh blood. And not just any blood Aeliana's. I knew it instinctively, the scent sharp and metallic, mixed with that faint, unique essence that was hers.
My stomach twisted with dread, and my anger flared, hot and fierce. If something had happened to her, if she was hurt or worse I was going to make whoever was responsible pay. And they were going to suffer for it.
My flames flared up in response to my anger, burning hotter and brighter as I stormed down the corridor, the scent of Aeliana's blood growing stronger with every step.
I could feel the rage boiling inside me, a dark, violent thing that I usually kept under tight control, but it was slipping, breaking free. The thought of her lying somewhere in this godforsaken place, bleeding, possibly dying it made something snap inside me.
I rounded another corner, my senses sharp, ready for anything. But instead of finding Aeliana or Nathaniel, I was met with another demon. It was huge, its hulking form barely fitting in the narrow corridor, its skin mottled and slick with a sickly, black ichor.
It grinned at me, its fanged mouth stretching impossibly wide, and I could see the blood staining its claws, fresh and crimson. My vision went red.
"You bastard," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous, the flames in my hands crackling with deadly intent. "You're going to fucking regret that."
The demon lunged at me, but I was faster. I dodged its attack, my sword flashing as I slashed at its side, my flames searing through its flesh. It howled in pain, swinging its massive claws at me again, but I was already moving, already cutting through its defenses with a ferocity that surprised even me.
I was pissed pissed at the demon, pissed at this whole fucking situation, but mostly, I was pissed at myself. For caring too much, for letting Aeliana get under my skin like this.
But there was no time to think about that now. I had a demon to kill, and I was going to enjoy every second of it.
The fight was brutal, the demon stronger and faster than the ones I'd faced outside, but it didn't matter. I was stronger. I was faster. And I had something to fight for someone to fight for.
Every time the demon tried to strike, I was there, countering its attacks with a deadly precision that left it reeling. My flames burned hotter and hotter, fueled by my rage, until the entire corridor was lit up in a blazing inferno.
Finally, with a roar of fury, I drove my sword deep into the demon's chest, the blade sinking into its heart with a sickening crunch. The demon let out one last, gurgling cry before it crumpled to the ground, dead. I stood over its body, panting, my chest heaving with exertion and anger, the flames flickering wildly around me.
But there was no time to revel in my victory. The smell of Aeliana's blood was still thick in the air, and I knew I had to find her. I turned and sprinted down the corridor, my heart pounding with fear and desperation.
The scent led me to a small, dark room at the end of the hall, the door hanging off its hinges. My hands were shaking as I pushed it open, the hinges creaking ominously in the silence.
The room was a mess, the walls stained with blood, the floor littered with broken furniture and debris. But there was no sign of Aeliana. No sign of Nathaniel. Just an empty, blood-soaked room. My heart sank, and for a moment, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Where the fuck were they?
And then I saw it a small, dark stain on the ground near the back of the room, barely visible in the dim light. Blood. And a lot of it. I knelt down, my heart pounding in my chest as I ran my fingers through it. It was still warm, still fresh. My anger flared again, hotter and more intense than before, as the realization hit me. They had been here, and something had happened to them.
Someone had taken them.
I shot to my feet, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of the situation. Who had taken them? And why? My thoughts were a chaotic mess, but one thing was clear I wasn't going to let whoever did this get away with it. I was going to find Aeliana and Nathaniel, and I was going to make every single one of those bastards pay.
I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, my flames burning hotter and brighter than ever, the scent of Aeliana's blood still fresh in my nostrils. I wasn't going to stop until I found her. And when I did... there was going to be hell to pay.
No one fucked with what was mine and lived to tell the tale.