Alistair staggered to his feet, heart pounding in his chest. The once-familiar dungeon now lay in ruins, shattered by his uncontrollable power.
Reality crashed down upon him like a relentless tide. Marcus and Elara, his closest friends, lay motionless amidst the rubble, their bodies broken and lifeless. Two guards, who had been standing nearby, shared the same fate, their forms twisted by the force of the explosion.
"Why?!" Alistair screamed, his voice hoarse with anguish, echoing through the cavernous remains of the dungeon. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees beside Marcus and Elara, their faces frozen in eternal repose.
"I didn't mean to..." he choked out between sobs, his mind reeling with disbelief and horror. "I didn't mean to..."
But apologies were meaningless now, lost in the devastation he had wrought. With a surge of desperation and grief, Alistair staggered to his feet and stumbled towards the broken cell door. The explosion had shattered his prison, but it had also shattered his spirit.
He fled through the ruined corridors of the dungeon, each step a painful reminder of the destruction he had caused. The ground trembled beneath him as the kingdom reacted to the explosion, the distant shouts and clatter of armor drawing closer with each passing moment.
Alistair emerged into the blinding sunlight, his body covered in cuts and bruises, his spirit stained by the calamity he had unleashed. He staggered forward, desperate to escape the nightmare he had brought upon Valoria.
But his freedom was short-lived. Within moments, royal guards descended upon him, their swords drawn and faces grim with determination. They tackled him to the ground, pinning his arms behind his back with ruthless efficiency.
"Traitor!" one of the guards spat, his voice laced with accusation as they dragged Alistair to his feet. "You've brought doom upon us all!"
Alistair struggled against their grip, his mind a whirlwind of guilt and despair. He was escorted back through the shattered remains of the dungeon, back to the council chambers where his fate would be decided once more.
Hours passed like a blur as Alistair sat in silence before the council, his heart heavy with shame and regret. The faces of the council members bore a mixture of anger and sorrow, their judgment swift and final.
"You are hereby sentenced to exile," one of the council members declared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "May the gods have mercy on your soul."
The guards roughly seized Alistair once more, dragging him towards the kingdom's gates. His dreams lay shattered, his hopes extinguished by the devastating consequences of his actions. As the gates loomed ahead, Alistair cast one last glance back at the kingdom he had failed to protect.
And with heavy steps and a heart burdened with grief, he crossed the threshold into a world where he was no longer welcome, leaving behind everything he had once held dear.