Adrani ran, her legs pounding against the earth as though the devil himself was chasing her—because in a way, he was. Every breath felt like fire in her lungs, and every muscle in her body screamed in agony, but she didn't dare stop. Voldrak's presence lingered in her mind like a shadow, a weight that threatened to crush her if she let her guard down for even a second.
The trees around her grew taller, their twisted branches reaching out like skeletal hands, swaying in the night air. Shadows flickered in the dense forest, playing tricks on her already-frazzled mind. The ground was uneven, littered with rocks and roots that threatened to trip her at any moment, but Adrani didn't falter. She couldn't afford to. Even when the noise of pursuit faded behind her, she ran. Fear gripped her, refusing to release its chokehold.
The forest loomed ahead, dark and unforgiving. The scent of damp moss and wet bark filled her nose, thick and suffocating. Every step brought her deeper into the unknown, where unseen dangers lurked. Adrani didn't care. Anything was better than facing Voldrak again.
Her legs gave out suddenly, sending her tumbling to the bank of a river. The water shimmered faintly under the sparse moonlight, a silver ribbon cutting through the darkness. Adrani crawled to the edge and plunged her hands into the cool stream, drinking with desperate gulps. The icy water stung her throat, but she couldn't stop. Her stomach heaved from drinking too fast, but she didn't care.
For a moment, she let herself collapse by the riverbank, her body trembling with exhaustion. Every part of her screamed for rest, but she knew better. Voldrak was relentless. She'd felt the moment her connection with the slaves had been severed, long before she'd escaped the clan grounds. He had torn through everything—Bortris, the slaves, her defenses—as if they were nothing. She'd been a fool to think she could outmaneuver him.
"I was wrong," she muttered bitterly, her voice cracking in the silence. "I was a bloody fool."
The memory of Bortris' blank, black eyes as Voldrak took control of his body sent a shiver through her. She cursed herself for ever thinking she could use Voldrak. His power had been beyond anything she imagined, dark energy coursing through him like a force of nature. He was no mere tool—he was a storm that consumed everything in its path.
The forest was silent except for the steady trickle of the river, but even the stillness felt dangerous. Adrani forced herself back onto her feet, biting back a groan as her body protested. The night was pitch-black, and without the last of her energy to light the way, she was as good as dead. She let a faint glow of essence flare to life in her hand, casting flickering light across the trees. She had to keep moving. The beasts that roamed these woods would tear her apart if she lingered for too long.
As she picked her way through the dense underbrush, she thought of Bortris' clan. If she could make it there, she could hide, regroup, and find a way to fight back. She had to. But the forest wasn't kind, and it wasn't long before her senses screamed danger.
A sudden, sharp hiss broke the silence. Adrani barely had time to react as a massive, snake-like beast lunged from the shadows, its glistening black scales catching the faint light. Its soulless red eyes locked onto her, and its jaws opened wide, revealing jagged fangs dripping with venom.
Adrani threw herself to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. Her heart raced, and panic surged through her veins. The beast lashed out again, faster than she could follow. Desperate, Adrani called on her last reserves of water energy, shaping the liquid into a blade just in time to block the strike. The impact rattled her bones, sending shockwaves of pain up her arm. The beast coiled, readying itself for another attack.
Adrani fought with everything she had, the water blade slicing through the air, deflecting each strike, but she was losing strength. Her movements grew sluggish, and the beast sensed her weakness. With a final, desperate swing, Adrani drove the blade deep into the creature's throat, severing its head in one clean cut. Blood sprayed, hot and sticky, but it was over.
She stared down at her arm—what was left of it. The beast's final strike had torn through her left arm, leaving it mangled and useless. Blood poured from the wound, soaking the ground beneath her feet.
Adrani screamed, biting her lip to stop herself from collapsing. She had to keep going. Gritting her teeth, she burned the last of her core energy to seal the wound, the pain searing through her like fire. She nearly blacked out from the agony, but she couldn't stop now.
She stumbled forward, half-blind from pain and exhaustion. Bortris' clan was close—she knew it—but with her body barely holding together, she wasn't sure she'd make it. Every step felt heavier than the last, her vision darkening around the edges.
Just as the forest began to thin and the walls of the clan came into view, a sharp blow to the back of her head sent her crashing to the ground. Pain exploded in her skull, and everything went black.
When she came to, the room was bright, the light so harsh it made her head throb. The smell of blood clung to her, dried and crusted at the back of her head. Her missing arm was a dull, throbbing ache. Blinking, she tried to sit up, but her body refused to obey.
Two women sat on either side of a large man in the center of the room. Vordia.
Her stomach dropped as she recognized him, his hulking frame filling the large chair he sat in. His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement, his lips curled into a mocking grin.
"Adrani," he drawled, tearing a bite from a chicken leg. "How low you've fallen."
His eyes roved over her torn gown, the bruises on her face, and her missing arm, lingering on the stump with morbid fascination. He chewed slowly, savoring her humiliation.
"Vordia," Adrani rasped, pushing herself up on one elbow. "This isn't your clan. You shouldn't be here."
One of the women beside him moved, her leg darting out to knock Adrani back to the floor. Pain flared in her head as she hit the ground, the women's laughter filling the room.
"Know your place, vermin," one of the women sneered. "You're lord over nothing."
Adrani's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. She had nothing left to bargain with. Voldrak had crushed her, and now Vordia sat there, waiting for her to grovel. But she couldn't die here, not like this.
"Vordia, wait," Adrani forced the words out, her voice trembling. "Voldrak... you don't understand his power. If you kill me, you lose the only person who knows how to stop him."
Vordia raised an eyebrow, chewing slowly. "Why would I need you? You couldn't even stop him yourself."
Adrani swallowed hard, desperation clawing at her throat. "Because I know his weaknesses. I know how to defeat him. But you need me alive to do it."
The room fell silent as Vordia leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, watching her with cold amusement.
"Convince me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Convince me why I shouldn't just let you bleed out here."
Adrani's pulse quickened. She had one chance—one chance to survive.
"He can raise the dead, Vordia," she said, her voice low but steady. "I watched him kill Bortris and bring him back, forcing him to fight by his side. Do you really think I would be defeated so easily?" She gestured to the bloody stump where her arm used to be, letting the pain twist her expression into something more believable. "This is his work. He's more powerful than any of us ever imagined."
Vordia didn't respond at first. He simply chewed on his chicken, staring at her with a look of amusement mixed with suspicion. The seconds stretched into an eternity as Adrani waited, her pulse pounding in her ears. When he finally spoke, he tossed the chicken bone at her feet, the sound echoing in the silent room.
"Fine," he said, rising from his chair, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her. His gaze was sharp, probing, as if he could see through her words. "We'll talk. But not before you prove yourself… as a slave."
The words hit her like a physical blow, her breath catching in her throat. Adrani's eyes widened, horror flickering across her face despite her efforts to remain composed. The room seemed to close in on her, the walls pressing down as Vordia slowly stretched out his leg, caked in dust and dried mud, and placed it between her knees.
"Lick it clean," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
Adrani's stomach churned, a wave of shame and fury crashing over her. She wanted to rip his leg apart, to scream in his face, to fight back with every ounce of strength she had left. But there was nothing she could do. She had no power here, no allies, and her body was broken. If she refused, Vordia would kill her without a second thought—and Voldrak would never even know she was gone.
Her jaw clenched so tightly she thought her teeth might shatter. The humiliation burned hotter than the physical pain, searing through her like fire. Slowly, with every ounce of her willpower, she bent her head. The taste of dirt and sweat filled her mouth as her tongue dragged across his filthy skin, the sound of Vordia's laughter echoing above her.
"You've fallen so far, Adrani," he mocked, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "From clan leader to this. How pathetic."
Adrani forced herself to keep going, her mind screaming in protest even as she obeyed. Each lick was a new wound, each moment of submission a fresh cut to her pride. But she couldn't stop. She had to survive. She had to live long enough to find a way out of this nightmare.
Vordia shifted his leg, pulling it back once he was satisfied, and nudged her with his boot, forcing her to look up at him. His smile was wide, filled with sadistic pleasure as he gazed down at her. "Good girl. Now, maybe we can have that little chat."