"Such fragility from an Eldora mystic... How disappointing!"
The words escaped his lips as he casually brushed the blood from Fiona's body, his fingers repulsively wiping away the remnants as if they were nothing more than dirt.
"Fiona!"
Aldrich froze, his eyes locked on the sight of Fiona crumpled on the ground, blood pooling around her.
A chill washed over him as he processed the horrifying image.
His body seemed to betray him, immobilized by the shock of it all.
Amid his momentary paralysis, Ian and Camelia, both more attuned to the situation, reacted swiftly.
Ian lunged toward the intruder, weapon drawn, while Camelia, with a flick of her hand drawing, summoned the earth to lift Fiona's body and gently carry her away from the immediate danger.
Aldrich snapped out of his daze, his feet carrying him to Fiona as her body floated toward him.
"Fiona!" he cried, his voice a mixture of desperation and fear.
He caught her in his arms, her body trembling violently in his grasp, her face pale, stained with fear as her lips quivered.
"I... I— I don't feel so good, Al... I don't feel so good!"
Her voice cracked, barely a whisper, as she clung to life, her fear of death palpable.
Aldrich's heart clenched painfully in his chest.
He had no experience with this kind of situation, no words to offer her, no knowledge of how to comfort her or make her feel better.
The only thing that brought him any relief was the faint, uneven rise and fall of her chest.
But for how long would that continue? He didn't know.
His mind screamed at him for answers, but they were all empty.
"We have to get her out of here. Now!" Camelia's voice snapped him back to reality, urgency ringing in her tone as she shook him from his moment of panic.
"Right! We need to—!"
Before Aldrich could finish his thought, Ian's body was hurled past him, crashing violently into the stone wall with a force that reverberated through the entire cave.
"Pathetic!"
The voice was cold, mocking, and just inches away from them.
Aldrich looked up, his gaze locking with the intruders.
He barely had time to process before the words sank deep into his gut.
His stomach twisted with dread.
"I'll buy you time! Take Fiona and find the exit now!" Aldrich shouted to Camelia, his resolve hardening as Ian's lifeless form crumpled on the wall.
There was no more time for hesitation.
No more time for fear.
Camelia nodded and, without another word, scooped Fiona's body up with ease, her mana enhancing her strength.
She raced toward Ian, who, despite his state, could probably still help them find the way out being the only one with the knowledge.
Aldrich gripped his bow tightly once more, his left hand wrapping around it as he drew three arrows from his quiver.
He wasn't leaving anything to chance; three arrows to ensure he had the distance and the precision needed to take down this threat.
As he drew the string back and aimed, he could hear the intruder's footsteps growing closer.
The figure moved with chilling indifference as if the life of anyone standing in his way meant nothing.
Aldrich exhaled, letting the tension rise to a peak before releasing the arrows in rapid succession.
Each arrow flew toward the target with deadly precision, their speed so great that even the sharpest of eyes would struggle to track them.
But before the arrows could even close the distance, they were caught in mid-air, suspended effortlessly in the palm of the intruder.
Aldrich's breath hitched, a momentary wave of panic flooding his chest.
He quickly regained himself, taking a step back and searching for an opportunity to create distance.
Before he could make a move, a hand shot out, its grip tightening around his throat with terrifying speed.
"How... so weak you are..." The voice was laced with disappointment, more biting than mockery.
Aldrich struggled, but the hand on his neck was unyielding, crushing any hope of escape.
"You know, when I was told that an Aldaman had surfaced, I expected more from you... One who bears the same blood as Dwayne Aldaman!" The man's words came cold and biting, as though Aldrich's mere existence was an insult to the lineage he bore.
With a swift motion, Aldrich was lifted off the ground, his body crashing against the wall.
His spine cracked under the pressure, and he gasped for air, the force of the impact leaving him disoriented.
Blood spilt from his mouth as he fought to stay conscious.
"But what is this I see..." The voice was laced with incredulity, a twist in its tone.
Aldrich was slammed against the wall once more, his body sinking deeper into the stone.
He could barely think as the pain overwhelmed him.
His vision swam, his body a mass of bruises, yet still, his enemy's hand remained firm around his neck.
"Your eyes say Aldaman, your hair speaks the same, but your every action screams weakness!" The intruder's voice was filled with disgust, a venomous sneer dripping from his every word.
Slam.
Another hit, driving him further into the wall.
The sound of his body crashing against the stone echoed through the cave.
"You do not deserve the eyes!" Slam.
"You do not deserve the name!" Slam!
"You do not deserve the respect that comes with it!" Slam! Slam! Slam!
The pain was unbearable, but Aldrich's mind, in its haze, clung to one thought: Fiona. He couldn't let her down. He couldn't let her die.
Camelia had done her part already. She had taken Ian and Fiona away from sight, on their way to the exit.
She will be safe... Fiona will be saved if they hurry enough.
"Death will wash away the stain you have brought to your clan! Yes! Death will be your end!" The intruder's voice was filled with venomous satisfaction, as though the thought of Aldrich's demise brought him twisted joy.
The man raised his hand, his fingers poised like daggers, aimed to pluck out Aldrich's eyes, those eyes he deemed unworthy of the Aldaman name.
Just as the intruder's hand reached out, another voice shattered the moment.
"Don't you think you've done enough already, Kyle?"
The voice was clear, commanding, and filled with authority.
Kyle froze, his hand halting just inches from Aldrich's face.
His grip on Aldrich's neck loosened as a cold dread swept over him.
"Dwayne!"
The name was a whisper of fear that escaped Kyle's lips.
The thought of it, the presence of Dwayne, was enough to unsettle even him.
His body tensed the realization of his mistake clear in his mind.
Fear flickered in his eyes, but he buried it quickly, trying to mask it with bravado.
"Not only did you interfere in what was meant to be a harmless test, you openly showed a desire to commit murder," Dwayne said, his voice laced with cold judgment.
Each word seemed to entertain heavily on Kyle, his actions no longer excused by his anger.
Kyle's grip on Aldrich loosened once more as Dwayne's presence grew stronger.
His fear, carefully hidden, threatened to burst through the facade.
"Your actions have reached the Bravehearts, and they have called for a hearing of the ten Bravehearts to decide your punishment!"
Kyle's shoulders tensed, but he remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"That much I can bear! Only after I am done here!" Kyle snapped, his voice shaking with the anger he was struggling to suppress.
But Dwayne's tone shifted, becoming cold and final.
"Let him go, Kyle... There won't be a second warning."
The air crackled with an intense energy, thick and unnerving, as Dwayne's silver eyes gleamed with power.
The energy around him seemed to bend, distorting the air.
Kyle knew better than to test Dwayne's patience.
He released Aldrich, the motion swift, almost reluctantly, as if he had no choice but to obey.
"This test is officially over. Head back to the dorm and await your hearing!" Dwayne commanded, his voice like steel.
With a single motion, Dwayne lifted Aldrich's unconscious form, cradling him in his arms as if he weighed nothing.
His eyes locked with Kyle's, cold and unwavering.
Kyle reached to the side, his hand distorting the space itself, carving open a portal with a flick of his fingers.
"This was never your decision to make," Dwayne muttered, his voice low and edged with frustration.
With that, Dwayne stepped into the portal, Aldrich's battered body still in his grasp.
The light from the portal cast a cold glow on the cave, leaving the echoes of Kyle's discontent hanging in the air.