The forest grew darker as evening fell, and Lara was still desperately searching for Leven. Each passing moment added a new weight to her heart, heavy with worry and anger. Small footprints on the ground and a few dried drops of blood led her deeper into the woods, where danger seemed to lurk in every shadow. Her conflicting emotions of fear and rage pushed her forward, undeterred by what might lie ahead.
Meanwhile, Leven awoke to find himself tied up with thick ropes and fastened to the trunk of a massive tree. His body was weak from the beating, and his vision was blurry at first. In front of him stood three men, exchanging words with malicious smiles and deeply rooted hatred.
One of the men sneered and said,
"Ah, the little prince has woken up! How was your sleep, royal brat?"
Leven replied weakly, his voice trembling,
"What do you want from me? Who are you? And why are you doing this?"
The man stepped closer, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. His expression was filled with anger and bitterness as he said,
"You? Nothing. It's not your fault. It's your father, the king, who is to blame."
Leven froze for a moment, trying to process what was happening. He asked hesitantly,
"What do you mean?"
The man began to recount his story, his voice oscillating between pain and fury, his eyes brimming with tears:
"We were thrown into prison unjustly because of him! We were accused of a crime we didn't commit and sentenced to death without any investigation. My companions and I begged the king to verify the truth, but he wouldn't listen. He ordered our execution on the spot. We barely escaped by a miracle, thanks to a prisoner who had dug a tunnel under the ground for his own escape. But that wasn't enough, because the king also ordered the murder of my wife and young children... He destroyed my entire life."
The man fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned toward Leven with eyes blazing with hatred.
"I want to see him suffer as I did. I'll make him pay, and I'll start with you!"
He grabbed a syringe filled with a shimmering silver liquid and held it up in front of Leven's face. His expression was filled with malice, and a sinister smile played on his lips.
"Do you know what this is?" the man asked, relishing Leven's growing fear.
Leven shook his head, his voice trembling as he asked,
"What is that liquid?"
The man chuckled darkly and replied,
"This is the future. A liquid that will transform us into monsters. And I'm going to test it on you first, little prince."
Leven's heart raced as a cold chill ran down his spine. He stammered,
"Monsters? What do you mean?"
The man replied with a threatening tone,
"This liquid was developed by a madman who claims he's from another world. He says he's a genius and commands soldiers and followers like no other. He wanted to test this liquid on his victims, and now you'll be our test subject."
Leven recoiled in terror, his mind scrambling for a way out. As he looked around frantically, he noticed the body of the girl who had led him here lying lifeless, drenched in her own blood. Horror and rage erupted from him as he shouted,
"What have you done to her? Why did you kill her?!"
One of the men approached him, grabbed his hair roughly, and shoved his head against the tree trunk. He said coldly,
"Stop shouting, you little pest. That girl was just a tool. She said she was lost in the forest, looking for her village. We used her for our plan, and in the end, she was of no more use."
Leven felt disgusted and furious, but he was helpless. His eyes darted back to the syringe in the man's hand and then to the faces of the three men. His heartbeat quickened as the man holding the syringe drew closer. Leven's voice cracked with desperation as he pleaded,
"No... don't do this... please!"
The man laughed and said,
"Oh, it won't hurt much... at least not at first."
The other two men stood watching, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. Everything seemed to move in slow motion in Leven's mind, but he knew one thing for certain: he had to think of a way to save himself before it was too late.
End of chapter...