Atlas
The infirmary door burst open, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, rough hands grabbed me and yanked me from the bed. My body protested, still weak and aching, but the overseers showed no mercy. Rucian's voice cut through the chaos, dripping with venom.
"Move aside," he spat, his words sending Elara and Devin reeling backwards in shock.
The guards dragged me down the hall, my feet barely touching the ground. The air grew colder and more oppressive as we descended into the depths of the dungeons. The stench of decay and rot assaulted my senses, making me gag. The walls were damp and covered in mold, the floor slick with filth.
"You're nothing but a worthless slave," Rucian sneered, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "No name, no worth."
I tried to muster the strength to fight back, but my body was too weak. The guards threw me into a small cell, barely big enough for me to lay down in if I hadn't been chained to the wall. They shackled my wrists so high that I couldn't sit down, only kneel for any semblance of comfort. The chains bit into my wrists, the metal cold and unforgiving.
Rucian and the overseers stood outside the cell, their eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "Let's see how much you can take," Rucian said, his voice filled with malice.
The beating began. Fists and boots rained down on me, each blow sending waves of pain through my body. They whipped me occasionally, the leather cutting into my flesh, leaving deep gashes. I felt my ribs crack under the relentless assault, each breath becoming a struggle.
"Why are you doing this?" I choked out, my voice barely a whisper.
Rucian leaned in close, his breath hot and foul against my face. "Because you deserve it," he hissed. "You're a worthless slave with no name, and no one cares about you. You're less than shit on this earth."
The beating continued, each blow more brutal than the last. My vision blurred, and I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness. My body hung limp, bloody and bruised, multiple bones broken. The pain was overwhelming, but I refused to let them break my spirit.
When they finally stopped, I was barely conscious. Rucian sneered at me, his eyes filled with contempt. "This is only the beginning," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "We'll break you, one way or another."
The overseers walked up the dungeon steps, their laughter echoing through the halls. I was left alone in the darkness, my body a broken mess. But as I hung there, something stirred within me. A spark of defiance, a flicker of hope.
I began to plot my revenge, my mind racing with plans and strategies. I couldn't let them win. I couldn't let them break me. As I focused on my thoughts, I felt a strange sensation. My bones began to shift back into place, the pain lessening with each passing moment. I watched in awe as my wounds and gashes started to close up and heal.
"What the...?" I thought, my mind reeling.
"We can heal faster than before," a voice spoke in my mind. It was my wolf, the presence that had been waiting patiently. "I was bound and unable to help before. Now that I've been released, not only will you heal faster, but you are stronger and can move quicker than before."
A sense of relief and determination washed over me. I wasn't alone in this fight. My wolf was with me, giving me the strength I needed to endure and overcome. I would bide my time, gather my strength, and when the moment was right, I would strike back.
As I hung there in the darkness, my body healing and my spirit unbroken, I knew that the battle was far from over. The overseers thought they had broken me, but they were wrong. I was stronger than they could ever imagine, and I would rise from the ashes of my suffering to bring about a new dawn.