The darkness of the dungeon was absolute, broken only by the faint flicker of a torch down the corridor. Hu Jun sat in chains, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the gloom. The bruises on his body throbbed in time with his heartbeat, but the pain was distant—a pale shadow of the tempest brewing within him.
Betrayal.
The word gnawed at his mind, carving deep grooves of anger and despair. Reyna's face haunted him, her whispered apology ringing in his ears. He had trusted her. Despite everything, he had dared to hope, dared to believe in her sincerity. And she had delivered him to his enemies.
The clink of boots against stone pulled him from his thoughts. A guard approached, his armor catching the weak light. He carried a tray of stale bread and water, his expression indifferent.
"Your meal," the guard said gruffly, shoving the tray through the bars.
Hu Jun didn't respond. His eyes tracked the guard's movements, calculating. The man's arrogance was evident in his casual demeanor, his assumption that the prisoner before him was broken.
Fool.
Hours passed. The darkness deepened, and the temperature in the cell dropped. Hu Jun's breaths came slow and measured, the rage simmering beneath his surface now a focused, controlled inferno. He closed his eyes, reaching inward, past the pain and exhaustion, to the power that pulsed at his core.
They had taken his weapons. They had shackled his limbs. But they had not stripped him of his essence—the wellspring of energy that had both cursed and defined him.
He began to chant under his breath, ancient words that carried weight and danger. The air in the cell shifted, growing heavy. A faint glow began to emanate from his body, crimson like his eyes, pulsating in time with his chants. The walls seemed to shudder in response.
"What's… going on?" a voice called out from down the corridor. Another guard, his tone uneasy.
Hu Jun's lips curled into a smile. Let them come.
The first guard returned, his footsteps hesitant. He peered into the cell, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Quiet in there!" he barked.
Hu Jun's eyes snapped open, glowing brighter now. The guard stumbled back, a flicker of fear crossing his face.
"Too late," Hu Jun said, his voice low and resonant. The chains binding his wrists began to glow, the metal groaning as it warped under the pressure of his energy. With a deafening crack, the shackles shattered, the force sending shards of iron skittering across the stone floor.
The guard barely had time to draw his weapon before Hu Jun was upon him. Unarmed but deadly, he moved with a predator's grace, his hands a blur as he disarmed the man with brutal efficiency. A swift strike to the temple sent the guard crumpling to the ground.
The commotion drew more guards. Three men rushed into the corridor, weapons drawn, their faces set with determination. But as they approached the cell, they faltered. The air around Hu Jun shimmered with raw energy, his form wreathed in a faint crimson glow. His eyes burned like embers in the dark.
"Do you think your blades can stop me?" he asked, his voice cold and sharp as steel.
One of the guards charged, a cry of defiance on his lips. Hu Jun sidestepped effortlessly, his hand snapping out to grasp the man by the throat. With a surge of power, he hurled the guard into the opposite wall, the impact leaving cracks in the stone.
The remaining two hesitated, their confidence wavering. Hu Jun advanced, the corridor growing colder with each step. Fear rippled through his opponents, the primal instinct to flee warring with their duty.
"Run," Hu Jun said, his voice a command.
They didn't need to be told twice. Dropping their weapons, they bolted, their footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Hu Jun stood alone, the fallen guards' weapons scattered around him. He clenched his fists, the glow around him intensifying. The power coursing through him was intoxicating, a dark tide that threatened to consume him. But he welcomed it.
They had called him a villain. Perhaps it was time to embrace the title fully.
He turned toward the end of the corridor, where a heavy iron door barred his escape. With a flick of his hand, the hinges groaned and snapped, the door crashing to the ground. Beyond it lay the heart of the Silver Conclave's stronghold.
They would pay. Every last one of them.
As Hu Jun stepped into the corridor beyond, his thoughts turned briefly to Reyna. Her betrayal had brought him here, but it would not define him. When the time came, he would face her again. And this time, there would be no hesitation.
The Broken Villain had risen, and the world would tremble.