"Peace without power and power without empathy are pointless," Herik recalled these words as he woke up, gasping and panting. "Oh! Shit." After a few seconds, he remembered his master's words: "Come pick me up at the den, you little piece of shit."
Herik rushed to the gambling den. The gambling den, accessed through the pub, was not very big. It was dimly lit, filled with smoke, and had a few colorful lights scattered around. As he entered, he realized his master was sitting at a table near the game table.
"Looks like the old hag is out for now!" he muttered.
He reached the game table. His master wasn't the only reason he came; money was another driving factor.He understood the rhythm of the game in a few minutes, as he regularly vists the den.The game was roulette.
Beside me sat a towering man, easily six and a half feet tall, his thick arms crossed as he scowled at the wheel.
Herik had noticed something about this guy—he wasn't just playing; he was reacting. Every time a number was called, the brute twitched—just slightly—when it wasn't one of his. When it was, he let out a self-satisfied grunt and stacked his chips aggressively.
Herik smirked, his fingers drumming on the table. Time to have a little fun, he muttered.
He placed a modest bet on red and casually turned to the large man.
"You know," Herik mused, "I once read that big guys like you tend to unconsciously favor odd numbers. Some primal instinct—odd numbers feel more aggressive, like 9 or 17."
The brute grunted, barely acknowledging him. But Herik caught it—the flicker of doubt.
The wheel spun. The ball bounced. Red 14.
Herik grinned as his chips doubled. The big guy, who had loaded up on odd numbers, let out a frustrated groan.
Herik shrugged innocently. "Of course, some say evens are for the more calculated types. But I don't know—you don't seem like the type to overthink."
The brute frowned, considering. Then, just as Herik predicted, the next round, he shifted his bets to even numbers, eager to prove he was the calculated type.
Herik bet on odd.
The ball landed on Black 11. Herik scooped his winnings with a nod.The big guy stiffened. His fingers drummed the felt, and Herik knew he was getting under his skin.
Round after round, Herik subtly manipulated him, each time nudging his instincts down the wrong path.Then the Thug caught Herik by the collar and shouted, "You little— you and your tricks!".Herik's smile widened as he leaned in and murmured, "Your brute force might scare the weak, but it only exposes the fragile ego of a man too scared to trust his own wit."
At that, the thug's anger boiled over and he hurled a punch straight at Herik's stomach.
Herik screams in pain, struggling to maintain his composure, but the brute lifts him and lands several punches. Suddenly, a knife flies toward the thug; abandoning Herik, he defends himself with his sheath.
The thug screams, "Who's that?" as he sees a man emerging from the shadows, nearly his own height. "Leave him alone if you don't want to die," the stranger warns in a cold, deep voice that sends shivers down the thug's spine.
The thug, despite his fear, gathers his confidence, points at Herik, and says, "He's the troublemaker." The man in the shadows answers, "Yes, and that's why you should leave."Recognizing the difference in power, the thug backed off.The man in the shadows let out a chuckle, shaking his head.
"Every fucking time… Why do you always make a mess for me? And here I thought you came to pick me up."
Herik, barely conscious, managed a weak grin.He lifted Herik onto his shoulder with one arm, his strength effortless.
"I wanted to train you a bit more," he said, his tone a mix of amusement and warning. "But now you've got the arrogance to defy my words. I let you off the hook before because I thought you were just a kid."
At that, Herik had already passed out.
The next morning, when he woke up groggy and disoriented, he found himself inside a medium-sized, pitch-black hole.Small caves lined the walls, their depths swallowed by darkness. A single beam of light fell directly on him, illuminating his figure while leaving the entire surroundings in eerie shadow."That fucking old man! I'll kill you one day!" Herik's scream echoed through the chamber, his voice resonating loudly in the confined space.
But as the echoes faded, reality set in—there was no way he could climb out with his current strength. Gritting his teeth, he turned his gaze toward the dark caves lining the walls. With no other choice, he decided to venture into one of them, stepping forward into the unknown.As he walked, a sudden screech tore through the silence, freezing him in place. A chill ran down his spine, his body erupting in goosebumps.
"For fuck's sake! What the hell is it now?" he muttered in his mind, his pulse quickening as he cautiously scanned the darkness ahead.
As he walked, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of something following him. More than once, he caught faint movements in the darkness, just beyond his sight.
"You piece of scrap, come at me when I'm in the light," he muttered, his voice laced with both defiance and irritation. With that, he kept moving forward, refusing to give whatever lurked in the shadows the satisfaction of seeing his fear.After a while, he reached a point where the cave split into three separate paths. He let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair.
**"For fuck's sake… Am I even getting out alive? Taking my revenge on those bastards feels like a damn dream at this point."**
Frustration burned in his chest, but he shook it off. There was no choice but to keep moving.As he continued walking, he eventually reached the end of the cave, where only darkness awaited. He approached the wall, hoping to find a way out, but to his disgust, the surface was drenched in something.
"Now you're telling me I came into a shit hole?" he said, half-laughing in frustration, irritation edging his voice as he wiped his hands on his pants.As he turned around to walk back, something suddenly gripped his neck, sharp fangs sinking in as it sucked his blood. He gasped, desperately reaching for it, but there was nothing there—just the chilling emptiness of the cave.
"Ahhhhhh! Wh... What the hell was that?!"
he screamed in panic. "You fucking psychos, kill me already, damn it!" His voice trembled with a mix of fear and fury as he stumbled, trying to steady himself.As he turned to walk back, strange creatures began to emerge from the shadows ahead of him. Though he couldn't make them out clearly, their presence was undeniable.
"At least—even though you can't hide properly, you shitheads!" he shouted, his voice full of frustration. He grabbed a nearby stick and swung at them, but it passed straight through them, as if they weren't even there.
"What the fuck is this now!? You damn geezer, what shit hole did you throw me into!?" he screamed, his anger boiling over as he realized just how deep the nightmare had become.The creatures suddenly moved, swift as shadows, charging toward him with terrifying speed. Herik slapped himself with both hands, trying to shake off the fear and focus.
"I need to get a hook on this!" he muttered, eyes darting around in a panic. Without thinking, he sprinted toward the dead end he had forgotten about in his fear, hoping to find something—anything—that could help him escape.After a while, he reached the dead end, but the creatures hadn't caught up yet. Panting heavily, Herik leaned against the wall and smirked despite the fear clawing at him.
"These things feed on fear, huh? Heh! Any other person would've probably given up by now."
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. It wasn't over yet, and he wasn't about to let these creatures have the satisfaction.As Herik panted in fear, trying to control his breathing, one of the creatures suddenly appeared from nowhere, as though it had emerged from the shadows. It sank its teeth deep into his arm, causing him to scream in agony. "Ah! Ahhh! Aaah!" His blood began to seep out, dripping to the ground.
Before he could react, another creature materialized from the wall and bit into his neck. Herik screamed, his mind racing as he thought, *This is the end.*
But then, a flicker of realization struck him. He remembered that these creatures hadn't attacked when he was in dim light. Desperately, he reached into his pocket, his fingers shaking as he fumbled for the lighter. With a swift motion, he flicked it on, hoping that the small flame would be enough to fend them off.Fortunately, the lighter's flame worked, and the creatures vanished as if they weren't even there. Herik let out a mix of frustration and reluctant relief.
"Thanks to my fucking master's habit, I survived... and abruptly, that fucker is the reason I'm here right now. Thanks, then... shhh."He muttered to himself, shaking his head.
Slowly, he began to walk, the small light casting long shadows in the darkness."I don't know how long this shit lasts... I need to get outta here now. Even I can't oppress my fear anymore." His voice trembled slightly as the weight of the situation pressed down on him, but he kept moving forward, determined to find a way out.Herik took a different route, hoping it might lead to a way out. After walking for what felt like hours, he finally spotted a sliver of light coming from the outside.
"Oh my dog, am I actually getting out or just barking up the wrong tree?"
he muttered to himself, quickening his pace. But as he did, he heard the screeches drawing closer and closer, sending a chill down his spine.
"Yeah, you like fear, huh? You like blood? You like to hunt?" he said aloud, his voice a mix of unpleasantness and forced humor. Even though the creatures were closing in, he couldn't help but mock them, trying to keep his mind sharp. Fear surged through Herik like a lightning bolt, giving him an adrenaline rush. With every ounce of strength, he sprinted toward the light, desperate to escape. The screeches grew louder, and his heart pounded in his chest.
Just as he was almost at the light, the creatures reached him, pulling him down violently into the ground, dragging him into the abyss of pitch-black darkness.
~ Iratewill