Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 86: Strange Village (03)

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Strange Village (03)

Cassian gripped his sword tighter as Kallus charged at him. The blade swung without hesitation on him. Cassian blocked the blow just in time. The impact reverberated through his arm.

"What are you doing?" he shouted. But Kallus didn’t reply. His strikes came fast and without waiting for a minute. Each one was directly aimed to kill him.

The others turned at the clash of steel. Their glowing eyes locked on Cassian. They abandoned their fights and moved toward him. Their movements were jerky and unnatural. It was as if invisible strings pulled them forward.

Cassian stepped back, his jaw tightening. "Damn it." The circle around him grew smaller. He didn’t want to hurt them. But they attacked like monsters. He had no choice.

Llyris lunged first. His sword came in low. Cassian deflected the blow and sidestepped. Aerich attacked next, slashing from the side. Cassian ducked and blocked the strike.

The sound of steel filled the night. More trainees joined in. They fought without skill, but their numbers overwhelmed him.

Sweat dripped from Cassian’s brow as he fought back. Every swing of his sword aimed to disarm them, not to kill them. He hoped they would come out of this madness. But it didn’t matter. They didn’t flinch or falter. They didn’t seem to feel pain.

"Wake up!" he yelled. His voice cracked with desperation. But they didn’t stop. They couldn’t hear him at all.

Kallus charged again. His blade aimed for Cassian’s chest. Cassian stepped back, letting the strike glance off his armor. A dagger flew past his face. He spun and knocked the weapon from Aerich’s hand. Another trainee came at him with an axe.

Cassian dodged. The axe smashed into the ground. Dust and splinters flew. The trainees circled him and laughed eerily. Like they are enjoying this game very much, the game of death.

Cassian’s chest heaved as he blocked another strike. His arms ached from the constant attacks. He realized the truth.

Now Cassian was sure that it was not them; something dirty was playing with their mind, but who?

He scanned the edge of the forest. His mind raced with countless possibilities. The thing controlling them had to be close. But could he reach it in time?

Orion lunged at him with an axe. Cassian blocked the strike, but the force sent him stumbling back. His boots slipped on the dirt. He almost fell.

A voice called his name. Cassian turned and saw Keren running toward him. The elf’s silver hair glimmered in the moonlight.

"Keren," Cassian began, "they’re—"

"I know," Keren said sharply. His eyes scanned the chaos. "This isn’t them. Something is controlling them."

"What is it?" Cassian asked with a chilling voice; he would not let anyone play with his people and definitely not allow them to become some mindless puppets.

Keren knelt and touched the ground. His fingers brushed the dirt lightly. He closed his eyes, focusing. A moment later, he looked up.

"A Dreamweaver," Keren said. His voice was grim. "It’s rare, but a deadly monster. It uses magic to trap people in dreams or take over their minds."

"But how did it appear here? They live mostly in forested and dense areas and not in an isolated place like this." Keren murmured.

Cassian cursed under his breath. "How do we stop it?"

"It’s using threads of magic to control them," Keren explained. He gestured toward the trainees. "The threads connect them to the monster. Only enchanted senses can detect them."

Cassian frowned. "I don’t see anything."

"You won’t," Keren said. "You have to feel them. The magic isn’t physical. Close your eyes and focus."

Cassian hesitated. He had never tried anything like this. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. He let the sounds around him fade.

At first, there was nothing. Then he felt something. Cold tendrils brushed against his mind. They reached out to him but quickly recoiled.

"There!" he said, snapping his eyes open.

Keren nodded. "Yes! It is coming from one direction.

Cassian’s focus sharpened. The tendrils led in one direction. He traced them to the forest’s edge.

"They’re coming from the forest," he said.

"The Dreamweaver is hiding there," Keren confirmed. "If you destroy it, the threads will break. They’ll wake up."

Cassian nodded. "Keep the villagers safe. I’ll handle it."

Keren hesitated. "Be careful. It will try to trap you in illusions. If you lose focus, it will take your mind."

Cassian nodded faintly and replied, Take care of them and don’t let them destroy this village.

Cassian stepped into the dense forest. The trees towered above him, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the dark sky.

Dark shadows stretched across the ground, creating a ghostly illusion, and the thick branches of trees blocked out the moonlight.

The air was cold and damp in the forest. Every breath felt heavy, as though the forest itself wanted to choke him and never allowed him to leave its border.

The silence was unnatural. There were no birds, no rustling leaves, and no sound of animals.

Only the faint crunch of twigs and dead leaves under his boots broke the silence. The oppressive quiet made every movement feel louder than it should be.

He couldn’t see the threads, but he could feel them. They tugged at his mind, subtle and insistent, pulling him deeper into the woods.

Cassian stopped and closed his eyes. He took a steady breath and focused. The threads pulsed faintly and guided him forward.

They grew stronger with each step, leading him toward something unknown. His grip on his sword tightened. The cold metal in his hand grounded him.

Then, a voice pierced the silence.

"Why didn’t you wait for me?"

Cassian froze mid-step. The words hit him like a blow. The voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the stillness with a chilling clarity.

"Why did you betray me?"

"Why did you leave me behind?"

Cassian’s heart raced. His chest tightened as the voice stirred something deep inside him. It wasn’t just any voice. It was familiar. It carried pain, heartbreak, and accusation.

"Come back to me, Cassian. How could you abandon me?"

He turned slowly. His limbs become stiff, as though it refused to move from this position. His breath quickened, and his beating heart thundered in his ears.

Each step he took felt heavier, as if the ground itself was dragging him down.

Cassian faced the direction of the voice.

He turned slowly, his movements stiff as though the weight of the words had shackled him in place. His heart pounded against his ribs as he faced the source of the voice.

The world around him froze as he looked at the figure standing away from him; a gasp left his lips. ..."Prince Dorian"

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