Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 98: Swallowed by the darkness.

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Swallowed by the darkness.

Casaian and his group took several steps towards the city of Galderath. Their viligant was high at every steps they take. But still no one saw up.

Cassian and his group took several steps toward the city of Galderath, their vigilance was high with every step they took. Yet still, there ws no sigh of that oppressive figure.

The trainees were the most silent, following the group closely. It was the first time they had seen their leaders this tense, so they did not want to make any mistakes or distract them.

Just as they were about to enter the gates of the city of Galdreth, a strong wind blew around them, and a slow, deliberate voice resounded behind them.

"Welcome, humans. Welcome." A hearty voice sounded behind them, but for Cassian and his group, it was more like a voice from hell.

Cassian immediately felt the same oppressive feeling, and it was not only him. All of them could feel it. Even breathing became hard for them, and drops of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

As all of them looked behind, they found a lean man with pale skin standing. His body slightly leaning forward, he almost looked sickly with his thin body. But it was his face that betrayed his facade.

His triangular hooded eyes were swirling with malice and were filled with murderous intent. His lips curled upwards slightly with a sheen of happiness or disgust—they couldn’t tell. His high cheekbones were pointing outwards.

If not for his murderous gaze towards them, they could have almost misunderstood him for a normal sickly human. And the aura he was radiating and suffocating them with was enough to prove that the man before them was no normal person.

"You did not reply to my greetings. I am very offended," he said and raised his brows in a provocative manner.

Cassian’s grip on his sword tightened as he studied the man. What is this creature? he thought, his eyes darting to the faint shimmer of the oppressive aura surrounding the figure. It felt like a thousand invisible chains were binding them, forcing them to stay rooted in fear.

"Who are you?" Cassian asked the lean figure. His face was tense as he could not comprehend just what it was. A monster? Nope! No monster has such fluid speech. But then, is he a human? That’s also not possible. He is a very strange form of human. The man looks more like he has walked out from his grave.

"Who am I?" The man said while tapping his chin with his long nails. Then he made an expression of enlightenment and said aloud, "Why are you confusing me? Did I not say I am the host of this place where you are going uninvited?" He said with a sick smile. He was clearly toying with them.

Cassian’s heart raced. The oppressive feeling around them was thickening, pressing down on his senses. A quick glance at his companions revealed their growing unease—Ivis’s knuckles whitened as he gripped her sword, while Orion’s jaw tightened, his eyes sharp with tension.

Cassian and his group took a sharp breath. They could not believe that this man was the city lord of the Galdreth. Because Cassian already knew that the city of Galdreth had already fallen one year ago.

Then where did this lord come from? Clearly, he was lying.

"Shut up your bullshit and get the hell out of here, don’t waste our time," Alistair snapped as he charged toward him with full speed.

Cassian’s eyes widened in shock. "Alistair, wait!" he yelled, but it was too late.

Alistair prided himself on thinking at every moment. The man opened his mouth to speak, but this move from Alistair shocked everyone, and all of them shouted his name at the same time to stop him. But it was already too late. As with a single move from the man, Alistair crashed into the wall with a thud and vomited a mouthful of black blood.

Teneb blew the smoke on the tip of his fingers and said with a nonchalant tone, "Oh, I forgot to tell you one thing. Being disturbed is the thing I hate most. Understood? Or need my help?" Teneb said while popping his knuckles.

The popping sound of knuckles satisfied him very much. "Ahh! I want to snap the bones like this. How satisfying. Now, let’s do it."

Teneb’s laugh echoed, cold and eerie. Cassian’s chest tightened as he glanced at Alistair, who was struggling to sit up, coughing more black blood. "Stay down, Alistair," Cassian commanded, his tone firm but laced with concern.

Teneb said and giggled like a teenage girl. Orion shuddered at his giggle and turned to pass a look to his friends. All of them wore a repulsive expression just like him.

Before all of them could get ready, Teneb already charged at them.

"Be careful," Cassian was only able to shout before he was engulfed in a black smoke.

The only words he heard were, "You wait for me? I have a special treat for you," Teneb said with a laugh.

And Cassian was completely engulfed in the smoke. All he could see was the darkness and numerous hands reaching toward him. He stared at the hands that are trying to catch him. They made a strange screech as he severed their hands, but it is not over. The more hands start coming for him.

"What the hell is this?" Cassian questioned and tried to outrun the hands and find an opening from this darkness. But even after running a good amount of distance, everything was the same. He felt like he was still standing in the same place.

Cassian tightened his grip on his sword. The cold hilt kept him grounded in the empty space. Hands clawed at him from all sides. Their screeches echoed like cries of pain. He swung his blade, cutting them down. For every hand he severed, more appeared from the darkness.

His breathing grew heavy. This was not working. They kept coming. The darkness pressed down on him. It wrapped around him like a heavy blanket.

He swung his sword with all his strength. His movements grew slower with each swing. The hands did not stop. They clawed at him again and again. They seemed to grow stronger as he grew weaker. He was breathing hard. His vision was blurry. There was only a faint light in the void around him.

The ground under his feet shifted. It felt like it was dragging him deeper. The hands were not just attacking. They were pulling him down. They wrapped around his arms and legs. It was as if they knew how to trap him.

"No," Cassian said. His voice was rough.

But his body was giving up. His sword felt too heavy to lift. His arms trembled. The weight of the darkness pressed harder on him. The screeches grew louder. They hurt his ears and made him feel dizzy.

A cold hand grabbed his wrist. Another grabbed his shoulder. More wrapped around his waist. They pulled him down. He tried to fight, but he could not stop them. They were everywhere now. They covered him. He could not move.

"No!" Cassian shouted. He was desperate. His voice did not carry far. The void swallowed the sound.

The darkness spread to his face. It felt cold and slimy. It touched his skin like icy fingers. He could feel it sinking into him. It was taking him over. His chest rose and fell as he tried to breathe. But it did not help.

The hands gripped him tighter. Their coldness spread through his body. His sword slipped from his hand. It fell into the void. He reached for it, but his arms would not move.

The cold spread to his chest and neck. It reached his face. His vision darkened. The world around him disappeared. His eyes were still open. They were filled with fear and defiance.

The light in his eyes started to fade. A voice broke the silence. It was soft and gentle.

"Rest now, little warrior. The fight is over for now."

The gentle voice seems like it was lulling him to a sleep, just like the warm embrace of his mother.

The hands pulled him into the darkness. The void swallowed him completely. There was nothing left, not even his presence. The silence was complete.