The Devil's Blade

𝟷𝟼 || 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚘𝚖

I can hear the rhythmic beating of my heart as the world outside feels distant, and time passes in a hazy blur. My fingers twitch as a hint of regaining consciousness surfaces. My eyes flutter open, breaking the monotony of darkness, and I groan, squeezing my eyes, trying to adjust to the daylight.

I look down, watching my feet being dragged over the ground as two men escort me by my arms. As we come to a stop, I gaze up at a high, thick, secure iron wall, guarded by several swordsmen.

Admiring the stronghold of the walls, I sense a presence above that catches my attention. I look up to find a figure atop the wall gazing down at us. Our eyes lock briefly before he disappears behind the wall.

I glance to the sides, seeing Kai and Zhena in the same situation as I am. Kai meets my gaze and looks at me with extreme doubt in his eyes. Zhena's eyes are still shut, her head hanging low.

I return my gaze toward the gate, slowly opening with a resonant buzz. I instinctively reach out to the hilt of my sword but find my hands tied to the front, unable to prepare myself for any threat that might appear from behind those doors.

Then, three armed men appear, uniforms and weapons adorning them. As the gate widens, soldiers line the wall, weapons aimed at us. Zhena, regaining consciousness, opens her eyes to the threatening air. The three men slowly start to approach us, stopping a few steps before us, staring forcefully into our eyes, and then divert their attention to the men holding us.

"Survivors?" one of the men questions.

"Yes, sir. They were found at the scene in Kayra; one of them is inhuman," one of the two men holding me explains.

The man inspects me thoroughly with his eyes. He then gestures the two men behind him to come forward. Both of them follow his orders without question and approach us as they take out small pocket knives. Zhena is first; the man grabs her tied arms and slashes across the top of her hand, creating a small wound. Zhena tries to pull her arm away in response to the pain, but the man holds her wrists tightly, his eyes focused on the wound. When he notices her wound isn't healing, he releases the grip on her arms.

My heart is racing in my chest. So far, all my concerns about the North haven't been contradicted, and the uncertainty consumes me with fear. The man walks over to me as the other men escort Kai away. They grab my hand, and I can feel the cold blade placing on the top of my hand. I squeeze my eyes shut at the little sting before he pulls away the knife, revealing a big gap on my hand. I swallow hard, moving my gaze from the wound to the man. He isn't once diverting his eyes from my hand.

Panic sets in the moment my wound fades. Triggers click around us as the men unsheathe their swords. The man before me brings the knife to my throat, and I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

"Wait!" Zhena's voice echoes.

The men don't even move a muscle, but Zhena doesn't back down. "These men saved my life! Please, don't kill them!" she pleads.

The man before me remains resolute, his knife slowly cutting through before a commanding voice calls out, "Stop."

All eyes turn to a tall, dark-skinned man, approaching from behind them. "Lower your weapons," he orders, the soldiers obeying reluctantly.

The guy in front of me refuses; his weapon still raised. "But, captain—" he begins.

"Lower your weapon, Vince. I won't ask you again," the captain orders again.

Vince falters but eventually obeys in silence.

The captain walks up to us, exchanging a glance at all of us. "Seize them and bring them in," he says before turning around and walking toward the gate.

Chained and escorted, we are brought into a lively makeshift village hiding behind the security of the iron walls. Women, men, and children all around us, seemingly living a fine life. Despite all the judgmental eyes passing us, I cannot help smiling. The joy of seeing people well and alive distracts my mind from the position I am in.

Soon, we enter an elevator ascending us to what appears to be headquarters. Upon arrival at our floor, the metallic doors slide open with a muted "ding," and a rush of cool air greets us as we step out.

We enter a bustling room, people in uniform and weapons rushing all over the place. Radios, screens, fancy gear, and weapons are found in every corner of the room. When we pass through the room, all different soldiers bow their heads toward the men escorting us, showing even greater respect to the captain leading the pack. I admire every single one of them, my eyes bright, like a kid in a candy store.

Soon, we are taken up a small flight of stairs, leading us to another door on the right. The two doors are protected by two guards, giving a small bow to the man before opening them to a bright dome. In the room, it's bustling with swordsmen, carrying large blades and wearing serious expressions on their faces. The men carrying us position us in the center of the room and bind us to a pair of rings attached to the floor. Kai and I face the authoritative captain, who positions himself in front of us.

"Where are we?" I question.

A sweet smile crosses the captain's face. "You're at Mavis headquarters, and you're about to be put on trial," he declares. "Welcome to Solaria."

Kai and I exchange a look, regret taking over us, as we stare upon our greatest enemy.