The Dawn

Chapter Sixteen.

Her.

The world was a blur of agony and shadows. Elara struggled to maintain her grip on reality, but the pain was relentless, a searing, unyielding force that tore through her body and mind. She couldn't tell how long she had been in this place, time had lost all meaning in the depths of her suffering. The only constant was the darkness that surrounded her, the stench of decay and damp earth that clung to her like a second skin.

They wanted information. The creatures, the twisted, malevolent spirits that had taken her, had been interrogating her for what felt like an eternity. They asked questions she couldn't answer, demanded secrets she didn't know. Each time she failed to give them what they wanted, the pain intensified, the lash of their torment more brutal than before.

She had screamed at first, begged for mercy, but the sound of her own voice had faded into the background, drowned out by the pounding in her head, the relentless throb of her broken body. Her wrists were raw from the ropes that bound her, her skin slick with sweat and blood. Every breath was a battle, every moment a test of her will.

But she refused to break. No matter how much they hurt her, no matter how deeply they cut, she would not give them the satisfaction. She didn't know the answers they sought, didn't understand why they had taken her or what they hoped to gain, but she would die before she let them see her crumble.

She thought of her parents, of the way they had been taken from her all those years ago. The memory was distant, clouded by time and the lies that had surrounded her life ever since, but it was enough to fuel her anger, to stoke the fire in her chest. They had stolen everything from her, these creatures of darkness, these forces that thrived on fear and despair. And now, they wanted to take the last remnants of her strength.

Elara bit down on the inside of her cheek, tasting blood as she fought to stay conscious. The spirits were circling her, their forms barely visible in the dim light, like twisted shadows flickering at the edges of her vision. Their voices were a low, guttural murmur, a sound that sent shivers down her spine, but she forced herself to listen, to try and understand their words.

"Where is it?" one of them hissed, its voice like nails scraping across glass. "The key, the answer. You know it."

"I don't," Elara rasped, her voice hoarse and broken. She could barely speak, but she managed to summon enough strength to meet their accusations with defiance. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lies," another spirit snarled, its face materializing before her in a grotesque, half-formed mask of rage. "You know. You've always known. It's in your blood, in your bones."

Elara spat at the creature, her bloodied lips twisting into a snarl of her own. "If I knew, I would tell you just to stop this damn torture. But I don't. You're wasting your time."

The spirit recoiled as her saliva hit its ethereal form, its shadowy body rippling with an unnatural shriek. The air around her grew colder, and she braced herself for the next wave of pain, knowing it would be worse than the last.

But instead of the physical agony she had come to expect, the spirits changed tactics. The shadows around her began to move, shifting and coiling like serpents. She could feel them pressing against her mind, probing her thoughts, searching for something, anything, they could use against her.

Elara clenched her teeth, fighting the invasion with everything she had left. She could feel them digging through her memories, dragging up images of her past, her childhood, the faces of those she had loved and lost. They were trying to break her, to shatter her resolve by twisting her own mind against her.

"No!" she screamed, forcing the word past the rawness in her throat. "You won't get anything from me. I'd rather die than give you what you want!"

The spirits laughed, a hollow, echoing sound that made her skin crawl. "You think you have a choice? You think you can resist us forever? We will break you, little princess. We will take what we need, and when we're done, there will be nothing left of you."

The words hit her like a physical blow, but instead of fear, they only fueled her rage. She was a warrior, forged in fire and loss. She had survived the worst the world could throw at her, and she would survive this. She would endure, not because she had any hope of rescue, but because she refused to let these monsters win.

Elara closed her eyes, focusing on the anger, the hatred that boiled within her. She thought of the Dark Prince, of the way he had looked at her, the possessive intensity in his eyes. She had sought him out for answers, had believed he could help her uncover the truth of her past. Now, she didn't even know if he would bother looking for her, if he cared enough to try. But she wasn't going to depend on him. She had never depended on anyone.

A sharp, searing pain tore through her side, and she gasped, the breath ripped from her lungs as the spirits renewed their assault. They were relentless, a tide of darkness that threatened to drown her, but she fought back with everything she had. Her body was broken, her mind a battlefield, but she would not yield.

"Curse you," she spat, her voice a low growl as she glared at the shadowy figures. "Curse you all. I won't give you what you want. You can torture me until there's nothing left, but I'll die with my secrets."

The spirits hissed in fury, their forms flickering with malevolent energy. She could feel their frustration, their anger at being denied. They lashed out at her, the pain so intense that she thought she might pass out, but she held on, clinging to consciousness with sheer force of will.

And then, just when she thought she couldn't take any more, the shadows shifted. The temperature in the room dropped suddenly, the air growing thick with an almost tangible sense of dread. Elara felt the spirits recoil, their attention diverted as something, or someone, entered the chamber.

Her vision was blurred, her body too weak to move, but she could hear the familiar sound of heavy boots on the stone floor, the soft rasp of a sword being drawn from its sheath. Her heart leapt in her chest, hope flaring to life as she recognized the presence that had come to her rescue.

Kaelith.

The Dark Prince had found her.

The spirits shrieked in anger, their forms scattering like smoke as he advanced, his shadow towering over her broken form. She could feel the heat of his fury, the cold, calculated rage that radiated from him as he surveyed the scene.

"You dare," he hissed, his voice low and deadly, "to touch what is mine?"

Elara could barely keep her eyes open, but she felt a surge of relief as the spirits began to retreat, their power waning in the presence of the Dark Prince. They had been arrogant, thinking they could take her without consequence, but they had underestimated him.

Kaelith moved to her side, his hand gentle as he brushed her hair from her face, his touch a stark contrast to the brutality she had endured. She could see the fury in his eyes, the possessiveness that burned there, and for the first time, she didn't find it threatening. She found it comforting.

"They took you," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "They thought they could keep you from me."

Elara tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. She was too weak, too broken, but she didn't need to say anything. He understood. He always understood.

"I will kill them all," he promised, his voice a dark vow. "For what they've done to you, for daring to touch you, they will suffer."

She managed a small nod, the tension in her body easing as she realized she was safe now. He had come for her, despite everything. He had found her.

"How?" she whispered, the word barely audible.

Kaelith's eyes softened as he looked down at her, the cold mask of the Dark Prince slipping for just a moment. "You are mine, Elara. No one takes what is mine. I will always find you."

And with that, he scooped her up into his arms, holding her close as he carried her away from the darkness, away from the pain. Elara let herself relax against him, her body finally surrendering to the exhaustion that had been building for so long.

As the darkness claimed her once more, she knew she was safe. He had found her. He would always find her.