The land of dragons was a harsh place, but Solace had already learned to adapt. For five long years, he had been subjected to torture and humiliation, pushed to the brink of death countless times. Yet, through it all, his mind and body had endured, growing stronger with each passing day.
From the very start of his imprisonment, Solace had felt the pain. It wasn't just physical—it was mental, emotional, and every ounce of it tested his resolve. The dragons were relentless, using every means at their disposal to break him: starvation, water deprivation, whips, and magical restraints that sapped his strength. Yet, Solace never faltered. His recursion, a unique and unyielding power of his bloodline, had already started to work its magic. Each time they hurt him, he grew stronger, his body and mind adapting faster.
At first, the beatings had left him broken, barely able to move. But within weeks, his body began to recover at an unnatural pace. Bruises, cuts, and fractures healed almost overnight. The fire within him—his Phoenix bloodline—fueled his regeneration. His body had learned to withstand the pain, and in a sense, the more they hurt him, the more he adapted.
The dragons, seeing his resilience, tried new forms of torture. They shackled him, bound him in chains infused with magical restraints, and subjected him to psychological torment. But each new method only led to him adapting faster. Solace's body and mind grew immune to their cruelties. Every day, his willpower grew, his spirit unyielding.
Of all the things the dragons tried to break, it was his mask that became their obsession. They believed that if they could take off the mask, they could shatter his resolve. They were wrong. The mask was not just a symbol to Solace—it was a part of him, his identity, and a barrier that kept him from fully being exposed to his enemies.
They tried everything. Heat—they subjected him to the hottest flames the dragons could conjure. Cold—they froze his body in enchanted ice. Magical binding—they placed him in runes that stripped away his powers, but the mask stayed in place. No matter the torture, no matter the method, the mask refused to budge. They used magic to try and force it off, tried physical violence to rip it off, but it was all in vain.
In the end, the only way the mask could be removed was if Solace chose to remove it himself, and he refused. He had always believed that the mask was a part of his identity, and no amount of pain could change that.
No dragon, no matter how powerful, could force him to reveal himself. The mask became an extension of his will, a symbol of defiance against those who sought to break him.
As the years dragged on, Solace learned how to manipulate his environment within the confines of his prison. His cell was surrounded by magical formations that prevented him from escaping, but they did nothing to suppress his control over space. Though the walls were sturdy and the bars unyielding, his powers allowed him to manipulate the space within the cell just enough to make things a little more comfortable.
He could create small pockets of space where he could meditate in peace, blocking out the constant noise and physical pain. He could focus on his fire affinity, using it to slowly heal himself, and on his shadow affinity, learning to move without being detected. The time in the dungeon became a training ground, a place for him to grow and learn from the suffering he endured.
Solace's body grew stronger with every attack. His shadowstep became quicker. His mastery over space improved—he could now move small objects around the room or change their positions ever so slightly. The pain, though unbearable at times, became an essential part of his growth. It wasn't about escaping—it was about enduring.
And so, he endured.
After five years of endless torment, something changed. Solace had grown beyond what the dragons had expected. His body was no longer the same fragile human form that had been locked in the dungeon. He had become something else, something far more resilient and capable.
It was during the fifth year of his imprisonment that the opportunity finally arrived. The dragons, complacent in their belief that Solace was a broken shell, had allowed their guard to drop. Arrogance—their greatest flaw.
One night, as the guards grew more complacent in their duties, Solace felt a flicker of space mana from within his cell. His time to act had come.
Using his mastery over space and his growing control over fire, Solace manipulated the space inside his prison. The magical formations that had once kept him locked away were no longer an obstacle. He created an opening—a crack in the magical barrier that was wide enough for him to slip through. The process was slow and excruciating, but he had perfected the art of subtlety during his years of suffering.
It wasn't until the morning sun broke across the horizon that he finally emerged, using the shadows to cover his movements as he slipped away from his prison. His escape was silent, as if the very shadows themselves had decided to protect him.
The world outside had changed over the last five years. The war between the Fire Dragons and the Human Kingdoms had escalated far beyond anyone's expectations. The Human Kingdoms were struggling, pushed to the brink by the relentless assault of the Fire Dragons.
The dragons were merciless in their attacks. Cities were reduced to ashes, armies crushed beneath the flames, and innocent lives lost. The Fire Dragon King had declared war, and his forces were devastating. The human kingdoms had joined together, but their combined strength still paled in comparison to the Fire Dragon Clan.
Solara, in particular, had felt the brunt of the attack. With the Princess Seraphine gone, and Solace's absence fueling the fires of the Dragon King's anger, Solara was a shadow of what it once was. The royal family was fractured, their plans falling apart under the pressure of the ongoing war.
Solace, now free from his years of suffering, had returned to a world on the brink of destruction. But the escape had come at a cost. He had no allies. He had no home to return to. And the Fire Dragons were still out for his blood.
But Solace was alive. And that was more than enough.