The castle's prison lay buried deep beneath its foundation, carved directly into the bedrock that the fortress itself was built upon. Far removed from the light and grandeur of the upper halls, it was a place of cold stone, narrow corridors, and heavy silence, where even sound seemed to die before it could travel. Thick iron doors lined the passageways, each reinforced with faintly glowing runes designed to suppress mana, their dull light casting long, distorted shadows along the walls. The air was damp and stale, carrying the faint scent of rust and something far older, while a single guarded stairwell served as the only official route in or out
In one of the castle's cells Soren laid there bound by his wrist by mana supressing chains which also hoisted his arms in the air. His head hung low, chin dipped toward his chest as strands of tangled, blood-matted hair obscured his eyes, casting them in shadow. Dried blood clung to his skin and clothes in dark, cracked streaks, his entire figure looking worn down, hollowed out, as if whatever had once driven him forward had been stripped away piece by piece
There was no resistance in him, no anger left to cling to only a quiet, unsettling stillness. His body swayed faintly with each shallow breath, the chains giving a soft metallic creak as they bore his weight. The restraints cut of Soren from collecting any mana from the surrounding air making him incapable of transferring mana into both of his mana cores. He just hung there helpless waiting for his fate to be decided by King Stormguard. All of his struggle met to escape meant nothing. Even if he did escape from here with a Rank 4 and 5 in the castle what was the point
He was trapped
Footsteps echoed faintly through the narrow stone corridor, slow and deliberate as someone made their way down into the depths of the prison. The sound carried in the silence, each step announcing their approach long before the figure came into view. Dorian emerged from the dim light of the stairwell alone. He paused just outside the cell, his eyes immediately falling on Soren and for a moment, he didn't move
Soren hung where he had been left, arms bound above him by the chains, his body slack, head lowered. At the sound of footsteps, he stirred slightly, lifting his head just enough for his gaze to shift toward the entrance. Recognition flickered faintly in his dull eyes
''Dorian," he rasped, his voice dry and strained
Dorian stepped closer, his expression unreadable
Up close, the damage was clearer, the dried blood, the hollow look in Soren's face, the way his body barely held itself together even while suspended. Still, Dorian's expression didn't soften
"Where are they…?" Soren muttered weakly, his voice catching slightly. "Anya… Noah…"
The question lingered in the air
Dorian didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Soren, as if weighing whether he even deserved one
''They didn't come," he said at last
Soren's brow furrowed slightly, confusion mixing with something more fragile beneath it
"Why?"
Dorian let out a quiet breath through his nose, his jaw tightening just slightly
"You already know why"
Soren's grip tightened weakly against the chains
"I had to," he said, his voice strained, almost instinctive. "We were going to die-"
"They saw it," Dorian cut in, his tone still controlled, but firmer now. "Everything"
Soren fell silent and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Dorian stepped closer, stopping just in front of him
"You keep saying that," he said. "That you had no choice"
Soren's breathing grew uneven
"I didn't," he muttered. "If I didn't do it, I would've died too"
Dorian's eyes hardened, but there was no disgust in them only something resolute
"Then you should have died"
The words weren't shouted. They didn't need to be
Soren froze, confused as if those words were spoken in a foreign language
Dorian continued, his voice steady, unwavering
"If the only way for you to live was to sacrifice the people beside you… then that life isn't worth anything"
Soren's expression twisted slightly, something breaking beneath the surface.#
"You weren't there," he said, more forcefully now. "You don't understand what it was like! The hunger, the fear-"
"I don't need to," Dorian replied
Dorian's gaze didn't waver
"Because no matter what it felt like, I know what I would have done"
A pause
"I would have died with them"
Silence filled the space between them. Soren stared at him, something raw flickering in his eyes
Dorian didn't look away
"That's what it means to stand beside someone," he said quietly. "That's what it means to value a life that isn't your own"
Soren's grip on the chains trembled
"…So what?" he said, his voice cracking slightly. "You're saying I should've just given up? That I should've let myself die for nothing?"
Dorian shook his head once
"Not for nothing"
Another pause
"For them"
The words hit deeper than any accusation. Soren's head lowered slightly, his breathing unsteady. Dorian watched him for a moment longer, then spoke again, quieter now
"You didn't just survive, Soren"
A beat
"You chose yourself and chose to throw away everything precious you had"
The finality in his voice left no room for argument
Soren didn't respond
Dorian's gaze now softened
''I just wanted to see you one last time before your gone. Goodbye Soren''
With that Dorian left
The words hit him oddly, a strange weight settling in his chest. He blinked, trying to register them
'Gone?'
His mind stumbled over the thought. What did Dorian mean by that? Was it just a farewell, or a warning? He barely had time to dwell before the footsteps faded up the stairwell, leaving the cell cloaked in silence. The emptiness pressed against him, cold and suffocating. Soren's eyes darted around the stone walls, chains biting into his wrists, and the word lingered like a knife
'Gone'
A memory forced itself forward, unwelcome and vivid. Flames licking upward, a crowd screaming, voices accusing, hurling the word demon into the air over and over. He saw Thorne nailed to the cross, the fire reflecting off his pale skin, every movement and shout seared into the minds of the spectators
Soren swallowed hard, his throat dry. That's what they'll do to me… just like him. Panic prickled at the edges of his thoughts, the sense of inevitability crushing him
'I need to escape! I have to live!'
At that instant, something in his chest shifted violently. Pain exploded along every nerve, searing and overwhelming. He gasped, jerking against the chains, but they only bit harder. His vision blurred as a foreign force flooded his body and mind, forcing itself in like fire spreading through water
Knowledge, raw and jagged, surged into him. Blood flowing, breaking, healing, destroying. Spells, understanding he had never known before rushing in too fast, too much, and too intense. His body convulsed. Heat and pain erupted from every vein, blood dripped from his nose, his eyes, his mouth. The chains rattled as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably. The world narrowed down to agony and understanding, and then blackness
When he came to, the cell was silent. Pain lanced through him, every limb sore and trembling, but beneath it all, something had shifted. Knowledge lingered, etched deep in his mind. His head still hurt, his mind shaken from the flood of information he had just received before he passed out
Then a faint smile appeared on Soren's lips
''So this is what your essence meant''