Ryuji was panting, his breath ragged, his body covered in dust and blood. In front of him, lying in the dim darkness of the dungeon, was the monstrous wolf he had just slain. His muscles burned, his wrists were cut from the chains he had torn off, yet he remained standing, staring into the shadows.
A drop of blood slid down his arm before slowly falling to the ground.
Let's hope Aeryn was right… he thought, his eyes fixed on the creature. If this is just a trap… then I'm already dead.
A low growl echoed in the distance.
He didn't move.
He waited.
---
A few hours earlier…
In a stone corridor overlooking the mine, Marcellus walked briskly, followed by Lucien and Selara. The sound of their footsteps echoed coldly against the walls.
"I assure you everything is under control," Marcellus said, slightly tense. "The slaves are working efficiently. There are no major issues."
Selara let out a soft, almost mocking laugh.
"No issues? That's amusing. I heard about a slave… a bit too troublesome."
Marcellus clenched his jaw.
"An isolated case. It will be dealt with."
Lucien, silent until now, observed the galleries below.
"An isolated case that draws our attention… rarely a good sign."
Marcellus paused briefly.
"It's nothing a proper correction can't fix."
Selara tilted her head slightly.
"Or nothing a poor decision can't make worse."
Silence settled.
Lucien gave a faint smile.
"Let's take a look. I'd like to judge for myself."
Marcellus nodded, forced.
"As you wish."
---
The week had been long since the incident with Marcellus.
Ryuji worked in the mine, hammer in hand, striking the rock with steady rhythm. But his eyes weren't working.
They were watching.
The slaves.
The guards.
The patterns.
The mistakes.
Some slaves looked at him with fear, others with barely hidden admiration. The guards, on the other hand, remained tense. Since the incident, the atmosphere had changed.
Lucien and Selara appeared above, accompanied by Marcellus. Their presence immediately crushed the mood.
The mine froze.
Even the sound of tools seemed to hesitate.
Ryuji barely looked up.
They're here… perfect.
The break finally came.
Ryuji sat on a pile of stones, slowly wiping the sweat from his forehead. Aeryn approached, visibly nervous.
"Ryuji… there's something you need to know," she whispered.
"I'm listening."
She glanced around before continuing.
"Beneath this mine… there's a dungeon. That's where they send slaves who are too stubborn."
Ryuji didn't react.
"Those who come out… are rare," she added more quietly. "But those who survive… sometimes find things even the masters don't know about."
Silence.
Then Ryuji gave a very faint smile.
"Interesting things?"
Aeryn frowned.
"Ryuji… this isn't a game."
"I know."
But his eyes said the exact opposite.
Aeryn stared at him. She understood immediately.
No… not again…
He was going to do it.
"You're thinking about something stupid," she said, almost sharply.
Ryuji slowly stood up.
"Stupid? Maybe."
He looked up toward the heights.
"Necessary, though."
Aeryn felt her chest tighten.
"You don't control anything here."
Ryuji glanced at her.
"I control myself."
---
Above, Selara watched the scene.
"That's him?"
Marcellus nodded.
"Yes. Ryuji."
Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly.
"He doesn't look broken."
"He will be," Marcellus replied coldly.
Selara smiled faintly.
"You sound very confident."
"I am."
Lucien crossed his arms.
"Then why are we here?"
Marcellus didn't answer immediately.
And that's when Ryuji looked up at them.
A suspended moment.
Then a smile.
Small.
Provocative.
Selara raised an eyebrow.
"Oh… he saw us."
Lucien murmured, almost amused:
"No. He was waiting for us."
---
A guard approached Ryuji, visibly irritated.
"Get back to work, dog."
Wrong choice.
Ryuji slowly stood up.
"You talk too much."
The guard frowned.
"What did you just—"
The punch came.
Fast.
Brutal.
The impact echoed through the mine.
The guard collapsed.
Silence.
Then chaos.
"HE HIT A GUARD!"
"Grab him!"
But Ryuji didn't move.
He simply looked at the body on the ground.
Then slowly… he looked up.
At them.
Selara let out a small laugh.
"He actually did it."
Lucien nodded slightly.
"In front of us."
"That's either suicide… or calculation."
"I'd say calculation."
---
Marcellus stormed in.
"YOU AGAIN!"
He stepped dangerously close to Ryuji.
"You never learn, do you?!"
Ryuji calmly raised his head.
"I learn very well."
"Then explain this!"
Silence.
Then:
"I was bored."
Selara burst out laughing.
"Is he serious?"
Lucien observed Ryuji carefully.
"No."
Marcellus trembled with rage.
"In front of them… you dare—"
He stopped, taking a slow breath.
Then, in an icy voice:
"Take him to the dungeon."
A chill ran through the mine.
Aeryn closed her eyes.
It's over…
"And this time… he's not coming back."
---
As they grabbed him, Ryuji still didn't resist.
On the contrary.
A faint smile lingered on his lips.
Selara tilted her head.
"He's not afraid."
Lucien replied calmly:
"No. He's curious."
"Or insane."
"Those often go together."
---
Aeryn, standing back, clenched her teeth.
Idiot…
But her gaze trembled slightly.
You're betting your life…
Like you've already decided you'll win.
---
Each step echoed through the dark corridor leading to the dungeon.
The air grew colder.
Heavier.
More… alive.
Ryuji took a slow breath.
"Let's hope Aeryn was right…"
The doors closed behind him.
And the darkness swallowed him.
---
Back to the present.
The silence of the dungeon vibrated faintly.
The wolf's body was still.
But something else was moving.
In the shadows.
Ryuji wiped the blood from his face.
His eyes glinted faintly.
"So… this is the beginning?"
Another growl.
Closer.
Perfect.
The trial had only just begun.