Chapter 59
Betrayed by Blood
The dungeon was cold, its damp walls reeking of mildew. A single torch flickered in the corner. Xander sat slumped against the wall, his face pale, his severed arm wrapped in dirty bandages. His remaining hand clenched into a fist, nails roughly biting into his palm. It had been days, and he was slowly losing his mind locked in here.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, slow and deliberate. Xander didn’t look up. He didn’t have to. He knew who it was.
The guards had mysteriously disappeared earlier, and he wasn’t stupid enough to believe it was a coincidence.
The heavy iron bars creaked open, and Matt stepped inside, his eyebrows cocked up arrogantly, his lips twisted into a smug smile. It irked Xander. Matt carried himself with an air of arrogance.
"Well," Matt began, his voice dripping with mockery as he stopped right in front of Xander. "How’s our fallen warrior today?"
Xander didn’t respond. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.
Matt chuckled, crouching to meet Xander’s eye level. "Giving me the silent treatment, I see. How very noble of you. Tell me, how’s that working out so far?"
No response.
Matt’s smile widened as he leaned closer, his tone soft but sharp. "You know, I came here out of courtesy. A second chance to hear your decision. Will you join me, or will you rot here, wallowing in your self-pity like the pathetic shell Cain has reduced you to?"
Xander snapped his head up, his gaze filled with rage. "You think I’d trust you?" His voice was hoarse, but it carried enough venom to wipe the smirk off Matt’s face for a moment.