Chapter 151: Alone in the Darkness
A/N: Once again, I feel obligated to provide a warning for the contents of this Chapter. It contains dark and graphic themes. Reader discretion is advised.
The Sunpurge shivered, sending waves of agony through my body. In response to \ the excruciating pain, my eyes shot open, and I distantly heard myself screaming. The abrupt awakening left me bleary-eyed, my mind in chaos. My wrists ached, and an unfamiliar weight hung about my neck. As my vision cleared, the blurred colors sharpened into an unfamiliar face, barely an inch from mine.
The man’s eyes were bloodshot and sharp, twisted with hatred, and illuminated by a dying candle on the other side of the room The man’s hot breath flew in my face, choking me with its stench. He was wrinkled and mature, with flecks of white staining his gray hair.
"You’re finally awake," he snarled, removing his hand from my shoulder.
I groaned in relief as the pressure left the Sunpurge, allowing me a moment to clear my mind. I was chained up in a large prison, likely beneath the citadel. My hands were raised above my head, and a thick collar tethered me to the wall. I was suspended to the point I was forced to strain to prevent the manacles from digging into my wrists. I wore the same dress I had during the fight with the Curse Demon, although now it barely qualified as "rags." The original color had been lost behind crimson stains, and several jagged rips threatened the integrity of the garment and my modesty.
There were five other demonkin chained up beside me, Their bodies were bruised and cut, with fresh streams of blood crisscrossing their skin. They lay on the ground, restrained by only their collars, although I could make out two empty sets of manacles above each of them. Although they were unconscious, their muscles occasionally twitched in pain.
The man grabbed my chin, jerking my head back, staring me in the eye. "IF you don’t want to end up like them, answer my questions. How did you manage to slay Slivera?"
I looked at him, straining my mind to understand his question. "K-kill Slivera? I didn’t have an-"
A sharp crack rang out. Everything was black for a second, and when I came to, I was staring at the wall, my cheek smarting. A single, reflexive tear trickled down my cheek, tracing the outline of a bruise already beginning to form.
"How did you disable the Heart?" he asked coldly,
"I-I’m not one of them! I’m Xi-"