Caspian lay sprawled on the cold floor of the training hall, his body a mosaic of bruises and broken bones.
Each breath he took was shallow, labored, and laced with pain, but his spirit refused to yield.
CRACK.
Jaxar's fist collided with his ribs again, the sound echoing in the large hall.
The pain was excruciating, but sothing deeper within Caspian stirred—a primal instinct, dormant and buried beneath years of suffering.
Jaxar smirked.
"Still alive, huh? You're tougher than you look, runt." Jaxar said while raising his first again.
But as he prepared to strike, Caspian's head tilted upward, his crimson red eyes glowing faintly under the dim light.
A wave of bloodlust erupted from him, sharp and suffocating, like a blade pressed against the neck.
For the first ti, Jaxar flinched.
"Hey… cut that out. Stop your stupid act." Jaxar said.
Caspian's lips parted—
"You will die, Jaxar. Both of you. Mark my words." Caspian said.
"Haha"
Eirak laughed, though unease flickered in his eyes.
"Oh, the weakling found his voice! Let's see how much it takes to shut you up!" Eirak said.
He stepped forward, joining Jaxar.
CRACK
Together, they pounded their fists into him.
SPLAT-SPLAT
Blood spattered onto the floor with every blow, yet Caspian didn't cry out.
Instead, his voice rose above their fists, defiant and unbroken.
"Enjoy your victory while you can. It's the last one you'll ever have,"
His words sent a shiver through Jaxar, but he quickly masked it with a sneer.
"Big talk from soone who can't even stand. You are already over." Jaxar said.
"I am not over, i will never be over —Not until I've torn everything you have to thousands pieces" Caspian said.
"Wait for ," Caspian growled, his voice gaining strength despite the agony wracking his body.
"You will wish you were never born." Caspian said.
Eleana stood silently at the doorway, her arms crossed, her face unreadable.
But her heart skipped a beat as those words, laced with fury and despair, reached her ears.
Caspian's voice grew louder, resonating through the hall.
"Even if I have to sell my soul to beat you, I will."
"I will throw away this useless pain, this wretched weakness—I'll use everything, even myself, to make sure you pay."
The air grew heavier, as if responding to his conviction.
Even Eirlys, who had been rushing toward the Caspian, paused.
She heard his words, and for the first ti, her expression softened into sothing akin to pity—or was it fear?
"You will not be safe," Caspian declared, his voice now ringing with finality. "None of you."
CRACK.
Eirak's fist connected again, and this ti, the sound was followed by the sickening thud of Caspian's body hitting the floor.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his strength finally gave out.
Eleana's heart felt heavy.
Those words—they didn't belong to a child.
They carried the weight of a broken spirit and the fury of soone who had lost everything.
Her fingers tightened into fists at her sides, though her face betrayed nothing.
Eirlys stepped into the duel ground just as Caspian's body went limp, her eyes narrowing at the sight of him crumpled on the floor.
For a mont, the room was filled with silence, save for the faint sound of Caspian's shallow breathing.
Jaxar and Eirak exchanged uneasy glances, but their bravado quickly returned as they laughed and walked away.
Eirlys moved to his side, kneeling next to his unconscious form. Her fingers brushed his forehead.
From the doorway, Eleana turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing down the corridor.
But her mind replayed Caspian's words over and over.
..
..
Caspian's eyes snapped open.
His battered body refused to lift.
His muscles scread in protest with every attempt to move.
"Ack," he groaned, frustration bubbling inside him.
"Now I know why the original Caspian died," he thought bitterly.
"Not just because of their fists, but because his soul was crushed under the weight of neglect and indifference."
mories flashed through his mind—the cruel laughter of Jaxar, the sharp pain of Eirak's fists, and the cold indifference of his mother.
He clenched his jaw, a flicker of defiance breaking through the haze of pain.
"It doesn't matter. This body's broken, but I'm still here. And I am not Caspian," Caspian said.
'Let's start with the Mission,'
He tried to push himself upright.
"Ack. Ugh." His arms trembled as his body betrayed him.
Every nerve felt like it was on fire, every movent a monuntal effort.
Just as despair threatened to creep in, his eyes fell on a small vial sitting on the table beside his bed.
'A healing potion.'
"Convenient," he muttered, reaching for it with trembling fingers. He uncorked it with his teeth and downed the potion in one gulp.
Warmth flooded his veins, chasing away the worst of his pain.
His body still ached, but he could move without wanting to scream.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, albeit shakily.
"Good enough. Now, let's begin."
....
....
Caspian stood before the ancient stone door, its surface etched with intricate carvings that seed alive in the faint moonlight.
His heart raced as he gazed at the culmination of weeks of relentless research.
The symbols from the map—burning fla, crescent moon, coiling serpent, and the ominous sigil—had led him here.
'Burning flas ans The volcano,' Caspian thought looking up at the mountain.
'Crescent moon i didn't fully grasp it what does this ans but it might have do sothing with moon,'
'Serpent ans the River,'
'Darkened sigil ans the forbidden place,'
The location.
He was deep within the forest's heart.
He didn't cross the vast forest to co here,he might have been dead if he tried that.
He followed path as instructed in the map and reached at the estate forbidden area.
And then—
He saw a cave whose entrance has been closed by a massive Stone.
He tried everything but it didn't move as he was about to give up.
"When the shadow ets the fire the path shall reveal," he muttered and cave entrance opened.
And now here he is.
Caspian looked up at the Massive door infront of him.
"When the shadow ets the fire, the path shall reveal itself." He muttered.
It didn't open.
Caspian exhaled slowly.
"Then let's try this practically,"
He raised his hand, a flicker of fla sparking to life in his palm.
The burning fla symbol had been the key.
He deduced that fire was needed to open the door, but the instructions were cryptic.
As the words had suggested, he positioned the fla carefully, letting it cast a shadow against the carvings.
The door didn't budge.
Frustration gnawed at him.
He had spent countless nights unraveling the map's mysteries, deducing the aning of each symbol.
"The burning fla… my fire. The shadow…"
His eyes darted to the door, studying the way the fla's shadow danced across its surface.
Taking a step closer, he let the fire touch the door directly.
Suddenly, the carvings on the door glowed, absorbing the fla.
A surge of energy jolted through him as the fire was pulled from his hand.
Caspian's eyes widened as he felt his mana draining rapidly, drawn into the door like a ravenous beast.
"W-what the—" His legs wobbled as the relentless pull sapped his strength.
Within seconds, his entire mana reserve was gone, leaving him breathless and trembling.
CLUNK.
The door groaned.
The ground beneath him trembled as the massive stone door began to part, revealing an eerie passageway descending into darkness.
A cold gust of air escaped the opening, carrying with it the faint scent of decay and sothing… older.
THUD
Caspian fell to one knee, clutching his chest as he struggled to steady his breathing.
"That… took everything."
The passage before him beckoned, silent and foreboding.
Gathering what little strength remained, Caspian rose to his feet.
"This better be worth it," he muttered, stepping forward into the unknown.
____________________
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