Kain could feel the man's willpower through his connection with Bea. It was like towering wall of steely defiance that Bea's power slamd into.
The man's mind was a fortress, built to withstand even the most powerful ntal attacks. Fortunately, the seemingly sturdy wall had so cracks. Whether it was due to his less than ideal physical condition, or a recent ntal trauma he suffered, Kain could tell that his ntal strength was temporarily vulnerable.
And in response to that weakness Bea was relentless, her power grinding against the man's defenses like seemingly harmless drops of water eroding through stone.
The man's body convulsed, his muscles straining as he fought against Bea's control. Sweat poured down his face, and his breathing beca ragged. Kain could feel the strain on the man's mind, the way his consciousness wavered under the pressure. But still, he resisted.
"Kain," Serena's voice cut through the tension, her tone urgent. "He's too weak. If you keep pushing, he might—"
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Kain knew what she was going to say. If he kept pushing, the man might die. His body was already weakened, and the strain of resisting Bea's invasion could push him over the edge. But Kain also knew that they couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip away. Sothing deep inside of him, perhaps so kind of instinct that had beco more sensitive with his increased mastery over the Threads of Destiny spiritual skill, made him certain that this man may play a crucial role in either group's, or just Kain's, future endeavors.
With a grimace, Kain increased the pressure, pouring more of his own energy into Bea's attack, insisting on using the spiritual skill to boost and replenish her spiritual power for a second ti in just a couple of minutes, despite the imnse strain that this act would have on both himself and Bea.
In response, the man's cries grew louder, his body thrashing against the sand. And then, just as Kain thought the man's defenses might finally break, sothing unexpected happened.
The man's eyes snapped open, and for a brief mont, Kain saw sothing familiar in them as well as a familiar face that flashed before his eyes. And then, with a final, desperate surge of energy, the man's mind lashed out.
Kain felt the backlash like a physical blow, his body staggering as Bea's connection was violently severed. The man collapsed onto the sand, his body limp and unconscious. Kain fell to his knees, his head pounding as he tried to catch his breath.
"Kain!" Serena was at his side in an instant, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Are you okay?"
Kain nodded, though his vision was still blurry. "I'm fine," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "But he… he's stronger than I thought. Much stronger."
Idrias stepped forward, his expression grim. "We can't risk pushing him further. If he dies, we lose any chance of getting information."
Kain nodded, his mind racing and thinking back to the brief image Bea had barely managed to retrieve from his mind…an image of an elderly frail woman.
"I did gain sothing though…" Kain mumbled weakly while holding his pounding head.
The rest of the group quieted down and looked at him in surprise that he'd managed to gain anything.
"I think…I think he is Malzahir," Kain guessed, while explaining the single vivid image he'd managed to retrieve from the man's mind that consisted solely of the familiar elderly woman that had helped them retrieve the antidote, holding out so kind of warm homade al to the dishevelled man while smiling with affection.
The group fell into quiet contemplation at Kain's revelation before the 7-star Starchaser, who had been stung by a high-grade scorpion, stood solemnly.
"I suppose in a sense I owe him, or at least his grandmother, a life saving grave. Had it not been for her, whether she was fully willing or not, I would have died."
At his words, a few of the others who were stung also nodded their heads in agreent. Although there were a couple that were rather indifferent to the role the old lady played in their recovery, for the most part the eyes with which mbers of their group looked at the man, were much gentler.
And when Malzahir finally woke up, now even more wary of the group of strangers that tried to invade his mind, he also sensed the change in attitude toward himself.
Strangely, these people who'd just tortured him for information like he was so kind of prisoner of war, were now gazing at him with a gentle expression—was this so kind of new trick to get information from him? Well, it won't work!
He sat up slowly, his movents cautious, his eyes darting around the group as if assessing his next move.
"You're Malzahir, aren't you?" Kain asked, his voice calm but firm. The man's eyes narrowed, but he neither confird nor denied it. Instead, he remained silent, his jaw clenched tightly.
"*We don't an you any harm, *" Zareth added in the local tongue, his tone softer that when he'd questioned him previously. "*But we need to know what's out there, particularly how you got injured. The desert is dangerous, and we can't afford to walk into a trap. *"
Malzahir's expression faltered slightly, and for a mont, Kain thought he saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. But then the man's expression hardened again, and he shook his head. "*I don't owe you anything, *" he eventually said, his voice low and rough as though his vocal chords had been rubbed raw by sandpaper. "*You invaded my mind. You have no right to ask for anything.*"
Kain sighed, his frustration mounting. He had hoped that the man would be more cooperative now that they had saved his life, but it seed that trust was not easily earned in the desert. "*We're not your enemies, *" Kain said, his voice steady. "*But if you don't help us, we might all end up dead. Is that what you want? *"
Malzahir's eyes narrowed, and for a mont, Kain thought he might lash out. But then, to everyone's surprise, the man let out a low, bitter laugh. "*You have no idea what's coming*" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think keeping here and questioning will make your journey safer? I am the danger."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their unease growing. Kain's instincts scread at him that Malzahir was holding sothing back—sothing crucial. But before he could press further, Malzahir stood up, his movents slow but deliberate. "*If you want to survive, *" he said, his tone grim, "*you'll leave this place. Now. And also stay far away from if you know what's good for you.*"
With that, he turned and began to walk away, his figure disappearing into the vast expanse of the desert. The group watched him go, their minds racing with questions and doubts.
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