Captured (1)

Aurora's ears were filled with a repetitive sound. It didn't register in her mind, but it aroused her. As she woke up, the sound became louder and clearer. It came from somewhere nearby, seeming to be above her.

The sound was breathing. Rugged and fast-paced. Aside from breathing, she heard the faint sound of gravel and sticks being crushed beneath her, along with the dragging of feet. She was being carried.

Did we fail? Have the vampires captured us?

No, they wouldn't capture them. She saw fear, malice, and a determination to kill in their eyes. If not the Vampires then who?

Aurora opened her eyes. Despite the darkness obscuring the edges of her vision, she could still see somewhat. Her eyes fell on the uneven, gravel-covered forest floor and the legs of the person carrying her. The sturdy, long legs were covered in dark brown pants that were scorched and torn, exposing pale skin. The shoes were torn at the seams and bare-toed.

She twisted to get a better look at the person carrying her over their shoulder. She caught a glimpse of him before she couldn't turn any further. The sight widened her eyes.

A Zombie?

Not just one Zombie, but possibly dozens or even hundreds. They were not hers. She felt no connection with them and had not kept the Undead she used to fight Lethia. Since she didn't kill them, she couldn't claim and control them like the billions of souls she had taken. To cover their tracks, with no other option, she set them free after leaving the cave, releasing their spirits.

Who is the owner? Aurora enhanced her eyes with dark energy. Using Imagination Creation, she attempted to develop a skill for perceiving the soul-connecting lines between an undead and its owner. Her skill never developed, her status remained unchanged, and she expended more dark energy than expected.

She repeatedly tried to imagine the skill she wanted, but kept failing. Each time, it got worse. The second time, half of the dark energy she channeled was lost before reaching her eye; the third time, 75%; and the fourth time, 87.5%. She focused on her dark energy and tried for the fifth time. The dark energy dissipated before reaching her eye, but she noticed an unusual movement. Whenever she attempted to use a skill, some of the dark energy intended for the skill would divert to her arms and legs, dissipating outside her body.

With half of her body hidden and her waist in an awkward position, she scanned her arms. She couldn't find many differences. The brown long-sleeved shirt she wore had only a few tears but wasn't further disheveled or torn. Her arms functioned without any noticeable issues affecting them. On her wrists, though, she found cuffs (that gave off an unusual aura) attached to chains that disappeared past the shoulders of the Zombie.

She tensed the muscles in her arms and tried to pry apart the cuffs, but they wouldn't break. The material used in its creation exceeded her strength.

Break! She poured dark energy into her arms to strengthen her muscles and willed herself, but...

The dark energy she channeled into her arms did not increase her strength. Instead, it went into the cuffs the same way it had when she tried to activate a skill.

[DP: 185/560]

[Quit wasting your energy. I've already attempted to escape from the cuffs. It doesn't matter how much you pour in; it will be absorbed.] Amia's voice brought relief as it resonated in her mind. [As long as you avoid using skills or trying to break out of them, you won't be drained.]

What happened? We were...

[We escaped, and you didn't wake up. I tried and tried, but you never opened your eyes. I carried you for hours, maybe days. I fainted from depleting my energy and woke up here, stuck to this zombie, feeling disoriented.]

Who are they? Where are they taking us?

[I saw them before I fainted. They're intelligent zombies like us. I attempted to defend you, but I failed.]

Are you alright? You seem… She observed the other zombies in her line of sight. Each of them was towering, massive, muscular, and mindless. In front of her, she found Amia hanging in a similar manner, her chin resting against the Zombie's back. She lay motionless, exhausted. Her stiff arms dangled as the zombie took each step.

[I'm fine. Don't worry about me. The cuffs limit our ability to regenerate dark energy, but not entirely. Our captors do not seem intent on killing us, and they seem to want something from us. I'm not sure if that will remain once we reach our destination or after they reveal their intentions, though.] Her voice sounded more tired than it had been minutes ago. [Let me rest. It's draining my reserves. Wake me up when we arrive.]

Will she be okay? Aurora wished she could control her dark energy and aim it at Amia. Despite having a lot of dark energy, she was unable to reach her. She relaxed her body and dangled, closing her eyes. She followed what Amia did, halting the waste of dark energy and using the time it took to arrive to replenish it. She expected she wouldn't recover much, but the more she had, the better.

Time passed, and the endless darkness of the sky failed to reveal its passage. It had been long enough that her dark energy reserves were half full, even with the cuff's restriction. She didn't sleep; instead, she rested. Her consciousness was alert, and she would be prepared for any changes.

The zombie carrying her stopped, and she heard the sound of an iron door opening, accompanied by the thick scent of rust. Silence followed, lasting for a moment before she was lifted into the air and thrown. No remorse, no hesitation. She collided with a wall. Her spine took the brunt of the impact, and she heard a crack. After the first crack, a groan and a louder crack came from her left, followed by the sound of the door closing, this time from behind.

Her eyes opened wide, taking in the new surroundings. A prison cell with dull black stone walls. The walls and floors were stained and moldy. Blood, mangled flesh, and bones were intertwined. There were no noticeable gaps or holes in the walls, except for one. Behind her, there was an iron door with the only window—a narrow, barred niche.

Her dark energy shifted, and the restraints couldn't stop it. It seemed they would at least allow her injuries to heal. They wanted them alive. Aurora rolled to the side and sat, resting her back against the wall. Her narrowed eyes glared at the door. They had vanished from view outside the window.

She resisted the urge to curse and shifted her focus to Amia, who rubbed her neck while sitting next to her. Amia landed on her neck, and it snapped it, jolting her awake.

Sorry. They put us in here before I could wake you.

[I'm not hurt. My dark energy has been mostly restored. My neck snapped, but it didn't cost much.]

I…

[We'll deal with that later. For now, let's welcome our visitors.] Amia turned to the door. The zombies had arrived quicker than they had anticipated. They unlocked and opened the door.

In the doorway stood two zombies. Their faces were pale, but not as pale as the Zombies who carried them. Their clothing was formal knight's attire made from old leather. The clothing was worn but lacked any tears, burns, or stains.

"The Warlord wants to see you. Come with us. If you refuse, we'll use force."

She tried to stand but stumbled. The chains on her wrists and ankles forced her to lean over, destabilizing her balance, but she managed. She strode forward as fast as she could. She left the cell, and Amia followed. The knights did not encourage them to walk faster. One knight led the way, while the other followed behind, pacing with them.