chapter 17: The Dark God

For the first time since entering the prison, Quinn smiled, and it was a genuine smile. Mark's heart swelled with hope, seeing a glimmer of happiness in his new friend.

Mark's thoughts turned to the large middle-aged man that caught him, then he describe his appearance to Quinn, and he asked Quinn if he was the warrior head. But Quinn shook his head and said, "That's a commander. In the whole of Eze-bu, there are five commanders under the head warrior." Mark's eyes widened as Quinn continued, "And that large man, based on your description, is one of the commanders."

Mark let out a sigh, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. If that commander was already that strong, how powerful was the head warrior and that priest? It seemed like he was going to be locked up forever, Mark thought to himself, feeling a sense of despair.

But then he remembered something and asked Quinn, "Who is the lord or god that they sacrificed your mom to?". Quinn looked lost for a moment, then pointed up and said, "The lord is a god, and they said he is the creator of heaven and earth. they called him korvus, and his servant seems to be called Anuyaki. According to them, korvus is the God of shadows, and also he is omnipotent. His servant Anuyaki takes away all our negativity by dieing for our sins and resurrected again on the seventh day."

Mark's eyes widened in surprise. He had heard and read about those names before in his school library, but he never thought he'd hear them in this context. He realized that Quinn's tribe was deeply rooted in a twisted form of religion, one that justified human sacrifice and violence. Mark's determination to help Quinn escape the twisted sight of those twisted people grew stronger.

Then Mark asked Quinn, "Since you've been here for years, how do we escape this place?". Quinn didn't answer for a few seconds, as if collecting his thoughts. Finally, he spoke, "I have a secret passage on the wall." He pointed to one of the corners in the prison. "I dug it there."

Mark looked at the place, but didn't see any holes or openings. He stood up and approached the corner, still unsure. It still looked normal until he touched it - the brick almost fell to the other side. Mark's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what Quinn was saying.

"You dug a passage through the wall?" Mark asked, incredulous. "How is that possible?"

Quinn smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. "I've had years to work on it. I used a small rock to dig through the mortar, bit by bit. It's not finished yet, but it's big enough for us to squeeze through."

Mark's eyes lit up with excitement. "This is our way out!" He turned to Quinn with determination laced in his voice. "Let's get to work and finish the passage. We can escape this place."

But Quinn's expression changed, and he said to Mark, "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here because I can still feel my mom's presence around me here." His voice was laced with a deep longing, and his eyes seemed to cloud over with a mix of emotions.

Mark went to Quinn's side and touched his shoulder, his voice filled with empathy. "Quinn, I know how you feel. But don't you think you must avenge your mom? Or what if their God asks them to sacrifice you next? Would you want the same fate that befell your mom to befall you?"

Quinn's gaze dropped, and he seemed to shrink into himself. Mark's words had struck a chord, and for a moment, Quinn's desire for revenge seemed to resurface. But then, he shook his head, and his voice barely above a whisper, said, "I don't know, Mark. I'm scared. I don't know if I can face what's out there."

Mark's grip on Quinn's shoulder tightened, his voice filled with determination. "You won't have to face it alone, Quinn. I'll be with you, every step of the way. We'll uncover the truth, and we'll make sure those responsible pay for what they've done. But we can't do it from in here. We need to escape, and we need to do it now."

Mark's voice trembled with a mix of fear and desperation as he asked Quinn, "What are they going to do with me now that they've captured me?". Quinn's shrug was a barely perceptible movement, but his eyes conveyed a sense of hopelessness. "It's this is the first day of a new month," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "The Eze-bu tribe performs a sacrifice to their God every month. And since they've hunted down big prey this time..." Quinn's words trailed off, but the implication hung in the air like a death sentence.

Mark's mind recoiled in horror as he gritted his teeth and asked, "Today is Friday... does that mean I'm going to be sacrificed today?". Quinn's nod was almost imperceptible, but it sent a chill down Mark's spine. "Yes," Quinn whispered, his eyes clouding over with memories. "Exactly at 8 pm tonight, they'll start preparing the altar for sacrifice. That's how they did it to my mom."

"Damn it!" Mark cursed loudly, his frustration and fear boiling over. "Once the sun sets, we should leave this place immediately," he said to Quinn, his mind racing with escape plans. But Quinn's response was laced with resignation. "They'll come for you before sunset, Mark. They'll carry you away to prepare you for the sacrifice."

Mark's anger and helplessness almost got the better of him, and he barely managed to bite back a harsh retort. Instead, he turned his gaze inward, wondering why he was reacting like this. Was this the real him, or was it a side effect of the transformation? He was certain that the old Mark, the one before the transformation, wouldn't have cursed like that, no he wouldn't even think about it. Had he been suppressing this part of himself, and was it now emerging under the pressure of his dire circumstances?

Mark's eyes widened as a sudden realization hit him. "Oh right, I remember something!" he exclaimed, turning to face Quinn with a mix of excitement and desperation. "You said you have a Bio-chemical beast, which means you're a Chimeran! what level are you now, you must know something about escaping this place without us being discovered!"

Quinn's expression turned puzzled, and he looked lost for a moment before his fingers instinctively went to the necklace around his neck. "You mean this?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, as he touched the pendant.

Mark nodded eagerly, his mind started racing with possibilities. "Yes, that's it! The Bio-chemical beast... your mom must have given it to you for a reason."

Quinn's gaze dropped, and his voice became laced with sadness. "Yes, like I said earlier my mom gave it to me, but the thing inside... it's no longer there. It disappeared after my mom was killed."

Mark's confusion deepened. "But have you not awakened the Bio-chemical beast yet?" he asked, expecting Quinn to reveal some hidden knowledge.

This time, it was Quinn's turn to look perplexed. He shook his head, his eyes clouding over. "I... I don't know anything about Bio-chemical beasts. All I know is what my mom taught me, and she never explained anything about this in depth."

@⁨Meta AI⁩