Chapter Three

Vinicus was thrown in a vehicle… he could tell by how it felt when his body was slammed into it. Should he beg? Plead for forgiveness and mercy? Hope that someone would have a change of heart? If he knew his short moment of confidence and trying to stand up for himself would lead to this…. He wouldn't have done it….

"Hello…. Hello…. Please where are you taking me? I have done nothing wrong. I beg of you. Please don't do this. You can just drop me off somewhere. I won't say anything to anyone and I won't come back either" he begged.

It was as though he was in a moving vehicle with statues, he could only hear their breathing. They didn't speak at all, it was no use begging. These men wouldn't listen but why were they doing this to him…

They finally arrived at their destination, and he was once again carried out. Vinicus couldn't see anything, he started screaming for help once more but he was shut up by a punch to the stomach from one of the men. He was dragged to a chair and then the bag over his head was taken off.

Vinicus's body already hurt, the punch to his stomach did him a lot of damage. He blinked against the dim lights in the room, he tried to figure out his surroundings but he knew nowhere in this city let alone a place with stone walls.

One of the body guards began to tie him up with his hands behind his back, the coarse rope dug into his wrists. Just for good measure, he was punched again in the face as he heard footsteps approaching from what sounded like stairs… Was this place underground? Vinicus tasted the metallic tang of his own blood and feared for his life…

"Don't worry about begging, it won't help you here… I promise you won't be leaving here alive. I just want to make sure I never hear about you ever again. From what I hear… I'll be doing your family a great favor too." Duke said with a cruel smile on his face.

Vinicus felt his stomach twist in fear as realization hit him hard. He was going to die…. Duke wanted to kill him and for what? His life would ultimately amount to nothing, all his life he had been trampled on, insulted, picked on and now he was about to be killed.

In a voice rasp with fear Vincuis muttered… "This is it then…."

"Bingo…. You finally got something right… Boys, do what I paid you for…" As Duke moved to leave a sudden chill swept through the room, seemingly out of nowhere stopping the Duke in his tracks.

"I have no idea why you guys came here, this place gives me the chills. There's something very off about it but get it over with" The Duke commanded as he left the place warily…

And it began.

The bodyguard that had tied him up cracked his knuckles and gave him a dead smile.

"Courtesy of the Boss, this is going to be very slow and very painful" the bodyguard said as he put on some gloves.

The first punch drew out all the air from his lungs as he heard the sound of his own groan echoing ominously in the quiet room. There was nothing else to do but feel the pain… He doubled over in agony, the ropes digging deeper into his wrist.

A slap came from the second bodyguard and his lips split, blood trickled from the wound. Vinicus coughed, the blood sprayed onto the floor as he gasped for breath

"Please… I don't want to die…" His voice was barely more than a whisper now, filled with a desperation that only a man facing his end could understand.

One of the bodyguards yanked him forward by the collar of his shirt, the chair scraped loudly against the stone floor.

"No one can hear you here, this place and its surroundings have been abandoned for decades. We come here to dump bodies like yours" they both laughed soullessly.

The bodyguard's fist was raised to strike again when the lights above flickered suddenly, plunging the room into darkness. The temperature in the room seemed to drop, a stiff coldness settled into Vinicus's bones that had nothing to do with his fear.

The bodyguard glanced around, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell was that?"

The other, annoyed at the interruption, waved a dismissive hand. "It's just a power surge. Get on with it."

But as he moved to continue the assault on Vinicius, a loud crash echoed from somewhere above them, causing everyone to freeze. In the chaos that followed, Vinicus, driven by a surge of adrenaline and a will to survive, broke free from his bonds. He kicked the chair over and bolted toward the stairwell, his body aching in pain with every step.

"Get him! Don't let him escape!" A voice rang out, filled with fury.

Vinicus stumbled through the dark, twisting corridors of the dilapidated building, his vision blurring from the pain and fear coursing through him. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the bodyguards behind him, gaining ground. If they caught him, he would be dead for sure. Desperately, he turned a corner and tripped over a loose stone, crashing to the ground.

As he tried to push himself up, his hand landed on something hard and cold beneath a dusty cloth. He gritted his teeth and yanked the cloth away, revealing an old, weathered book. Blood from his hand smeared across the cover, and as he tried to get up and run, the book began to glow faintly, its ancient symbols lighting up with an eerie blue light.

Vinicus stared at the book in shock, his heart pounded in his chest. What is this? he thought, a strange compulsion driving him to open it. As his hand hovered over the cover, it flipped open on its own, revealing pages filled with weird symbols that seemed to pulse with a life of it's own.

The bodyguards reached the doorway, but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the glowing book. Their eyes widening in fear. "What the hell is that?!"

The more composed of the two, took a step back, his face ashen. "Bro… that's not normal… We shouldn't be messing with this…" He didn't sign up for this and he had always hated this place. The rumors that it was used for rituals and strange magic were definitely true…

"What have you found" The bulky man among them asked.

Vinicus, still on the ground, couldn't tear his eyes away from the pages. "I….I don't know"

The book's glow intensified, the ancient symbols on its pages burning brighter. The air around Vinicius grew thick with energy, vibrating with a power that made the hair on his arms stand on end. Driven by instinct, he placed his bloody hand on a page, and the symbols began to sear themselves into his mind.

The bodyguards tried to lunge toward him, but before they could reach Vinicus, a sudden force erupted from the book, throwing them back against the walls with a bone-rattling impact.

Vincuis slowly rose to his feet, feeling an incredible surge of energy coursing through his veins. His wounds began to heal before his eyes, the bruises fading, the cuts closing.

"New Master Found....."

What? Who was the new master? Who said that? The bodyguards were unconscious and his wounds were healing? Was the book talking?

"Healing New Master from Bodily Injuries…."

"Healing Complete…."

He was the new Master…. Did he just pick up a magical book that turned him into a master? As he felt his body feel better than it had ever felt, even better than before he took the beating.

He turned to face the bodyguards, his eyes glowing with a power that filled the room with a pulsating light.

"Master, You have now become the Master of Healing Magic…."

What in the name of madness was this? If it wasn't that he saw his body heal from his wounds and he felt no pain, he would think he was mad. He should be dead by now…..Or was he dead?...

"I am the Guide of the Grand Master Healer Magic, You, Vinicus have unlocked the Healer Magic with your blood… You have accepted this responsibility. How do you wish to proceed?"

"Proceed? I just want to make sure these two don't hurt anyone again. Then I want to escape…."

The two bodyguards began to writhe in pain. It seemed as though their bones were breaking slowly. Was he doing that? Was this guide killing them? He wasn't a killer…

"Stop, don't kill them…" The cracking of their bones stopped and Vincuis heaved a sigh of relief… as they stood up and ran off. They had obviously learnt their lesson.

"Yes, Master." the voice sounded.

Vinicus stepped forward, the newfound power crackling in the air around him.

"How do I find somewhere to stay? I have nowhere to go and I have no money…"

"Master Vinicus, You have a home. May I take you to the secret lair?"

Vinicus didn't understand… Where was the secret lair?. Was he going to live in this dilapidated ruin of a bunker?

"Yes…" he said halfheartedly.

Immediately he replied, he fell into a deep sleep.