Imprisoned

Jonathan's smug smile spread across his face as if savoring the helplessness of the situation he had put the boys in. He looked down at Dorian and Elion, eyes glinting with malice. 

"Consider yourself lucky, little Dorian," Jonathan sneered, voice dripping with mockery. "Your mother put a protective spell on your soul. The moment you are in life danger, she'll know. You've bought yourself a bit more time, it seems." His gaze shifted to Elion, his smile widening cruelly. "But you… no one will miss you."

Just as Jonathan raised his hand, mana crackling as he prepared to unleash the killing blow on Elion, he was abruptly interrupted.

"If you harm him," Dorian's voice cut through the tension, filled with steely resolve, "I'll kill myself right here and now. Let's see how far you get with my mother's wrath hanging over your head."

Jonathan froze, his smirk faltering as Dorian locked eyes with him, unwavering in his threat. The air around them thickened with the weight of his determination. Jonathan knew that the instant Dorian died, he'd be marked for death by the Blackthorn family's matriarch—a fate even he wouldn't escape.

"Hmph, empty words. Do you really think you can take your own life before I stop you?" Jonathan sneered, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure he could prevent Dorian from acting on his threat. 

"It doesn't matter," Jonathan continued after a pause, waving his hand dismissively. "If that's your wish, then you two can live together for a few more hours."

Without giving them a chance to respond, Jonathan conjured a spell, and in an instant, the scenery around them shifted. Elion barely had time to react before his surroundings blurred. The familiar sight of the Blackthorn estate vanished as his vision warped.

When the disorienting sensation faded, they found themselves in a small, dimly lit wood cabin, far from the towering walls of Varzinhein. The room smelled of damp wood and earth, and the walls, made of roughly cut logs, creaked in the wind. 

A single window allowed a narrow beam of moonlight to slip in, casting eerie shadows across the floor. The place was claustrophobic, with just enough room for a small wooden table, a few chairs, and a stone hearth in the corner that hadn't been lit in some time. The chill in the air was biting, and the cabin seemed to be abandoned—isolated in the middle of a forest.

Outside, the distant rustling of trees and the occasional hoot of an owl suggested they were deep in the forest, far from the safety of the city. Elion could feel the weight of the isolation immediately. It was as though they'd been taken to a forgotten corner of the world.

Dorian's eyes scanned the room cautiously, while Elion fought to regain his bearings, his muscles tense, ready for any sign of Jonathan's next move.

"No point in trying to resist, kids. It's futile," Jonathan sneered, his voice dripping with cold satisfaction. Without giving them a moment to react, he unleashed a surge of his powerful mana, locking them in place as if they were mere toys beneath his control.

From his space inventory, two sets of glowing, enchanted handcuffs appeared alongside thick ropes. With a flick of his wrist, they were swiftly bound to both Elion and Dorian, their arms restrained tightly.

The moment the handcuffs snapped around Elion's wrists, a chilling sensation crept through his body. His mana circuits, once pulsing with energy, felt as though they had been frozen solid. 

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push his mana forward. It was as if his connection to magic had been severed, leaving him powerless and vulnerable. His heart sank, realizing that escape was no longer an option—not while these cursed restraints held him down.

Dorian, too, struggled briefly, but it was clear both boys were at the mercy of Jonathan's magic now. The dwarf's smug grin widened as he watched them realize the gravity of their situation. "You'll be nice and quiet until I'm ready for you," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice.

After binding Elion and Dorian securely, Jonathan ignored them as if they were nothing more than furniture. Confident they were no longer a threat, he pulled out a sleek, enchanted communication device—a phone—and made a call. The line connected almost instantly.

"Hello? Our plan's been compromised," Jonathan said coolly, his tone sharp but controlled. "I've captured the ones responsible, but we need to move everything up. Tomorrow night—any later and we'll lose the window."

"What? Impossible! How could this happen?" The voice on the other end was frantic, the panic evident.

"It doesn't matter how," Jonathan replied curtly, cutting off any further questions. "Get the message out to all our moles and General Azhimeir. He must prepare the invasion force to strike by tomorrow at 8 PM sharp. No delays."

"I… understood. I'll reach out to everyone immediately," the voice responded, hesitant but compliant. "I'll contact you once it's done."

With that, Jonathan ended the call, his expression hardening as he glanced at the two restrained boys. Time was running out, and his plans had just become far more urgent.

Jonathan flashed a wicked smile, his eyes gleaming with malice as he addressed the two bound boys. "I have matters to attend to, but I trust you'll behave yourselves while I'm gone," he sneered, the smugness dripping from his voice. "Don't worry. As soon as I'm finished, I'll return to end your pathetic lives. Enjoy together what little time you have left."

With that final threat, Jonathan vanished, teleporting away in a swirl of mana, leaving Elion and Dorian bound and alone in the small, dimly lit cabin. The silence was deafening for a moment.

Dorian shifted uncomfortably against the ropes, wincing as he tried to sit up. "Well, that escalated quickly," he muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "I can't believe I let this happen."

Elion let out a dry chuckle despite the dire situation. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be tied up in a cabin either. But at least we're still alive—for now."

Dorian gave him a sideways glance. "You don't seem too worried."

"Not worried, just... thinking," Elion replied, his mind racing. "If we panic, we'll just waste energy. We need to focus on finding a way out of here."

Dorian sighed, glancing at his mana-restricting cuffs. "I don't know how we're supposed to do that with these things on. These cuffs are strong. It's like my aura's been completely frozen."

"Same here," Elion said, testing the cuffs again to no avail. "But there's always a way out. We just need to find it before Jonathan alters the portal's coordinates and lets the demons flood Varzinhein."

Dorian, his initial skepticism gone, nodded, his usual confidence returning. "Well, at least I don't need proof anymore. You've been telling the truth all along."

Elion met his gaze with a faint smile. "Told you so. Now, we just have to get out of here and contact your family. I've set up teleportation coordinates—one at the inn where I'm staying and another near the portal. As soon as I can use my magic again, we'll be out of here in no time."

Dorian raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You've been planning ahead, I see."

Elion shrugged, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Always have a backup plan... though it's pretty useless unless we can actually get free from here."

Dorian shot a glance at Elion, but this time he remained silent, focusing instead on breaking free from the handcuffs and ropes binding him. Meanwhile, Elion attempted to reach out to Valen in his mind, seeking any assistance he could offer.

'Hey, Valen. Can you lend me a hand?'

[Sorry, kid. You're on your own this time. My soul is too weak to interact with the outside world. I'll only be able to help once you nourish me, but to do that, you need to reach at least the Soul-Strengthening Realm.]

'The situation isn't looking good…' Elion thought as he scanned the room for anything that might aid their escape. His eyes fell on the barrier embedded in the walls, windows, and door. It was clear that unless he could free himself from his restraints, breaking through the barrier would be impossible.

Hours ticked by, with Elion and Dorian exhausting every idea they could think of, all to no avail. 

The sun had risen hours ago, now hanging low in the sky as it approached the horizon. Through the small window, they could see that a new day had dawned, and the realization struck them: they were running out of time.

"Elion, if we're out of options, help me end my life," Dorian said, his gaze steady and resolute. "This will alert my mother and reveal our location. I'm confident she can reach us in just a few minutes, no matter how far we are from Varzinhein, you tell her what happened and save the city!"