First Instinct created by the Nature
Despite the injuries weighing Kai down, Kai's body was healing at a rapid pace due to the lingering effects of the bracelet. Leora glanced back, a flicker of relief lighting her weary features as she saw him awake. "Brother, you're awake! I was so worried!" she exclaimed, her voice rising with unguarded joy.
But even as he acknowledged her happiness, Lucian knew that their troubles were far from over. He glanced at his wrist, searching for the bracelet, a beacon of hope that had granted him this second chance, but it was gone. It had served its purpose, perhaps as a final gift from Jugo, and now they were on their own.
"Sister, Can you remove these bindings you are using to carry me, I can run by myself." Lucian said, determination creeping into his voice. "We won't reach Stormhold City like this. Do you have any plan or Artifact Father left for us?"
Leora's expression fell, despair creeping into her features like a creeping shadow. "What? You are very injured how can I make you run by yourself and we don't have any Artifact. Have you lost your mind due to injury, why would I have a artifact."
She admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "They are more in number, and their Wizard rank is higher than mine. If we reach Stormhold we will win but that seems difficult."
Another memory flooded Lucian's mind. Instead of the nexus energy he was familiar with, this world operated on magic, a concept both foreign and strangely appealing.
In this world, power was stratified into ranks from Rank 1 Novice Wizard to Rank 12 Archangels.
He glanced down at himself and felt the weight of a small bag tied to his belt. He hadn't noticed it before, but now it felt heavy with potential. It was a space bag.
He focused, drawing in a deep breath to steady himself as he checked inside. His fingers brushed against various items: herbs, daggers, strings, magic crystals, and other miscellaneous things that might prove useful. The feeling of hope sparked slightly in his chest, but it was quickly overshadowed by the reality of their situation.
Turning his gaze back toward the pursuers, he counted five figures lurking in the shadows, their intentions clear in the predatory gleam of their eyes.
Among them stood one who wore a mask, exuding an aura thick with bloodlust. Lucian's heart sank as he thought, 'Is he a war puppet?' Another memory surfaced: War puppets were humans stripped of rationality, reduced to bloodthirsty shells that obeyed their masters without question.
Lucian scanned the auras of the pursuers, confirming that three of them were at the same level as Leora, a Rank 2 Wizard His mind raced, formulating plans to shake off their pursuit, but a dark undercurrent pulled at him.
Leora, his sister, was in no fit state to lead them; her energy was rapidly waning, and the weight of their family's reconstruction pressed heavily on her shoulders.
As Leora pressed forward, her body screamed in pain. Every muscle felt like it was on fire, her heart pounding in a relentless rhythm of fear. It was unreasonable to expect a 19-year-old girl to remain calm under such extreme pressure and danger her family had been destroyed, her brother had faced near death, and everything she held dear had been shattered in a single day.
Memories flickered in her mind, each one a cruel reminder of everything she'd lost. What if I abandon Lucian to survive? The thought whispered through her consciousness, sharp and chilling. It clawed at her, insistent, unrelenting. She tried to shove it away, but it burrowed deeper, settling into the dark corners of her mind.
Could I leave him behind? Use him to escape, to save myself? The idea crept forward, like a vile poison seeping through her veins. The thought made her sick, but beneath the disgust, there was something else. A dark, twisted thrill. The relief of freedom, the taste of survival, so close within reach. She clenched her fists, feeling her pulse quicken as the storm of thoughts raged within her—horrified at herself, but powerless to stop it.
Then came the whisper. Cold, merciless, as if it were coming from the depths of her own soul. Lucian isn't worth saving. The words sliced through her like glass. This is Norlandia. Only the strong survive. Everyone else is meat, to be torn apart. The world around her seemed to distort, the air thickening, oppressive, as her thoughts spiraled into something darker.
And then the vision came.
It hit her like a hammer, sharp and suffocating. She saw herself—captured. Bound and broken, her body twisted, bruised from the beatings. They will take you, Leora. Drag you through the streets like an animal, exposed, humiliated. They will tear away your dignity, your humanity, until all that remains is flesh to be used. The images flooded her mind, vivid and suffocating. She could feel their hands on her skin, cold and rough. Hear their cruel laughter. Your body will become theirs. To use, to break, until there's nothing left of you but an empty shell.
She saw herself thrown into a filthy, damp cell, her legs shackled, her body bruised from their assaults. The air was rank, suffocating, filled with the stench of sweat, blood, and death. This is where you will rot, Leora. Forgotten. Alone. She could feel the cold stone against her skin, taste the bitter, rancid air. The walls closing in on her as she sat in the darkness, waiting for the next violation, the next torment.
And then the worst part—the worst part of it all—was the fear that gripped her heart as she imagined what they would do next. They will strip you of everything, Leora. Your will. Your strength. Your soul. The images became sharper, more intense. She felt the weight of their eyes on her, the way their cruel hands would touch her, violate her, until her mind shattered from the abuse.
They will break you, piece by piece, until there's nothing left of the person you were. You'll be nothing but a hollow thing, their plaything, until they grow tired of you. The cold voice inside her mind twisted, relentless. And when they're done, they'll throw you away. A broken, used thing, discarded like trash.
You've given enough. You've fought, you've bled. You don't owe him anything anymore. You owe it to yourself to survive. To live.
You have two choices:
One, you both get caught. Lucian dies, and you become their plaything.
The other—use Lucian as bait and secure your freedom. Yes, Lucian dies, but you escape.
No matter what, Lucian dies. Have you forgotten what happened to the other girls in the family? There screams still haunts you? right.
It wasn't that she didn't love her brother; it was just that the instinct for survival gripped her tightly, blurring her moral compass. The human psyche is frail, especially when faced with insurmountable pressure. Every being yearns to survive; it is an instinct as ancient as life itself. Abandoning Lucian to save herself was it truly wrong?
Leora struggled to dismiss these unwanted thoughts, frustration bubbling within her. 'How could I think like this?' Yet she could feel the insidious whispers creeping back, urging her to yield. It was a common struggle; even the greatest saints, those who had mastered the art of the mind, could fall prey to such temptations. But she was not among them.
She was merely a young woman, exhausted, vulnerable, and drowning in her thoughts.
As they navigated deeper into the valley, the walls seemed to close in, mirroring the tightening grip of her fear.
The oppressive atmosphere threatened to swallow them whole, and for a fleeting moment, Leora's mind whispered the same seductive lies that had begun to seep in. 'What if I leave him behind? What if I can survive this?'
The thoughts taunted her, relentless as the pursuers behind them. In a world governed by strength, perhaps it would be acceptable to abandon the weak. After all, survival was the first rule of existence.
"Stop it." she berated herself internally. "He is my brother. I can't think like this."
But can anyone truly win against their mind? Even saints had succumbed to their inner desires; Leora was simply a girl who was pushed to the brink. The exhaustion of her body mirrored the turmoil within, a tempest of conflicting emotions battling for dominance.
In the midst of Leora's internal struggle, Lucian was focused on the task at hand unaware of storm razing in Leora's mind. He needed a plan, a way to shake off the relentless pursuers.
Suddenly, Leora stumbled into a narrow valley, a seemingly safe haven amidst the chaos. Lucian opened his mouth to protest, to caution her against the dangerous turn, but something in her demeanor told him she was not herself anymore. Her instincts had taken over, blinding her to the very real danger that awaited them.
She threw lucian nearby the entrance of valley. Abandoning him, he had no choice but to follow her in the valley.
Meanwhile, the leader of the pursuers, a calculating man, a Rank-2 wizard, observed them from a distance. He saw them enter the valley, a sinister smile creeping across his lips. "Foolish children." he muttered, a predator savoring the thrill of the hunt.
He gestured to his three subordinates. "You three go and follow them," he commanded, a hint of malice threading through his tone.
As they took off after Leora and Lucian, the leader unfurled a map, tracing the route to Stormhold City. He knew that this narrow valley would slow them down, and they would soon be captured if nothing went wrong.
"In times of crisis, the mind gets clouded but there might be some trick why did she abandoned her brother? Is there a trap in the valley? I can't take risk. I will let those three be bait."
He mused, a sinister chuckle escaping his lips. "Even if you manage to escape them, I will be waiting for you at the another end of the valley."
He commanded his war puppet "Kill anyone who tries to exit this valley." The war puppet nodded without any emotion. He was like a chained beast ready to tear apart his enemies just waiting for his master's command.
...
The three men started laughing, their amusement evident as they began throwing daggers toward Leora. She reacted swiftly, dodging them just in time, while the remaining daggers were skillfully deflected by Lucian. He was about to speak when, without warning, Leora abruptly turned and disappeared into the cave nearby, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Inside the cave, Leora had come to a halt, her breathing erratic as exhaustion overwhelmed her. She knelt on the cool ground, her mind a whirlpool of despair and determination, caught between the desire to protect her brother and the overwhelming urge to survive.
As Lucian caught up, he could see the shadows of doubt creeping into her eyes. "Sister, we need to move!" he urged, sensing the peril closing in around them. But Leora was lost in her thoughts, her gaze vacant, trapped in a web of fear and uncertainty.
The dense jungle outside roared with life, but within the cave, the silence was suffocating. Each heartbeat echoed in Lucian's ears as he struggled to find a way out of this dire situation. He needed to break through to Leora, to reignite the spark of hope that had flickered within her.
But as darkness closed in, he realized that they were both fighting against not just the enemy outside but the demons lurking within. Would they find a way to survive, or would the weight of despair consume Leora completely?