A dark cave

Rex barely had the strength to move. His body lay limp, the stinging humiliation of Jaegel's words still fresh in his mind. 

 It felt like a mountain was pressed down on him, suffocating him even more than the lack of mana in his veins 

 His body was aching all over, too exhausted to even move. 

 However, the worst part of it all was the realisation that he would always remain a failure… no matter what he tried to do. 

 But still, he wanted to believe it was finally over—that the heretic had abandoned him to die here alone. 

 But the moment that thought crossed his mind, dark chains suddenly materialised around him. 

Clank!

 They slithered through the air like living creatures before latching onto his wrists, ankles, and torso. 

 They wrapped around him tightly, binding him to the ground with unforgiving strength. 

 His muscles strained against the hold, but the more he struggled, the tighter they became.