Lethal Gift

Livio's body felt numb. A strange chill crept over his skin, yet his forehead was drenched in sweat. His breathing was shallow, and his limbs trembled as he slowly opened his eyes. The scent of damp earth and distant voices filled his nose.

A shadow loomed over him.

"You're finally awake," a soldier sneered, his face twisted in disdain.

Livio's vision sharpened. His friends—where were they? He pushed himself up, his hands sinking into the cold grass.

"What happened to the others?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The soldier's smirk deepened as he tossed a rough, tattered cloak at Livio. "You should be the one answering that. You and your friends dared to touch the king's women. Now, you'll pay the price."

Livio blinked, his thoughts struggling to connect. King's women? What the hell was he talking about?

His gaze dropped, and his breath hitched. He was naked.

"What...?!" His pulse roared in his ears. His hands clenched the cloak, his fingers trembling. "What the fuck is this?!"

A memory struck him like a dagger—the crates they had been transporting. Women. Elven women.

His breath quickened, his vision swaying. No. No, please, not again.

Somewhere in the distance, Nicolas' voice shattered the fog of his thoughts.

"No, don't! It hurts—can't you see we're being framed?!"

Livio barely registered the soldiers restraining his friends, forcing them into chains.

"These handcuffs…...." Nitin muttered, his eyes narrowing. "They're made of stone?"

"Why stones?" Luka whispered, his face pale. "What's going to happen to us?"

A soldier laughed. "The higher-up is dead. Poisoned. And you're the only suspects."

Luka swallowed hard, sweat dripping down his temple. "We're doomed...…"

As soldiers dragged them forward, a realization dawned on Livio.

"These aren't ordinary stones," he murmured. "They absorb our PBV."

Sebastian inhaled sharply. "That means we can't use our abilities...…"

Alaric's expression darkened. "So, we have no way to break free."

One by one, each of them was thrown into the rectangular transport. The metal was cold against their skin, the chains rattling with every movement.

A soldier leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "Oh, and your cook? He's already paying for his treachery."

Nitin jolted forward, the chains digging into his wrists. "No! He had nothing to do with this!"

Matteo's voice cracked. "Please, he's innocent—he can't even use PBV!"

But the door slammed shut, plunging them into silence.

Nicolas clenched his jaw. "Why us? Why is it always us?"

Viktor's fingers curled into fists. "Eero can't handle punishment. He never even finished basic training. We have to help him."

Tomasz whispered a desperate prayer. "God, please…... at least protect the others…..."

Livio trembled, his nails digging into his palms. "It's my fault. If I hadn't accepted Eero's offer to send food, we wouldn't be here."

Sebastian let out a broken laugh. "Then I'm the one to blame. I bought the food. If I had just refused—" His voice cracked, and he bowed his head, shoulders shaking.

Matteo knelt beside him, gripping his arms. "Don't do this. It's not your fault."

The moment they arrived, they were forced into a line, their chains linked together. The gates loomed ahead, and beyond them, a sea of people gathered.

Whispers turned to murmurs. Murmurs became shouts.

A young man stepped forward, pointing at them. "Look at these bastards! Rapists!"

"I knew it," another spat. "You can't trust these army scum!"

A woman's voice rang out. "Hang them!"

The roar of the crowd swallowed everything.

Livio's breath came in ragged gasps. No. Not again. Please. His knees buckled.

"Livio, are you okay?!" Nitin reached for him, but a soldier yanked him back.

A girl in the crowd sneered. "Look at him. He's acting."

"He thinks we're fools," another woman muttered.

"Kill them! Drag them with horses!"

Sebastian's voice broke. "No! Please! We're innocent!"

The mob's fury only grew.

Then—

"Enough!"

An old man stepped forward, his frail frame dwarfed by the crowd. His voice wavered, but his eyes held firm conviction.

"What if they are innocent?" he asked, his gaze scanning the restless faces. "What if this is all a setup? Shouldn't we wait for a proper trial?"

The crowd stilled for a moment.

But a young woman's voice pierced the silence.

"What if it was your daughter?" she sobbed. "Would you still ask for patience?"

A murmur spread, anger rising like fire. Then, suddenly—

A fist smashed into the old man's face.

The force sent him stumbling, blood splattering onto the cobblestone.

"No!" Matteo and Viktor surged forward, only for the soldiers to hold them back.

The old man hit the ground. Someone kicked him. Another strike followed. Then another. The mob turned on him.

Livio and the others watched. Helpless. Powerless.

"Stop!" Nicolas screamed, his voice drowned by the frenzy.

Alaric's fingers trembled as he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "They're just like animals."

The whip cracked.

Alaric screamed.

Blood sprayed from his back, a raw wound carved into his flesh.

The crowd cheered.

Livio's breath shuddered. His vision blurred. This was it.

Matteo stared at the mob, eyes red with unshed tears. So this is why my friends died.

His fists trembled.

"Oh, right," he muttered bitterly. "How could I forget? We're humans. We only care about our own safety. To everyone else, suffering is just entertainment."

Another whip lashed out.

And the world drowned in pain.