CHAPTER 24: AGONY

The night was unnaturally quiet, broken only by Lauren's heavy breathing as she woke up abruptly. Sweat soaked her body, and her hair clung to her damp face. The dream still haunted her—a chaotic swirl of shadows, blurry faces, and an overwhelming sense of loss. She pressed her trembling hands to her chest, trying to steady her racing heart.

She knew this wasn't just an ordinary nightmare. Her dreams had always carried a sense of forewarning, veiled in uncertainty. She had seen them before tragedy struck—before her parents died, before the cursed meal that changed her life, and now once again. The heavy feeling in her chest confirmed it wasn't just a dream. Someone was going to die. But who?

Lauren clenched her fists, frustration bubbling inside her. The dream's meaning was a maddening puzzle, its pieces scattered and unclear. It taunted her with half-answers, leaving her helpless in its wake. Yet, no matter how much she wanted to dismiss it, the dread lingered. It coiled around her thoughts like a venomous snake, tightening its grip with every passing moment.

By morning, Lauren forced herself to push the fear aside. There was no time to dwell on ominous dreams when survival demanded her focus. She joined Lila and Sar in their cramped, dimly lit cell, their faces pale but determined as they whispered their plans. For weeks, they had been gathering scraps of information from other prisoners, mapping out the underground tunnels in their minds. The stories pointed to a hidden passage beneath the kitchen, one that led to the waterways—and possibly, to freedom.

"We'll move during the next shift change," Lila whispered, her voice low but steady. "That's when the guards are the most distracted."

Lauren nodded, her sharp ears catching the faint, deliberate steps of a guard patrolling nearby. "We'll need to be silent," she said firmly. "Any noise could ruin everything."

Sar swallowed hard, his voice shaking but resolute. "I've memorized the guard patterns. If we stick to the plan, we can make it."

Their determination bound them together, even as the weight of the risk pressed heavily on their shoulders. Every moment felt like a countdown to a gamble they couldn't afford to lose.

As the hours dragged on, Lauren's mind was a whirlwind of tension and memories. Moa's lessons surfaced in her thoughts, her mentor's voice steady and guiding: "Move like a whisper. Strike like the wind." Moa had trained her well, teaching her how to move silently, to trust her heightened senses, and to act with precision. Those skills were their only hope now.

The trio waited in silence, each lost in their thoughts, as the darkness of night deepened around them. When the moment finally came, they exchanged a final glance. No words were needed. It was time.

Lauren led the way, her movements silent and calculated. Every sound—the creak of a loose floorboard, the faint rustle of fabric—felt amplified in the suffocating quiet.

Her sharp eyes scanned the dim corridor ahead, every shadow a potential threat. Behind her, Lila and Sar followed closely, their breaths shallow, their steps careful. They slipped through the darkened passageways, avoiding the patrols with precision. At last, they reached the kitchen.

Lauren's pulse quickened as she pushed open the small, hidden panel leading to the underground tunnel.

The air inside was damp and foul, reeking of decay, but they pressed on, crawling through the narrow, suffocating space.

Every heartbeat felt like a countdown, every scrape of their movements a potential betrayal of their escape. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they emerged near the waterways, gasping for the fresh, cool air that greeted them. For the first time, the taste of freedom was real.

Their moment of relief was fleeting. A sharp shout rang out in the distance, shattering the silence. Lauren's heart dropped. She spun around, eyes wide, as the sound of pounding footsteps grew louder.

A guard had spotted them. He must have returned early, and now he was raising the alarm.

"Run!" Lauren hissed, urgency lacing her voice. Without hesitation, the three bolted, plunging into the thick forest.

The trees blurred around them as they sprinted, the shouts of slavers echoing through the night. Chaos erupted behind them, the camp alive with activity as their pursuers mobilized.

Leading the charge was Kiva, a ruthless tracker Lauren had noticed before. Her sharp instincts made her a formidable opponent. The slavers pursued them with unnerving skill, their familiarity with the terrain giving them an advantage.

Every turn Lauren made felt anticipated, every shadow she hid in seemed exposed.

Panic surged through Lauren as she pushed her body harder, but the forest seemed to close in on them. Their escape was slipping through their fingers.

Finally, they reached the edge of a high cliff. The moonlight bathed the sheer drop below, a dizzying height that threatened instant death. There was nowhere left to run. Trapped, they turned to face their pursuers.

Kiva stepped forward, her cold gaze locking onto Lauren. "Did you really think you could escape?" she asked, her voice as sharp as the steel glinting in her hand. The slavers surrounded them, their weapons raised, ready to strike. Lauren's mind raced, her pulse hammering in her ears, but there was no escape.

"Take them back," Kiva commanded, her voice final.

The journey back to the camp felt like an eternity, a blur of fear and despair. Each step weighed heavier than the last, the crushing reality of failure pressing down on them. When they finally arrived, the guards wasted no time in dragging them back into the prison's cold, unforgiving walls. The air was thick with the smell of blood and sweat, and Lauren's heart sank as she realized what awaited them.

The punishment began almost immediately. Lila, Sar, and Lauren were each lashed without mercy. The leather belts tore into their skin, sharp and unforgiving, leaving raw, red welts in their wake. The sickening smell of burning flesh filled the air as hot irons seared their skin. Lauren gritted her teeth, biting down on her lip to stop the scream building in her throat. She refused to give them the satisfaction of hearing her cry, but despite her determination, her body trembled with each searing blow.

Sar, however, couldn't bear the punishment. His fragile nature, his soft heart, made him ill-equipped for this kind of cruelty. His once gentle spirit, now shattered with every strike, unable to withstand the onslaught.

Lauren could hear his gasps of pain, each one making her insides twist with helplessness. Then, in a moment of chaos, a soldier struck Sar harder than necessary. The blow sent him reeling, his body crashing against a jagged rock. Blood pooled beneath him and his limbs twitched as life slipped away.

"No!" Lauren screamed. Her voice raw and desperate. She fought against the guards holding her back, trying to reach Sar. Her vision blurred with tears as she watched him struggle for breath. His body convulsing in a desperate attempt to cling to life. Her chest tightened with the agony of helplessness.

The weight of watching someone she cared about die under the hands of these monsters.

Her mind flashed back to the night her parents died, the same helplessness sinking its claws into her heart, the same fear, the same powerlessness gnawed at her from the inside, and just like before, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Sar's eyes fluttered open, meeting Lauren's gaze for a final moment. A weak smile crossed his face, and with a faint whisper he said, "Be strong, Lauren. I am glad I met you. Thank you for being there for me". And with that, his eyes closed, his body going still.

"No!" Lauren cried, her voice breaking with the weight of her sorrow. The sound of her grief echoed through the camp, as if the very air trembled in response to her loss. The tears fell freely now, her body trembling with the intensity of her pain.

Every part of her screamed in agony, but there was no escape from it. Sar was gone. Nearby, Lila let out a cry of her own as another lash struck her face. The force of the blow knocked her unconscious, her body slumping to the ground. The sight of her fallen friend only deepened the void in Lauren's heart. In that moment, everything felt shattered. Every breath felt like an unbearable weight.