Azad's eyes fluttered open, and the dim, flickering glow of firelight danced across the cold stone walls around him. He tried to sit up, his body aching, but a low, familiar voice drew his attention to the door.
"It's been some time, hasn't it?" Lorn stood silhouetted by the doorway, his voice gravelly and laced with something unreadable.
Azad pushed himself upright, gritting his teeth through the pain, desperation flaring in his eyes. "I've recovered well enough, as you can see." He steadied his voice. "Where's Ellie? Do you know where she is?"
Lorn's mouth twisted into a smile as he leaned back against the wall, his dark eyes catching the firelight. "Ah, Ellie... she's closer than you think. In good hands, my boy."
Azad's hands balled into fists, his patience at its end. "Can you for once answer my questions straight?" His voice edged with anger, and he stood unsteadily, staring Lorn down. "Where is she? Don't play games with me!"
The amusement drained from Lorn's face, replaced by something cold, almost pitying. "Azad, whether you want to hear it or not, she's in far more danger than you realize. Her fate… let's just say it will be sealed in a way you won't like."
Lorn's words sent a chill through Azad's chest, but before he could respond, Lorn turned abruptly and gestured for him to follow. "Come with me."
Azad's pulse quickened as he watched Lorn move, chanting under his breath. Strange symbols formed in the air, shimmering briefly before melting away, and the very walls of the room began to shift. Suddenly, the surroundings dissolved, transforming into the edge of a vast, dark valley that stretched out endlessly beneath them.
Lorn glanced back over his shoulder with a sly grin. "Jump," he said simply, and without hesitation, he leapt into the blackness below.
Azad stared after him, the dark pit below seeming to breathe with a life of its own, and his pulse hammered. He didn't trust Lorn, but if Ellie was down there, he couldn't afford to hesitate, steeling himself before leaping into the darkness.
As he fell, a familiar nausea hit him, like the feeling he'd had when he'd first arrived in this world. His senses blurred, his stomach twisted, and then—
The ground rushed up beneath him, and Azad landed hard, gasping for air as the vertigo slowly faded. When he blinked his vision clear, he found Lorn standing in front of him, arms crossed, a satisfied smirk on his face.
"Seems heroes really are built differently," Lorn mused. "It would take a normal person at least thirty minutes to regain their senses after a portal jump. But you… only five."
Azad ignored the comment, his eyes scanning his new surroundings. They were in a place cloaked in darkness, the air thick and heavy, and he felt a shiver as he took in the suffocating quiet. The ground beneath them was barren and cold, and a faint smell of iron hung in the air.
But ahead, something caught his eye—a small room made of iron, illuminated by a single beam of light from above. Azad's breath caught when he saw what lay within. Behind a narrow glass window, he saw a figure lying on a stone bed. His heart raced as he moved closer, squinting to make out the details. It was Ellie. Her pale form was motionless, and his chest tightened at the sight of her.
Azad turned to Lorn, his voice a harsh whisper. "What is this? What did you do to her?"
Lorn chuckled, the sound low and cold. "What did I do? Oh, Azad, I merely brought you to her." He stepped forward, his face shadowed, yet his eyes gleamed with something that made Azad's skin crawl. "She's been like this for days now."
Azad's fists clenched, his mind racing. "If you knew where she was, why didn't you help her?" He took a step forward, fury bubbling in his voice. "I swear, Lorn, if she's hurt because of you—"
"Calm yourself," Lorn interrupted smoothly. "There are forces at work here far beyond your understanding, boy." He gestured toward the room with a detached air. "She's protected here"
Azad's jaw tightened. He took a step closer to the iron room, pressing his hands against the cold, hard metal. "Ellie," he whispered.