Chapter 26: The Torture Chamber

Adrian placed his hands on the prison bars and looked through the cells across from him one by one. As his eyes moved from one cell to another, he suddenly stopped.

An old man was lying motionless on the floor. Something about his face looked strangely familiar.

Adrian stared at him for a few seconds. Then his eyes widened when he realized who he was.

"Grandfather!"

The old man slowly moved and raised his head toward the voice. He pushed himself up against the wall and walked toward the bars.

"Who is there?"

"It's me, Grandfather... Adrian," Adrian answered quickly.

The old man froze for a moment before rushing to the cell door and gripping the bars with both hands.

"Adrian? How did you get here? Why are you being held prisoner?"

Adrian sighed. "It's a long story. But tell me first, are you alright? Did anyone hurt you?"

His grandfather shook his head and gave him a faint smile.

"I'm fine. I just want to go home. I'm tired of this place."

Adrian gave him a small smile. "Don't worry. Valdrin will get us out of here."

His grandfather frowned in confusion. "Who is Valdrin? And what did you do to get yourself locked up?"

Adrian looked at him for a moment before answering.

"They suspect me, just like they suspected you before. But I know you're innocent, just like I know I'm innocent."

The old man looked even more confused.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about, Adrian?"

"You'll know everything once we get out of here," Adrian replied calmly.

At that moment, footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Adrian quickly turned toward the sound.

The iron cell door suddenly burst open.

Adrian raised his head and saw four soldiers entering the cell with steady steps. Torchlight reflected off their metal armor, while their helmets hid their faces.

Adrian frowned. "What do you want?"

None of them answered.

Two soldiers stepped forward and grabbed him by the arms. Dan quickly stood up and blocked their path.

"Where are you taking him?"

The soldiers kept moving without answering.

Dan raised his voice. "Answer me! Where are you taking him?"

One of the soldiers shoved Dan aside with his shoulder. Without saying a word, they dragged Adrian out of the cell.

Dan remained where he was, watching them until they disappeared around the first corner.

Adrian said nothing as the two soldiers held his arms tightly. They led him through long stone corridors carved deep into the mountain. Torches lined the walls, lighting their path with a faint glow. The only sounds were their footsteps and the metal chains on the soldiers' armor.

They continued for several minutes. The deeper they went, the quieter the corridors became.

Finally, the soldiers slowed down and stopped in front of a huge stone door that almost reached the ceiling. Old carvings covered its surface, and deep cracks ran across the stone.

Adrian looked up at the door. A strange feeling tightened in his chest, but he had no idea why.

One of the soldiers placed both hands against the door and pushed with all his strength.

A heavy creaking sound echoed through the corridor as the stone door slowly opened.

Beyond it was a large hall lit by torches. Thick iron chains hung from the ceiling, and a huge stone pillar stood in the center, surrounded by iron rings.

Adrian stopped for a moment as he looked around, but one of the soldiers pushed him inside.

The door closed behind them.

The two soldiers led Adrian to the stone pillar. One grabbed his right arm and locked a metal cuff around his wrist, while the other did the same to his left arm.

The chains slowly rose, pulling Adrian's body upward until his feet could barely touch the ground.

The soldiers stepped back.

At that moment, the door opened again.

The commander entered and stopped in front of Adrian.

He remained silent for a few moments.

Before speaking, the commander looked at Adrian for a moment.

"For the first time... how was the gate opened?"

Adrian slowly raised his head.

"I don't remember."

"Who released the Bimor?"

"...I don't remember."

The commander stepped closer.

"What did Eldar do to you?"

Adrian closed his eyes and tried to remember. A black mirror appeared in his mind. Then he heard a woman calling his name.

Then everything disappeared.

Adrian opened his eyes again and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"I'm trying... but I can't find anything."

Silence filled the hall for a few moments. The commander looked at the soldiers and gave one of them a signal.

The soldier stepped forward, holding a Flagerum whip. It was an old weapon with a short wooden handle and several thick leather straps hanging from it. It had been designed for punishment and forced confessions, and its strikes could leave deep wounds.

The soldier began whipping Adrian while the commander continued his questions.

"How was the gate opened?" the commander asked.

Adrian answered with difficulty, "I don't remember."

The commander asked again, "Who released the Bimor?"

"...I don't remember."

The strikes continued along with the questions. Adrian's body shook with every hit, and the pain slowly spread through him until he could no longer tell where each strike had landed. His vision became blurry, and the torchlight began to mix with the walls around him.

The commander kept asking the same questions, but Adrian never changed his answer.

"I don't remember."

Minutes passed, but Adrian had lost track of time. He no longer knew how many times the commander had asked him or how many times he had given the same answer.

Finally, the commander raised his hand and ordered the soldier to stop.

He walked toward Adrian and looked directly into his eyes.

"Either you're lying... or someone buried the truth deep inside your mind."

The commander paused for a moment before continuing in a cold voice.

"Either way, I won't stop until I get the answer."

He turned around and left the hall, followed by the soldiers.

The iron door closed behind them, leaving Adrian alone.

As soon as they were gone, the last of Adrian's strength disappeared. His body relaxed against the chains holding his arms up.

He closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath.

Pain spread through his entire body, while the thirst burning his throat became worse with every passing moment. Even swallowing had become painful.

He tried to raise his head and change his position, but the room suddenly began to spin.

The torchlight blurred before his eyes, and the walls seemed to fade behind a thick haze. He could no longer focus, and his body was slowly losing what little strength remained.

Adrian rested his forehead against the cold chain and closed his eyes.

He tried to stay awake, but exhaustion was taking over.

He remained still, hearing nothing but his own broken breaths and feeling the weight of the chains supporting his body.

A few moments later, his consciousness slowly faded.

Then everything went dark.

On the second day, the stone door opened again.

The commander entered with several soldiers and stopped in front of Adrian.

He looked at him for a moment before asking calmly,

"Did you remember anything?"

Adrian slowly raised his head. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but his answer came without hesitation.

"No."

The commander watched Adrian for a few moments before saying, "Try again."

Adrian closed his eyes and searched through his memories. He saw an old wooden door, but the image disappeared almost immediately. Then he saw a reflection on the surface of a mirror, only for that to disappear as well.

A distant voice called his name, but he couldn't tell who it belonged to.

Adrian opened his eyes and spoke weakly.

"I can't... Every time I get close to something, it disappears."

The soldiers exchanged quick looks, while the commander continued watching Adrian in silence.

After a few moments, he said, "Begin."

The soldiers stepped forward, and the torture started again.

With the first strike, Adrian's body tensed and a sharp scream escaped his throat.

More strikes followed. His screams grew louder with each one. He tried to endure the pain, but he could no longer stop himself from crying out.

The strikes continued as the commander kept asking his questions.

"How was the gate opened?"

"I don't know!" Adrian screamed.

"Who released the Bimor?"

"I told you... I don't remember!"

The torture continued for hours. Every time the commander repeated his questions, Adrian tried to remember what had happened, but his memory gave him nothing clear.

As time passed, his legs began to shake from exhaustion. Raising his head became harder, and his voice grew weaker, but his answer never changed.

"I don't remember."

Before leaving at the end of the second day, the commander stopped at the door.

Without turning around, he said, "If you're going to be stubborn... we'll find someone who can reach the truth."

Then he left, and the door closed behind him.

Silence returned to the hall.

Adrian lowered his head. His eyes were half-closed as the same question kept repeating in his mind.

Who opened the gate?

This time, he wasn't trying to convince them that he was innocent.

He was trying to find the truth for himself.

Adrian woke to the sound of the stone door opening again.

He had no idea when he had lost consciousness or how much time had passed. All he knew was that his body felt too heavy to move.

He slowly raised his head. His shoulders were shaking from exhaustion, and the chains had left deep red marks around his wrists.

The commander entered as usual, followed by several silent soldiers.

He stopped in front of Adrian and looked at him for a moment.

"Looks like you fell asleep."

Adrian didn't answer. He no longer had the strength to speak.

The commander took another step closer.

"Has your memory returned?"

Adrian remained silent for a few seconds before slowly raising his eyes.

"I wish it had..." he whispered.

The commander frowned. This was the first time Adrian hadn't immediately answered with I don't remember.

"Then try again."

Adrian closed his eyes and searched his memory once more.

He saw a hand holding his own.

Then it disappeared.

A bright white light filled the scene.

Then darkness swallowed everything.

Adrian slowly opened his eyes.

"Nothing..."

The commander lowered his head slightly before saying,

"I'm not looking for a confession."

"I'm looking for the truth."

Adrian raised his head with difficulty, and the commander continued, "Even so, I won't stop until I find out how those creatures entered our world."

Adrian lowered his head again as the chains held most of his weight. He could no longer tell whether the pain came from his wounds or the exhaustion that had worn him down over the past two days.

The soldiers' words kept echoing in his mind.

"Traitors always have a thousand lies..."

"If it were up to me, you wouldn't still be alive."

Adrian squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the voices, but he couldn't. Everyone he had met since entering this place looked at him the same way, as if he were the cause of the disaster.

His body suddenly trembled. He raised his head with difficulty. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out a tall figure standing at the entrance.

The figure moved closer under the torchlight, and the man's face slowly became clear.

Adrian's eyes widened when he recognized him.

"Valdrin..."

For the first time since entering the hall, some of the tension left Adrian's face. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Seeing Valdrin was enough to bring a little hope back to him.

Adrian was certain that Valdrin would believe what everyone else refused to believe.

Valdrin walked toward him and stopped directly in front of him. He didn't reach out or ask how he was. He didn't even react to the wounds covering Adrian's body. He simply stared at him in silence.

Adrian swallowed with difficulty.

"Valdrin... I didn't—"

He couldn't finish.

Valdrin suddenly punched him hard in the stomach.

The air left Adrian's lungs at once. His body bent forward, and the chains rattled loudly behind him.

Adrian's eyes widened in shock. He coughed repeatedly, trying to catch his breath, then slowly raised his head and looked at Valdrin as if waiting for an explanation.

But Valdrin's face remained cold.

"Look at me."

Adrian slowly raised his trembling eyes.

Valdrin's voice became filled with anger.

"How many people died because of you?"

Adrian had no answer.

Valdrin continued, "How many children returned home and found no one waiting for them? How many families were buried beneath the ruins? How many people were burned alive because you opened that gate?"

Adrian shook his head helplessly.

"I didn't do it..."

Valdrin stepped closer.

"Then who did?"

Adrian's lips trembled.

"I don't remember... I swear, I don't remember."

Valdrin's eyes hardened.

"Two days. Two days, and you're still saying the same thing. How long are you going to keep lying?"

Something inside Adrian broke.

He expected to hear those words from anyone else.

But not from Valdrin—the man who had fought beside him.

Adrian spoke with a voice filled with both pain and hope.

"You know me. You know I can't control that power. You were there..."

But Valdrin didn't look convinced.

He stepped closer until his face was directly in front of Adrian's. Then he grabbed the chains around Adrian's wrists with both hands.

Before he could say anything else, the hall's door suddenly opened.

A soldier rushed inside, struggling to catch his breath.

"Sir Valdrin! There's a Bimor attack coming from the northern side of the town!"

Valdrin turned toward the soldier, then looked back at Adrian for a moment.

"If you don't confess the truth... I won't show you any mercy."

He released the chains and turned toward the door. The soldiers quickly followed him.

Adrian remained hanging there, staring at the door Valdrin had just walked through.

His words kept echoing in his mind, until they mixed with Eildar's voice.

"See? I told you. The world you're trying to protect will be the first to accuse you. And the person who will break your heart first... will be the one you trusted the most."

Adrian closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek.

He no longer knew what hurt more—the wounds covering his body, or the realization that the one person he thought would come to save him might have been the first to abandon him.