The dimly lit dungeon echoed with the sound of heavy chains rattling against the cold stone walls.
The captives were being tortured by the warriors' leader. They had refused to say anything about the kidnap, so Heartman asked that they should be tortured until they say the reason for the kidnap.
Minutes stretched into agonizing hours before a creaking door broke the suffocating silence. In walked a figure draped in regal attire, his eyes burning with an intensity that commanded attention. It was Alpha Heartman.
The guards and warriors' leader bowed and moved back so he could see the face of the captives.
"Are you ready to talk, or should we continue?" Heartman said to the captives.
"We'll talk, please stop this; it's hurting us," one of the warriors said.
"Get me a chair," Heartman commanded one of the guards.
The guards brought the chair, and Heartman took his seat.
"Who are you?" Heartman asked.
"We're special warriors of Diamond Shadow pack. We work personally for Alpha Jayden as his secret warriors. My name is Damian, and his name is Raphael," one of the captives named Damian said.
"Why did you kidnap me and my wife?" Heartman asked another question.
Raphael spoke up this time, "Sir, we didn't kidnap anyone. Your wife was handed to us by the other set of secret warriors when she was badly injured, and they asked us to watch over her, keeping her for some time."
Heartman didn't understand the last statement, so he asked him again, "Why hold her for some time? They didn't ask for anything else."
"We are but pawns in a grand game, Sir. Our king has commanded us to prevent you and your wife from interfering with the awakening of the demon," Damian quickly answered this time around.
Heartman's eyes widened, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "The king? Why would he want to awaken the demon?"
The scared Raphael answered, "The king seeks ultimate power, Sir. The demon's awakening would grant him control over realms unseen, beyond mortal comprehension. He has done it before, and he said this time it'll be bigger."
"But what does that have to do with us?" Heartman asked.
His gaze shifted to the pack warriors leader, his eyes filled with an odd mix of pity and remorse. "He said you were among the persons who possess the power that could seal the demon away forever, that you did it before so he doesn't want it this time around. Our orders were to prevent that at any cost."
Heartman's mind raced, connecting the dots of an unfathomable truth. "Then Alex... He's involved in this, isn't he?"
A somber nod from their captives confirmed Heartman's suspicions. "Indeed. Alex was once the demon himself, cursed to wander the Earth in search of redemption after he was locked up in the orbs by you. But the demon found a way to exact vengeance by trapping itself within Alex's body, dormant until the time was right."
Heartman's eyes widened, tears pooling in their corners. "So... Alex is the son of the demon in his former life? And now, it seeks revenge?"
They nodded solemnly. "Yes. The demon manipulated events, lured everyone into its twisted game, and orchestrated this grand design. Its time of reckoning draws near," Raphael spoke.
Heartman clenched his fists, his voice tinged with anger. "Then we must stop it. We can't allow innocent lives to suffer because of the demon's vendetta."
The captives' eyes softened momentarily. "I agree, sir. We were deceived, caught in a web spun by the demon's ancient cunning. We shall aid you in your quest, to atone for our role in this dark affair. And our sin against you and your wife and clan."
"I don't want my family to die because of my unwise decisions; they're all innocent. I have seen what the demon can do, but I don't want that for my family," Raphael cried.
Heartman asked the guards to free them.
As the restraints were loosened, Damian and Raphael exchanged glances, a glimmer of hope now shining in their eyes.
"We know where the demon is, sir, but we don't know or have any information about how to end it," Damian said.
"Don't worry; I'll take care of that myself. Stay here. When we're about to set out, you'll be called upon. Make sure you're ready," Heartman told the captives.
"Bring them food and clean them up; they stink," Alex instructed the pack warriors leader.