Chapter 73 CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE | FIVE DAYS

Chapter 73 CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE | FIVE DAYS
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE | FIVE DAYS

TARCUIS

I was on my knees, the floor burning through the soles of my shoes. My hands were pressed together, shaking as I tried to make myself smaller. “Please… please, save me… please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “I’ll do anything… just don’t hurt me!”

Alettoi circled me slowly, his eyes cold and calculating. “I hear you’ve been trying to steal my power,” he said, his voice sharp as steel. I felt it pierce my skin, deeper than any blade could.

I screamed, louder this time, my hands clutching at my chest. “No! Please, don’t! I’m begging!”

Without warning, a hot iron pressed down onto my chest. Pain exploded through me. It was white-hot and sharp. I howled, my knees hitting the floor harder. “Aaahhh! It burns! Please… please stop!”

He didn’t stop. Instead, he glared at me. “And you allowed the lady to go unconscious,” he roared, pressing the iron down again. I screamed even louder, the heat searing through my skin, leaving a trail of fire.

“Wha… what? I…” I gasped, the words barely audible through my pain.

“You haven’t found her twin sister either,” Alettoi continued, the iron hovering just above my skin. “The one who holds the same power!”

I felt bile rise in my throat. I had failed. I had let everything slip through my fingers. “I… I tried! I swear! I…”

Another searing pressure drove the iron into my chest. My scream cut through the room. It was harsh and raw. I could feel the burn moving through my muscles and into my bones.

Alettoi’s voice was cold and low. “Have you forgotten the oath you made to the Red Ones? Your soul belongs to them, Tarcuis.”

I clutched at my chest, tears blinding my vision. “No! I remember! I remember! Please… please don’t…”

“Five days,” he said sharply, stepping back slightly. “Five days, and if you do not provide me with the extraction of their powers, you will die. And I promise you, it will be slow.”

My knees gave way, and I fell forward, gasping for air. “I… please, I already have someone working on it! I’ve already placed a person on it! You’ll have it!” I cried, my voice trembling with desperation. “Just… Don't kill me! Please, I beg you!”

Alettoi leaned closer, the iron still hovering like a threat. “You had better make sure this works, Tarcuis. You are running out of time. Fail me, and not even your prayers will save you.”

I swallowed hard, choking back another scream. My hands trembled as I pressed them to my burning chest. “I… won’t fail you… please, I won’t… please…”

I could feel the weight of my soul, heavy and aching, pressed down by the knowledge of what would happen if I did. The fire still burned through me, but fear, deeper than fire, sank into my bones.

I whispered again, barely audible, “I’ll do it… whatever you want… just… don’t… please…”

Alettoi’s laugh cut through the air, low and cruel. The sound twisted around me, pressing me further into the floor. I knew then, deep in my soul, there was no mercy here. Only pain, only fear, and a countdown I could not escape.

I trembled, praying silently for a way out, knowing every second was a gift I might not keep.

I stayed on the floor long after he left, the smell of burned skin thick in the air. My chest throbbed with every breath, each inhale a reminder of my place.

When I finally lifted my head, my vision swam. It was red and dark. I tasted blood and ash. I wanted to cry, but fear held it back.

He bent down and looked at me before leaving. “What about the boy you killed days ago?” Alettoi asked, calm, almost bored.

“I buried him deep, just like you ordered,” I said, my voice weak. “No one will find him.”

Alettoi laughed and lowered himself into the chair across from me. “Good,” he said. “Dead boys keep secrets well.” His eyes stayed on me, heavy and judging, like he was weighing my worth.

“Find the girl,” he continued, standing again. “Bring me her power. Or I finish this myself.” Then he turned and walked out, his steps slow and unbothered.

The door slammed shut.

I roared. The sound tore out of my chest, raw and broken. Pain took over my body, and I rolled on the floor, gripping my burned skin. I yelled until my throat burned too. I cursed him. I cursed the Red Ones. I cursed myself.

My right-hand man rushed in. “Easy,” he said, pulling me up. “You’ll tear the wound.”

“Get me to Zuspin,” I snapped, shaking him off. “Now.”

He hesitated, then nodded and led me down the long hallway. Every step hurts. My chest felt like it was splitting open. Rage kept me moving.

We reached the room. The door opened. She was there, laid on the bed. Her body was still, like she was no longer alive.

“She’s been like this,” my man said quietly. “She hasn’t woken.”

I growled and kicked the bed hard. The frame shook. “Wake the fuck up!” I yelled at her. “You hear me? Wake up!”

But she didn’t move.

I stood there, breathing hard, staring at her face. This was the key. This was my only way out. Five days. Just five. If she didn’t wake, I was dead.

I leaned closer and whispered, “You don’t get to rest, at least not yet. You’re saving my life, whether you want to or not.”

Fear crawled up my spine. It was cold and sharp. For the first time, I wondered if the Red Ones had already claimed me.

I listened to the quiet room and felt the clock inside my head start to beat.

Each second sounded like a drum. I wiped the sweat from my face and straightened my back, forcing strength into my legs. I would not crawl again.

I would hunt, lie, steal, burn cities if needed. Five days was all I had, and I would use every breath. If power was the price, I would take it. If blood was needed, I would spill it.