The Shadows ✔️ [TSS#3][BXB]

XXIV

I gulped and turned back towards the entrance, not realising that I had faltered in my step. I continued onwards, descending the steps of hell.

Raen gives both Malakei and I a nod before pushing the entrance door of the dungeon, revealing the secrets it held and the spiralling darkness that seemed to go on for eternity. My ears flattened against my head when the door made a groaning noise but slowly began to peel away from the sides of my head and stick out normally again.

Raen was the first to walk through and slowly down the hallway, with a quick inhale I followed and stepped over the invisible line in my head.

Now to put my fears away, I needed to focus on why I was here and what needed to be done.

Malakei's hand touched my shoulder and I turn my head to the side to look at him. He looked pale as his eyes darted around at every small movement. We both jumped when a guard who was guarding the inside we managed to miss-shut the door, sealing it closed with the bolt before holding his spear tall.

"I feel really safe now." Malakei murmured with an underlying sarcasm close to my ear and I swallow, turning my head to him as an understanding flashes through my eyes.

"It's going to be ok." I say but the words didn't seem assuring. They were words.

We walked down the black corridor, ignoring the rotting cells either side of us. The sad thing was, we knew that there were people in these cells for most likely crimes that were as minuscule as Malakei and I's. If one stole a loaf of bread, it wouldn't surprise me if they were sentenced to a lifetime in the dungeons all because they were trying to feed mouths. The consequences of stealing was risky yet a better hope if they succeeded rather than dying of starvation.

Vixen stood outside one of the cells towards the end of the corridor, where it circled and held lit torches of fire near each of the cells so that it was visible to see in the darkest of corners. I watched as Vixen took in a breath of relief, most likely not expecting us to come but glad we did. The sad smile reached her lips as Malakei, Raen and I walked closer.

"I just want you to know that I'm proud of you for doing this, this is a big step, it gets even bigger from here."

"It's not like we had a choice." Raen says quietly next to me before taking a calming breath. My gaze however travels behind Vixen to one cell in particular lit up inside by oil lamps and torches. A chair perched in the middle of the cell with a pile of thick metal chains falling around the chair legs. I gulped and turned my eyes to Vixen.

"What do you want us to do?"

"First, we need to get him into that chair." Vixen says while motioning to the chair in the cell before turning back with a sigh to Raen. Thinking he was going to be resistant to the plan while he was here but he couldn't be. He knew what he had to do, he wasn't happy with the choices made for him but we all knew that there was only one way that things were gonna go if he refused to try and help the situation.

I turned to Raen and see him gritting his teeth before nodding once and slowly moving forward. His footsteps loud in the silence as he makes his way into the rotting cell. I follow behind as does Malakei and Vixen, stopping at the entrance of the cell and looking at Vixen.

"It's alright." She assures me quietly with a forced smile.

"It's going to be alright."