He let out another laugh. The people who were dazed earlier finally came to their senses and decided to move away.
He proceeded to closely examine the glowing rock. His eyes were a little too enthusiastic about it. He looked at me, studying what I might do, and then turned back at the rock, extending his arm to touch it.
The whole cavern danced with blue lights. Bolts of lightning branched out from where he was touching the rock. At first, he was laughing like an idiot, but when the streaks of lightning started to cling to his arm, it rapidly spread to his whole body. His face flushed with panic as he tried to get away, but he was too late. The bolts ran around his body. It danced as he furiously tried to get it off. Soon, he was on the ground, convulsing, coughing up blood, a dark red goo that seemed to be mixed with ash. His eyes glowed a faint aqua before finally dying out, his body emitted a little smoke and spasmed a little, spooking everyone. Now only a faint blue glow from the magnus is lighting up the room. I didn't even know that it was called that until he said it, it was a gift, and I didn't know what it was or what it was used for.
The people started to whisper around. It was faint but I could tell they were pointing at me, talking about why I have it.
"First of all, I'm no Noble! I'm not like them! I'm not gifted! Believe me!"
"Then why do you have it!" a voice echoed from the crowd.
"You're one of them! Scum! Murderer!" said another.
"No! I'm not! I know no magic! I suffered here with you!"
"Liar!" "Filthy Mage!" "Free us, you savages!"
They started throwing things at me. At first, it were pebbles but when a loose brick landed on my shoulder, I had no choice but to hide behind that rock. I kicked off some dust, there now was a mound of ash, the mage has disintegrated.
A lot more insults filled the room and more things were thrown. I hugged myself. It was no different - mage, gifted, ignus - all are savage and barbaric, all are capable of hurting, all are willing to kill. They don't value anybody's life.
The ground rumbled, like an earthquake brewing. People were still shouting on top of their lungs at me, not noticing the ground shifting beneath them. We were on the bottom floor, with another thirteen on top of us. The air then filled with static, my ears tingled with this foreign sensation. The people even quieted down, sensing the change of atmosphere.
A streak of light invaded our darkness from a new crack in the ceiling, that's when it started. The floor directly above us collapsed, showering us with rubble. Screams filled the air, some abruptly stopped by loud crashes. It was mass hysteria. My fellow prisoners fled for their lives.
I pulled myself up and saw the horror. Many laid dead and some were trying to climb up, stepping over the bloody faces of many. Rubble continued to fill up the cavern, I also needed to get out.
The pile was almost on top of me. I tried to climb out but the moment I did, I realized my mistake.
Blue bolts reappeared and this time, it enveloped my body. My whole body was over a pile of magnus which seemed to have grown even taller.
I felt my knees tremble. I rolled off, with my back on the ground now, the crystals shifted before my eyes, almost liquid with its color ever-changing. My body was left motionless, but my sensations were heightened - I can't move at all but the pain and coldness were there.
Not now, I will not be dying like this!
I forced myself to stand up. The feeling slowly came back. The world around me was spinning, is this the magnus' doing? More light came in the room and more bodies laid dead. Is it destroying the dungeon? I was fully standing then, hand on my chest, feeling my breathing. My heart beats in panic. I'll be dead if I don't run now.
I willed my legs to carry me forward but all I managed was a step, and then another. Pain shot through my right arm. I looked it and to my horror, I was leaning on the now towering magnus rock for support.
I can see it crawling up my arm, covering it in blue crystals. It slowly crept on, trying to cover me up wholly. I tried to pull my arm away, but I couldn't. I dropped on my knees. The rock has successfully covered half of my body. It felt like it's trying to stick itself to me, the magnus rock started receded into me. The blue pendant I was wearing ever since I was captured, it's consuming me!
When my arms started to move again, I desperately clawed it off. Some pieces broke off, but it kept regrowing. It kept pulsating and I cannot avert my eyes from this monstrosity. It was alive!
The whole ceiling gave way. The whole dungeon fell above me. I really thought I'd get buried alive but as soon as it fell, it was sucked back up again.
A purple disk was floating above us, a bright ball of light emanating lightning bolts that clearly looks like bad news, sucking rubble and people towards it. I was pulled up, I grabbed on to the broken floor, but the force was just too strong, I was consumed by the portal.
The last memory I had was big, muscular man, standing just below the portal. He's the one who made it.
His eyes were red, he had shackles and a chain just like us prisoners but had a mark on his right forearm, indicating his rank, clearly not one of us, he was a mage of the Royal Order, a scout, and he had a prominent crooked nose. Both his arms were up, his teeth bared and was yelling, "Princess! I'm coming back to kill you!"
***
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