I gasped, my mind spinning as I stared at the lifeless body of Sir Augustine, blood pooling around his throat. The man who had tormented me for years lay motionless in the dirt, his eyes wide in shock, just like mine. I should have felt relief, maybe even triumph. But all I felt was numbness. Who was this stranger standing over me? And why had he saved me?
The mysterious man’s dark eyes softened for a brief moment as he extended a hand. "Get up," he said, his voice calm but filled with urgency.
I hesitated, my legs weak from the pain of the whip. My mind raced. This wasn’t just a rescue. This was rebellion. And rebellion, in the City of Wolves, was a death sentence.
"I-I can’t," I whispered, trembling. "Who are you? Why did you do that?"
The man reached down, gripping my arm and pulling me to my feet with surprising gentleness. "There’s no time for questions. They’ll be here soon. You can either run now or die where you stand." He nodded toward Augustine’s body, a grim reminder of the danger still lurking.
I looked down at the man who had owned me. I had dreamed of this day—his end—so many times. But now that it was real, fear clung to me, paralyzing my limbs. Running meant freedom. But freedom in this city was impossible. Wasn’t it?
Before I could respond, distant shouts echoed through the streets—Augustine’s guards. They were coming.
"Move!" the man ordered, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the shadows.
My heart hammered in my chest as we raced through narrow alleyways, dodging between crumbling buildings and darkened streets. I had lived here for so long, yet these paths were foreign to me. The deeper we ran into the heart of the city, the more lost I felt. The man moved with the confidence of someone who had navigated these streets a thousand times, while I stumbled, barely able to keep up. I could still feel the sting of the lashes on my back, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins drowned out the pain.
Finally, we stopped in a secluded corner near the city’s edge, hidden from the main roads. The man turned to me, his sharp features illuminated by the flickering light of a distant torch. He was assessing me, weighing my next move, but something about him felt different. Like he wasn’t just another killer—he was something far more dangerous.
"You’ve been a slave for too long," he said, his voice low. "But if you want to stay free, you need to make a choice. Come with me, or go back to the life you know."
I swallowed hard, my pulse thrumming in my ears. The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy and impossible. I wanted to ask him more. Who was he? Where would we go? But the truth was, I didn’t need answers. I already knew what I wanted—what I had wanted for as long as I could remember.
Freedom.
"Who are you?" I asked again, this time with a voice steadier than I felt.
He smirked, the hint of something dark flickering behind his eyes. "My name is Kai. And I’ve come to tear this city apart."
The words struck me like a lightning bolt. Tear the city apart? The City of Wolves was untouchable—impenetrable. I had lived under its shadow for years, watched as it consumed everything and everyone it touched. The thought of it falling… was impossible. Or was it?
I glanced at the towering walls in the distance, their presence both suffocating and protective. Could I really leave? Run from everything I had known, no matter how cruel it was? And trust this stranger who had just shattered my world in seconds?
The shouts of guards grew louder, breaking through my thoughts. They were getting closer.
"Why should I trust you?" I demanded, my voice sharp with suspicion. My body ached from the whipping, but something inside me—something fierce—refused to bow again. "You killed a man, and now you expect me to follow you into the unknown?"
Kai's eyes narrowed, his face unreadable. Then, slowly, he pulled back the sleeve of his coat, revealing a long, jagged scar running from his wrist to his elbow—a disfigured slave brand, much like my own.
"I’ve been where you are," he said quietly, his voice carrying a heavy, unspoken pain. "I was once a slave, too. And I escaped. You're not the only one who wants to be free. But freedom comes at a price."
My gaze locked on the scar, my thoughts racing. It was real. He was like me. And he had broken free. The pull toward him was undeniable. Could I really trust him? Could someone like me truly escape?
Kai’s voice cut through my uncertainty. "I don’t care what you believe. But if you stay here, they’ll find you—and when they do, you’ll wish they had killed you with him." He gestured toward the alley where Sir Augustine's body lay, a reminder of the horror that awaited me if I didn’t move now.
I took a deep, shaky breath. The lashes on my back still burned, the humiliation fresh in my mind. But standing in front of Kai, something inside me shifted—an ember reigniting in my chest. I wasn’t going back. Not to the fields. Not to the endless cycles of labor. Not to the monsters who saw me as property.
"Where do we go?" I asked, my voice quiet but resolute.
Kai’s smirk returned, darker now. "First, we get the hell out of the city. Then we find the others."
My brow furrowed. "Others?"
His eyes gleamed with something dangerous and exhilarating. "There’s a resistance. Scattered across the city and beyond. We’re not strong enough yet. But with someone like you—someone Augustine valued—you could be the key. You know things about this city that could help us take it down."
I stared at him, feeling the weight of his words settle over me. I was more than a slave to him—I was a weapon. The thought both terrified and thrilled me. This was bigger than just my escape. This was about tearing down the entire system.
In the distance, the heavy sound of boots drew closer. Kai’s expression hardened, his hand on the hilt of a concealed blade. "There’s no time left. If you’re coming, we leave now."
I glanced one last time at the City of Wolves, at the fields, the walls, and the countless lives still trapped. And then I made my decision.
Without another word, I stepped forward, falling into step behind him.
As we disappeared into the shadows, I cast a final look at the city. The flames of rebellion were already smoldering in my chest.
Let it burn, I thought. Let it all burn.
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-To be Continued
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