Hope

After exiting the chamber that is the place where Valeria conducting her torture, Erik and Mia stepped into the stone corridor again.

The unsettling tension that hung in the air between them and the rest of the Dreadshade Coven was so clear. Valeria's influence was clear, she had undoubtedly said that they shouldn't strust the two of them, and Erik and Mia already know that its going to happen. They don't really look like they glad to join them after all.

As they walked, the coven members glanced at them with wary eyes, their gazes lingering a little too long as if assessing every move Erik and Mia made.

Each member appeared absorbed in their tasks but the silent judgment was obvious. They were outsiders, and no one in the stronghold would let them forget it.

They soon reached the door to the room where Vekkir was being held. Two guards were stationed outside and among them stood Netharos, his figure blocking their path. His dark eyes flicked up to meet Erik and Mia with suspicion etched across his face.

Erik stopped a few feet away, offering a calm but firm question. "We need to see Vekkir."

"No, you can't," Netharos replied firmly.

"Don't we all belong to the same group now?" Erik said.

Netharos crossed his arms, his gaze hardening. "I don't know about you," he replied bluntly with cold voice.

Mia shot Erik a sidelong glance before sighing softly. They had expected this.

"Figures," Erik muttered under his breath. "We'll head back to our quarters then."

Netharos didn't say anything more, merely watching them with suspicion as they turned away. The rejection wasn't unexpected. Erik and Mia walked in silence, heading back toward their room.

Inside their quarters, Erik let out a helpless sigh. "We expected this."

Mia sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It was always going to be this way. Valeria controls the narrative here. We can't trust them, and they certainly don't trust us," Mia said.

Erik nodded, pacing slightly as his mind worked. "We'll have to find another way to talk to Vekkir. He might be our only ally in this place."

Mia's gaze sharpened. "Well, actually…"

Mia looked at Erik with a meaningful glint in her eyes. Erik blinked, then the realization hit him, Mia had done something without telling him.

"What is it?" Erik whispered with his curiosity piqued.

Mia smiled faintly. Erik frowned then walked casually toward her bed and sat beside her.

After that, Mia leaning in whispered, "I placed a Rune on Vekkir's body when we escaped Nidavellir."

Erik's eyes widened slightly with mix of disbelief, relief, and gratitude washing over him. He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head in admiration. "Damn, Mia… you're genius. So, what can you do with it?"

"I can send him small messages, a few words at a time. It's not much, but hopefully, it's enough."

Erik's smile grew. He nodded, leaning in closer. "Do it then. We need as much advantage as we can, doesn't matter if it small or big."

The idea that Mia had taken this precaution filled Erik with a sense of appreciation. He hadn't realized just how far she'd planned ahead. In a place where they only have each other, Mia's foresight felt like a lifeline.

Erik couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have her by his side, someone capable of turning even the smallest opportunities into real chances.

Mia's expression shifted into one of concentration as she focused on her System's interface, her eyes darting across the invisible window that Erik couldn't see.

"I can't do anything else while I'm doing this," Mia said.

Erik nodded his head in understanding.

Her fingers moved in quick but small motions, weaving through the symbols and commands that allowed her to communicate through the hidden Rune she had placed on Vekkir.

Erik watched in silence, his heart pounding softly in his chest. If Valeria noticed what they were doing, it could spell disaster.

But he trusted Mia and he hope in his heart that everything will be alright.

Moments passed in tense quiet as Mia worked with her Runes. Erik kept glancing at the door while still sitting beside her. Anxious that someone might be coming.

His mind filled with possibilities that suddenly someone will open the door and disrupt Mia, but he kept his cool.

After about three minutes, Mia exhaled softly, nodding to herself as she finished the message.

"It's done," she whispered, turning to Erik with a confident smile. "Now, we wait for his response."

Erik gave her a nod, his mind already shifting to the next step. Valeria may control this place but she don't know about Mia's brilliance.

---

In the cold, featureless room with no bed or any comfort, Vekkir lay sprawled on the hard stone floor. His whole body ached from the relentless torment, each bruise and cut reminding him of the brutality he had endured.

The sharp pain pulsing through him was almost unbearable but he gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. He would never help them no matter what they did. Their plan would fail, even if it cost him his life. He wouldn't let his creation to be used into something this evil.

Suddenly, a strange sensation rippled through his mind. It was a soft ringing like a whisper echoing in his skull. It was a voice. A voice familiar to him. The girl... the one who had tried to stop Valeria's cruelty earlier.

Then, in the empty space before his eyes, glowing runes began to appear, floating in the air. The symbols shifted and aligned, forming words he could understand:

[Hello. I'm Mia. Want to help. Don't be scared. Still make plan. Please wait. Endure. Thanks not want to help them.]

The runes were simple, yet they carried a weight of hope that was almost overwhelming. Despite the agony coursing through his body a faint smile curled on Vekkir's battered lips. He wasn't alone after all. Someone was out there, trying to help him.

The message was brief, but it was enough to rekindle the fire of resistance within him.

He would wait for his savior to make a move.

---