Promise

The next three days crawled by. Erik and Mia spent their time in their small room. They felt trapped and their anxiety growing with each passing hour. Despite their best efforts to remain calm and focus the lack of action gnawed at their nerves.

Each day, they expected something to happen but Valeria didn't say anything to them. Moreover, the promised cure for Liam seemed further away than ever.

Their confinement began to weigh on them. Valeria's guards were stationed at key points throughout the stronghold and barring them from entering most rooms. Any attempt to move beyond the spaces they'd been assigned was met with cold look and refusals.

It was clear Valeria had ordered the guards to restrict their movements. Erik and Mia were outsiders.

Then, suddenly, a knock echoed through the room in the fourth day. The door creaked open, revealing one of Valeria's personal guards.

"Lady Valeria summons you both," the guard said curtly.

Erik and Mia exchanged a glance. Without another word they followed the guard down the corridors.

They were led deeper into the stronghold, through areas they hadn't been allowed to access before. As they passed through each checkpoint the guards eyed them with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

Erik kept his face blank, while Mia focused ahead.

Finally, they arrived at a large chamber. The stone walls here were lined with intricate runes. The room was dimly lit by large braziers that burned with an unnatural flame, casting a reddish hue over everything.

And there, at the center of the chamber, lay the giant.

Erik and Mia froze in their tracks, their eyes widening as they took in the sight before them. The giant was now transformed. He was modified into something darker and grotesque. His massive body was clad in thick, black armor, each piece etched with runes.

The giant's skin had taken on a sickly gray hue. Erik and Mia can feel the aura that surrounded the giant. It was thick and suffocating and it seemed to emanate from every inch of the creature. It wasn't just the size or the armor. It was the feeling of something deeply wrong, something twisted and corrupted.

Valeria stood at the edge of the chamber, watching them with a thin smile.

"Impressive, isn't it?" she asked, her voice echoing in the vast space.

"What have you done?" Erik asked. "What is your plan?"

"I've enhanced it. Made it more effective for the cause. The armor is enchanted, of course. And the runes… well, those ensure that this beast will follow my every command without question," Valeria explained.

Erik thinks that this giant will become a massive problem. But right now he and Mia need something more important for them.

Erik stepped forward with fists clenched. "We need the cure, Valeria. You promised."

Valeria turned her gaze to him, her smile fading slightly.

"All in due time. The giant still needs to be fully awakened, and you need to do one more task. I will honor my word after that. But not before then."

Erik's fists trembled with anger as Valeria's smug voice filled the chamber. His jaw tightened and he glared at her with unbridled fury.

"Honor your word?! You said you would give us the cure after we kidnapped the dwarf!" Erik's voice was a low growl. The frustration of the last few days bubbling to the surface.

Valeria met his glare with a flat expression, her calm demeanor only fueling Erik's rage further. "Yes," she said. "I did say that. But there's been a change of plan."

Erik's fists clenched tighter, his whole body trembling.

"Fuck you and your plan, Valeria!" he spat, taking a step forward. "I'm sick of your fucking games. I want the cure, now!"

Valeria's eyes narrowed, her golden irises glowing with an intense light. She straightened, her expression turning hard as she fixed her gaze on Erik.

"And what can you do, even if you're sick of my plan?" She said with cold voice. "You can only follow my commands until I decide to give you the cure. Before tha—"

Before Valeria could finish her sentence Mia lunged at her with incredible speed. Her eyes blazing with fury. Her fist shot out, aiming straight for Valeria's head.

The sudden movement caught Valeria off guard. Her wings snapped open in an instant then propelling her backward with a rush of wind.

WUSSH!

Mia's fist struck the air where Valeria had been. The sheer force of the blow creating a powerful shockwave that rippled through the chamber. Dust and debris flew from the ground and the air crackled with the aftershock. Its all showing Mia's raw strength.

Valeria hovered midair, her eyes wide for a moment, the danger of the situation sinking in. She flapped her wings, gaining height as she glared down at Mia, her expression twisting with anger.

"You dare?!" she hissed.

Before she could retaliate the door behind them burst open and Netharos along with several of Valeria's elite guards, stormed into the room. Their weapons drawn, they surrounded Mia with murderous intent in their eyes.

"You've made a grave mistake!" Netharos snarled, his voice seething with rage. His hand crackled with dark magic as he prepared to strike.

Erik wasted no time. He leaped to Mia's side, standing between her and the encroaching attackers. His muscles tensed and his hands raised in a fighting stance.

"Come and get me, you fuckers!" he shouted.

The chamber fell into tense silence for a moment. Erik's heart pounded in his chest but his mind was sharp, ready for whatever would come next.

He could feel Mia's fury beside him, her breathing ragged as she stared Valeria with murder in her eyes.

"You think you can take us, huh?!" Erik growled, his gaze locked on Netharos as the sorcerer's dark magic began to swirl in his hands. "Then come and fucking try!"

With a feral roar, Netharos launched a bolt of shadowy energy toward Erik. But Erik was faster, dodging the blast and charging forward.

The room erupted into chaos.

Netharos's guards rushed at them, their weapons gleaming in the dim light. While Valeria circled above and watching with cold eyes.

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