Failed Protection

"Nothing happened? Strange…" Karyan scratched his head. 

Expecting a massive demon or at least some dark forces appearing, but nothing showed up. 

He felt disappointed, "do I need to do something else? Damn it, I don't have another dagger to summon this." 

"Huh! Huh!" Reverie ran towards him as fast as she could, "you…you…the demon! He took Nedeira!" She yelled at him. 

"Relax, I know. It was my plan," Karyan stated confidently. 

"It was? Then why do I smell her blood?" 

"What? She was supposed to be far away from here, what do you mean you smell her blood?" 

"It's a long story, where is she?" 

"With Sin, probably far away…" 

"And this smell, who did you kill here?" 

"An old friend…" 

"This smell, ew! It's so rotten, like some old eggs…" 

Reverie wrinkled her nose in disgust and pointed ahead, "I can smell Nedeira's blood. It's close, just two kilometers away."

Karyan furrowed his brow, puzzled. "Can you show me?"

"Of course," Reverie replied sharply, leading the way through the tangled forest. The only sound was the rustling of leaves under their feet.

After a short walk, Reverie halted abruptly and bent down, examining a small smear of dried blood on the forest floor. "Here," she declared accusingly.

Karyan knelt beside her, inspecting the blood closely. His face remained composed. "This is Nedeira's blood, without a doubt."

Reverie's voice rose with anger. "You said she was with Sin far away. What really happened here?"

Karyan rose to his feet, his expression seemed troubled now. "I honestly don't know. It's not possible for Sin to harm her like this."

Reverie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Then where is she? What happened to Nedeira?"

Karyan looked around, searching for clues. "We need to find out. Sin wouldn't have done this."

Reverie's frustration boiled over. "How can you be so sure? Sin is a demon, after all!"

Karyan shook his head firmly. "Sin may be a demon, but he doesn't prey on humans like that. There must be something else here."

Reverie's hands clenched into fists. "I don't trust him. He's hiding something, I can feel it."

Karyan placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Sin cannot harm Nedeira, he wouldn't and I'm sure of it."

Reverie nodded, " "if Sin has harmed her in any way, he will pay."

****

Nedeira slowly opened her eyes to a barely lit dungeon. The air was musty and thick, the smell of damp stone filling her nostrils.

 As her vision adjusted to the darkness, she saw Sin, beaten and bloodied, his dark life fluid trickling down his face from his eyes, nose, and ears. 

Dark scars crisscrossed his skin, and black veins seemed to pulse beneath the surface. He was chained up, his wrists and ankles bound tightly.

With a gasp, "Sin!" Nedeira tried to move closer to him, her heart pounded in her chest heavily. 

Sin managed a weak smile despite the obvious pain that etched on his face. 

"No reason to try to escape, I've tried. They bound me with magic," Sin said, his voice was strained but oddly calm.

Nedeira's eyes widened in fear, "What happened, Sin? Who did this to you?" she asked, her voice trembled, "and where are we?" 

Sin's smile remained, though it was tinged with sadness. "Don't worry, Nedeira. Everything will be okay. You have nothing to fear," he reassured her, his words were soft and comforting.

The dungeon around them was ancient and foreboding. 

The walls were made of rough-hewn stone, covered in moss and spiderwebs. Torches flickered in sconces, casting eerie shadows that danced across the cold floor. 

The only sounds were the distant dripping of water and the faint rustle of unseen creatures.

Nedeira could feel the weight of the darkness pressing in on her, but she refused to let fear take hold. 

She focused on Sin.

She reached out a hand to touch his arm, but the chains held him fast. Sin's eyes met hers, filled with pain.

"I will find a way out of here, Sin."

Sin's smile widened, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. "Thank you, Nedeira." 

She noticed that something was odd with his tone and manners. 

Usually he would speak so highly and sarcastically, but right now, Sin looked like he lost the hope of living.

"Look at you!" 

The dungeon fell silent as a man strode in, his presence demanded attention.

 His face twisted into a cruel smirk as his gaze landed on Sin, who met his eyes with a serene smile. 

Without a word, the man's eyes shifted to Nedeira. 

"Come here, you freaky bitch." 

With a rough grip, he seized Nedeira by her hair, yanking her forcefully out of the cell. 

"Not my hair, please! Let go of me!" She cried out in pain, but her eyes never left Sin's, hoping he would help her. 

Sin's smile remained the same, useless. 

The man dragged Nedeira down the dark corridor, his footsteps were loud against the cold stone walls.

As they disappeared from view, the man's mocking voice drifted back to the cell. "Enjoy your time alone, weakling. Your little friend belongs to us now," he made comments in the air, addressing someone. 

Sin's smile finally disappeared as he lowered his shoulders and let out a long sigh, "I know that I promised to keep her safe, Karyan…but there's no point anymore. We all are dead."