Chapter 4

As I nodded in agreement, Hilda offered me a bowl of warm oatmeal, hoping to provide some comfort through nourishment. I accepted gratefully, taking small bites as I listened to the gentle crackling of the fire in the hearth. However, as I continued to eat, a strange dizziness washed over me, causing my vision to blur and my head to spin.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, darkness enveloped me, and I felt myself losing consciousness. The last thing I heard was Hilda's voice, laced with an eerie satisfaction, as she whispered, "It worked, Barta. He's ours now."

Hilda and Barta, their expressions twisted into sinister smiles. They stood over my unconscious body, their eyes gleaming with a malevolent delight. "What shall we do with him now?" Barta asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

Hilda's smile widened as she produced a length of rope from her apron pocket. "Oh, Barta, my dear, we have him right where we want him, he can be sold for a hefty price 'ey tell ya." With a swift and practiced motion, they began to tie me up.

As I slowly regained consciousness, my head throbbed with a dull ache, and my body felt heavy and restrained. Opening my eyes, I found myself in a dimly lit room, the flickering light of a single candle casting eerie shadows on the walls. Panic surged through me as I realized I was bound tightly to a wooden chair, my limbs immobilized by the ropes that Hilda and Barta had skillfully tied.

Hilda, her face contorted with a wicked grin, leaned against a nearby table, her eyes fixed on me with a sinister intensity. Barta, standing beside her, wore an expression of anticipation, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent delight. The room seemed to hum with an unsettling energy, as if it were alive with their sinister intentions.

"What have you done to me?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "Why have you brought me here?"

Hilda's smile widened, her voice dripping with a twisted satisfaction. "Oh, dear, you were never meant to leave this place," she replied, her tone laced with a chilling certainty. "You see, we have a particular talent for capturing souls like yours, souls that possess a certain...value."

My mind raced, trying to make sense of her cryptic words. "What do you mean, souls like mine? What value could I possibly hold?"

Barta chuckled darkly, his voice filled with a sinister amusement. "You, my friend, possess a rare gift. A gift that can be harnessed and sold to the highest bidder. Your essence, are highly sought after in certain circles."

I struggled against my restraints, the ropes digging into my skin, but it was futile. Hilda and Barta had bound me too securely. "You can't just sell me like some commodity!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with a mix of desperation and defiance.

Hilda's eyes narrowed, her voice taking on a cold edge. "Oh, but we can, and we will. You see, dear, in this world, power is everything. And your power, your very essence, will fetch a wonderful price, hahahaha bless Mother Lilith~"

Just as the tension in the room reached its peak, a sudden knock echoed through the door, interrupting the sinister conversation. Barta's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly moved towards the door. With a creak, he swung it open, revealing a group of bandits standing outside. They were rough-looking men, their faces obscured by scruffy beards and their bodies adorned with tattered clothing.

One of the bandits stepped forward, his voice gruff and commanding. "We've come to collect the one you've captured," he declared, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of curiosity and greed.

Hilda's smile transformed into a sly grin as she stepped forward, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Ah, just in time, gentlemen. Our guest here is quite the valuable commodity, as I'm sure you can imagine."

The bandit leader's eyes gleamed with avarice as he surveyed me, his gaze lingering on the ropes that bound me. "And what's the price for this one?" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

Hilda's grin widened as she named a sum that made my blood run cold. It was a staggering amount, one that spoke of the immense value they placed on my abilities. The bandit leader nodded, a greedy glint in his eyes. "Deal," he said, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a pouch of gold coins.

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