The darkness was designed to seep into a prisoner''s very essence, stripping away their sanity and leaving them as hollow shells of their former selves. In total istion, with no light or sound to cling to, the mind was supposed to break under the weight of its own thoughts.


    Time lost all meaning; moments stretched into hours, and hours into days. This was the darkness'' true cruelty, a weapon that turned prisoners into their own worst enemies.


    Yet, themander sat unfazed, chained to the walls, hisposure betraying the short time he''d been subjected to this punishment. Only a few hours had passed since his incarceration, far too little time for the void to sink its ws into him. He leaned against the cell wall, his breathing even, his gaze sharp as he looked up at Asher.


    "It''s you," themander spat, his voice hoarse yet steady,ced with restrained anger. His re could have pierced through iron. "You''ve got some nerve showing your face here."


    "Oh, you tter me, Commander, I thought you would''ve forgotten me by now." Asher replied smoothly, his tone dripping with mockery. He leaned casually against the bars. "I figured someone of your importance might appreciate a visitor. After all, it''s not every day one finds themselves in amodations this... exclusive."


    Themander''s jaw tightened as his fists clenched at his sides. "How did you even get in here? Aren''t you afraid of being caught?"


    "Caught?" Asher echoed, feigning disbelief with a theatrical wave of his hand. His smirk widened as he gestured to the dim, oppressive hallway behind him. "Do you seriously think these fools stand a chance against me? I slipped past their guards like a shadow. Literally."


    As Asher spoke, his sharp eyes studied the man before him. Despite the conditions, themander''s voice held no tremor, his words crisp and deliberate. Asher''s smirk faltered for a brief moment before he recovered, masking his intrigue with a condescending chuckle.


    "Surprisingly, you haven''t gone mad," Asher mused, dragging the edge of his dagger across the enchanted bars with a grating screech that echoed through the hollow corridor. "That''s impressive. You must have an incredible amount of willpower... but don''t worry, we can always fix that."


    Themander''s eyes narrowed, but he remained silent, his expression an unreadable mask of defiance.


    Asher took his time, radiating the confidence of someone who owned the moment. He toyed with the de in his hand, casually scrapping the dagger on the cells bars and flipping itzily as if to emphasize just how little he feared being discovered.


    "You know," Asher began again, his tone light, almost conversational, "I could stand here all night if I wanted to. There''s no rush. No one here can even sense me, let alone stop me."


    He crouched down slightly, his grin sharpening as he peered closer at themander. "So why don''t we make the most of this little chat? Tell me, Commander, how are you enjoying the darkness?"


    *****


    He straightened up, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Alright, let''s not waste time. We both know why I''m here."


    The Commander''s expression didn''t waver, though a hint of curiosity crossed their eyes. "Enlighten me, then. Why


    are


    you here, boy? To gloat? To pretend you''re in control?"


    Asher chuckled darkly. "Control? Oh no, I''m not here to y games." His eyes gleamed with malice as he leaned closer to the barrier. "I''m here to find out who the traitor in here is and why you''ve been helping whoever it is."


    The Commander froze, their expression faltering for the briefest moment before hardening again. "I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    Themander''s eyes had long adjusted to the futile effort of searching for any source of light, staring instead into the inky ck that offered nothing in return. Even so, his sharp instincts kept him alert, aware of Asher''s presence despite his inability to see him.


    Asher, cloaked in the dark, took full advantage of the situation. His footsteps were deliberate, soft enough to mask his exact position but loud enough to remind themander that he was still there.


    "Don''t y dumb," Asher snapped, his voice sharp. He stepped closer, his shadow stretching unnaturally across the cell. "Whoever it was has been a bit sloppy, but not sloppy enough to expose his ns outright. You, however..." He let the words hang, watching for any reaction.


    The Commander''s silence was telling, though they didn''t speak.


    Asher continued, his tone dripping with venom. "He''s feeding you intel. Helping you coordinate attacks, sabotaging our efforts, and probably more. The question is, Experience more content on empire


    why?


    It''s an instant victory for you guys but, what''s in it for him?"


    "I''d be careful whates out of my mouth in a ce like this," the Commander growled, the chains rattling as they shifted. "You don''t know the half of what''s happening here."


    "Then educate me," Asher countered, spreading his arms mockingly. "I''m all ears, Commander. Give me the grand exnation for why you''ve been undermining us. Or..." He let the threat linger, his fingers brushing the hilt of his weapon.


    This made themander slowly burst intoughter. Themander''s low chuckle quickly grew into a resonantugh that echoed ominously throughout the dark cell, ricocheting off the stone walls like a sinister melody.


    Asher tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. "What''s so funny?" he asked, his voice steady, though curiosity hid behind his calm demeanor.


    Theughter deepened, showcasing mockery and defiance. The chains binding themander rattled with every heartyughter, their metallic tter blending with his ridicule.


    "What''s funny?" themander repeated, hisughter finally subsiding into a contemptuous sneer. "How na?ve can you get? You came here, thinking you could get information from me?"


    He leaned forward slightly. "Keep dreaming, boy. I have nothing to say to vermin like you."


    The crackling chains punctuated his words, vibrating with an almost eerie rhythm.


    Asher straightened up, brushing imaginary dust off his coat. "I guess it can''t be helped then," he said coolly, a bit of amusement in his tone.


    [Mini Teleportation]


    Without a sound, Asher disappeared from his spot by the bars. Themander froze, his smirk faltering slightly as he strained to hear any movement. Then, faint footsteps echoed in the darkness, growing louder, closer.


    "Did you…" themander started, but his words trailed off as a sudden burst of light erupted in front of him.


    Asher stood before themander, holding a burning torch that red to life from his ring. The sudden brilliance illuminated the grimy cell, its harsh glow banishing the suffocating shadows. Themander recoiled instinctively, his pupils constricting painfully against the unexpected brightness.


    "Oh, my bad," Asher said mockingly, his voice dripping with insincerity. "That was sudden, wasn''t it?" He smirked, holding the torch up to better illuminate the room, and himself.


    Themander blinked rapidly, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light. When his vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was Asher, standing mere steps away with a devilish grin stered across his face.


    In Asher''s other hand was the potion he had secured from Marce. The crystalline vial caught the torchlight, its contents glowing faintly with an iridescent sheen. He turned it over casually, reading the description etched on the side of the ss.


    [Truth-Seeking Potion]


    [Those who drink it cannot lie or give false information about whatever they are asked. The effects work better if the target has a fear status or a wavering heart. Effectiveness reduced by 50% for targets above Level 100.]


    [Duration: 2 Hours.]


    Asher looked up from the vial, his grin widening as he met themander''s re. "Shall we get started?" he asked, his tone almost cheerful.


    *


    *


    *


    Cheerful huh?( ?▽? )