Solaris ran through the hall of the massive castle. He wasn't sure where he was running; all he knew was that he couldn't stop.
He felt his heart pounding, not only the ability that had just awoken within him, but with fear. He was scared, scared of being caught and locked up again, scared of never being able to go home, scared of never saving Ember, and most of all, he was scared of dying.
When he had been imprisoned, all he could envision was killing, killing Malith, killing the demons, killing this whole damned world, yet now that he was out, these thoughts had almost vanished.
He still kept hatred in his heart for Malith, but now it was partnered with a heavy sense of dread.
His breathing was becoming more and more strained as he sprinted through the building. Desperately searching for a way out. His legs began to strain as he ran, so he shifted to using the shards to lighten his steps.
After regaining his shards, Solaris had very quickly found out he could coat them in the black armor, and by doing so, seal them to his body. By doing this, he was able to use them much more easily as a form of movement.
As he ran, his head darted left and right, hoping to find Ember, even knowing it was going to be almost impossible.
***
Ember was in a room tied to a table, his limbs strapped to his body with the golden chain. He watched as a demon drew its weapon and stabbed him in the chest.
A blinding feeling of pain shot across his entire body as the weapon dug into his flesh, before being twisted, scraping onto his bones, and then slowly it was pulled out.
The metal of the blade dripped and melted, warped by the indescribably hot innards of Ember.
Ember began exhaling heavily through his nose as a sheet of metal had been affixed around his mouth.
Ember's eyes shone with a feeling of pure terror as the torturer brought another weapon to the table.
An incandescent light gleamed from the hole in his chest before disappearing along with the hole. This was the reason for his suffering. Ember had a different physiology than a normal human, meaning he couldn't be eaten, so the king had simply decided to push this uniqueness to its very limits.
The demon that had been assigned to deal this devastating torment was one he knew well; it had been none other than the hyena demon. Now that it had lost its wing, it was no longer able to scavenge, so it was reduced to a torturer.
Ember felt as a tear dripped down his cheek, and without leaving his flesh, seemed to disappear, his eyes locked onto the demon, its hatchet, buried into his leg.
Ember was someone very familiar with pain. His years in the military had prepared him for it rather quickly; it was in the military that he had gotten the scar across his cheek. He had always expected pain; it was the only constant in his life.
Yet it was now the only thing in his life.
Every day, it was nothing but pain, torture, and more pain. When it wasn't direct torment, it was his cell restricting his breathing, it was the chains restricting his movement.
Even before leaving his home, his body was still in pain, yet it was manageable pain, it was normal pain.
His body burned always, his jacket somewhat simmered down the feeling, yet it persisted. Then, when he arrived here, everywhere was so frigid and stagnant that he finally felt normal.
It was as if it had reached an equilibrium; it still burned, yet it was being cooled just as fast.
He knew Solaris was suffering in the air, but to him it felt perfect.
I deserve this.
so many times he asked to stop and warm up, yet I simply didn't want to feel that sensation.
I deserve this. I should've just stopped, for once I should've thought of another.
As thoughts of regret boiled in his brain, he felt as if the hatchet was dragged out of his flesh, he wanted to scream, shout, call out, yet he couldn't. He was simply left silent to deal with this unnatural pain.
The pain he felt he deserved, the pain he felt was just.
***
Having found no way out of the building, Solaris had resorted to his backup plan: break out.
Solaris wasn't sure if it was Malith or another source that repaired the walls, but he was out of options.
Sliding into a stop, Solaris pulled his arm back and struck the wall, shattering it. His eyes rose in momentary shock at this feat.
He had been ready to punch Three maybe four times, yet he achieved his goal in one.
Capitalizing on his successful attempt, he jumped out of the hole and began flying upwards. He aimed for one of the turrets of the castle; he needed to get out of sight and have a place to lie low.
Taking advantage of the open windows of the turret he flew in, rolling as he landed. Without skipping a beat, he began to look around the tower. His heart skipped as he noticed how small the place he had been planning on staying was.
"Why?"
Solaris spoke, his lips quivering and his eyes beginning to shed tears.
Why am I such a wuss?