Voidborne:The Soul sea chronicles

The camp's usual buzz of activity hummed faintly in the background as Eliot and Harlen sat at their usual spot, both tense and contemplative. The gray clouds swirling in the sky, casting a dark and eerie shadow across the encampment. They knew what was coming: the decision, the confrontation, and whatever lay beyond it.

Eliot's gaze flickered toward Harlen, his companion's shoulders taut with unease. "We're not going to walk into this blind. Stick to the truth, but don't let him twist it. Alric's dangerous when he's backed into a corner."

Harlen nodded but didn't respond. His thoughts seemed elsewhere, perhaps on his family or the weight of the situation.Both men were startled out of their silence when a servant approached, his usual polite demeanor replaced with cold indifference.

"The captain will see you now," the servant said, his voice clipped.

Eliot and Harlen exchanged a glance before following the man through the camp. Soldiers gave them fleeting looks, their expressions unreadable. When they reached Alric's quarters, the servant opened the door and gestured for them to enter without ceremony.

Inside, Captain Alric Thorne sat at his desk, his sharp features partially obscured by the flickering light of an oil lamp. His polished armor gleamed faintly, and his sword rested conspicuously against the wall behind him. He looked up, his piercing gaze locking onto the two men as they stepped inside.

"Sit," Alric said, gesturing to the chairs opposite him.

They obeyed, their movements slow and deliberate. Alric leaned forward, his fingers steepled as he studied them with the precision of a predator sizing up its prey.

"What's your decision?" he asked, his tone calm but expectant.

For a moment, neither man spoke. Eliot could feel the weight of Alric's confidence pressing down on them, a subtle yet oppressive force. Harlen hesitated, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came out.

Alric's smirk widened slightly. "I'll save you the trouble," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I already know your answer. You've played your little game, trying to join other captains, but we all know where this ends. No one else will take you. You have no choice but to accept my offer."

Harlen's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and uncertainty, but then, to everyone's surprise, he said, "No."

The word hung in the air, stark and defiant. Alric's smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded Harlen. Eliot, though surprised, couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at his lips.

"No?" Alric repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "You're refusing me?"

"Yes," Harlen said firmly, though his voice trembled ever so slightly.

For the first time, Alric's composure cracked. His frown deepened, and he leaned forward, his eyes blazing with cold fury. "Do you understand what you're doing? What you're risking?"

Eliot opened his mouth to speak, but Alric cut him off, his attention fixed solely on Harlen. "Don't you worry for your family? For their safety? Your little girl… what about her future? Do you want her to grow up in poverty, wondering why her father abandoned her?"

Harlen flinched, the words cutting deep. Alric saw the hesitation in his eyes and pressed harder, his tone growing sharper.

"You can't sacrifice yourself for them? Then what are you fighting for? Why did you awaken if not for them? To make their lives better? To protect them?"

The room felt stifling, the air thick with tension. Harlen's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to retort, to lash out, but the image of his wife and daughter filled his mind, their faces etched with worry and longing.

Eliot stepped in, his voice calm but firm. "Enough, Alric. You're manipulating him, twisting his thoughts to suit your agenda."

Alric turned to Eliot, his gaze cold and calculating. "You. You've been a thorn in my side since the moment you arrived. Your background is… unusual. Perhaps you're not even who you claim to be. A spy, maybe? Sent to sow discord among the Empire's ranks?"

Eliot's eyes narrowed. "You don't believe that."

Alric smirked. "I don't have to believe it. I only have to say it."

Harlen shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You're violating the Empire's rules! Killing an awakened is a capital offense!"

Alric rose slowly, his demeanor calm despite the outburst. "I'm not killing an awakened," he said smoothly. "I'm eliminating a spy."

He reached for his sword, the steel gleaming in the dim light as he unsheathed it with deliberate slowness. "And if you resist, Harlen, I'll have no choice but to assume you're complicit."

Alric moved first, closing the distance between them with startling speed. His sword arced toward Eliot in a deadly slash, but Harlen stepped in, blocking the blow with his arm guard. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the room, the sound of clashing steel reverberating off the walls.

"You've overstepped, Captain!" Harlen growled, his voice echoing with newfound strength.

Alric sneered. "You're a beginner, Harlen. Awakened or not, your strength is unstable. You're no match for me."

He pressed the attack, his blade moving in fluid, precise strikes. Harlen parried desperately, his movements clumsy but fueled by determination. He managed to land a few blows, his enhanced speed and strength giving him a fleeting advantage.

Eliot ducked as Alric's sword whistled past his head, grabbing a broken chair leg to defend himself. He swung it at Alric's side, but the captain easily dodged, retaliating with a kick that sent Eliot sprawling.

"You're both nothing," Alric spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "You thought you could defy me?"

Harlen lunged again, his fists glowing faintly with the remnants of awakening energy. He landed a solid punch to Alric's chest, staggering the captain for the first time. Alric's eyes widened in surprise, but the moment was brief. He recovered quickly, slamming the hilt of his sword into Harlen's ribs with bone-crushing force.

Harlen cried out, falling to one knee. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead, but he refused to stay down. He pushed himself up, his breathing labored but his resolve unbroken.

Eliot struggled to his feet, his mind racing. The room felt smaller, the air suffocating. Alric was too strong, too experienced. Harlen was holding his own, but barely. And Eliot… Eliot was just a man. A man who had been thrown into a world he didn't understand.

The pressure of the situation built to a breaking point. Eliot's heart pounded, his vision blurring as a strange sensation washed over him. The void stirred within him, its cold, consuming presence growing stronger.

"Enough!" Alric roared, raising his sword for a final strike.

But before he could bring it down, Eliot moved. His hand shot out, and the air around him rippled violently.

A pulse of energy erupted from Eliot's palm, invisible yet devastating. It struck Alric square in the chest, the force so intense it shattered the sword in his hand and sent him crashing into the far wall. The captain slumped to the ground, motionless.

The room fell silent, except for the sound of Eliot's ragged breathing. Harlen stared at him, his expression a mix of awe and fear.

"What… was that?" Harlen whispered.

Eliot didn't respond. He stared at his hand, the faint echo of the void energy still coursing through his veins.the fact that he used the void energy excited him but the situation didn't allow him to delve into it.

The sound of soldiers pounding on the door broke the silence. Eliot and Harlen exchanged a glance, their bodies bruised and battered but alive.

"We need to leave," Eliot said, his voice low and urgent.

Harlen nodded, pulling himself to his feet. Together, they slipped out through a side exit, disappearing into the shadows of the camp. The shouts of soldiers grew fainter as they ran,

The Empire wouldn't let them go easily.

Eliot was starting to realize that his abilities, strange and terrifying as they were, might be the only thing standing between them and certain death.