The dungeon had been built to confine, to break wills and turn demi-humans into docile merchandise before selling them to the highest bidder.
For years it had fulfilled that purpose without fail, holding within its walls the suffering of hundreds of prisoners. However, that day the thick stone walls could no longer contain what had been born inside them.
After the fierce battle in the dark corridors, the survivors began to emerge from the opened cells.
The floor was covered in bodies and bloodstains that reflected the trembling of the torches. Some demi-humans walked unsteadily, supporting themselves against the walls to keep from falling.
Others dragged weapons taken from the dead guards. No one spoke much; exhaustion ran deep, but the desire to escape was even stronger.
Among them all, the two young brothers stayed together. The older one gripped the younger one's hand tightly, as if fearing the world might snatch him away at any moment. Their fingers were cold, trembling, but neither let go.
Without a word, they began to run toward the stone stairs leading to the surface. Each step echoed on the damp steps as they climbed slowly.
The air grew a little less heavy with every meter they left behind, though the dungeon's chill seemed to cling to their bodies.
The younger boy breathed with difficulty, trying to keep up with his brother. His legs were weak from hunger, but the idea of leaving that place gave him strength he didn't know he still had.
When they finally reached the top, intense light fell upon them.
It was midday sun.
Their eyes, accustomed to the prison's darkness, closed almost completely against that glare. For a few seconds they could only see white spots in front of them, as if the world had turned into a brilliant cloud.
But when their pupils adjusted, they realized freedom was not waiting quietly.
The massacre was no longer hidden in the dungeon's shadows.
Now it was also on the surface.
The fortress courtyard had become a chaotic battlefield. The demi-humans who had managed to escape fought fiercely against soldiers rushing from every direction.
Some had taken shields, spears or long swords from the knights fallen in the prison, and now wielded them with desperation.
Many did not know how to fight like trained warriors, but they fought with something more powerful than technique: the desperation of those with nothing left to lose.
The soldiers formed ranks, trying to contain the revolt.
Orders were shouted across the courtyard.
Arrows began to fly through the air.
Archers fired into the sky in rapid volleys, letting the rain of projectiles fall on the demi-humans running toward the open gates. Some managed to dodge them, others were not so lucky.
One after another, bodies began to fall.
The two brothers watched the scene for only a few seconds before starting to run. Near them, a familiar figure advanced toward the forest stretching beyond the fortress.
It was the woman who, not long before, had sung them the lullaby.
The same one who had covered their eyes so they would not see the heartbreaking scene inside the cell.
Without thinking twice, the two children ran after her.
As they crossed the courtyard, the younger one glanced back for an instant. He saw several demi-humans fall under the arrow rain, saw others keep fighting even with deep wounds, and understood that many of them would never leave that place.
Their steps grew faster.
The woman ran ahead of them, plunging into the forest that began to surround the fortress. Low branches and ground roots made it hard to advance, but she did not stop.
The children followed her with all the energy they had left.
Their breathing grew heavier and heavier, and the sound of leaves rustling under their feet seemed too loud in the forest's silence. Despite the distant noise of battle, that place felt like another world compared to the prison.
However, after several minutes, something changed.
The woman began to slow down.
Her steps became shorter, more uncertain.
Her breathing grew irregular.
Finally she stopped.
The children managed to catch up and took her hand to try to keep moving, but at that moment the younger brother felt something strange. Her skin was cold, too cold for someone who had just run so much.
The boy raised his gaze.
The woman stood with her back to them, slightly bent forward.
The older brother stepped around her to see better, and then he understood what was happening.
One of her hands pressed hard against her abdomen.
The fabric of her clothing was soaked in blood.
They didn't know when it had happened, or whether it had been an arrow or a sword, but the wound was deep. The red stain spread further as she struggled to stay upright.
The woman slowly raised her head and looked at the older brother.
Her lips formed a small smile.
It was a weak smile, but filled with a tenderness that seemed out of place amid so much horror.
Then her knees gave way.
She fell to the ground in front of them.
A thread of blood escaped her mouth when she coughed, and her eyes began to fill with tears. There was no anger or resentment in her expression, only a deep sadness that seemed to come from very far away.
Yes, she was afraid.
Afraid of dying alone.
Afraid of disappearing without anyone remembering who she had been.
With the last strength she had left, she extended her arm and gently stroked the older boy's cheek. Her hand trembled slightly, as if trying to memorize that face.
—so here you are…
Perhaps in that moment she was remembering her own family, the people she had once loved and had not been able to protect.
Her breathing grew weaker and weaker.
And finally, she stopped moving.
The two children stood in front of her without fully understanding what they had just witnessed.
For them, death was still something they did not completely grasp. They saw bodies stop moving, heard voices fade, but their minds still searched for an explanation.
Before they could react, a noise broke the forest's silence.
Voices.
The sound of armor moving among the trees.
Four guards appeared through the vegetation, advancing quickly.
—You two! Get over here now! —one of them shouted.
The brothers did not think twice.
They ran.
—Catch them! —another guard ordered—. It doesn't matter if you injure them!
The soldiers began to chase them without questioning the order.
The children ran among the trees with all the strength they had, dodging branches and roots. Their feet stumbled at every moment, but fear gave them the energy needed to keep going.
Finally, the forest opened before them.
The two stopped abruptly.
In front of them stretched a huge cliff, and from the top fell a powerful waterfall that plunged into the river several meters below. The sound of water crashing against rocks filled the air with a constant roar.
Behind them they could hear the guards' footsteps drawing closer.
The younger brother clung to his older brother's shirt.
—Brother… I'm scared…
His legs trembled.
The older brother looked at him and, despite the fear he also felt, tried to smile.
—It's okay. I'll protect you.
He gently stroked his head, as if that gesture could stop the terror surrounding them.
And then they made a decision.
They jumped.
The wind struck their faces as their bodies tilted into the void.
But barely had they begun to fall when something yanked hard at their clothes.
A hand had grabbed them from behind.
Both were dragged violently back to the ground, slamming against the rocks at the cliff's edge. The impact was so strong that the older brother felt his head strike the ground, and a thread of blood began to run down his forehead.
When they raised their gaze, they saw a man standing before them.
He wore thick black armor that weakly reflected the sunlight filtering through the trees.
The man seized the younger boy by the head with one hand.
The older brother tried to stand, but the blow had left him dazed.
As he crawled across the ground, he saw the man draw his sword.
The steel gleamed for an instant before piercing his body.
The boy's scream echoed through the forest, mingling with the constant roar of the waterfall.
—Let's see… —the man said with a cruel smile—. Let's play who lasts longer between the two of you.
He threw the boy beside his brother and approached slowly.
Without mercy, he raised his foot and slammed it against the older brother's leg.
The bone broke with a dry sound.
Then he did the same to his arm.
Screams filled the air.
—Scream louder —the man said, amused—. Come on.
The kicks continued falling one after another.
—In the end you're just a disgusting, flea-ridden demi-human.
He raised the sword and aimed it at his chest.
But instead of piercing him, he changed direction at the last instant.
The sword pierced the younger brother's heart right in front of his eyes.
The man laughed as the boy tried to crawl toward his motionless brother's body.
At that moment, the sound of trees rustling caught the guard's attention.
He turned.
One of the last demi-humans who had escaped the prison was running toward him, brandishing a weapon with desperation.
The guard raised his sword to face him.
But when he looked back at the ground…
The child who was still alive had disappeared.
His small body had fallen over the cliff's edge, carried by the river current that plunged down the waterfall into the depths.