As the six continued to crawl through the forest, their bodies shaking with exhaustion and pain, Lyerin''sughter filled the air like a predator toying with its prey.


    He loomed over them, each step deliberate, his gaze gleaming with sadistic amusement.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Lyerin sneered, crouching down to Miriam''s level. He grabbed her arm and twisted it just enough to make her cry out in pain.


    "You think this little disy of determination impresses me? Crawl faster, or I''ll break this arm just to give you something real to cry about!"


    Miriam bit her lip to hold back her scream, tears streaming down her dirt-covered face as she wed forward.


    Donovan, who was just ahead of her, nced back with wide, terrified eyes but didn''t dare stop to help. Lyerin''s gaze shot to him immediately.


    "Oh, so you care about your little friends?" Lyerin chuckled, walking over to Donovan with a calm yet terrifying pace.


    "Donovan, was it? Tell me, does it hurt more to see her suffer, or knowing you''re too much of a coward to do anything about it?"


    He delivered a sharp kick to Donovan''s ribs, sending him sprawling to the ground with a choked cry.


    The Scarred Soldier, already panting heavily, gritted his teeth and tried to muster his strength to intervene.


    "Leave them alone..." he muttered, his voice weak but filled with defiance. Lyerin''s sharp ears caught the words, and he turned with a grin that sent a chill down the soldier''s spine.


    "Leave them alone? Oh, are you volunteering to take their punishment instead?"


    Lyerin asked, his tone dripping with mockery. He grabbed the soldier by the back of his cor and yanked him upright, his grip like a vice.


    "You''re already crawling like the dog you are. Maybe I should treat you like one."


    Without warning, Lyerin mmed the Scarred Soldier back into the dirt, pressing his foot against the man''s back to keep him down.


    "Bark for me," he said, his voice eerily calm. The soldier''s face contorted in a mix of humiliation and rage, but he didn''t make a sound. Lyerin pressed harder, causing the man to grunt in pain.


    "I said, bark," Lyerin repeated, his tone turning deadly. "Or do you want to see what these little bugs can do when I get creative?"


    He held up another wriggling insect, its sharp mandibles snapping in the dim light. The sight made Miriam and the Younger Woman recoil in horror, their breaths hitching.


    The Scarred Soldier finally let out a low, defeated growl, and Lyerin''s grin widened. "Good boy," he said, stepping off the man''s back. "Now, all of you—crawl faster! Unless you want another one of these delightful creatures to keep youpany."


    Theran, already on the verge of copse, pushed himself forward with shaking arms. His breathing was ragged, each movement sending jolts of pain through his battered body.


    "Why are you doing this?" he gasped, unable to hold back his question any longer. "What... what do you want from us?"


    Lyerin stopped in his tracks, tilting his head as if considering the question. Then he crouched down next to Theran, his expression unreadable.


    "What do I want?" he repeated, his voice quiet and almost thoughtful. Then, without warning, his face twisted into a manic grin. "I want to see how far you can go before you break. I want to hear your screams, feel your fear, and watch you squirm. It''s... entertaining."


    He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And the best part? You can''t do a thing to stop me."


    Theran shuddered, his heart pounding as Lyerin stood up and gestured for them to keep moving. "Come on now," Lyerin said, pping his hands mockingly. "You''ve got so much more crawling to do before I''m bored."


    Mikhail, who had been eerily silent, finally spoke up, his voice trembling but defiant. "You''re a monster," he spat, his eyes ring up at Lyerin despite his fear. "No one deserves this. Not even us."


    Lyerin''sughter rang out again, sharp and cruel. "A monster?" he repeated, feigning offense.


    "Oh, you tter me, Mikhail. But you see, I''m not just a monster. I''m your monster. And as long as you keep entertaining me, I''ll let you live. Isn''t that generous of me?"


    He kicked Mikhail in the shoulder, sending him sprawling. "Now, stop talking and start crawling. Or maybe I''ll change my mind."


    The group continued their torturous crawl, their bodies and spirits pushed beyond their limits.


    The agony stretched endlessly, the forest echoing with Lyerin''s mockingughter as he circled his victims like a predator savoring its prey.


    His expression grew darker, more malicious, with each passing second, as though their suffering fed something deep and primal within him.


    "You''re slowing down," Lyerin sneered, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence like a de.


    He crouched beside Miriam, who was trembling so violently she could barely keep crawling.


    Her breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps as her fingers wed at the dirt.


    Lyerin reached out and grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back so she was forced to look at him. "What''s the matter? Losing your spirit already? I thought you were supposed to be strong."


    Miriam whimpered but didn''t respond, her tears mixing with the mud on her face. Lyerin let out a disappointed sigh.


    "Pathetic," he muttered, before throwing her face-first into the ground.


    The impact left her coughing and sputtering, but she didn''t stop moving. None of them could stop.


    "Let''s make this more interesting," Lyerin said suddenly, his voice dripping with sadistic excitement. He pulled out a small vial filled with a thick, crimson liquid.


    "Do you know what this is?" he asked, holding it up for all of them to see. The group nced at it warily but said nothing.


    Lyerin grinned.


    "This little concoction will make your pain a hundred times worse. Every scrape, every bruise, every little cut—multiplied. And the best part? It''s slow-acting. You won''t feel it right away. Oh no, the real funester."


    Without waiting for a response, he walked over to Theran, who was barely conscious, and poured a few drops onto an open wound on his arm.


    Theran''s body stiffened immediately, his eyes widening in terror as a burning sensation began to spread through his veins.


    He let out a strangled scream, his body convulsing as the pain intensified.


    The others froze, their faces pale with fear. "Please, stop!" the Younger Woman cried, her voice breaking. "We''ll do whatever you want, just don''t—"


    "Don''t what?" Lyerin interrupted, his tone mocking. He turned to her with an exaggerated look of curiosity.


    "Don''t hurt you? Don''t make you suffer? Oh, but where''s the fun in that?" Heughed again, the sound cold and hollow.


    "You don''t get to make demands. You''re nothing but toys for me to y with. And when I''m done, I''ll decide if you''re worth keeping alive."


    He moved to Donovan next, who flinched as Lyerin crouched beside him. "You''ve been awfully quiet, Donovan," Lyerin said, his voice low and menacing.


    "Are you plotting something? Thinking of a way to escape?" He grabbed Donovan''s hand and twisted it at an unnatural angle, eliciting a pained cry. "Tell me, Donovan. What''s going through that little head of yours?"


    "I—" Donovan stammered, his voice shaking. "I''m just trying to survive."


    Lyerin tilted his head, pretending to consider the answer.


    Then he smirked. "Wrong answer," he said, snapping Donovan''s finger with a sickening crack. The scream that followed sent chills through the group, but none of them dared to intervene.


    "Faster," Lyerin ordered, standing up and gesturing for them to keep moving.


    "I want to see how far you can crawl before your bodies give out. Or maybe I''ll get bored and make things even worse. It''s up to you."


    The Scarred Soldier clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he forced himself forward.


    His body was screaming for rest, his vision blurry from exhaustion, but he couldn''t stop.


    None of them could. Lyerin''s presence was a constant, suffocating weight, his every word and action designed to break them.


    But Lyerin wasn''t content with just watching them suffer. He wanted to push them further, to see how much more they could endure.


    He grabbed a long, thin branch from the ground and began striking them with it, the sharp cracks echoing through the forest.


    Each blow left angry red welts on their skin, but he didn''t stop. If anything, he seemed to enjoy their cries of pain, his grin widening with each strike.


    "Move faster," he demanded, his voice cold and unyielding. "I won''t say it again."


    When they didn''t move quickly enough, he threw the branch aside and resorted to kicking them instead.


    His boots connected with ribs, shoulders, and backs, sending them sprawling. But no matter how much it hurt, they always got back up.


    They had no choice.


    "You''re all so weak," Lyerin taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Is this really the best you can do? Pathetic." He kicked Mikhail in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "Crawl, worm. Show me that you''re notpletely worthless."


    Mikhail coughed violently, blood staining his lips, but he kept moving.


    The others followed suit, their bodies battered and broken but still fighting to survive. Lyerin watched them with a mixture of amusement and contempt, his eyes gleaming with a sadistic light.


    And then, as if to make things even worse, he released the bugs again.


    The sight of the wriggling creatures made the group freeze in terror, their breaths hitching as the insects began to crawl toward them. "You know what to do," Lyerin said, his tone casual. "Keep moving, or let them have their fun. Your choice."