The scarred man staggered, his body trembling like a leaf in a violent storm. His breaths were shallow,bored, and rasping as though each inhale scraped against jagged ss lodged in his chest.


    While the others huddled together, their eyes wide with terror as they dared not move, the scarred man bore the brunt of Lyerin''s twisted attention.


    Lyerin tilted his head, his smile stretching unnaturally wide. "You''re quite the contradiction, aren''t you?" he mused, circling the scarred man like a predator sizing up its prey.


    "So tough on the outside, so hardened by life''s cruelties. Yet inside… oh, you''re nothing but a trembling little pup." His voice dropped to a near whisper, dripping with malice. "And I do love breaking things like you."


    The scarred man said nothing, his teeth clenched so tightly that the muscles in his jaw quivered.


    His eyes burned with defiance, but beneath the surface, the torment was mounting.


    Inside him, the flesh-eating bugs Lyerin had nted were still active, burrowing deeper into his muscles and tissue. Each movement sent a sharp, electric pain through his limbs, as if his nerves were being dragged across a bed of needles.


    The others flinched as Lyerin extended a hand, and with a casual flick of his wrist, another pulse of eldritch energy radiated toward the scarred man.


    The energy slithered around his body, snaking through the air like tendrils of smoke before constricting tightly around his chest and limbs.


    The scarred man''s knees buckled, but he didn''t fall. His lips twisted into a grimace, veins bulging along his neck as he forced himself to remain upright.


    The pain was unbearable, but he refused to show weakness.


    Lyerin pped his hands slowly, mockingly. p. p. p. "Oh, don''t tell me you''re holding out on me again. That just won''t do. We''ve barely scratched the surface of your limits."


    The scarred man''s stomach lurched as another wave of agony surged through him.


    The bugs were relentless, gnawing away at him from the inside, their sharp mandibles tearing through muscle and sinew as though feasting at a banquet.


    He could feel them moving under his skin, wriggling and crawling in ways that made his very flesh rebel against him.


    "You see," Lyerin continued, his tone light and conversational, "pain is the most honest of all sensations. It strips away the lies, the masks, the facades. Pain speaks truth."


    He crouched before the scarred man, leaning in close enough that his breath ghosted against the man''s ear. "So tell me, what truths are hiding inside you, hmm? What screams are you holding back?"


    The scarred man didn''t answer. His body trembled with the effort of keeping himself upright, his breathing ragged and uneven. The silence only seemed to amuse Lyerin further.


    "Oh, you''re such a stubborn little thing," Lyerin said with a soft chuckle. He straightened up and held out his hand.


    Another jar of the wriggling insects appeared, summoned from nowhere.


    The sight of them made the others recoil, their faces paling as fresh waves of horror overtook them.


    The scarred man''s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of fear betraying his otherwise stoic demeanor. Lyerin noticed, of course. He always noticed.


    "Ah, there it is," Lyerin said, his voice lilting with satisfaction. "That little glimmer of terror. That delicious acknowledgment of your own mortality. Don''t worry, my dear scarred insect. I''m not finished with you yet."


    With a flourish, Lyerin released the jar''s contents.


    The bugs spilled out like an oil slick, their bodies glistening and writhing as they swarmed toward the scarred man.


    They climbed his boots and legs, their tiny legs clicking as they scurried upward with unnerving precision.


    This time, the pain was immediate.


    The bugs didn''t waste time burrowing—they sank their mandibles into his flesh, tearing through him with an almost mechanical efficiency.


    Blood trickled down his arms and legs, pooling at his feet. His vision blurred, dark spots dancing before his eyes as the agony threatened to overwhelm him.


    The others watched in frozen horror, unable to tear their eyes away from the grotesque spectacle.


    Donovan clenched his fists, his knuckles white. Miriam had tears streaming down her face, her body trembling as she bit her lip to keep from crying out.


    Theran and Mikhail exchanged desperate nces, their own fear mirrored in each other''s eyes.


    Find your next adventure on empire


    But none of them moved. They couldn''t. Lyerin''s presence was suffocating, his power an invisible chain that bound them in ce.


    "You''re still standing," Lyerin said, his voice almost admiring. "Impressive. But I wonder…" He took a step closer, his violet eyes narrowing as his smile grew sharper. "How long can youst?"


    The scarred man''s legs gave out, and he copsed to his knees. Even then, he refused to fallpletely. His hands dug into the dirt, his nails breaking as he used every ounce of his strength to keep himself from crumbling entirely.


    Lyerin crouched in front of him once more, tilting his head as though studying a fascinating new specimen. "You''re almost there," he whispered. "Just a little more. Show me what you''re made of."


    The scarred man''s body convulsed, his muscles spasming uncontrobly as the bugs continued their relentless assault. His vision darkened further, and for a moment, he thought he might finally lose consciousness.


    But then, something deep inside him red to life. A spark of defiance, buried beneathyers of pain and exhaustion, ignited. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms until they drew blood. With a guttural roar, he forced himself back onto his feet, swaying unsteadily but upright nheless.


    Lyerin''s eyes widened in genuine surprise, his grin faltering for the briefest of moments before returning with renewed vigor. "Now that is what I like to see," he said, pping once more. "Bravo, my scarred little insect. Bravo."


    The scarred man red at him, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. "You… won''t break me," he rasped, his voice raw but steady.


    Lyerinughed, a sound that echoed like shattered ss in the still night air. "Oh, my dear, I''m not trying to break you. I''m trying to build you. After all, what''s the fun in a broken toy?"


    He stepped back, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he gestured for the bugs to retreat. They obeyed immediately, scuttling away and disappearing into the shadows as though they had never been there at all.


    The scarred man swayed on his feet but didn''t fall. He stood tall, battered and bloodied but unbroken.


    And for the first time, Lyerin''s smile softened. Just slightly. "Well done," he said, his voice quieter now. "You''ve proven yourself to be… marginally interesting."


    He turned to the others, his smile widening once more. "And I repeat, what about the rest of you? Do you have the same fire? Or are you content to let your friend do all the work?"


    The others didn''t answer, their fear holding them captive. But in their silence, a new determination began to take root. They couldn''t let the scarred man''s suffering be in vain.


    They had to fight.


    The scarred man stood there, swaying on the edge of copse. His body was a battlefield of raw flesh and blood, his breath shallow and broken.


    Yet, somehow, impossibly, he remained upright. His fists trembled at his sides, his battered form defying all reason.


    For a moment, he was silent, his head tilted forward as though in prayer or surrender.


    Lyerin tilted his head, watching the man with a mixture of fascination and mockery. "Still standing, are we? Such resilience," he said, his voice dripping with theatrical awe. He pped slowly, the sound echoing in the still air. "But you must realize by now... even the strongest me eventually burns out."


    The others watched in tense silence, their faces pale and etched with horror. They wanted to move, to rush to the scarred man''s side, but fear anchored them in ce.


    Their breaths came shallow, their hearts pounding as they exchanged uncertain nces.


    The scarred man slowly lifted his head. His eyes, though dim and ssy, locked onto Lyerin''s with a glint of defiance that hadn''t yet been extinguished.


    His lips parted as though he meant to speak, but no words came. Instead, a low, gurgling breath escaped him, the sound wet and unnatural.


    And then, his legs buckled.


    For a moment, it looked as though he might catch himself, but the strength in his limbs was gone. He crumpled to the ground in a heap, his body slumping unnaturally. His arms fell limp at his sides, his head lolling forward.


    "Scarred man!" the younger woman screamed, her voice breaking as she took a faltering step forward.


    But there was no response. No flicker of movement, no strained breath. The scarred man was still. Too still.


    Lyerin''s smile faded slightly, his brows raising in mock surprise.


    He stepped closer, his boots crunching against the dirt, and crouched beside the fallen man. His fingers reached out, lifting the man''s chin with an almost delicate touch.


    The scarred man''s head lolled backward, revealing blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were open, staring at nothing.


    Lyerin''s lips curled into a faint smirk. "Ah," he murmured, his voice low and amused. "So, the fire finally snuffed itself out. How... anticlimactic."


    The younger woman dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She clenched her fists, trembling with grief and fury as she red up at Lyerin. "You killed him!" she spat, her voice shaking.


    Lyerin chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh no, my dear. He killed himself. I merely gave him the stage to prove himself—or to fail. And fail he did." He leaned in closer to the lifeless body, tilting his head as though examining a broken toy.


    "A shame, really. I was just starting to enjoy him."


    The others couldn''t move. They stared at the scarred man''s lifeless form, their minds racing, their emotions in turmoil. The pain, the exhaustion, the hopelessness—it all crashed down on them like a tidal wave.


    "Shall we have a moment of silence?" Lyerin said, his voice dripping with mock sincerity. He stood and dusted off his hands, gesturing toward the body. "Or perhaps we should move on. After all, there''s no point in dwelling on the dead, is there?"


    Donovan clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists as he forced himself to stand. "You... you''ll pay for this," he growled, his voice low and trembling with suppressed rage.


    Lyerinughed, the sound cold and echoing in the deste air. "Oh, Donovan," he said, his tone mocking. "You speak as though you''re in a position to make threats. But look at you." He gestured to the group with a sweeping motion, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You''re broken. You''re powerless. You''re nothing but a collection of shattered insects clinging to life by a thread."


    The younger woman rose to her feet, her tears drying as anger took hold. She stepped forward, her eyes burning with a newfound determination. "He stood up to you," she said, her voice steady despite the tremble in her limbs. "He fought until hisst breath. And so will we."


    Lyerin arched a brow, his smirk deepening. "Is that so?" he said, his tone light and mocking. "Well then, my dear, by all means… show me."


    The group exchanged nces, their grief and anger coalescing into something stronger. The scarred man''s sacrifice wasn''t in vain. It couldn''t be. They wouldn''t let it be.


    Lyerin stepped back, spreading his arms wide as though inviting their attack. "Come then," he said, his voice a low, dangerous purr. "Let''s see if any of you can manage to entertain me as he did."