Harem app-Chapter 245: Terrible place part 2

First person POV - Liam

I kept moving through the damp, rusted corridors, the stench of death growing stronger with every step. Then, turning to the right, I found the first row of cells. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

My heart sank. Huddled on the filthy ground were dogs, or rather, what was left of them.

Some gnawed on old bones, others barely moved, their frail bodies shivering from hunger and cold.

Their hollow, desperate eyes fixed on me as if begging for help. It was clear they hadn’t been fed in a very long time.

My chest tightened, but I had nothing to give those poor creatures at that moment. Still, I swore to myself I would rescue them from this place.

To make matters worse, in the corner of the cell lay three mutilated carcasses, dogs stabbed to death and discarded without a shred of dignity.

Dried blood still stained the stones, and a knot formed in my throat.

I pressed on, breathing deeply so I wouldn’t lose control of the illusion. I had to find Clara above all else.

"Calm down... calm down..." I whispered to myself.

A few meters ahead, I came upon an even more brutal scene. Two girls were bound to massive iron crosses, their bodies stretched to the very limits of pain.

Their wrists were tied so tightly the skin had split open, fresh blood seeping from the wounds. One bore the searing mark of a hot iron on her thigh; the other had a strange carving etched with a knife into the center of her abdomen.

They no longer screamed. They only trembled, breathing weakly, as though they had already accepted their fate.

My blood ran cold. I wanted to rush to them, to set them free, but I knew a single mistake could ruin everything.

So instead, I deepened the dream, allowing them, if only for a few seconds, to believe they were free, lying upon a soft, gentle bed.

And then, finally, I reached what seemed to be the last cell. Inside, almost swallowed by the darkness, was Clara. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were dirty, but she seemed to be in much better shape than the others.

And she wasn’t alone, curled up, was Laila: the little cat I had left under her care. The poor feline meowed weakly, thin but still alive. Clara held her against her chest as if she were her last source of hope.

My eyes burned, and for an instant I had to hold myself back from letting rage explode and shatter the entire illusion. Before anything else, I needed to find the key to save that woman from this hell. I would not allow Clara to suffer there for even one more second.

"What are you doing here?" The question came with a surge of deep pain, carried by a harsh voice that echoed behind me.

A chill ran down my spine before I even realized what had happened. Then I looked down and saw the blade protruding from my abdomen, dyed red with my hot blood.

I gasped, air caught in my throat. It was hard to stay conscious, but I staggered back, trying to take a fighting stance.

"What are you doing here?" the voice echoed again, harsh, filled with contempt, almost inhuman.

Only then did I force myself to see his face.

He was a tall, thin man, with black, unkempt hair falling over his shoulders. But his eyes were dark, cold, as if there was no life in them.

His clothes were torn and stained, as if they hadn’t been changed in months. A bitter stench of rust and decay emanated from him.

I stepped back, trying to activate my power, to force his mind into the dream, like all the others. But nothing happened. For some reason, he was immune.

"You’re the one who created this place...?" I asked, my body filling with hatred.

He smiled, showing his yellowed teeth. A humorless smile, full of malice.

"Yes, I was the one who created this paradise," he said with an animated tone, and then lunged at me.

His predatory gaze locked onto me. There was no hesitation in his movements.

He drew another blade from his hip and, in an instant, he was already right in front of me.

He charged at me with the blade raised. I reacted on instinct, throwing myself to the left to dodge the strike, but the blade still tore through my flesh superficially, leaving a hot sting that spread across my body.

I staggered, weakness flooding me. My vision began to blur, but I couldn’t give in.

Clenching my teeth, I lunged forward, trying to land a punch on his chest. He dodged with ease, almost mocking my sluggishness, and drove his knee into my stomach.

The impact ripped the air from my lungs. I fell to my knees, coughing blood, as he raised the blade for the final blow.

"You’re nothing but an intruder," he said, his voice reverberating through the place.

I could already feel the shadow of death closing in. The world seemed to fade into a blur of red and black.

But before the blade came down, a shadow appeared out of nowhere.

"Let him go, bastard!" Zoe’s voice.

She burst in with a swift movement, delivering a sharp kick straight to the man’s torso, the impact echoing through the corridor. For a moment, I thought she had succeeded.

But he merely raised his arm, blocking the strike as if it were nothing but child’s play. His eyes lit up with cruel amusement.

With a sudden, brutal move, he seized Zoe’s leg and twisted it, throwing her off balance. Before she could react, he spun and delivered a devastating kick at her.

Zoe, skilled as she was, managed to block the attack with her arm. Still, the sharp crack of bones snapping filled the air.

"AAAAAH!" Zoe screamed, collapsing to the floor, writhing in pain, her arm dangling unnaturally.

The man looked down at her, a macabre smile spreading across his lips.

"Impressive... I didn’t think you’d survive."

Even half-fading, I felt my blood boil.

And then, everything went white.