My world-tree system-Chapter 91 - 90: The return of the dwarf king

Thorgrim advanced slowly, but with determination, gradually penetrating the dense, silent forest. Behind him, Vollua gradually disappeared, swallowed up by the thick foliage and heavy fog. His heavy armor weighed heavily on his shoulders, but this was nothing compared to the crushing burden oppressing his heart.

He advanced in silence, each step taking him further away from the reassuring warmth of Vollua and back to the icy chaos he had fled. But he had no regrets. He knew it was the only way to end the suffering of his people. With a grim, resigned expression on his face, he didn’t stop once, continuing on his way despite his fatigue, despite the throbbing pain in his chest.

Soon, Thorgrim reached the dark confines of the forest, the exact spot where he and Foster had fled only a few days ago. Before him, towering and menacing, stood the black, gnarled tree he knew all too well: the silent guardian of the tunnels leading to Eldorim.

Thorgrim slowly placed a powerful hand on the dark, rough bark. The tree quivered gently beneath his fingers, recognizing his blood, his essence. Slowly, its roots quivered and spread apart, forming a narrow passage that plunged straight into the deep darkness.

He breathed in deeply, letting out one last glance at the overcast sky, aware that this might be the last ray of sunlight he would ever see. Then he sank into the darkness.

The underground tunnels were cold, damp and bathed in absolute silence, disturbed only by his own ragged breathing and heavy footsteps echoing against the stone. The smell of mold and damp earth filled his nostrils, awakening painful memories of the day when everything had changed. Yet he continued without hesitation, guided by an unyielding resolve.

The tunnels gradually became more familiar, the carved stone walls revealing Eldorim’s former grandeur, now reduced to a living nightmare. Soon, the first glimmers of torchlight appeared in the distance, casting twisted, menacing shadows on the walls.

Thorgrim instinctively tightened his powerful fists, advancing with heavy, determined steps towards the main entrance to his ravaged city.

When he finally entered the immense hall, once a festive and joyous gathering place, his heart missed a beat. The place was unrecognizable: the walls were blackened by smoke, stained with dried blood, marked with brutal scratches. The smell of death, terror and despair hung heavy in the air.

In the center of the room, several dwarves were chained together, lined up in a row, miserable and covered in wounds, their faces pale and marked by unspeakable terror. As soon as their eyes fell on him, their expressions changed from utter despair to heartrending horror.

- No..." breathed one of them, his voice broken by pain and despair. What have you done, my king?

Thorgrim clenched his talons, his heart broken by the sight of his subjects thus martyred.

- I did what I had to," he replied, his voice firm despite the crushing sadness he felt. I won’t abandon you again. Never again.

At that very moment, a crystal-clear laugh, laden with a madness unmistakable anywhere, instantly echoed through the great hall, instantly freezing Thorgrim’s blood. Slowly, emerging from the shadows with morbid grace, Joker appeared, a wide, unhealthy grin lighting up his youthful, perverse face.

- Ah, here’s our precious king!" he exclaimed joyfully. What generosity, what nobility! To come and give himself up like this is truly too much honor!

He moved forward lightly, almost dancing, stopping a few steps from the dwarf king, his mauve eyes sparkling with macabre excitement.

- I knew you’d come, Thorgrim," he murmured, leaning forward slightly to gaze into the king’s wild eyes. Your ridiculously predictable sense of duty and honor have always been so easy to manipulate.

Thorgrim gave him a dark, contemptuous look, struggling to contain his rage at this abominable being who had so tortured his people.

- Free my people," he demanded in a coarse voice frozen with barely contained fury. I’m here now. You got what you wanted.

Joker burst out laughing, slowly following his head with amusement.

- Oh no, Thorgrim, I think you’ve misunderstood the rules of the game. Your presence here doesn’t mean your people are free. No, no, no... it simply means that the festivities can finally begin in earnest!

The king didn’t feel his heart ache in his chest. All around him, his subjects began to weep and plead, their pain unbearable to hear.

Joker slowly raised a hand, beckoning his shadow henchmen to slowly approach the king.

- You thought you could sacrifice yourself and solve everything at once? he continued, his lips slowly curling into a sinister smile. But your sacrifice has only just begun, dwarf king. And every cry you utter, every pain you endure, will be the sweet melody of our triumph.

Thorgrim gritted his teeth, pulling himself upright despite the threat. His face was marked by unshakeable determination, even in the face of absolute horror.

- Do what you want with me, Joker, but leave my people alone.

Joker’s smile widened, his eyes sparkling with infinite cruelty.

Thorgrim stood face to face with Joker, motionless and as straight as a rock, though his heart pounded painfully in his chest. He was determined not to give this infamous being the slightest satisfaction of seeing his fear, weakness or despair. Yet the icy chains around his wrists were a cruel reminder of his powerlessness, each link weighing heavily like a silent reproach.

Joker approached slowly, with a light, almost joyful step. He circled the dwarf king with unhealthy grace, a perverse smile on his lips. His mauve gaze, vibrant with dementia, scanned with delight every expression, every tiny shiver of pain or anger that might appear on Thorgrim’s face.

- Do you know what I love most of all, O noble king?" whispered Joker, tilting his head slightly towards Thorgrim, his voice full of icy satisfaction. It’s the stories... the ones we write together, in blood, in suffering, in fear...

Thorgrim didn’t move, his jaws crunching, staring at him coldly.

- You’ll get no satisfaction from me," he murmured in a voice growling with defiance.

Joker’s smile widened even more, as if this silent resistance excited him even more.

- Ah, but you’re wrong, Thorgrim," he chuckled softly. I’ve already had so much satisfaction with you... all those sacrifices you make for your people, your noble and adorable pride... It only makes the game even more delicious!

Joker suddenly stopped in front of him, his eyes shining with sadistic glee.

- You know, Kassandra was proud too, like you," he continued in an almost melodious voice, reveling in the shiver of unease he provoked by uttering that familiar name. Brave, determined... But you should see her now... Our beautiful Kassandra...

Thorgrim’s heart clenched painfully. He felt a deep, bitter anger rise up inside him like an uncontrollable black tide. Yet he remained silent, refusing to fall into the Joker’s obvious trap.

- Oh, she wasn’t always like this, of course... Joker continues, savoring every word. But since she received the mark we imposed on her... she’s become something so much more... useful. You see, Thorgrim, that mark was an experiment, a mere sketch... We’ve learned so much from it.

Thorgrim slowly clenched his fists, fighting a blinding rage that threatened to explode at any moment.

- What have you done with her?" he growled in a dull voice, his calm shattered despite himself.

Joker’s smile became almost ecstatic, his eyes twinkling with perverse pleasure.

- We did much more than simply break her, my dear king. We shaped it, transformed it... From now on, this mark is a perfect tool, a weapon perfectly submissive to our will. It obeys without hesitation, without remorse...

Joker paused dramatically, leaning a little closer to Thorgrim, his voice lowering to a sinister whisper:

- The mark we use now, we’ve perfected. We can transform any living thing into a completely different creature... a creature perfectly submissive to our will, shaped to please us, incapable of resistance... Interesting, isn’t it?

Thorgrim felt an icy sweat slowly trickle down his back, a visceral fear settling in his belly.

Suddenly, Joker snapped his fingers with a cruel smile. Two Obscurus sprang up, dragging a terrified, screaming dwarf with them, struggling vainly against their grip.

Thorgrim felt his heart break.

- Let him go!" he roared desperately, vainly trying to move forward despite the chains.

But Joker completely ignored his protests. He slowly approached the prisoner, placing a hand gently on the head of the dwarf who looked up at him with pure terror in his eyes.

- Look well, noble king," Joker murmured with an almost tender gentleness. This is your future.

With a fluid, precise gesture, Joker drew from his pocket a small, dark metal object, engraved with strange, evil symbols, pulsing with unhealthy energy. He brutally applied it to the prisoner’s chest.

The dwarf screamed instantly, a wrenching cry of unbearable pain. His muscles contracted violently, his whole body in uncontrollable spasms as the mark sank into his chair, brutally fusing with his skin.

Thorgrim too screamed, mad anger mixed with deep distress, desperately tugging at his chains as he watched helplessly as his subject suffered this unimaginable atrocity.

Before them, the transformation began apace. The dwarf collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. His skin gradually turned a dark gray, almost black. His hair turned as dark as night, his bloodshot eyes took on an unhealthy red glow, his veins showing distinctly under his now cold, hard skin.

But it was the change in her eyes that was most horrifying. His pupils became entirely black, without sparkle or life. Yet in the depths of those now inhuman eyes, Thorgrim could still clearly see the dwarf’s consciousness, mute terror, horror and utter despair as he helplessly understood that he no longer controlled his body.

The new dark dwarf slowly rose to his feet, his face impassive, expressionless. He stared at Joker emotionlessly, simply following orders.

Joker burst into delighted laughter, affectionately stroking the cold, dark cheek of his new creation.

- Isn’t it wonderful, Thorgrim?" he demanded ecstatically, turning slowly to the dwarf king, who was petrified with horror. A perfectly submissive creature, an absolute slave... But deep in his eyes, his soul screams silently, aware of every atrocity we force him to commit... Unable to fight... isn’t that a sublime irony?

Thorgrim stares at Joker, his eyes burning with indescribable hatred, a rage impossible to put into words.

- You’re a monster..." he bellows with muted anger.

Joker gives him an icy, triumphant smile.

- Oh no, Naive King. I’m much worse than a monster. I am he who breaks souls, he who steals freedom, he who shapes the chair and the mind to serve our eternal will... And soon, Thorgrim... it will be your turn.