Slowly, the five intruders moved through the darkness as quietly as they could.
They were already on high alert because the heavy metal that was supposed to stand between them and their targets was already wide open.
As they stepped closer, the room came into view and neither Xaryus nor Zadius could be found.
Shocked, they began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Where are they!?"
"Is this just a sick joke?"
"Can't we just leave, I don't wanna do this?"
"Run away if you want, I'm not risking my life."
"Andrew said it would be an easy j-"
The apparent leader of the intruders was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
There was a swift whistle, then the sound of liquid splattering across the floor.
An instant later, the intruders watched as their leader fell to the ground, his head rolling to the feet of another figure.
"So, he did send you." Zadius' voice sounded from the darkness.
The four remaining figures were utterly shocked, their jaws ajar and terror filling their eyes.
Watching fear fill their bodies, Zadius stepped out of the embrace of the shades nestled in the chamber.
He held two long daggers in his hands, the one in his left covered in a layer of warm blood. His gaze was sharp and filled with indignation.
"I'm not surprised, seeing as how Andrew went to so much trouble to set the stage." Zadius thought, observing how much the chamber had changed whilst they were in their room.
All of Andrew's belongings were long gone and he was nowhere in sight.
Now, it was only them and the intruders, and it was obvious what Andrew wanted them to do.
Zadius closed his eyes for a moment before raising both his daggers.
"I'm so tired of this…"
Quickly, two of the remaining intruders rushed towards Zadius swinging their weapons at him recklessly.
Neither of them landed a proper attack, Zadius easily parried the first attack, grabbing the young man by his collar.
He shifted his weight and pushed his hips into the man, throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him into the hard stone floor.
The blow shook the second attacker; he wondered if his friend could even survive something like that.
"I can't worry about him now, I could be next!" he screamed inwardly, raising his sword and dropping it unto Zadius with all his might.
Just before his blade could bite into Zadius' flesh, the sound of metal rang out in the chamber.
The intruder's blade was repelled by an iron short sword, and standing between them was a young boy with short black hair and yellow glowing eyes.
Grimacing, the attack reeled back for a moment and erupted, "What are you doing! They're awakened; we have to fight together!" His words directed at two people behind him.
Seemingly brought back from their shock, the last two intruders entered the fray, but they were no match for Xaryus and Zadius.
The boon of strength Zadius gained from his [Kin of Shadows] ability was beyond their capabilities.
On the other hand, Xaryus' boon to strength was much more noticeable.
Spite Ability: [Solaris]
Spite Description: You are a vibrant star destined to suffer endlessly to save others, however, Law cries out at your suffering and eases that pain with a blessing; As a blade and an emissary of light, your body has been made to harness powerful energies.
Using [Solaris] by chanting the abilities name, Xaryus was able to harness a powerful swath of light like energy. It could be used to further enhance himself and even coat weapons in a searing light.
The former of the two altered the state of his eyes, giving them a bright yellow glow.
In just a few moments, the chamber beneath the quiet city of Rosa was littered with bodies and blood.
Standing above them were two young boys that had killed another person for the first time.
Something that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
***
Throughout the fourth year of Xaryus and Zadius' imprisonment, Andrew had sent numerous individuals he deemed criminals down into the hidden chambers beneath Rosa.
Each time they were sent, they did not return.
Xaryus and Zadius had become Andrew's primary method of tying loose ends.
The purpose of such an unnecessary method was intended to develop Xaryus and Zadius' combat experience.
Although none of their targets were as strong as Andrew, he would never allow them to be hurt severely. Unless by his own hand.
Many awakened 'criminals' that were sent down into the chamber were injured beforehand to even the playing field. Andrew could not let them damage his prized possessions after all.
But none of those specifics mattered to the men that were fighting for their lives below the bustling city.
After each man was slain, the brothers slowly grew sharper, but their minds broke further and further. They struggled to maintain the sense of morality their parents engrained on their hearts.
What they experienced in the past year had quickly consumed what little normality they had left.
And once again, as they had begun to get accustomed to the vile circumstances of their life, it changed once again.
Coming to the end of the fifth year, the constant battles came to a halt. Andrew had returned to the brothers, this time carrying an unconscious individual.
His sudden appearance was surprising to say the least.
Over the last year, Xaryus and Zadius could count the number of times they had seen Andrew in person with one hand.
And now, he showed his face once more, this time with a man draped over his shoulder.
Between the two, Xaryus' emotions were much more complex.
The time he and his brother had spent with Andrew seriously affected them, much deeper than they could know.
Xaryus was furious, but not at the fact that Andrew had returned. He was angry at the fact that he was happy to see Andrew again.
Deep down, Xaryus missed him.
For the next six months, Andrew began to teach the brothers the art of torture and how to endure it themselves.
Day in, day out, their minds were clouded with pain, sorrow and pity.
Andrew taught them the despair one could feel when trapped with no way to escape their pain. He also taught them how to inflict that despair onto others, breaking men down both mentally and physically.
Strangely, Xaryus enjoyed the six months he spent with Andrew.
However, he would never express that fact, he hated the thought of having anything in common with Andrew and feared what Zadius would think of him.