Third Person POV
As the faint light of dawn crept through the dingy, barred windows of the damp underground lair, painting the walls in shades of gray that did nothing to diminish the oppressive atmosphere, the reality of the situation became clear.
The kidnapped children, Riyan and Raven, had managed to break free from their confinement during the darkest hours of night.
The kidnapper—a towering figure whose very presence seemed to radiate menace—lay sprawled on a creaky, metal-framed bed in one of the adjacent rooms. His rugged, battle-scarred face was twisted in a mixture of pain and exhaustion, lines etched deep by years of violence and the fresh agony of recent injuries. His muscular arms, adorned with crude homemade tattoos that spoke of a violent past, were wrapped in layers of dirty, blood-stained bandages—a testament to the ferocity of the struggle he had endured with the Descartes guard before finally killing the man.
The air in the room was heavy with the stench of sweat, fear, and desperation—scents that had become so familiar in his line of work that he barely noticed them anymore.
Despite his injuries, the kidnapper's cunning mind still functioned with calculated precision, even through the fog of pain and exhaustion. He had carefully tended to his wounds throughout the night, using his knowledge of dark magic and emergency medical techniques to stem the bleeding and accelerate the healing process just enough to remain functional.
However, in his haste and fatigue, driven by the desperate need to treat potentially fatal injuries before unconsciousness claimed him, he had overlooked a crucial detail—the mana seal that should have been placed on Riyan and Raven to prevent them from using their abilities to escape. The seal, which required concentration and energy he simply hadn't possessed in his injured state, had been neglected entirely.
That oversight had left the children free to exploit the opportunity his exhaustion had provided.
As the kidnapper slowly stirred from his fitful, pain-wracked slumber, a sense of unease settled in the pit of his stomach—that instinctive warning that something had gone terribly wrong. He tossed aside the tattered gray blanket that covered him, revealing a torso that was a canvas of bruises and lacerations, some fresh, others from previous jobs that had never fully healed.
With a grunt of pain that he couldn't quite suppress, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his eyes scanning the dimly lit room with a mixture of paranoia and growing urgency. Every movement sent fresh spikes of agony through his injured body, but he forced himself to focus past the pain.
His gaze fell upon the door that led to Riyan and Raven's confinement, and his heart skipped a beat as he noticed something that made his blood run cold.
A gaping hole, roughly torn through the metal door—burned through, judging by the scorch marks and melted edges.
Fire magic. The Asura Prince's work.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, temporarily overriding the pain and exhaustion. He sprang into action with movements that were swift despite his injuries, silent despite his size—skills honed through years of working in the shadows.
He burst through the damaged door, his eyes scouring the small confinement room for any sign of the children, knowing even before he completed his search what he would find.
Empty.
The space was completely empty, the only indication of their previous presence being the faint scent of sweat and fear that lingered in the stale air, and the severed ropes that had bound them lying discarded on the floor.
The kidnapper's face twisted into a snarl of rage and fear—rage at the children for escaping, but more importantly, fear of what his failure would mean when he had to report it to his Lord.
He'd been given one simple task: capture the demon-blooded girl and bring her back for experimentation. Instead, he'd lost his partner, gotten himself seriously injured, made the catastrophic mistake of taking the Asura Prince as a hostage, and now had lost both targets entirely.
His Lord would not be merciful about this level of failure.
Just as he was about to launch a frantic search of the entire lair, knowing even as he did so that it was probably futile—they'd had hours to get away—a shrill, electronic ringtone pierced the air, shattering the tense silence like a hammer through glass.
"Ring...!"
The sound sent ice through his veins. He knew that ringtone. Had programmed it specifically so he would always know when *that particular caller* was contacting him.
The kidnapper's hand instinctively reached for the phone in his pocket, his fingers closing around it with a grip that was almost desperate. He extracted the device with trembling hands, his eyes flicking to the screen where a single phrase glared back at him with the promise of judgment:
**"Call from Lord..."**
The kidnapper's heart sank like a stone in dark water, his mind racing with the implications of that simple, yet utterly ominous message. He knew with absolute certainty that he was in grave danger, that his failure to contain the children—his failure to complete even the most basic aspects of his mission—would be met with swift and merciless retribution.
The Nexus Organization did not tolerate failure. Ever.
The ringtone continued to echo through the empty lair, each repetition a haunting reminder that time was running out, that the consequences of his failure would be dire, that his life was probably measured in hours now rather than days or years.
"Ring...!"
His thumb hovered over the answer button, paralyzed by fear of what would come next.
"Ring...!"
But not answering would be worse. Far worse. At least if he answered, he could try to explain, to promise he would fix this, to beg for one more chance.
With a deep breath that did nothing to calm his racing heart, he pressed the button and lifted the phone to his ear.
Whatever came next, there was no avoiding it now.
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**Author's Note:**
This chapter set up the final confrontation and show both the children's terror and the kidnapper's growing desperation as everything spirals out of control.
**Reader Discussion:** How should I handle the final confrontation? Should it be:
A) Mostly from the children's perspective as they fight for survival
B) Split between multiple POVs including the kidnapper
C) Show the rescue team's perspective as well
D) Focus entirely on Raven's experience and emotional state
Vote in comments!
**Next Chapter Preview:** Part 6 will show the phone call between the kidnapper and his mysterious Lord, revealing more about the Nexus Organization's goals and the consequences of this failed mission.
Thank you for reading! Power stones and comments keep me motivated!
*- Your Author*