"Shhh, my head hurts..." Cassian's first thought emerged as his consciousness began to return. His hand and body felt bound, making it hard for him to move. He tried to open his heavy eyelids, looking at his limbs. Turning his head to the side, he saw his arms raised and bound with iron chains.
"Why am I in chains?" His legs and the rest of his body were similarly restrained, making it impossible to move an inch.
He couldn't recall how he ended up here. The last thing he remembered was his second leg being cut off as his hand was nailed to a wall. Thinking about that painful memory, he looked around. His intact limbs made it feel like it hadn't happened, but the pain was too real to dismiss as a dream.
"What the fuck is happening?" he asked himself, remembering the three who tortured him for the necklace Master Russell had given him.
He looked down at his chest and saw only the black thread where the necklace had been. "Where is it?" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
He was clearly in some sort of confinement room, given the iron bars in front of him and the damp smell. The ones who confined him must be nearby. Wanting their attention, he began to shout loudly, "Where are you, fuckers? Give me back my necklace!"
As he was yelling, he suddenly heard a voice, completely devoid of emotion.
[Trainee Cassian Van Dyke, I am within you.]
"Who spoke?" Cassian asked, straining to look around but unable to move much due to the chains. He could feel the walls close on either side, and ahead of him were bars, but no one stood there—just darkness, with light streaming in from above, casting its glow upon him.
[Don't be startled. I am the warrior training system that was housed within the necklace you wore. Currently, I reside within your heart.]
This alarmed Cassian even more as he scanned his surroundings with fear. If he was correct, this could be a mage—a concept he had heard about. Mages could speak directly into one's mind. Thinking one of the three who attacked him was playing a cruel prank, he shouted, "Don't play with me... come out... give me back my necklace!"
Before the voice could respond in his mind again, he heard a door creak open. He turned towards the bars from where the sound came, squinting as the light flooded in—he hadn't seen light in a while, and it stung his eyes. Footsteps approached, more than one person. Startled, he shouted, "Who are you? Where am I? Where is my necklace?"
But he received no answer, and the footsteps halted in front of him. His vision slowly returned, but he could only keep his head down due to the chains, his eyes fixed on the person's boots. They were crafted from leather with intricate carvings, some adorned with gold. He had seen similar footwear worn by nobles in the market before.
It became clearer now that he was confined by someone of noble or wealthy status, which puzzled him further—why would such a person need a small silver necklace?
"Where am I? Who are you?" he asked again.
Still, the person did not answer directly. Instead, they commanded, "Release his chains and bring him outside." The voice was authoritative and masculine, and the accompanying men obeyed without hesitation, starting to undo his bindings as they escorted him out.
Cassian cooperated without resistance as they released him from the chains. He knew he couldn't outrun or fight them, and he still needed to retrieve his necklace. Massaging his sore wrists, he walked towards the narrow exit of the confinement.
Stepping out, he looked up at the men standing at a hill looking at what was the biggest structure Cassian had ever seen in his life, it was the dark red Castle.
"Where the fuck am I?" Cassian exclaimed inwardly, his shock palpable. He had braced himself to encounter a low-ranking noble, but the sprawling castle before him hinted at a far grander captor—the royal family themselves. Only they could command such a colossal structure that resembled more a bustling city than a mere fortress, so Cassian thought.
Turning to survey the building from which he had just emerged, Cassian noted its modest dimensions: a single-story edifice with a low ceiling, its ground floor adorned with a solitary line of doors. Despite its unimposing stature in comparison to the grandeur of the castle, Cassian's attention quickly returned to the impressive sight that lay ahead.
The soldiers who had released him now stepped into view, their presence marked by the authoritative clank of well-maintained iron armor and the comforting weight of swords at their hips. One of them, their leader, gestured curtly and said, "Walk..."
Despite their seemingly non-threatening demeanor, Cassian remained cautious. The three attackers from earlier had nearly left him for dead, so he approached the person standing a few meters away from the soldiers warily. This individual didn't wear armor like the soldiers but had a sword at their waist—a finer weapon than those carried by the armored men.
Having seen high-ranking officers who guarded the city he once lived in, Cassian recognized the attire. It was clear this person was of significant rank, likely a noble, as not all officials wore such well-crafted boots and carried such quality swords. What intrigued him more was the person's slightly dark red hair, similar to his own, sparking his curiosity.
He walked towards the person, mirroring the soldiers' approach, and stopped a short distance away. Cassian eyed the individual closely—it wasn't one of the three who had tortured him for the necklace, but there was no telling if this person had ordered the attack. He remained cautious, saying nothing. After a few moments of silent contemplation, the man finally spoke, his gaze fixed on the castle.
"I've always loved admiring it from here. Quite the view, don't you think?" he asked. Confused, Cassian nodded as the man turned towards him.
The man was handsome, with slightly almond skin and a striking facial structure that would charm any lady. But Cassian's attention was drawn to his eyes, which, like his own, were red. A connection sparked in Cassian's mind, and his guess proved correct when the man spoke again.
"Well, good for you. It's your home from now on, Cassian Van Dyke. Welcome to Scarlet Castle of the Van Dyke Duchy."