Chapter Nine: A New Threat
"Damn this desert!" Daniel growled, glancing over his shoulder.
Everything ahead of him looked like an endless yellow canvas—no hills, no rocks, nothing to block the view. When he turned back, he saw the leader's shadow drawing closer, stretching across the sand like a nightmare.
(He's getting closer… He'll reach me sooner or later.)
Suddenly, Daniel came to a halt. He took a deep breath and dismounted. With a short cry, he slapped the horse's side and jabbed its ribs, sending it galloping toward the horizon alone.
(If he follows it… maybe he'll think it's me.)
Daniel looked down at his black clothes and let out a bitter, mocking smile.
(Idiot... I'm visible even from the moon.)
He moved about two hundred meters off the horse's path, threw himself to the ground, and began burying his body in the scorching sand. He covered his clothes, smeared dust across his face. The heat was like fire, the sun ripping into his skin—but hope was stronger.
---
The leader finally arrived.
The beast he rode slowed as they neared the lone horse. The leader came to a stop, suspicion painted clearly across his face.
(No one on its back...)
He eyed the hoofprints and began following them slowly, glancing left and right as he tracked. Eventually, he grabbed the horse's reins and turned back—but not toward the palace. He followed the horse's path in reverse…
Beneath the sand, Daniel watched with difficulty. He had been observing the leader this whole time, breathing heavily, the heat scorching his skin. His heart leapt with joy when the leader first turned away—but quickly sank again as the man began to return, this time walking directly toward him.
(Impossible… how did he find me?!)
In a moment of dread, Daniel realized the harsh truth as he saw where the beast's rider was looking.
(Damn it… I left my footprints.)
In his naive attempt to escape, he'd strayed from the horse's track to avoid drawing attention with his black outfit. But he'd forgotten the most basic thing: you don't run from a man who's lived his life in the desert… leaving footprints behind.
Slowly, Daniel rose from the ground, sand cascading from his shoulders and face. There was nowhere to run.
He raised his hands as the leader approached. He didn't know if the gesture would be understood as surrender.
The leader came closer, dismounted.
Daniel tried to break the silence, forcing a faint smile.
"If I say… sorry… will you forgive me?"
The leader didn't smile.
He suddenly lunged forward—two steps—and punched Daniel hard in the gut.
Daniel's breath was stolen from him. He collapsed like a lifeless ragdoll.
The leader picked him up, slung him onto the beast's back, and muttered under his breath:
"I won't kill you."
---
He returned to the palace, his face caked in dust and sweat and exhaustion—yet showing no emotion.
Everyone had returned to the courtyard by then. His companion had arrived with Lucas—the one with the glasses—tied and defeated.
And so, Daniel's escape plan failed miserably. Not a single one of them had made it out…
---
Daniel regained consciousness sometime later—how long, he couldn't tell. He woke slowly, finding himself back in the same cell, surrounded by the same faces.
The cold stone walls. The suffocating damp. The heavy silence thick with unease…
Everything screamed that the nightmare wasn't over.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain tore through his stomach the moment he moved a muscle.
(Damn… that punch was harder than I thought.) he groaned inwardly, fighting through the pain.
Grimacing, he pulled himself upright and leaned his back against the cold stone wall. He opened his eyes to see the others staring at him—some cautious, some angry, and some with something worse.
He was the first to speak, his voice hoarse, his tone defeated:
"Looks like the plan… didn't work out."
But the response was far from merciful.
Kaoru snapped. His nerves already frayed, he exploded at Daniel without giving him a moment to recover.
"Damn you! Don't say another word! Haven't you done enough already?!"
Daniel stepped back, stunned by the outburst. He stared at the man for a moment before speaking, his voice quiet with confusion.
"Isn't this the same cell we were in before? We're lucky they didn't just kill us. Seems like money's the only thing they care about... in the end."
Before he could finish the thought, a low, eerie chuckle echoed from beyond the walls. The three men who had once drunk themselves into unconsciousness were clearly awake—and listening.
One of them moved closer to the iron bars. Daniel spotted a huge bluish bruise across his face—evidence of a brutal beating.
The man spoke in a low, menacing voice.
"After everything you did to us... we're gonna make your life a living hell. The worst is still coming. Just wait."
But Daniel didn't flinch. He stared at him coolly, then replied with sharp sarcasm.
"By the way… your buddy owes me a gold coin. Tell him I want it back."
A few muffled laughs rippled through the other cells. Apparently, some of the other prisoners had witnessed what happened earlier—and they were enjoying the show.
One of the guards sitting at the table outside the cell barked at the bruised man to get back to his seat. He obeyed, but his face was filled with confusion. He glanced toward his friend's face—something clearly troubled him—but he said nothing.
Daniel turned back to the others in the cell, scanning their faces, looking for... something.
That's when Lucas, the man with the glasses, leaned closer and whispered like he was sharing a secret.
"I heard they're planning to sell us to someone called the Madman. I don't know much, but... that name? It's infamous in the underground."
Daniel looked toward the three locals from this world to see if any of them knew more.
Karro, the huge man, seemed lost in his own world. His eyes stared at nothing, unfocused and distant.
Amado—the one with the thick mustache—was asleep, leaning against the wall, completely unconcerned.
Kaoru, still fuming, stared at Daniel with pure hatred in his eyes. It was the kind of glare that screamed blame... and something darker.
Sanjay, the chubby one, kept looking away like he didn't want to be involved. There was fear in his eyes—and hesitation.
And then there was Nikola, the silent one. Calm, withdrawn, and more distant than ever. He sat in silence, and the wall between him and the others felt thicker than before. But what shocked Daniel was the state of his clothes—soaked in blood—while his body showed no injuries at all.
What the hell happened to him?
Daniel opened his mouth, his voice sharp with fury.
"When that door opened, you walked out willingly. No one forced you. So don't act like a bunch of kids crying over spilled milk. Especially you!"
He pointed straight at Kaoru.
The man's face turned crimson. He was ready to explode again—but Amado spoke first, cutting through the tension.
"He's right. We all made our choices. But... this situation? It's a disaster."
He paused, then lowered his voice.
"The man we're being sold to? He's the most notorious criminal in the kingdom."
The whole cell fell silent.
"He doesn't care if you're a man, a woman... old, young. All his victims, from what people say, were tortured—ripped apart. Most of them were used in human experiments. Rumor has it, he's trying to fuse monster cells into human bodies… in ways that break every law of nature. If we fall into his hands… we're going to be his next lab rats."
Suddenly, loud laughter burst through the air.
One of the men outside—the ones who had been listening—mocked them in a booming voice:
"Ha! Ha ha ha! That's exactly what's gonna happen to you freaks!"