64- PROMISES OF WRATH

BLAISE

Erick's cries pierced the air as I approached the winery's entrance. Apathetic to his pain, the guards bowed deeply, granting me passage through the imposing doors. Inside, Erick was a battered shell of a man, restrained to a chair. His body was a canvas of torture, painted with blood and marred by the lashes he had endured. His left eye was swollen shut, and blood seeped from his wounded fingers, staining the floor beneath him. Clad only in his shorts, the scars and welts on his skin told a story of relentless punishment. I observed him coldly before shifting my gaze to Leo, who stood in the shadows, overseeing the warriors as they dealt their harsh punishment.

"What has he confessed?" I inquired of Leo.

Leo shrugged, a sombre expression on his face. "Nothing. His loyalty to his master runs deeper than we anticipated."

A heaviness settled in my chest. Betrayal seemed to haunt me, even when my intentions had always been good. While Erick's betrayal didn't c