After deciding on the portion of wall we would work on first, we set off to the mess hall to get some food. I could feel the subtle tension as we walked through the door. There were two clear groups of people sitting separately. Those in the full armour were clearly the Wallowhackers, and the ones in leather armour were the conscripts. Although there was joking and conversations happening on both sides, I could see from the way some of the conscripts tensed randomly and scanned the room that they weren't at ease. It wasn't yet to the point I thought it would explode but I also knew it wasn't a place me and Tom should be.

"We should get our food and go," Tom whispered to me, having noticed the same signs I had. "There's a pecking order here and we're at the bottom. With how tense things are, that means we'll be the one they turn to when things are boiling over."

"Yeah, let's be quick. I don't want to be the poor bloke that gets bullied for the group's entertainment. Not with how viscous these pricks are gonna be."

We left as soon as we got our bowls of slop. Spinning the spoon around was like mixing mortar, and when I pulled it out, I wasn't able to discern any vegetable or meat. The server had called it stew but it wasn't like any stew I'd ever had.

"Where should we go? I don't fancy eating in those miserable cells," I said to Tom as we walked.

"Let's head back to the walls, we're less likely to be bothered there."

"Are there not any quiet spots about?" I asked as I looked around, doing my best to think of a quiet nook we could eat in peace.

Tom shook his head. "It's not a good idea even if we'd seen one. If anyone was to spot us, they'd think we were up to something."

"Eating on the job it is then," I grumbled, mixing my "food" to see if anything happened.

Although the food was absolutely miserable—honestly, the worst thing I've ever eaten—the view more than made up for it. Looking out across the Demon's Bane field, with the Fracture glowing ominously in the background, was a sight I knew I'd remember for the rest of my life. Beautiful didn't quite cover it. There was something haunting and otherworldly about the contrast between the deadly flowers and the bleeding light spilling from the sky. It made the task of forcing down the sludge vaguely tolerable, almost as though the scenery demanded a moment of quiet endurance. A visage of death manifested so sublimely that it pulled almost all of my attention. It was almost a shame when the last spoonful was gone and we had to get back to work.

"Right," I said, nudging a loose block of stone with my boot, "what do you reckon? Should we tear this section down and try to rebuild it before bed?"

The mortar had all but crumbled into dust, and the stones themselves looked like they'd turn to gravel if you stared at them too hard. It was as good a place as any to start given the rest of what we had to choose from.

Tom peered up at the slowly descending sun. "It'll be a push to get all that done before nightfall."

I shrugged. "I don't mind working into the night if you don't. Not like we've got anything better to do."

That was true enough, but it wasn't the full reason. I wanted to see how the guards reacted to us working after hours. With me no longer needing sleep, it wasn't something that would be an issue, and if I could set a habit of late-night labour, maybe it would make any future movements less suspicious. Build a routine, then break it just enough to slip away unnoticed.

Tom gave a reluctant nod. "I suppose you're right. Let's grab the fresh blocks now though. I don't want to be wandering around in the dark. Never know what kind of accidents might happen out here."

His tone suggested he wasn't just talking about loose footing or bad visibility. I nodded in agreement, and we made our way to the supply area we'd been shown earlier. It was set right in the middle of the courtyard, a position clearly chosen so no matter which part of the wall you were working on, it wouldn't be too much of a trek to collect what you needed. That was a bit of planning I appreciated, because transporting the stone blocks was a nightmare. We had wheelbarrows, sure, but even getting the stones into them was a struggle. If we would have had to go an even further distance to pick them up, it would have caused a host of issues. The only other thing that made the task remotely manageable was the fact that the blocks had already been cut to size. If they hadn't been, I wasn't sure we'd have finished even one section of the wall.

As we had discussed, we ended up working deep into the night. It was simple but effortful work due to the repetitive heavy lifting involved. My new physique did wonders for my abilities though and when Tom began to flag, I was able to pick up his slack. Though I didn't do anywhere near as much as I could through fear of tipping him off about my abilities. Instead, I made sure we finished at the last possible second to make it look like a struggle.

"We've cut that close," Tom said as he wiped his brow. "Thought we'd be working through the night for a moment there."

"Yeah, tough wasn't it. Ah well, at least it's done now. Besides, I bet we'll have a great sleep," I replied, doing my best to sound exhausted.

"As if we could have a great sleep in that cell," Tom scoffed as we made our way back.

My eyes were peeled as we moved. I was doing my best to take in everything, especially the volume and number of patrolling guards. The place was still a lot busier than I liked but that was to be expected in a fort. The good news was that each patrol seemed to hold onto a lit torch, meaning they were visible at all times and therefore easier to dodge. As I was starting to feel confident, a shadow popped out of the wall.

"You're up late," it whispered.

Both Tom and I flinched, startled out of our skin. My heart punched against my ribs as I instinctively jumped back.

"Fuck!" I shouted before I could catch myself, my voice echoing off the stone.

"Oops," the voice cooed, dripping with false innocence. "Did I scare you?"

He stepped forward into the torchlight, and I immediately wished he hadn't. It was Sebastian. Of course it was Sebastian.

"I hope I didn't," he said with a pleasant smile that made my skin crawl. "I'd hate for you to be afraid of little old me."

"N-no, S-Sebastian. W-we—" Tom stammered beside me, his voice cracking like a dry twig.

"Hmm?" Sebastian tilted his head mockingly, cupping a hand to his ear. "What was that? I couldn't quite make it out."

I didn't like where this was going. Tom was trembling beside me, and I had no doubt Sebastian could smell fear like a wolf. The more Tom shook, the more I knew this would end badly unless I intervened. I stepped forward hoping to end the interaction quickly..

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"We've just finish—"

But that was as far as I got. One moment I was speaking, and the next, I was slammed against the wall. The breath burst from my lungs. Sebastian's hand pressed against my chest like a vice, and I couldn't move. Not an inch. The wall felt less solid than him. His strength was freakish. More so even than Billy's and I was instantly convinced he was a mage. There was no way a man with his build would be able to throw me about that quickly without having some sort of power.

"I wasn't talking to you," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. His face was so close to me that his breath ghosted across my skin as his eyes bored into mine. For a terrible moment, I was frozen beneath his stare, unable to move or breathe. Then he released me, casually, as if discarding a worthless object, and turned his attention back to Tom.

Tom visibly flinched under Sebastian's gaze, his shoulders hunching defensively, eyes darting toward the ground. He looked smaller than I'd ever seen him—utterly diminished, and afraid.

"W-we were jus-just working," Tom stammered. His voice broke halfway through, trailing off weakly, eyes squeezed tightly shut as if bracing himself for a blow he couldn't bear to watch. Seeing him like this was shocking; Tom had never seemed tough and resilient, but to witness him unravel so completely, so quickly, filled me with a sickening dread. It was clear to me now there was far more to his fear than what I knew and I wondered what Tom had encountered that made him react this way. But those answers would have to wait; survival was the only priority now.

"'Jus-just working,'" Sebastian mocked, exaggerating Tom's fearful stutter. He tilted his head curiously, eyes alight with cruel amusement. "Tell me, Tom, what inspired this sudden burst of diligence? What could be so important that you'd work long after everyone else had gone to sleep?"

Tom swallowed thickly, visibly trembling beneath Sebastian's scrutiny. "There's a-a lot to get d-done," he forced out, voice barely louder than a whisper. "W-we wanted to m-make sure it g-got finished in t-time."

Sebastian's smile widened, a predatory gleam in his eyes. He was enjoying this, taking perverse pleasure from Tom's suffering. It chilled me to the bone, seeing the wicked delight Sebastian took in Tom's terror. Desperately, I scanned the surrounding shadows for any way out, any distraction that could help us escape from the situation we'd found ourselves in. But there was nothing there. No way to extradite us from the monster's grip. We just had to see it out and hope for the best.

Sebastian took a slow, deliberate step forward and placed a hand gently—almost tenderly—on Tom's shoulder. Tom froze completely, every muscle tensed as if awaiting execution.

"Look at you shaking. You're so scared," Sebastian murmured softly, feigning empathy even as his voice dripped with malicious glee. "But remind me, what was your name again?"

Tom's eyes widened in panic, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. It was obvious his mind was racing, desperately trying to calculate what would come from revealing more of himself to Sebastian. He was already trapped, and it was clear that no matter what he said, the damage was done now that Sebastian had taken an interest in him.

"Tom," he whispered hoarsely, as though saying it softly might lessen the threat hanging over him.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow mockingly, leaning even closer, his smile sickly sweet. "Hmm? I didn't quite catch that. You'll have to speak up."

Tom cleared his throat, forcing the words out louder this time. "Tom."

"Tom," Sebastian repeated slowly, savoring the name like a wolf savoring its prey's fear. "Do you have a family name, Tom?" His voice was soft, almost encouraging, but beneath that gentle veneer lay unmistakable danger.

Tom hesitated, panic clouding his face as he clearly weighed his options. But there were no good outcomes. Sebastian's stare intensified, the threat implicit in his silence heavy enough to suffocate.

"Y-yeah," Tom finally choked out, voice barely audible.

Sebastian feigned patience, raising an expectant eyebrow. "Well? Let's hear it, then." He gave a cruel little chuckle, pretending as though they were future friends exchanging pleasantries. "We can't have a proper introduction without knowing each other's full names, can we? Unless…" He let the word hang ominously in the air. "Unless you're trying to be rude, Tom. You wouldn't be rude to me now, would you? Surely, you're happy to share your family name."

The air thickened with Sebastian's threat, oppressive enough that it felt tangible. Tom looked like a hunted animal, eyes wide, mouth trembling as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. His voice cracked as he spoke, desperation making it raw and pleading.

"No, sir. I'd never want to be rude. Please—Tom Lynch, that's my name," he gasped, his voice strained by the effort not to break entirely. Tears began to spill down his cheeks, glittering dimly in the torchlight. "Please don't hurt me, sir. I swear to you, we were just working. W-we weren't up to anything, I promise."

"You're pathetic, aren't you?" Sebastian whispered softly, his voice filled with pleasure. "Look at you, trembling. I thought prisoners from the Dungeons of Achrane were supposed to be hardened criminals. But look at yourself, Tom Lynch, cowering before me like a frightened little lamb."

Sebastian closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, savoring the moment as though breathing in the very essence of Tom's terror. "I can practically smell your fear," he continued, pulling his lips inward with twisted pleasure. "Tell me, are you always this pitiful?"

Tom flinched, shrinking even further as his eyes filled with desperate tears. He didn't dare answer, merely standing there, trembling uncontrollably, utterly terrified.

Standing there watching, I couldn't believe how much of a freak this guy was. I felt bad for Tom but at the same time, I was glad it wasn't me getting that treatment. It was as though he was turned on by the fear Tom was showing. If I wasn't doing my best to blend into the wall, I might have risked a peek at his crotch to confirm my suspicions. Billy had said the guy was a monster but this was way beyond my expectations. A chill went through me as I thought about the amount of victims this one man must have.

"Answer me when I speak to you," Sebastian suddenly growled, leaning in even closer to Tom's tear-streaked face.

"N-no," Tom responded, openly sobbing now. "Please don't hurt me."

Sebastian pulled back, clearly pleased with Tom's reaction.

"N-no," Tom finally gasped, openly sobbing now, his voice breaking entirely. "Please…please don't hurt me."

Sebastian pulled back, clearly delighted with Tom's anguished response. "So, it's just for me then? How wonderfully invigorating." He smiled, disturbingly gentle, as he reached out a finger and traced a tear down Tom's cheek. "Now, now, Tom," Sebastian murmured, mockingly comforting. "No need for the waterworks. A man of your age and experience should surely know better."

He paused for a moment, savoring the desperate confusion etched into Tom's face, before abruptly stepping back. "Off you go, then."

Tom, who had been staring fixedly at the ground, jerked in startled confusion. "W-what?"

"Off. You. Go. Then," Sebastian repeated slowly, enunciating each word with chilling clarity. "You were heading to bed, weren't you? Go on, then."

Tom glanced over to me, eyes wide with uncertainty, as if hoping I could somehow explain this sudden reprieve. But I was just as bewildered, my heart hammering painfully against my chest. Tom finally turned back toward Sebastian, visibly shaking as he spoke again. "You're…you're just letting me go?"

Sebastian tilted his head slightly, feigning innocent confusion. "Why, of course," he purred, as though shocked by Tom's doubt. "You've been working so diligently, after all. You deserve your rest. Wouldn't want you burning out too quickly now, would we?"

A cruel, malicious smile crept across Sebastian's lips, his true intentions crystal clear. Tom was nowhere near free—he was merely being allowed a brief reprieve. Sebastian intended to savor this torment for as long as possible. The revelation caused my mind to flash back to a memory of a cat I'd once watched toying mercilessly with a snake, batting it about with casual cruelty, prolonging the creature's suffering solely for its own amusement. Sebastian was exactly like that cat, intent on savoring every agonized struggle Tom would endure.

Not wanting to throw away this opportunity, I immediately got my feet moving towards the cells where we would be sleeping. The mismatched footsteps coming from behind told me that Tom was following along as quickly as he could. Just as we were about to turn a corner Sebastian called out.

"Oh and Tom?"

I felt Tom freeze up behind me, his breath caught.

"Yeah?"

"I think we're going to have some fun together."

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