The Rogue System [BL]
Chapter 299 - Trapped

Chapter 299: Chapter 299 - Trapped

Eric’s heart pounded wildly in his chest, the beat of it syncing with the frantic thud of hooves beneath him. The world was a blur of trees and shadows, the fading light of the sun casting an eerie glow through the thick canopy. He had to keep running—he couldn’t stop. Not now. The feeling of the enemy commander’s presence was suffocating, the way his golden eyes seemed to pierce the air around him, relentless, cold.

But his horse was exhausted. Every jolt, every desperate push of its legs sent a jarring pain through Eric’s own body. He could feel the tremors in its muscles, the animal’s weariness matching his own. Still, he urged it on, the path ahead looking more like an endless maze of towering trees than an escape.

it was dark and the path was barely visibly. he squinted his eyes to the max trying his best to navigate himself. "what kind of a shitty world is this!!!! ahhhh!!!"

A loud, agonized neigh broke through his thoughts, and he whirled around. His heart sank.

The general’s steed was closing in fast, the dark figure atop it moving with a terrifying precision. The gap between them was closing faster than Eric’s panicked mind could process, and all he could do was desperately clutch the reins, urging his horse faster.

His breath came in shallow gasps. "What’s wrong with you?" he shouted into the wind, his words sharp with fear and frustration. "Can’t you spare an innocent? You brute! You monster!" The words left him before he could think, and the moment they did, he felt something shift.

The general’s expression twisted. For the first time, the calm mask cracked, and Eric saw something darker in those golden eyes—anger, fury, like he had touched some raw nerve. The horse beneath him surged forward, and with a speed that left Eric’s heart in his throat, it closed the gap.

The next thing Eric knew, he was struggling to stay on his own horse as it was pushed to its limits. With a swift motion, the general’s sword sliced through the air, and before Eric could react, the weapon struck his horse’s side. The steed screamed, a horrible, tortured sound that sent shivers down Eric’s spine. He could only watch in helpless horror as the horse collapsed beneath him, its body crumpling to the ground with a final, tragic scream.

The force of the fall sent Eric flying. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud, rolling across the leaves until the momentum finally came to a stop. Pain exploded through his side, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the terrifying shadow that loomed over him.

His breath caught in his throat as he blinked up at the pair of boots in front of him. His vision swam, but he could make out the silhouette of the general, his tall frame a dark figure against the fading light.

Eric groaned, trying to push himself up, but his limbs felt like lead. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t run. Not anymore.

The general knelt down, his presence overwhelming, his dagger glinting in the dim light. Eric’s heart clenched. He could feel the weight of the situation press down on him, suffocating. His eyes flitted up to meet the general’s.

The golden eyes that had haunted him from the moment he’d stepped into this nightmare now looked down at him with something dangerous, something predatory.

"You’re really not going to make this easy, are you?" Eric muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper, a thread of defeat slipping through.

But the general didn’t move to strike. Instead, there was a slight shift in his posture—like he was studying Eric, reading something in him that Eric couldn’t quite understand.

Eric squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts, to find the courage to face whatever was coming. He didn’t want to die here. Not like this. But he couldn’t stop it. He was trapped.

He could feel the cool steel at his throat now, the promise of death so close he could taste it.

"Just kill me," Eric said, his voice shaking, the words escaping him before he could stop them. He wasn’t a warrior. He wasn’t a leader. He didn’t know how to fight. But I can’t die like this... The thought echoed through him like a dark promise.

The general chuckled, the sound low and smooth, like he was savoring Eric’s fear.

"Not so easily," he murmured, his voice cutting through the night air. "I’ll show you what kind of monster I am."

Before Eric could react, a sharp pain seared through his neck, and the world tilted violently. His last conscious thought was a fleeting whisper—Kai, where are you?

Then, everything went black.

Eric’s head was pounding when he finally woke up, the wind howling outside the tent like it was trying to tell him something. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, blinking through the fog of pain in his mind. Where the hell am I?

He sat up slowly, and that’s when he realized something was very, very wrong.

His wrist felt heavy. Cold.

When he looked down, the sight of thick iron chains wrapped around his arms and legs almost made him choke on his breath.

What the hell?

Panic flooded him, and he tried pulling, tugging at the chains, but they didn’t budge. The metal bit into his skin, and his chest tightened, his breath coming quicker as the reality of the situation hit him.

He was trapped.

Why won’t he just kill me already? His heart started racing as he scanned the tent the place was empty.

Okay, okay... calm down. Think. Eric’s mind raced, but before he could get far with his panic-induced thoughts, he heard footsteps—heavy, deliberate steps. Getting closer.

The flap of the tent swayed open, and for a moment, Eric couldn’t breathe. His chest felt tight, his throat dry as the figure walked in.

And then it hit him like a freight train.

"Kai?!"