Mila and Branden are trapped in the Sorcerer’s fortress and there is no way of escaping. There is a very effective curse that will stop all attempts…
“I’ll get you out of here,” Branden said, the conviction in his voice almost convincing her.
“It’s impossible,” Mila told him, her voice low and heavy with resignation. “I’m never leaving this place.”
“Of course you are. All we have to do is sneak you out somehow. Once you’re out, you can go far away and the Sorcerer will never find you again. You can have your life back.”
“No, Branden. He’ll find me no matter where I go.”
He scoffed. “He can’t be that powerful. If you went to another continent, there’s no way he’d be able to track you that far.”
She hung her head. “You don’t understand. I can’t even leave this fortress. If I step one foot outside, I will be reduced to screaming in agony because of the pain ripping through my body.”
Branden looked at her closely in the dim light. “What do you mean?”
“He put a curse on me. If I leave the confines of the fortress, I’ll be in so much pain I’ll barely be able to move.”
“He probably told you that simply to stop you from trying to escape. I’ve never heard of a curse that does that.” His voice sounded less certain.
She shook her head. “No, it’s a real curse. He proved it to me.”
For a moment, he didn’t understand what she was saying. A small gasp escaped him after a few seconds. “He cursed you then took you outside the walls?”
“Yes. He did it to me over and over for an hour.”
“Mila…” He was shaking slightly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have stopped him from taking you away from your home in the first place. I failed to protect you then and I’m still not keeping you safe even now. I wish I could break the curse and get you out of here.”
“It’s okay Branden. It’s not your fault.”
“Listen, Mila. I don’t care how long it takes, I don’t care how long I have to search, I will find a way to break the curse and I will get you away from that monster.”
She gave him a small smile. “It’s sweet of you to say that, but you don’t have to do it Branden.”
“I promise, Mila. I swear to you, you will not be stuck in this dank fortress forever. I won’t let you be a slave to him for years to come.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t have the heart to tell him that the curse couldn’t be broken. The only way to remove it was for the caster themselves to dismiss it. Even the death of the Sorcerer wouldn’t help her. If he died, the curse was designed to torture her with pain until she also died. At least it would be an escape of sorts. Perhaps even an escape she would be fervently wishing for in the next few years…
Branden’s determined smile glinted in the dim light of the dungeon. “Don’t worry about a thing, Mila. I’ll save you.”
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