Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas was pushed toward the stairs leading to the deck above; the Nightowl pushed him along without saying a word. He stumbled up the stairs because his legs were weak from being in the cage for so long.

''Get up, devil! It's not hard to walk,'' the Nightowl female barked out.

''Shut it, woman, I've been in that damn cage for over a week without standing up,'' Atlas retorted while getting to his feet. ''If you want to go quickly, how about carrying me, miss?''

The Nightowls stiffened, and the ones behind went to react, but the woman stopped them, ''Just move; otherwise, I will shock you,'' she demanded.

Atlas chuckled but shut up when a horrible shock rushed through his body, causing him to yelp in pain, ''Oww! What was that for!''

''Keep moving, devil, and stop trying to prolong things,'' the woman commented.

He could tell she was smiling, so he got back up and replied, ''One day, I will wipe that smile off your face, woman.''

Atlas was shocked again, causing the Nightowls to laugh, but the woman leaned forward and spoke in an amused tone, ''I would like to see that, Dahaka.''

Following that, he was led outside, where the ship was docked in a fortress. Atlas glanced around and saw hundreds of soldiers patrolling or guarding the harbor. He examined the nearest soldier, who was wearing bronze-looking armor covering his torso, limbs, and face.

They were wielding spears or curved swords, and the soldiers reminded Atlas of the Persian soldiers from Earth's history. After examining them, the Nightowls led him off the ship and through the fortress's streets, only to be greeted by the people's hatred.

Atlas stumbled painfully through the crowded streets, his heart sinking with every jeer and every thrown object. The crowd, fueled by fear and hatred, hurled insults at him, calling him the Dahaka, their voices blending into a cacophony of scorn.

Amidst the chaos, the Nightowls watched with cold amusement, their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods. While walking, the woman stepped closer and swiped his feet from under him.

He hit the ground hard, grunting in pain, but that was when another wave of random stuff hit him, and the surrounding people started cheering. Atlas's rage was building, causing his azure eyes to glow due to his emotions.

Atlas rose to his feet, his chest heaving with fury as he faced the mocking Nightowls. His voice crackled with pent-up rage as he unleashed his threat.

"One day," he growled, his eyes burning fiercely, "I will make you watch as I raze this place to the ground. I'll stack these people's severed heads outside these damn walls!"

After he uttered those words, the woman's hand lashed out, striking him with a force that sent his world into darkness. It took an eternity for consciousness to return, and when his eyes finally fluttered open, he was met with a chilling sight.

A brown-skinned man with grey hair and glowing yellow eyes, adorned in wealthy clothing crowned with gold, glowered at Atlas with seething hatred, sending a chill down his spine as he felt this person's power.

Shaking his head to dispel the fog, Atlas sat up slowly, only to discover himself surrounded by a ring of armed soldiers. Their spears were pointed directly at him, ready to strike at any sign of defiance.

Atlas was in a large hall where he spotted dozens of nobles watching him with fear or hatred in their eyes. He let out a bitter laugh in this man's face before speaking defiantly, "Does an innocent child strike fear into the hearts of the Achaemenid Empire?"

He winced as the butt of a spear struck him, eliciting a sharp yelp before he instinctively cradled his side. The man with the glowing yellow eyes rose to his feet, an evil smile twisting his features as he advanced towards him.

"You will be taken to Babylon City when the weather permits," the man declared, his voice laced with malice. "Once there, you will be executed for all to witness."

Atlas met the man's gaze defiantly, but a young woman's voice cut through the tension before he could respond. "Father, why not make him a slave?" she suggested casually. "I could use him as a guard, or perhaps Auntie needs a toyboy?"

Atlas gazed at the girl. Her wild pink hair cascaded down to her chin, complementing her piercing yellow eyes, similar to the men. Her face was captivatingly beautiful, embodying a blend of innocence and allure.

The older girl's features were delicate yet captivating: a small button nose, full plump lips that hinted at a mischievous smile. He noticed she was wearing a pink satin dress that hugged her curves, accentuating her alluring figure.

As his gaze lingered on her, captivated by her beauty, the soldiers around him noticed and reacted. Without warning, he was struck again, this time by the commander himself. "Do not lay your lecherous gaze on the princess, devil," the commander barked, his voice laced with disdain and authority.

Afterward, the man silenced the surrounding soldiers before speaking, ''I am Cyrus the Great, the God Emperor of the Achaemenid Empire and soon the whole of Astoria. I must thank you for making it easy to capture you, but now I have decided what I will do with you.''

''And what is that, oh great emperor?'' Atlas sarcastically replied with a smirk, which annoyed everyone.

A soldier hit him again, but this time, he didn't complain as the emperor spoke, ''You will be put into a the boats to suffer for eternity because a devil deserves no less,'' he stood up and looked at the gathered nobles, ''With this I've ended the threat of the Dahaka toward our empire. Now continue with the Wildheart Invasion and kill that Thalassian general who is holding our army back.''

When the emperor said this, Atlas started laughing, catching everyone's attention as he declared, ''You might as well execute me now, Cyrus, because I will escape and come back for my revenge after your Nightowls hurt Estelle.''

A soldier moved to hit him, but that's when the princess moved forward and laid a heavy punch on his chin. Atlas crumpled unconscious. As the emperor commanded, "Lock him up securely. Ensure he cannot escape," the surrounding soldiers promptly saluted.

They then dragged Atlas towards the dungeons, watched intently by the onlookers.

***

[Darya Safavi's POV]

'I knew Dahaka was this young but he looks like a little boy compared to the picture we saw before,?' Darya mused before thinking about something else. 'What if he does escape and bring ruin to the empire? The Immortals or Nightowls will be able to deal with him.'

Once they were gone, her father spoke, ''Darya, make sure to cast your spells to keep an eye on him.''

Darya looked at her father, ''Couldn't any of my siblings have done it? They all know the same spell,'' she said confusedly.

''You're the strongest out of all my children, apart from Kian, but he is busy with the alliance now. So you must do this, my eldest daughter,'' the emperor replied.

She nodded before following the soldiers dragging the boy along the fortress corridors. Darya didn't know why they were at the frontline, but she assumed it was her father's excitement at catching the Dahaka.

Soon, they arrived at the dungeon, where no one else was inside. That's when Darya saw the tiny cage with the cell. 'Are they putting him in there? It's good; at least he won't escape.' she thought.

Afterward, the soldiers forced the boy into the cage amidst his curses and foul-mouthed protests. When the opportunity arose, He even tried to bite one of the guards but was swiftly struck down like a wild monster.

'He's so rude,' she thought.

Once the soldiers had secured Dahaka inside, Darya approached as they locked the cage. They bowed to her, but she halted them with a command, "Remain here for a moment. I must set up a spell under the emperor's orders."

The soldiers nodded and stood off to the side while she cast the spell, but the boy spoke again, ''You've got a mean left hook, woman. My jaw is still hurting.''

''Shut up, devil, do not speak to me,'' Darya responded, causing him to laugh, which irritated her.

''One day you won't be saying that, Princess,'' Dahaka said in an amused tone.

Darya spun on him with narrowed eyes, but he caught her off guard and spoke again: ''But having an enemy like yourself will be fun. Hopefully, it's you they send after me once I escape.''

''Shut up,'' she retorted. ''You will not be escaping. Unfortunately, there are thousands of soldiers between you and freedom, so unless you have a secret we haven't discovered, you are out of luck, Dahaka.''

After addressing her task, Darya proceeded to weave the spells, enabling her and her father to monitor the boy. Once the magic was complete, she left the dungeon and encountered her older cousin, Commander Farah Bahrami, a night owl with short brown hair, smooth brown skin, and striking green eyes.

''Cousin Darya! How are you, girl? Did you lock up that devil?''

She smiled, ''I'm fine, Farah, but I hate being on this island. I understand why Father brought me here, but I still don't like it.''

''At least we caught the Dahaka; he was driving the emperor crazy,'' Farah replied before the two strolled to the dining room.