Fallen knew the Horseman’s gaze all too well; in fact, he could recognize it from anywhere. He hated it with a passion—the arrogant gaze of the Nobles, the gaze of one who had found a new toy.

"Damn you…" He grinded his teeth, tightening his grip on his dagger before he…

The chamber shook as the powerful wind rose erratically, swirling around them like a mindless tornado, as a pain-filled shrill echoed.

The smaller Horsemen became frantic, agitated, and aggressive as low, hollow growls escaped their lips. Their expressions twisted and contorted with anger as they reared their long, stony arms back, ready to strike.

“Tszz!” Fallen lay at their leader’s hooves, feeling the faint, cool breeze seeping from its cracked skin. His left arm was raised, the chain coiled around it, the dagger’s blade embedded in the Horseman’s eye socket.

Its head snapped back in agony, an expression of horror lining its stony features as a dark, glossy liquid slowly began to seep from its hollow socket.

Its shrill was low-pitched, deep, and hollow, coming from the very depths of its body. The wind seemed to respond to its shrill and pain as it swirled, seemingly frantic and erratic. It filled the whole chamber, surrounding Fallen, the Horsemen, the altar, and the man in stone.

Fallen lay at the lead Horseman’s feet, helpless as his left arm, which now showed traces of reds and purples, felt numb from the chain’s tight grip. He groaned and grunted from the pain as he tried to adjust his body and pull his arm back. The small black ball—the end of the chain—was coiled inside the chain, and he could feel it pressing on his bones. The more he tried to pull on the chain, the tighter its grip became.

"Garr!" His body leaned against the Horseman’s knee, his pale skin feeling its cool, rough texture.

The Horseman slowly pulled the dagger from its eye, its hand shaking slightly from rage and pain as the dagger finally clanked on the floor.

"Ahr!" Fallen felt his arm drop to the floor with a clank. Though the rest of his body soon followed as the Horseman moved its knee, grazing his skin as it slowly got to its feet, covering its socket with its hand as the thick liquid seeped through the cracks of its skin, flowing and slowly trickling off its elbow.

Its gaze looked down at Fallen, the sound of stone cracking echoing lowly as its face contorted with anger. The powerful wind grew larger before it slowly began to swirl into one small point above the lead Horseman, which dropped its arm to its sides, its gaze unwavering from the weak Fallen.

A faint azure light enveloped all of them as the gust gathered above them. Fallen slowly turned his head to look, his eyes widening as the wind and its light reflected in his eyes before they suddenly became dark.

Fallen felt a chill run through his spine before he finally pushed himself up, grunting from the pain, his back rising and falling quickly as he stood before the Horseman, his arm feeling heavy and his pale body bathed in the faint azure light of the cool wind that surrounded them.

His eyes were wide as he backed away, looking behind him and stopping when he felt the cold graze of the wind against his scarred back.

“Ar!” Blood trickled down as it felt like a sharp blade cut his skin, though it was only the wind, resembling a mighty azure flood ready to engulf him.

He looked ahead; his expression panicked as he watched helplessly as the wind seemed to be absorbed into the Horseman’s bleeding eye. The sight was gory as the smaller Horsemen gathered, glaring at Fallen and making their hatred and disdain clear. They all stood behind their leader, arms reared back, coal-black teeth on display as they hissed and growled.

The lead Horseman stood in the middle of it all, its head snapped back, mouth gaping open, a deep, throaty growl escaping its lips as the azure wind slowly got absorbed into its damaged eye.

Its hair swayed stiffly as all the darkness in the cracks and crevices lining its body faintly glowed with shimmering light.

'It's… healing…' Fallen could see the eye slowly getting healed. The wind became colder, and the smaller Horsemen looked more hostile as clubbed weapons began to appear in their stony grips.

Panic coursed through Fallen’s entire body as he watched in horror before he began frantically untying the chain around his sore forearm. He grunted from the somewhat numb pain as he undid the chain.

He exhaled deeply as the chain finally clanked to the dark floor. He gripped the dagger’s hilt in his right hand and looked solemnly at his left. It felt limp. His gaze slowly travelled across it. It felt rigid, slightly swollen, and had a purple-red chain imprint, but he had no time to lament or rest.

He looked ahead to see the Horseman, who now stood, glaring at him.

Its hate-filled glare bore deep into his soul as he nervously took a defensive stance, his body shaking and shuddering. He could feel the wind swirling behind him against his skin, and it felt none too pleasant, rough and prickly, even.

"Damn it!" His voice cracked, "What should I do?"

There was no way out; he was trapped.

The Horsemen gripped clubbed weapons in front of him, and the violent wind behind trapped him.

‘Think!’ he frantically screamed at himself.

The lead Horseman raised its hooved leg to walk forward, and before Fallen could even process it, the Horseman…