The cold clang of metal echoed through the cavernous chamber as Adrian's wrists were shackled to the damp stone wall. Darkness enveloped him, broken only by the faint, flickering glow of a solitary torch that cast ominous shadows across his bruised face.
"Is this how you treat your own?" Adrian's voice cut through the silence, laced with disbelief and simmering anger. "After everything I've done, you bind me like a common traitor?"
A rugged man stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a sinister satisfaction. It was Marcus, one of the rebel commanders Adrian had fought alongside countless times.
"Spare us your righteous indignation, Adrian," Marcus sneered, his lips curling into a mocking grin. "Loyalty is a word too pure for a snake like you."
Adrian's eyes flashed with defiance as he strained against his chains. "You've known me for years, Marcus. You know I would never betray the cause. This is madness!"
"Madness?" Marcus barked out a harsh laugh
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