Whisper

Aurora's face twisted in a frown, showing her deep unhappiness and puzzlement. She looked at the soldiers with a mix of confusion and surprise. They pulled the rope harshly, tying her hands together and forcefully dragging her toward the intimidating crucifixion stand in the middle of the small town.

She wore torn clothes, her hair was messy and untidy, and she walked barefoot. Blood streamed down her body, a result of the severe beating she had endured before facing her imminent execution.

She appeared weak, famished, and fragile, struggling to hide her suffering from the people of Uruk. They stared at her with intense hatred etched on their faces.

Moreover, she was aware of the profound hatred they harbored towards her, blaming her for their Alpha's demise. She understood that her pleas would not spare her from the impending death sentence since they didn't believe in her innocence.

Recognizing this, she concealed her pain behind a composed facade. Furthermore, she had been trained to be emotionally impenetrable, like an unyielding fortress.

However, she hated the idea of dying, but part of her found solace in the fact that it would finally relieve the constant pain in her heart and the restless nights she endured.

She had been imprisoned for the past five months. Initially, she anticipated a swift execution after being discovered with the lifeless body of the former Alpha. However, she soon realized that the new Alpha desired to secure his position before condemning her to death. The wait for her inevitable demise turned out to be much longer than she had anticipated.

The people of Uruk whispered among themselves when they saw Aurora's calm face. They grew furious as they noticed her lack of remorse in her eyes. Many of them rushed back home to gather stones, eggs, water, and other things, preparing for what was about to happen.

The soldier who was leading Aurora and the other soldiers toward the crucifixion site heard the murmurs of the onlookers. He turned his head to check the whispers from the passersby. As he glanced back, he noticed Aurora's composed expression and a grin appeared on her face, causing his expression to falter.

His face transformed into a look of horror within seconds. He abruptly stopped the soldiers' progress and swiftly approached Aurora. With a fierce blow, he struck her face forcefully, followed by an uppercut aimed just below her jaw. Aurora's head jerked downwards, overwhelmed by pain that sent shivers down her spine.

He waited for her to meet his gaze, and she defiantly raised her chin. Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful punch directly to her nose. Blood poured out from Aurora's nose in an unstoppable stream, and she collapsed onto the ground.

As she tumbled to the ground, her vision blurred, and the soldier showed no mercy, continuing to rain punches upon her. He then began ruthlessly kicking her in the stomach with great force. Helpless and sprawled on the ground, Aurora experienced a sharp pain seeping from her mouth.

Overwhelmed by weakness and exhaustion, she yearned for the arrival of death, desperately seeking an end to the torment. The relentless abuse had drained her of any strength to conceal her agony. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the blood that spilled from her wounds, as the soldiers intensified their brutal kicks to her already battered stomach.

He ceased his assault upon witnessing the tears cascading from her eyes. Tilting her chin upward, he locked his gaze with cold, heartless eyes. Leaning closer, he whispered into her ear, his words carrying a chilling presence.

“I will make you plead for death before I sever your head," the king's brother, Jericho, hissed into her ear. His countenance exuded a menacing aura, and Aurora couldn't muster the courage to meet his gaze, her eyes averted from his deadly visage.

Jericho, the stepbrother of the new Alpha, held a deep connection with the late Alpha, whom he cherished dearly. Aurora was well aware of this bond and understood the intense animosity he harbored towards her as the one responsible for his father's death.

"Should she dare to move at a sluggish pace once more, let her taste the agony, the torment that the searing iron can inflict upon her pristine body!" Jericho bellowed at the soldiers, his voice filled with rage and vindictiveness.

As the soldiers yanked her forward, their grip on the rope tightening, Aurora took each step towards the crucifixion site with numb and tingling feet.

Meanwhile, Alpha Malik sat upon his throne in profound silence, his thoughts engulfing him. It had been a considerable time since he condemned Aurora to her fate. His loyal confidant, Jaguar, stood by his side, contemplating whether to inquire about his troubled demeanor. Normally, Malik would have retired to his chambers or training grounds, yet he remained in his seat, lost in a sea of contemplation.

Despite a nagging feeling in his gut, Jaguar refrained from speaking up, remembering how Alpha Malik had grown harsher since the death of the previous Alpha. Speaking without being commanded to do so might incur his wrath, causing him to think twice about voicing his thoughts. He chose to remain silent, awaiting his Alpha's initiative to speak.

Alpha Malik, deep in contemplation, pondered whether to heed the whispers that echoed in his mind.

"Could prolong suffering through torture be more agonizing than a swift death?" he mused internally.

As strong as he desired to witness Aurora's beheading, Alpha Malik harbored a deeper longing for her to endure prolonged pain instead of a swift demise.

He yearned for her to plead for death, to suffer both physically and emotionally, and to beg for mercy in tears unseen.

His ultimate aim was for her to taste the same anguish he had felt upon discovering his father's lifeless body in her hands.

Furthermore, he rose suddenly and looked at his right man’s eyes, with the coldest eyes you had ever seen.

“Is there anything worse than death?" he asked Jaguar, his cold eyes piercing into him.

Jaguar didn't fully grasp the question, but he knew not to waste Alpha Malik's time, so he hastily responded, "Yes, Alpha," with a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

Alpha Malik exited the throne room without uttering a word, emanating a menacing aura that lingered in his wake. His mere presence had the power to instill fear, capable of making people tremble in apprehension.

Jaguar let out a profound sigh of relief as Alpha Malik disappeared from his sight. It felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, granting him a sense of respite.

Jaguar strode out of the throne room and made his way to the training ground. Whenever he felt tense, engaging in training helped alleviate some of the built-up tension.

Meanwhile, the sounds of eggs and stones resonated through the air as the people of the Uruk community unleashed their anger, hurling projectiles at Aurora.

"You are vile! You show no remorse for the murder of our beloved king!" - The murmurs among the villagers intensified as they continued to pelt Aurora with stones.

Jericho wore a sinister grin, reveling in the villagers' act of inflicting pain upon Aurora. This was precisely what he had desired – to subject her to torment and agony before ultimately executing her.

Upon witnessing the villagers achieving their vengeful desires on Aurora, Jericho issued the command for them to halt. He then forced Aurora to kneel, her ankle throbbing from the bruises, while he raised his gleaming cutlass, preparing to sever her head. 

However, his action was interrupted by the sound of an approaching horse, catching his attention. His eyes filled with displeasure as he observed a man on horseback riding toward them. It was Alpha Malik's guard, signaling to Jericho with a wave of his hand, drawing closer to his steed.