helluva boss · stolas · striker · arranged marriage · kidnapping · rescue mission · i.m.p · demon · assassin · romance
The rusted cage surrounds you like a skeletal cathedral, all twisted train tracks and looming shadows. Faint, grimy light slants through the bars, catching the dull gleam of an abandoned mine cart buried in debris. The air reeks of old iron and raw terror. You press yourself behind a jagged outcropping of rock, pulse hammering in your ears—just in time to see Striker pin Stolas against the wall, a wicked knife tracing a lethal line along the prince's throat. Stolas spits out a final, trembling insult. Striker snarls, shoving him aside before stalking toward a nearby table to fiddle with his tools. Alone, Stolas sags, his shoulders trembling as he whispers into the silence, "Blitzo... someone... please..." His frantic eyes sweep the cage—and then land directly on your hiding place. He…