They ran.
The corridor that had felt endless before now rushed past them in a blur of stone and shadow. Their footsteps hammered against the floor—silent, no echoing—too silent, as if even sound could draw danger down on them.
Aldric led, Elenya held tight against him. Lyriana followed close behind, Lucifer cradled against her chest, bow bouncing lightly at her side as she sprinted.
The darkness behind them throbbed with distant roars and crashes—faint, distorted by distance but unmistakably violent.
They didn't look back.
Aldric's thoughts—quick, sharp, burning:
Should I have stayed? I could have—what could I have done? Even if I managed to cut him into pieces, he wouldn't die unless I destroyed his heart. But even so…
The thought clawed at him, a whisper of rage and desire.
They rounded a corner, and Aldric instinctively scanned the path behind them. The way back—empty, silent, almost inviting. His hand twitched. The urge to turn, to go back, flared inside him, a fire he had to quench.
Lyriana glanced at him briefly, as if reading the thoughts he wouldn't voice. Her hand tightened on the bow—silent but firm—grounding him. He exhaled, forcing the fire down.
Just keep running. Don't stop. Don't you dare stop. Don't die. Don't you fucking die before I get back. I'll be there. I'll be the one who kills you. But for now—focus. Focus on them.
His grip tightened. His teeth clenched. The corridor bent in a slight curve; he felt a flicker of reluctance.
But he didn't slow.
Lyriana matched his pace, breath steady but sharp, her hair whipping behind her as the air rushed around them.
Lyriana's thoughts—cooler, but no less frantic beneath the surface:
Keep up. Don't falter. Lucifer's weight—light… too light. Don't drop him. Don't stumble. Brother's going fast. Good. Don't let him think. Just a little longer. The king will know what to do. Though this still isn't safe. But it's the best option we have. No enemies yet. Good. Good. Keep going. We can't afford to fight. Not with them in our arms.
A distant rumble shook dust from the ceiling—like something massive colliding with the far end of the tower.
They moved quickly. The children stirred faintly against their chests, Lyriana catching each shift without breaking stride. Aldric's steps were heavy, measured. The crimson glow of his eyes had dimmed, but flared with every heartbeat.
Aldric flinched, but didn't stop.
> "Faster," he hissed under his breath, pushing himself harder.
Lyriana's gaze stayed sharp as she pushed forward, steps silent as she stayed right behind him.
A torch flickered weakly ahead, its light dim and soft.
Aldric's thoughts sharpened.
Finally. We're getting closer. Just a bit more.
Lyriana's grip tightened around Lucifer's small form, her control stretched thin.
Their footsteps drowned everything—their breathing, the faint hum of mana, even the low groans of the tower shifting behind them.
They ran like survival depended on each second.
Aldric's final flicker of thought as they rounded another corner:
I'm coming back. I swear it.
Lyriana's:
Just get them safe. That's all that matters.
The hallway stretched on.
They didn't stop.
They didn't look back.
The children slept softly in their arms, unaware of the storm chasing them through the dark.
The corridor finally widened.
Aldric felt the pressure in the air thin—just barely—before he saw the faint outline of a door up ahead. An exit.
> "There—!" he breathed, voice calm but strained.
He didn't slow.
The door burst open under his force, and suddenly—
Air.
Cold.
They stumbled out into a courtyard bathed in moonlight, a well-kept garden of flowers and trees. Rain clung to the stone paths, glimmering like scattered shards of glass. Flowers swayed in a faint breeze, the scent sharp and clean after the choking, bloody corridor.
Aldric stopped only when he reached the center of the garden, boots skidding slightly on wet stone. He doubled over for a breath, Elenya still clutched protectively against him.
Lyriana stopped beside him, Lucifer held tight to her chest, her breaths shorter, sharper—but steady enough.
For a moment, the silence of the courtyard wrapped around them like a shock.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
Wrong.
Aldric's thoughts—jarring, unsteady:
It's too quiet. Too calm. This place… why does it feel detached from everything happening? Could the Holy Empire bastards already be surrounding the area? She's safe. Good. Good… focus.
He lifted his head, eyes scanning the sky, searching for any hint of the king's presence.
> "He's close," Aldric muttered, voice rough from the run. "I can feel it."
Lyriana nodded, adjusting Lucifer's position against her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the courtyard from tree to shadow.
Lyriana's thoughts—measured, razor-sharp beneath her calm:
Mana residue in the air. Strong. Heavy. He was here recently. No… he's still here. But why can't I pinpoint him?
Aldric's gaze drifted to the trees beyond the garden, the faint hum of power prickling at his skin.
> "Damn bastards was waiting for us," Aldric said, eyes narrowing.
> "I don't think that's the case. It must've been just a coincidence," she said softly.
> "Confidence. More like bad timing," he muttered, jaw clenching.
Lyriana's thoughts—sharp as a blade sliding into place:
Good. If he knows, he'll take them seriously. Maybe even protect them. Or maybe this is another trap…
She looked toward the highest point of the castle, its outline stark against the moonlit sky.
> "The king is near," she whispered. "I can feel his mana spreading through the air. Like a net."
Aldric's expression tightened.
Aldric's thoughts—grim certainty:
If he's this close… then he already knows she's fighting Ivan. He's letting it happen. No way…
He straightened, turning to Lyriana.
> "Do we go to him?" he asked quietly. "Or does he come to us?"
Lyriana inhaled, feeling Lucifer shift sleepily in her arms.
Her eyes swept once more across the moonlit garden.
> "No," she murmured. "He's currently in battle. Going to him now might not be safe for them."
A soft gust of wind stirred the flowers.
A pulse of mana rippled through the courtyard—slow, deliberate, powerful.
Lyriana's eyes narrowed.
Aldric stiffened.
> "So this is the safest option right now?"
Someone was approaching.
Not running.
Not rushing.
Walking.
Walking toward them.
Aldric whispered:
> "Is this really safe…?"