The chamber was a tangle of confusion. Nobles staggered back from guards whose bones had been subtly bent or compressed by Kairo. Even as they tried to regroup, their fear of the boy who had freed the children without killing them was evident.
One fat guard shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Kairo: "I—I thought you said he was a healer! A healer! He's… he's—what is this?!"
Another barked, fumbling for a weapon that Kairo had already disabled with a subtle shift of his bone magic. "This isn't right! He's just a child!"
Igron appeared suddenly behind them, smirking, having switched positions with the guards with a barely perceptible flick of his hands. "He's not a healer," Igron said lazily, almost bored. "He's… something much worse if provoked."
The mistress froze, eyes narrowing. Her perfect plan unraveling faster than she could calculate. "You insolent children!" she hissed, trying to regain control.
But Kairo didn't speak. He crouched low, letting the other children gather around him. With subtle adjustments, he shrank the bones in their wrists and ankles just enough so they could move freely without alerting the nobles. The children moved quietly, eyes wide but trusting the boy's silent command.
Igron's illusions created phantom duplicates, shadows that flickered and moved in all directions, confusing the nobles further. Every time a guard lunged, they struck empty air or collided with another guard, their panic spiraling.
"Follow me," Kairo whispered, crimson eyes scanning the room for any threat. "Stay behind me. Don't make a sound."
As they moved through the corridor, the nobles shouted and cursed, realizing too late that the child they had thought harmless was orchestrating their chaos.
"He's not a healer!" one guard screamed, falling into another's path. "I told you! A healer couldn't—"
But Kairo ignored them, his mind calm. One step, then another, the children moving like shadows under his guidance.
By the time the nobles realized what had happened, the chamber was empty—only the mistress remained, her lips twisted into a tight line. The laughter of the gods echoed faintly in Kairo's mind: "Good. Protect them. Lead them. Show the world what you are."
And for the first time that night, the children tasted freedom, however fleeting.