Chapter Twelve: Light Amidst Darknes
Daniel was truly terrified. The fear was real—deep, internal. As the fiery orb drew closer, he felt death just a heartbeat away. He nodded silently to the madman, too afraid to speak... or even think.
Everyone had left Daniel behind. He walked hesitantly, following the madman, with a glowing fireball floating between them. The heavy cell door shut behind them with a loud clank, and the madman began leading Daniel through the second chamber. The corridor was cold and dark, faint echoes bouncing off the stone walls.
But before they could reach the next passage, the unexpected happened.
Suddenly, a magical attack launched out of the shadows—sharp blades of wind sliced through the silence, heading straight for the madman's neck with lethal precision. He noticed the attack only at the last second. His hand, still holding the fireball, flinched instinctively in the direction of the blade. The blade pierced the fireball, weakening it—but not extinguishing it. It bought him just enough time to duck slightly and avoid a fatal blow. Still, his neck wasn't spared—he suffered a deep gash that needed immediate treatment.
With a trembling hand, the madman grabbed Daniel by the shoulder and yanked him in front, using him as a human shield. He pressed his right hand—still conjuring another fireball—against Daniel's shoulder. With his left hand, he drew a small dagger from his belt and placed it directly against Daniel's throat, barking in a sharp, threatening tone:
"I'll kill him... Show yourself now, or his blood will spill in front of you!"
The response came from deep within the darkness—a calm but firm voice:
"Alright, don't do anything foolish... I'm coming in now."
The madman was genuinely shocked that his threat worked—he hadn't expected that at all. But in that moment of surprise, something clicked in his mind. He snarled:
"What are the Order Knights doing here?! How did you find me?! I trust no one... not even those damned kidnappers—I always took misleading routes. How did you track me?!"
A man emerged from the shadows. His features bore the stern look of law enforcement, but his voice tried to deescalate:
"Calm down... Don't do something that'll get you killed. Let the boy go, surrender. If you cooperate, we can get you a reduced sentence. I promise you that."
The madman growled again:
"Shut up! Tell me—how many of you are outside?!"
At that critical moment—while all eyes were fixed on the madman—Daniel worked in silence. He had been quietly loosening his restraints using the sharpened bone Amado had given him. Suddenly, with surprising speed, he twisted his body and struck the madman right on his injured neck, then kicked him hard, sending him stumbling backward.
The madman reeled, the fireball in his hand partially fizzling out. He launched it at Daniel, but due to the sudden blow, it flew off balance and missed.
The lawman responded immediately. With a kick of his foot, the ground shook beneath his feet, and a wave rose from the ground like a sea wave, wrapping around the madman's limbs and binding his arms and legs tightly.
At that moment, several others rushed in. One ran to Daniel to help him, while the rest charged at the madman with full force.
The madman's eyes burned with fury. He knew this could be the end. But he wasn't going to die so easily. From beneath his tongue, he pulled a tiny piece of hard candy and bit down—crushing it instantly. It was a capsule—one of his own twisted creations. A massive surge of power erupted through his body, electrifying his veins and instantly enhancing his muscles.
With his right hand, he broke free from the earth that bound him. On his forearm, a thin metallic tube appeared—like a syringe. He pressed it against his neck and injected himself.
Everyone charged him at once, a coordinated assault. But at that exact moment, a strange force burst from his body.
The man who had rescued Daniel sensed the shift—he recognized the danger. He grabbed Daniel and sprinted out of the corridor with inhuman speed. His steps barely touched the ground, wind currents swirling around his feet, carrying him like a storm sweeping them far from the battle about to erupt behind them.
Daniel was carried out of the cave in the man's arms. Still disoriented, catching his breath, he looked back. Flashes of light flared within the cave, accompanied by the sounds of brutal impacts and the shrieks of a monstrous beast.
Then the ground trembled slightly beneath him—followed by a massive crash.
And then... silence.
Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of his face, gently lifting his chin. A voice followed:
"Why aren't you answering? Are you alright?"
Daniel nodded slowly, his voice a faint whisper: "Yeah."
Inside the cave's passage, four figures stood over the corpse of a grotesque beast. One of the men grabbed another by the collar, yelling angrily:
"Why did you attack without the commander's orders?! Why did you try to kill him?! If we'd followed the plan, it would've been easier—we could've captured him without risking innocent lives!"
The man defended himself, his voice tense:
"Are you blind?! I did it because that innocent boy's life was on the line! He would've been roasted alive if it weren't for my wind blade!"
"Enough!" shouted the man who had entered the cave to rescue Daniel. Then he turned to the wind blade wielder and ordered:
"Return to the wagons. Now."
The man backed off, frustrated, muttering loudly enough for everyone to hear:
"Idiots... I saved someone, and I get blamed for it."
Still, a faint smile crossed his face, proud of what he'd done.
One of the soldiers spoke to his commander hesitantly:
"But... sir, he did it on purpose."
The commander replied coldly:
"I know. That doesn't matter now. You two—free all the prisoners. And you—come with me to his lab."
"Yes, commander."
Everyone moved quickly to carry out the orders.
Moments later, as Daniel sat waiting in the wagon, he saw a familiar group approaching: Lucas with his glasses, massive Caro, mustached Amado, chubby Sanjay, and the irritable Kaoru. Joy and relief were plain on their faces—some showing even more excitement upon seeing Daniel safe.
Lucas stepped forward first, his tone sincere:
"I'm really sorry for what happened earlier. What I did was based on what I thought would help you."
Daniel replied, "It doesn't matter. I know. And honestly, you were smart to restrain me. I would've done the same in your place."
Then Amado, Sanjay, and Caro also stepped up to apologize. Daniel accepted all their apologies, then grinned:
"So... how was my acting?"
Sanjay and Kaoru exchanged confused looks—they didn't quite get it. But Amado responded with enthusiasm:
"Brilliant! Flawless! And it looks like that bone I gave you really paid off."
"Yeah, thanks." Daniel answered with a grateful smile.
Sanjay asked in bewilderment: "What bone? What are you talking about?"
Lucas explained, and Sanjay finally nodded, understanding.
Then Kaoru turned to Daniel, clearly displeased: "If you were pretending to resist... why did you hit me that hard?"
Daniel answered firmly: "If you want to fool your enemy, you have to fool your friend first."
"Yeah... well done." Amado said, as the others nodded in agreement.
Kaoru clenched his fist and turned his face away, hiding the frustration brewing inside.
Then Daniel asked: "Where's Nicola?"
Sanjay replied: "We don't know. He's the only one they took with them."
Daniel looked off into the distance and murmured: "Oh... so it was him. I think I have a rough idea of what happened."
"You realized it too..." Amado said, looking at Daniel.
Lucas asked: "Was he the one who destroyed the key?"
Daniel and Amado both nodded.
"What?!" Kaoru and Sanjay gasped in disbelief at Lucas's words.