CHAPTER 18 – "THE KING"
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Kael sheathed his sword, wincing as the movement pulled at the wound in his side. "We need to go."
Alkeos nodded. He turned toward the stairs, then stopped.
"Wait."
Kael frowned. "What?"
Alkeos looked back down the corridor—toward the cells on the second level. Toward one cell in particular.
"I need a minute."
"We don't have a minute. Those two could wake up any second."
"I know." Alkeos's voice was quiet, steady. "Just... wait here."
Kael hesitated, then nodded. "One minute."
Alkeos walked back down the corridor alone.
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The previous king hadn't moved.
He sat in the same position as before—back against the wall, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees. Calm. Patient. Like he'd been waiting.
Alkeos stopped in front of the cell.
"Father."
The old king opened his eyes. He looked at Alkeos for a long moment, then smiled faintly. "You're leaving."
"Yes."
"Good."
Silence.
Alkeos gripped the bars. "I didn't come here to free you."
"I know."
"I came here because I had questions. Because I needed answers." Alkeos's voice tightened. "And now I'm leaving without them."
The old king stood slowly, his movements deliberate. He walked to the bars and looked his son in the eye. "You already have the answers, Alkeos. You just don't want to believe them."
"Because they don't make sense." Alkeos's jaw tightened. "You ruled with honor. You fought for the people. And they locked you in here like a criminal."
"I *am* a criminal," the old king said calmly. "By their laws, at least."
"Their laws are broken."
"Yes. But they're still the laws." The old king's expression softened. "I knew what I was doing when I made my choices, Alkeos. I knew the cost. And I paid it willingly."
Alkeos stared at him. "Then why didn't you fight back?"
"Because fighting would have destroyed Lumeria and her." The old king's voice was firm, steady. "And I wasn't willing to let that happen. Not for my pride. Not for my legacy."
"So you let them take everything from you."
"I let her take *me.*" The old king smiled faintly. "And I believe she is doing alright."
Alkeos looked away. "That's not justice."
"No. It's sacrifice." The old king placed a hand on the bars. "And that's something you'll have to decide for yourself, Alkeos. Whether you fight for justice—or for something greater."
Alkeos didn't respond.
The old king stepped back. "You can leave Lumeria to me. I'm still here. I'm still protecting it. Even from in here."
Alkeos met his gaze. "How?"
"By being what they can't ignore. By being proof that their system isn't absolute." The old king's eyes gleamed. "And by making sure my son survives long enough to finish what I started. And that's She also want, even if she put you here"
Alkeos's breath caught.
The old king turned and walked back to the far wall. "My sword is at the front gate entrance. You'll need it."
Alkeos stared at him. "Father—"
"Go, Alkeos." The old king sat down, his back to the bars. "And don't look back."
Alkeos stood there for a moment longer. Then he turned and walked away.
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Kael was waiting at the top of the stairs.
"Done?"
Alkeos nodded.
They ran.
The corridor blurred around them—stone walls, torchlight, scattered debris from the fight. Kael's side ached with every step, but he didn't slow down.
"Why were you talking to him?" Kael asked between breaths.
Alkeos didn't answer.
"Alkeos—"
"Leave it."
Kael glanced at him, then nodded. "Fine."
They turned a corner, then another. The air grew lighter, less oppressive. The suppression field was weakening.
Ahead, Kael could see the front gate—the iron doors standing open, torches flickering on either side.
They were almost out.
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Alkeos stopped.
Kael skidded to a halt. "What are you doing?"
Alkeos didn't answer. He scanned the entrance, his eyes moving quickly over the walls, the floor, the scattered weapons left behind by the guards.
Then he saw it.
A sword leaning against the wall beside the gate—old, worn, but unmistakable.
Alkeos walked over and picked it up. The blade was straight, simple, unadorned. But the moment his hand closed around the hilt, something shifted in his posture. His grip tightened. His breathing steadied.
Kael stared. "That's—"
"My father's." Alkeos turned the blade over in his hand, testing the weight. "He said it would be here."
Kael didn't ask how. He just nodded. "Let's go."
They ran through the gate.
Behind them, the Royal Jail stood silent, half-destroyed from the inside. Stone cracked. Walls collapsed. Torches flickered and died.
And somewhere deep within, two figures stirred.
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Elara pushed herself to her feet, her jaw aching, her vision blurred. She touched her face and winced. Bruised. Maybe broken.
"Gareth."
The scarred man groaned from across the corridor. He sat up slowly, his ribs screaming. "Still alive?"
"Barely."
Gareth stood, steadying himself against the wall. "They're running."
"I know."
"We're following."
Elara picked up her blade. "Obviously."
They limped toward the stairs.
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◆
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The docks were crowded.
Merchants. Sailors. Guards. People moving cargo, shouting orders, haggling over prices. The air smelled of salt and fish and sweat.
Liora, Rynn, and Theron stood near the edge of the water, hidden behind a stack of crates. They were breathing hard, scanning the crowd for any sign of Kael or Alkeos.
"They should be here by now," Rynn muttered.
"They'll make it," Liora said. But her voice was tight.
Theron adjusted his glasses. "If they don't—"
"They will."
Silence.
Then—
The crowd shifted.
People stopped talking. Stopped moving. One by one, they turned toward the main road leading down to the docks.
And they bowed.
No hesitation. No questions. Just instant, automatic obedience.
Liora's breath caught. "No."
A figure walked down the road.
Tall. Elegant. Brown hair open freely flowing. She wore white robes trimmed with gold, and her eyes were sharp, cold, scanning the crowd with the bored precision of someone who'd done this a thousand times.
She didn't look at the people bowing to her. She didn't acknowledge them at all.
She just walked.
And the crowd parted like water.
Rynn's hand moved to her blade. "That's—"
"Elite Force," Theron whispered.
Liora stared at the woman, her heart pounding. "We need to leave. *Now.*"
The woman stopped at the edge of the docks. She tilted her head slightly, as if listening. Then she smiled—faint, cold.
And she turned toward the crowd.
**Lysandra Windsor**
**Elite Force Member**
**Oracle Fang**
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**END OF CHAPTER 18**