Chapter 86 – Fugitive

“Lena? Lena!” Croft shook Lireina’s body, gripping her shoulders as she tried to rouse the unconscious woman. “Come on, Lena! Wake up!” 

Her voice echoed through the throne room, but Lireina remained motionless, her head lolling slightly with each desperate shake. Her golden hair spilled across her shoulders, and her once-radiant face had grown deathly pale. Croft pressed a hand against her friend’s cheek, hoping to feel some response, but Lireina’s eyelids remained firmly shut. The only indication that she was still alive was the faint rise and fall of her chest. Croft swallowed hard as she realized just how badly her friend had been pushed beyond her limits.

Lireina’s mana was almost completely depleted, and her stamina had been exhausted as well. Using her Final Form had placed an unbearable strain on her body, forcing her to expend an enormous amount of energy in a desperate attempt to survive the battle. Even someone as powerful as the Untouchable Windwalker had limits, and Lireina had reached hers. 

Croft had seen Lireina perform incredible feats before, but she had never seen her this helpless. She wanted to believe that her friend would wake up after a few minutes of rest, yet the thought of what might happen if they remained in the throne room made her stomach tighten with fear. They were still inside the Royal Palace, surrounded by enemies, and there was no guarantee that Lireina would survive another confrontation.

Croft looked around the throne room, searching for anyone who might still be alive or willing to help them. Unfortunately, there was no one left who could be trusted. The wielders of the Archangels had evacuated the chamber, while Adzeel Schwarzer had seemingly vanished without a trace. The only things remaining were the faint purple flames flickering across the damaged floor, their eerie glow casting long shadows over the broken furniture and shattered pillars, and the lifeless body of First Prince Alaric Eisenhower. The acrid smell of smoke lingered in the air, mingling with the metallic stench of blood. Croft could still feel the tension of the battle in her trembling limbs, and every distant noise from beyond the throne room made her instinctively turn her head. The silence was almost worse than the fighting itself. It gave her too much time to imagine what would happen if the soldiers discovered them.

“Come on, get up,” Croft muttered, although she knew Lireina was in no condition to walk. She slid one arm beneath her friend’s shoulders and the other beneath her knees, briefly considering whether she could carry her that way. 

However, Lireina was too tall and heavy for Croft to move comfortably over a long distance, especially with the possibility of encountering armed soldiers along the way. Gritting her teeth, she carefully shifted Lireina onto her back instead, allowing the unconscious woman’s arms to rest over her shoulders. The weight nearly forced Croft to bend forward, and she had to adjust her footing to keep them both from falling. 

“Hup!” she grunted, forcing herself upright with a sharp exhale. Her knees protested beneath the added weight, but she refused to let herself hesitate. She tightened her grip on Lireina’s legs and started toward the throne room’s exit, determined to get her friend somewhere safe before the palace guards discovered them.

However, the moment Croft peered beyond the doorway, she froze. Several Halochassis stood guard near the exit, their imposing Archangel armor reflecting the dim light that spilled from the surrounding corridors. 

Croft immediately retreated behind one of the massive pillars, pressing her back against its cold stone surface. She held her breath and cautiously leaned to the side, trying to determine how many guards were stationed nearby. The faint clanking of metal echoed through the corridor as the armored soldiers shifted their positions, while the distant sound of hurried footsteps suggested that reinforcements might already be on their way. Croft tightened her grip on Lireina’s legs, acutely aware that even a single careless movement could draw the guards’ attention.

“This place is crawling with Empyrean soldiers,” Croft whispered, her voice barely audible above the distant commotion. She glanced at Lireina, who remained unconscious against her back, and felt a cold knot form in her stomach. “If I get caught, never mind me, but Lena would be dead as well.” 

She could probably find a way to escape if she were alone. Her short stature might allow her to slip through narrow passages, and her experience as a detective had taught her how to improvise when a situation turned dangerous. But carrying an unconscious Celestial Warden changed everything. She could not run at full speed, climb quickly, or defend herself properly without risking Lireina’s life. If the Archangels discovered them, Croft would have to fight while protecting someone who could not even stand on her own. Against mass-produced Halochassis, that was practically a death sentence. She clenched her jaw, frustrated by her helplessness, before slowly retreating into the throne room to search for another way out.

As Croft returned to the chamber, her gaze fell upon the destroyed throne. The enormous seat had been reduced to a battered ruin, its broken pieces scattered across the floor, while the surrounding stonework bore the scars of the battle. 

She needed an escape route, and she needed one immediately. Croft scanned the walls, searching for anything that might conceal a passage or a service corridor, until she noticed something unusual at the back of the room. Partially obscured by the shadows and debris, a narrow opening had been exposed behind a section of damaged stonework. It looked like a hidden passage, perhaps one that had been concealed behind a movable panel or disguised as part of the wall.

It must be the same passage Adzeel used to escape, Croft thought, narrowing her eyes as she examined the opening. The discovery gave her a glimmer of hope, but it also raised several troubling questions. Why had Adzeel Schwarzer, a notorious Iron Bandit and former Holy Knight, been taken into the Royal Palace by the First Prince in the first place? And why had the prince allowed him to remain alive when the Iron Bandits had repeatedly challenged the authority of the Celestial Wardens and the Empyrean government? 

Croft had initially assumed that Alaric had captured Adzeel as part of some political scheme, perhaps intending to interrogate him or use him as leverage against the remaining bandits. However, the events of the battle had forced her to reconsider everything she thought she knew. The First Prince had been planning to defeat the Celestial Wardens all along, and the mass-produced Halochassis known as the Archangels had been operating under his command. That meant Alaric had possessed both the resources and the ambition to overthrow the very heroes who had protected the world for years.

Croft's expression darkened as she connected the pieces. The prince had not merely been cooperating with Adzeel out of convenience. There was a real possibility that the two had been working together from the beginning, using their respective positions and resources to accomplish a common objective. The thought was disturbing, especially considering how much destruction had followed in the wake of their actions. 

Croft reached for one of Lireina’s pistols and carefully removed it from its holster. The familiar weight of the weapon in her hand offered little comfort, but it was better than entering an unknown passage completely defenseless. She checked the pistol before holding it close to her body, mindful of the metallic clicks that might carry through the quiet chamber. She had no idea what awaited them at the other end of the passage. There could be an Empyrean soldier waiting in ambush, an Archangel patrolling the corridors, or even Adzeel himself. 

She adjusted Lireina’s weight on her back, secured the pistol in her hand, and approached the hidden passage. The opening was narrow enough that she had to turn her shoulders slightly to enter without scraping against the stone. Before closing the concealed entrance behind her, however, she heard the unmistakable sound of armored footsteps approaching the throne room. Croft immediately stopped moving and peered through the remaining gap, her heart pounding against her ribs. Several Empyrean soldiers rushed into the chamber, their weapons raised as they scanned the wreckage. One of them approached Alaric’s body while another checked the surrounding area, seemingly searching for anyone who might have survived the confrontation. Croft remained perfectly still, keeping Lireina’s body close to hers as she silently prayed that neither woman would make a sound. The soldiers’ voices carried clearly through the opening, and she could hear the urgency in their words.

“The First Prince Alaric Eisenhower is dead! An assassin has entered the Royal Palace!” one of the soldiers shouted, his announcement reverberating throughout the throne room.

“Guard all the entrances and the exits!” another soldier ordered. “Search every corridor! The assassin must not escape!”

Croft felt her blood run cold. The moment the soldiers discovered Alaric’s corpse, the entire palace would descend into chaos, and every available guard would be ordered to hunt for the person responsible. Worse, if they discovered Lireina unconscious near the scene, they might immediately conclude that the Untouchable Windwalker had been involved in the assassination. Croft had no way of knowing what the prince’s followers would do once they found the body, but she could not risk allowing them to capture her friend. She waited until the soldiers moved farther into the chamber before slowly pulling the hidden door shut. The stone panel slid into place with a faint scrape, and Croft stopped breathing for a moment, terrified that the noise might attract unwanted attention. When no one came to investigate, she released a shaky breath and turned toward the darkness ahead.

The passage descended into what appeared to be an old dungeon beneath the Royal Palace. Damp stone walls pressed close on either side, their uneven surfaces slick with moisture, while the stale smell of mold and stagnant water filled Croft’s nostrils. Somewhere in the darkness, water dripped at irregular intervals, each drop echoing through the narrow corridor before fading into silence. Croft could barely see a few steps ahead, and the weight of Lireina on her back made it difficult to move without brushing against the walls. She proceeded cautiously, using one hand to feel along the stonework while keeping the pistol ready in the other. The floor was uneven beneath her boots, and every few steps she had to adjust her balance to avoid stumbling over loose stones or patches of damp moss. She had no map of the underground passageways and no idea where the hidden route would lead, so she could only rely on her instincts and hope that they would eventually bring her outside.

At last, after what felt like an eternity of wandering through the maze of underground passages, Croft found a route that led upward toward a narrow staircase. The steps were worn and uneven, and the air gradually grew less damp as she climbed. A faint glow appeared ahead, revealing a small exit that opened into a building near the rear of the Royal Palace. Croft paused at the top of the stairs to catch her breath, her legs trembling from exhaustion as she carefully shifted Lireina’s weight. She had finally made it out of the dungeon, but her relief vanished the moment she heard the guards outside. Through a narrow gap in the doorway, she could see several soldiers stationed near the rear exit, their attention fixed on the surrounding grounds. More guards were moving between the buildings, while others hurried toward the palace gates. The entire area had been placed under strict security, and there was no obvious way to slip past them unnoticed.

The bell began to ring, its deep, resonant toll rolling across the palace grounds and reverberating through the surrounding buildings. The sound was unmistakable. The death of the First Prince had triggered an emergency response, and the guards were now searching for the assassin responsible. Croft could hear soldiers shouting orders beyond the walls, their voices rising above the steady tolling of the bell as they coordinated the search. Somewhere in the distance, heavy gates slammed shut, followed by the clatter of boots as additional troops rushed to secure the entrances. The Royal Palace was on red alert, and anyone attempting to leave the grounds would be subjected to scrutiny. Croft pressed herself against the wall beside the doorway, keeping Lireina’s body hidden from view as she cautiously observed the guards. She could not afford to make a mistake now. After surviving the battle and navigating the underground dungeon, getting caught at the final exit would be an infuriating way to lose everything.

Croft began counting the seconds between the bell’s tolls, carefully listening to the rhythm as she tried to devise a plan. Each toll rang out slowly, the sound swelling before gradually fading into the distance. Four seconds passed between the moment the bell began to ring and the moment its reverberation finally died away. Croft counted again to make sure she had not misjudged the interval, watching the guards as they reacted to the signal. 

Perhaps the sound could conceal the noise of her footsteps, or perhaps the brief moment when the guards turned their attention toward the bell would provide an opportunity to slip through the exit. It was a risky plan, especially with Lireina unconscious on her back, but she had no other choice. Croft tightened her grip on the pistol, took one final look at the guards, and waited for the next toll, ready to move the instant an opening appeared.

Croft waited until the next toll of the bell began to reverberate across the palace grounds. She counted the seconds in her head, keeping her eyes fixed on the three guards stationed near the rear exit. Their attention shifted momentarily toward the sound, and she seized the opportunity. As the bell rang out, Croft raised Lireina’s pistol and aimed at the nearest soldier. The gunshot cracked through the night, but the deep toll of the bell swallowed much of its noise. The first guard collapsed before he could even cry out. Croft immediately shifted her aim toward the second soldier and fired again, then turned toward the third and pulled the trigger for a final time. All three shots struck their targets in the head, killing the guards before they had any opportunity to raise the alarm. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the small building, and the ringing in Croft’s ears lingered even after the bell’s toll began to fade. She had just killed three men who had been doing their jobs, all because she needed to get herself and Lireina out of the Royal Palace alive.

“I’m sorry,” Croft muttered as she glanced at the fallen soldiers. Her fingers tightened around the pistol, and for a moment, she felt as though she might throw up. She had killed before, but that did not make taking another person’s life any easier. These men might have had families waiting for them at home, children who expected their fathers to return, or wives who would spend the coming days wondering why their loved ones had never come back. Croft could not even bring herself to look at their faces for long. She forced herself to turn away, adjusted Lireina’s weight on her back, and hurried toward the exit before the next patrol could discover what she had done. She had no time to grieve for strangers when her friend was still unconscious, and every second she wasted brought them closer to being captured. With one final glance over her shoulder, Croft ran into the darkness, carrying Lireina away from the palace that had become their prison.

After making her way beyond the immediate perimeter of the Royal Palace, Croft managed to find a small boat that had been left near the water. She did not waste time wondering who owned it or whether taking it would get her into trouble. She carefully lowered Lireina into the boat, making sure her friend's head would not strike the wooden planks, before climbing aboard herself. The water lapped against the sides of the vessel, and the damp night air clung to Croft’s skin as she took hold of the oars. 

Her arms were already aching from carrying Lireina, but she forced herself to row, pushing the boat away from the shore and toward the opposite side of the waterway. Each stroke sent ripples spreading across the dark surface, while the distant lights of the Royal Palace gradually receded behind her. She kept glancing over her shoulder, half expecting to see a patrol boat pursuing them or an Archangel descending from the sky. Fortunately, nothing immediately followed. By the time she reached the other side, her shoulders burned with exhaustion, and her palms had grown sore from gripping the oars. Nevertheless, she dragged the boat ashore, gathered Lireina onto her back again, and continued into the mainland proper.

The city had grown darker by the time Croft entered its streets, and the hour was probably approaching midnight. Most of the ordinary shops had closed, leaving their wooden shutters firmly secured against the night. Lanterns illuminated the occasional doorway, casting weak pools of yellow light across the cobblestones, while the narrow alleys between buildings remained shrouded in shadow. Croft kept to those alleys whenever possible, avoiding the main roads where the guards were conducting their searches. 

The weight of Lireina made every step more difficult, and the constant need to watch for patrols forced her to move at an agonizingly slow pace. Whenever she heard the clatter of approaching boots, she slipped behind a stack of crates or pressed herself into a recessed doorway, holding her breath until the soldiers passed. Her legs trembled beneath her friend's weight, and sweat trickled down the back of her neck despite the chilly air. She had already been carrying Lireina for nearly an hour, and the strain was beginning to catch up with her. Still, she refused to stop for long. The sooner she reached a safe place, the sooner she could lay Lireina down and find a way to help her recover.

As she moved through the alleys, Croft could hear the people of Luminous City mourning the death of the First Prince. Their voices drifted through open windows and across narrow streets, carrying a mixture of grief, disbelief, and anxious speculation. Some people wept openly, while others gathered in small groups to discuss the shocking announcement. Under the customs of Luminous City, the slow tolling of the evening bell signified that a member of the royal family had died. It was a tradition that everyone recognized, and the unusual timing of the toll had awakened even those who had already gone to bed. Croft passed a window where several people were gathered around a lantern, their faces illuminated by its flickering light as they whispered about what had happened at the palace. 

Rumors were spreading rapidly throughout the city, with each new account becoming more dramatic than the last. Some claimed that the First Prince had been murdered by a foreign assassin, while others suspected a conspiracy within the royal court. Croft kept her head down and continued walking, silently hoping that none of the rumors would lead anyone to suspect that Lireina had been involved.

The main roads were even more dangerous. Groups of mounted soldiers rode through the streets, their horses' hooves striking the cobblestones with a steady rhythm as they inspected intersections and questioned anyone who looked suspicious. The metallic clatter of their armor accompanied the occasional shout of an officer issuing orders, and the lanterns attached to their saddles swept across the surrounding buildings as they passed. 

Above them, several Archangels patrolled the night sky, their armored silhouettes moving against the darkness as they watched the streets from above. Their presence made Croft's situation considerably worse. Even if she managed to avoid the soldiers on the ground, one of the Halochassis could spot her from the air and alert the others before she reached the next alley. Croft found herself constantly checking the rooftops and narrow gaps between buildings, searching for any sign of movement overhead. 

Croft was running out of options. She could not keep wandering through the city with an unconscious Celestial Warden on her back, especially when the entire Royal Palace was searching for the person responsible for Alaric’s death. She needed somewhere to hide, somewhere the soldiers would not immediately think to search, and somewhere she could leave Lireina while she figured out their next move. Unfortunately, there were very few people she could trust under the circumstances. 

“I should go to Shin’s place. Lena will be safe there,” Croft muttered, adjusting the unconscious woman on her back before turning toward the apartment building. Her voice sounded weak from exhaustion, but the thought of finally reaching shelter gave her enough motivation to keep moving. She remembered the way Shin had behaved around Lireina, the quiet concern he had shown her, and the many times he had risked his own safety to help her. Croft was not blind to the possibility that Shin might have been involved with the Iron Bandits, especially given his connection to Adzeel and the accusations Qinglong had made against him. 

Yet even if Shin truly was part of the organization, Croft could not imagine him deliberately harming Lireina. He had already been given multiple opportunities to betray her, and he had never taken them. More importantly, Croft had seen the way he looked at her friend. Whatever else Shin might have been hiding, his love for Lireina had always seemed genuine. Croft clung to that belief as she navigated the dark streets, hoping that she had not made another terrible mistake by placing her trust in the wrong person.

Eventually, Croft reached Shin’s apartment building. By then, her entire body ached, and her breathing had become so heavy that she needed to pause outside the door to catch her breath. She carefully lowered Lireina just enough to free one hand, then knocked three times, listening for any sign of movement inside. The sound of her knuckles against the door echoed through the quiet hallway, but no footsteps followed, and nobody answered. Croft waited a little longer before knocking again, this time with greater urgency. Still, there was no response. She glanced down at Lireina, whose head rested limply against her shoulder, and felt a wave of frustration wash over her. She could not afford to stand outside indefinitely while armed soldiers searched the city. If someone spotted them in the hallway, she would have no convincing explanation for carrying an unconscious Celestial Warden around in the middle of the night. Croft muttered a curse under her breath, stepped back, and delivered a forceful kick to the door. The lock gave way with a sharp crack, and the door swung inward, allowing her to stumble into the apartment with Lireina still on her back.

“Shin?” Croft called quietly as she entered, hoping that he might be sleeping in another room or simply failed to hear her knocking. She looked around the apartment, her eyes gradually adjusting to the dim light filtering through the windows. The furniture stood where she expected it to be, and the familiar arrangement of the room offered a brief sense of relief. However, there was no sign of Shin anywhere. She checked the other rooms as quickly as she could, searching for a light, a movement, or any indication that someone had recently been there. Nothing. The apartment was completely empty. No Shin, no footsteps, and no reassuring voice asking why she had broken down his door in the middle of the night. Croft stood motionless for a moment, trying to decide whether she should wait or search elsewhere. The silence made the place feel strangely abandoned, and the realization that she had no idea when Shin would return left her feeling more isolated than before. Nevertheless, she could not keep carrying Lireina around while she searched for him. She needed to let her friend rest, even if this apartment turned out to be only a temporary refuge.

Croft carried Lireina into Shin’s bedroom and carefully lowered her onto the bed. She supported her friend's head with one hand, gently moving her golden hair away from her face before easing her onto the pillow. Lireina did not stir. Her breathing remained faint but steady, and her expression showed none of the tension that had twisted her features during the battle. Croft pulled the blanket over her friend, making sure that she was comfortable, then stood beside the bed for a moment to examine her condition. There was little she could do about Lireina’s depleted mana or exhausted body, and she did not dare attempt anything that might make matters worse. 

All she could do was give her friend somewhere safe to recover and hope that the effects of using her Final Form would eventually subside. Once she was satisfied that Lireina was lying properly, Croft finally allowed herself to step away. Her shoulders stiffened as soon as she stopped moving, and she winced when she tried to roll them. Carrying Lireina for nearly an hour had left her muscles aching, her back throbbing, and her arms trembling from the strain.

She lowered herself onto the floor beside the wall, keeping Lireina’s pistol firmly in her hand. The cold surface pressed against her back through her clothes, but she barely noticed it. For the first time since escaping the throne room, Croft had a moment in which she did not have to move, hide, or watch for approaching soldiers. Unfortunately, the brief respite only allowed the weight of everything that had happened to settle over her. 

“This is so fucked up,” Croft muttered to herself, rubbing her face with her free hand. Her voice sounded hollow in the empty apartment, and she felt an unpleasant sting behind her eyes as she tried to hold back her tears. “Now that the First Prince is dead, they’ll pin all his sins on Lena and the entire Celestial Wardens. Alexander and Qinglong will be on edge because of this.” 

She could already imagine how the news would spread through the kingdom by morning. The authorities would launch an investigation, witnesses would be questioned, and the palace would offer whatever explanation best served its interests. If Alaric’s involvement in the conspiracy became public knowledge, those who had served him might try to redirect the blame toward the Celestial Wardens before anyone could uncover the truth. Even if the heroes had nothing to do with his death, their enemies could portray the incident as proof that they were dangerous, corrupt, or unfit to protect the kingdom. Croft had seen how quickly rumors could destroy a person's reputation, and she feared that Lireina would suffer the consequences of a crime she had not committed.

The thought made Croft’s chest tighten with guilt. She could not stop thinking about everything that had led them to this point, wondering whether the outcome might have been different if she had made better decisions. She knew that such thoughts would not change what had happened, yet she could not silence them. 

“You’re so useless, Croft,” she whispered to herself, lowering her head as tears finally spilled down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away with the back of her hand, but more followed, blurring her vision until the room became little more than a collection of indistinct shapes. Her shoulders shook as she struggled to keep herself quiet, afraid that even here, inside an apparently empty apartment, someone might hear her breaking down. 

She had spent the entire night forcing herself to remain composed because Lireina needed her, but now that her friend was resting, Croft could no longer pretend that she was handling everything well. She felt exhausted, frightened, and completely alone. The pistol in her hand suddenly seemed heavier than before, and her gaze drifted toward its dark metal surface. An intrusive thought surfaced, suggesting that she could end her suffering with a single movement. 

For one terrible moment, the idea seemed like an escape from the guilt, the fear, and the overwhelming uncertainty that had consumed her. Croft raised the pistol and pressed its cold muzzle against her temple, her fingers trembling around the grip as she sat on the floor and silently cried.