A little distance away from the Nevan, Lyria paced back and forth, an unmistakable trace of unease etched into her expression.
She couldn’t quite place the reason for it, but sothing about Kael’s presence stirred an odd restlessness within her. It was strange—being around him had always brought her a sense of comfort, a quiet security that she had co to rely on more than she realized.
"Maybe it’s because I’ve been relying on him too much..." she murmured to herself, her voice trailing off into the stillness of the evening.
There was a faint hesitation in her words as she glanced out into the night. Then, as if trying to dismiss the creeping thoughts, she shook her head.
"No, let’s not think about that."
A brief frown crossed her face.
"Why am I so unusually chatty today?"
She stopped pacing and stood silently for a mont, her gaze falling on the peculiar egg nestled beside her. It pulsed faintly with an almost imperceptible energy, its surface smooth and strange. A low, instinctive hunger flickered within her—a deep-rooted urge to consu it—but she resisted. She had learned to control herself, even when the craving whispered temptations through her veins.
"Just what is inside this? And when will you break out?" she asked softly, crouching beside the egg and brushing her fingers lightly over its surface.
Receiving no answer, she sighed and set it carefully aside. The unease still lingered faintly in her chest, but for now, exhaustion began to dull her thoughts. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall, allowing herself a mont of rest.
Unbeknownst to her, as sleep slowly crept in, a soft crack appeared on the surface of the egg. A fine line, almost invisible at first, began to form—and with it, the first sign of sothing stirring within.
However, just then, a sound of blast erupted, waking up everyone followed by screams.
"Attack...
.......
"Damn! This is getting out of hand!" Sol groaned as he grabbed his hair and scread in frustration. His voice bounced off the old wooden walls of the inn, drawing a sharp silence across the room.
"They’ve closed the gates and aren’t letting anyone leave or enter the city. Aren’t they even worried about the chaos they’re causing? Do they even care how much distrust this will breed?"
His words echoed loudly through the dim, stuffy room. Outside the window, guards’ boots pounded the cobblestone streets in steady rhythm, a constant reminder of the net slowly tightening around them.
Adonis paced across the floor, arms folded tightly as he turned to Sol. "Can you calm down for just a mont?" he asked, his voice low and level, though his own nerves were clearly fraying.
"There must be a way out of this."
Just then, Linda twirled her finger idly in the air, eyes narrowed in thought. "By the way, where did Her Highness go this morning?" she asked curiously.
The question made everyone pause. Confused glances were exchanged around the room. Brows furrowed. Heads turned from one to another as realization dawned—Martina had been gone since early morning.
"She went to check the escape route," ca a calm voice from the corner.
They turned to see Kael seated quietly, polishing his blade. The steel glead under the faint sunlight filtering through the window. His tone was matter-of-fact, unaffected by the rising tension in the room.
"For the escape route?" Freya asked, brows pinched together in concern. "Wouldn’t she be in danger going alone?"
Kael paused his work, eyes briefly eting hers. "I think we should trust her," he said simply. "If she went alone, it ans she’s confident in what she’s doing."
"AHHH, WHATEVER!" Sol suddenly slapped his thigh and stood up, pushing his frustration aside. "I’m hungry. I’m going to grab a al. Anyone coming?"
"You still have the appetite to eat?" Herion muttered, shooting him a glare.
Sol shrugged. "We can’t fight on an empty stomach."
Without waiting for a reply, he stord out with a loud thud of the door, leaving behind a quiet, slightly tense atmosphere.
A mont passed in silence.
Kael returned to polishing his sword, enjoying the rare flicker of peace. The quiet hum of steel on cloth was oddly soothing. The weight of uncertainty still hung in the air, but for now, everything was still.
Until—
BANG!
"FUCK!"
The door swung open violently.
Sol ca crashing in, nearly tripping over himself as he stumbled into the room. His face was pale, breath ragged, and sweat lined his brow. In a panic, he slamd the door shut behind him and locked it in one swift motion.
"We’re fucked!" he shouted.
Everyone jumped to their feet.
"What happened?" Adonis demanded, rushing toward him.
Sol’s chest heaved. "The guards... they’re here. They’re looking for us! They’re going door to door. This whole place is going to be searched soon!"
The air in the room turned heavy in an instant.
No one spoke.Their minds blanked out.
Even Kael, who was the calst among them, slowly set his sword down, the faint clink of tal breaking the silence.
Everyone knew.
They were running out of ti.
Sol darted his eyes around the room in a panic, arms flailing as he shouted,
"Hide! Let’s hide—quickly!"
"Hide? Where?" Freya snapped, frustration flaring in her voice as she looked around the cramped inn room.
"Since Her Highness chose this place, there must be a hiding spot," Adonis said, trying to calm himself while injecting so logic into the chaos.
"Great! Then let’s go!" Sol chid in, his voice full of urgency—
"But... I don’t know where it is."
That line crushed whatever little hope had sparked.
A heavy silence fell before Herion growled, "Then who does know it?"
Kael, who had been quietly observing everything from the corner, let out a sigh. He had been worried about exactly this. There was no way Martina hadn’t anticipated the possibility of the guards searching the inn. A woman like her wouldn’t overlook such a crucial risk.
The problem was, he’d wanted to ask her about it the night before—but held back, worried she might think he was prying too much.
But now... she had vanished without a trace.
If only he had spoken up.
Still, all was not lost.
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