Chapter 302 – Choices

Chapter 302 – Choices

“Long time no see.” The shroud of Shadow fell away as Flynn stepped into the light of the discarded lantern. His gaze flew over the cell, looking for threats. He crouched to retrieve his dagger from the dead guard, his grin strained by worry and tension. “Did you miss me?”

Kai opened his mouth for a snappy quip before simply smiling. “Yes, a bit. Your Shadow Magic is getting better.” He had been so focused on the fight that he had missed the cloaked figure sneaking behind the guard. “Thank you for the help.”

“Oh, it was nothing…” Flynn bit his lip at the honest response before his brows furrowed with seriousness. “You’re bleeding.”

Kai looked down at his cuts and bruises. His wrists and ribs were in especially bad shape. In the hurry to check on his sister, he had forgotten to treat his own wounds when he escaped the shackles; the pain grew sharper as the adrenaline of the fight left him.

“Just a few scratches.” He shrugged and downed a green vial from his ring in one gulp. “I’ll be fine in a bit. None of them are deep.”

“They look serious—”

“Mrow!” Hobbes pranced into the light, preening to receive his due praise.

“Of course.” Flynn bent to scratch his ear. “I would have never found Kai without you. Everyone’s safe thanks to you.”

“Mew.” Hobbes sat to groom his silver coat, feigning modesty.

You’re not fooling anyone.

Smug satisfaction overflowed the bond. From the images and impressions Kai got, the furball had gone to fetch Flynn when he’d told him not to fight.

“You did well,” Kai admitted, feeling his familiar’s ego balloon to rival the moons. “We should move before more guards come.”

Flynn gazed over the cell with a grimace. “Right. Do you know where Kea and Rain are? We must—”

With a snap of Kai’s fingers, the Shadows retreated from the corner of the cell to reveal Kea, Mari and Rain—still unconscious. “You’re getting good, but magic is still my thing.” He grinned at Flynn. The spell held up remarkably well despite the rushed cast.

“Meeow.” Hobbes flicked his tail.

Shut up, Hobbes. I’m not half as smug as you.

Kai walked past his pompous familiar to sit by Kea’s side. Her face regained color from the healing potion he had fed her earlier.

“Is she hurt?” Flynn asked with concern. He was about to crouch beside her when his eyes fell upon Rain’s bloodied visage and froze. “Is he…“

“He’s alive,” Kai gave the best assurance he could.

He had also given Rain a potion before the guards arrived, though he couldn’t spot much improvement. In the pale blue light of the discarded lantern, any visible area of his body was a patchwork of cuts and swollen bruises; his pale hair stuck to his face, crusted with blood. More worryingly, there were fractures in his ribs, arms and legs.

I didn’t realize it was that bad.

Even a human at the peak of Yellow would risk dying—thankfully, he wasn’t human.

“Can— can you help him?” Flynn knelt beside the siren and turned to him with a pitiful look. “He’ll be okay?”

“I…” Kai bit his cheek. “I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

If he has held up till now, he should survive…

“Help me treat their wounds.” Kai unloaded his entire stock of balms, potions and powder medicines. With Limgrell’s dwindling population and lack of trade, getting his hands on decent herbs had been a challenge. “I’ll take care of Mari and Kea. You help Rain. We’ll have to move him if he doesn’t wake up.”

“Hmm,” Flynn nodded, busy picking apart the collection of vials and boxes.

They worked efficiently, sharing what had happened since they had gotten separated.

“I’ve crossed a few cultists on the way here, but they didn’t look like patrols.” Flynn wrapped a bandage around Rain’s head. “From what Hobbes told me, the guards are still searching the areas where he lured them.”

Kai threw him a look. How do you understand Hobbes better than I do?

“Uh… we better move before they realize they went chasing a cat.” Kai used an empty bag to cushion Kea’s head—he had liberally applied any potion that might help her. He bandaged the wounds on his own wrists last. The alchemical mixtures were mending his body, though full recovery would take hours and sap his energies.

And we still have no idea how to escape.

Kai clenched his teeth. They wouldn’t be in this situation if he had realized the trap sooner. “I… I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault.” Flynn seemed to read his thoughts at a glance. “I knew something was off too, but I never imagined Caeli would betray us. She had been traveling with Kea’s team for months, even before getting to Limgrell. It’s all so messed up!” He huffed and slammed his fist into the ground. “All the time Caeli acted strange, I thought she was scared her brother might be dead. Instead, they were both part of this crazy cult.”

It probably wasn’t a coincidence we never found clues about the missing…

Thinking of the long betrayal reawakened his anger; it ripped through his veins like molten metal. How many more people were involved in this?

He could make a few guesses from the snippets he overheard from the guards. There was no better way to control an investigation than from the inside. By running around Limgrell, Caeli could ensure no one uncovered the truth and encourage more adventurers to pursue the bounty. If a bunch of newbies could safely search for months, the quest couldn’t be that dangerous.

The theory rang true, though he might miss a few pieces.

And I guess the adventurers didn’t just give up on the quest after a couple days and leave…

It was a possibility he had considered, though never found proof. Adventurers often wandered between cities to make a living; it wasn’t unusual for them to disappear for months. No one apart from the Hall of Seekers kept track of them, and the Stygian Cult had already infiltrated the local branch.

Did all seekers who came to Limgrell get abducted? Even if the number was just half, it’d still mean the missing were over twice what they suspected.

His thoughts branched into a myriad of speculations.

The whys and hows don’t matter if we can’t escape from here alive.

Working quickly, they took just minutes to tend to the unconscious trio.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“C’mon, wake up.” He lightly shook his sister’s shoulder. Aside from the bruises, her mana flowed smoothly. Her eyelids stirred like she was about to open her eyes but never quite managed.

I did try the nice way. Don’t hold it against me.

With a flick of his hand, Kai conjured a sphere of icy water over her face, stepped back and let it splash—the effect was immediate.

Dark green eyes widened, darting to identify the threat. Kea bent to the side coughing and swung a punch at a target who had wisely retreated. “You—” Another cough interrupted her.

It worked better than I thought.

Her gaze spit fire. She looked ready to pounce when her memories of the trap caught up to her. “I— Caeden— How—” Her lower lip quivered as the betrayal sank in. “How could she…” Fury burned through the shock; she gritted her teeth so hard Kai worried they might shatter.

I did not think about this part.

He evaporated the water from her face. Casting a spatial displacement spell seemed easier than finding the right words to say. Comforting had never been one of his talents.

Kai stared at the sole of his boots, his mouth dry. Awkwardness choked his mind. Compared to his rage toward Caeli, the betrayal cut Kea much deeper. He couldn’t imagine what emotions coursed through her.

“You woke up! I was so worried.” Flynn was beside her in a blink. He took her arm to help her stand and check her condition. “How’re you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere? You’ve been out for several hours…”