While chaos still reigned in the fortress, east of Auroria, a window of a countryside house, woven through by a tree, remained open despite the icy night air. Pica, the little cyanocrius, noticed it from the outside. He had been awakened in the middle of the night and entered the house through a crack in the tree trunk connected to the interior. He woke the old master, who wasn't used to getting up this early. The master got up, climbed the stairs following the bird, all the while removing the earplugs he used to muffle the sharp noises the little bird made in the morning—though he could still hear them.

Pica then perched on the handle of the door of the room where Armand was supposed to be sleeping, tapping his beak to attract attention. Kaka opened the door while the bird came to rest on his shoulder.

"Armand?" the old man called into the emptiness. He stepped into the room, wiping his tired eyes to make sure his vision wasn't deceiving him. But no, it was clear: Armand had run away.

"What is he up to? Where could he have gone this late?" he murmured.

Kaka approached the window, tightening the collar of his pajamas against the cold, and looked out at the surroundings. He tried to figure out what could have driven Armand to make such a decision. Maybe he had slipped away for some secret training, like some apprentices from the magic schools? But Kaka knew Armand well: a heavy sleeper, he would have hardly been able to force himself into such a nighttime effort.

Suddenly, a memory hit him: the conversation from the day before. Armand had mentioned an arrest in the street and seemed strangely interested in the Silver Fortress. The old master also recalled his impulsive reaction when they went to the library and stumbled upon an open-air slave market—Armand was ready to act recklessly, which could have caused him enormous trouble.

"The fortress... Don't tell me he went there!" Kaka exclaimed, suddenly worried. He passed his magic-infused hand over the window's edge, trying to detect any traces of departure. They were already partially faded, but with his experience, he deduced that Armand had left more than three hours ago.

"That fool! He's completely overestimating himself!" he growled, slamming his fist down. "Even if he comes out alive, he'll get into serious trouble with the guards!"

The old master searched for a solution, tapping his finger on the window ledge, when suddenly an idea struck him as he saw the little bird perched there.

"Pica!" He gently grasped the bird, which, though initially startled, quickly calmed down. He extended his hand outside and explained a plan only the bird could carry out. He hid a magical bulb he had just created in Pica's plumage and told him to fly as far south of the city as possible. There seemed to be a magical bond so strong between them that Pica could understand everything the old man said, despite the obvious barrier between a human and an animal.

The old master extended his hand outside, signaling Pica to fly south of the city. The bird nodded gently, flapped its wings, and then darted into the night. Kaka watched him disappear into the distance and seemed to pray before closing the windows of the room.

At the same time, in the fortress, Armand advanced alongside Carolina and Bojan, who leaned on her, his wounds seemingly stabilizing. They were heading for the stairs to the ground floor. Each step cost them, but they had no time to lose. Chaos reigned on the upper floors, and the situation was becoming critical. The narrow corridor still vibrated from the aftermath of the battle, and the damage caused by Herman left the walls cracked, ready to collapse at any moment.

"Wait... you're exhausted. We can't go on like this. At least drink the last potion you have," said Carolina, worried, pointing to the bag she had returned to him.

"We don't have a choice. If that brute comes back..." he didn't finish his sentence, but his look said more than his words, and she understood.

They continued to climb until they finally reached the antechamber of the ground floor, partially filled with mist. Armand made the connection with what the prisoner from earlier had told them, who insisted on staying in his purgatory cell. This mist must come from the prisoner who had been with him and escaped. Armand no longer had time to dwell on it; his only goal now was to escape the fortress as quickly as possible.

The mist thickened on the ground floor, particularly around the director's office and the adjacent lodges. They advanced cautiously, guided by the sounds of prisoners seemingly trying to force open the large main gate. Suddenly, a low rumble sounded above them, followed by the bloodcurdling screams of prisoners left upstairs. The walls trembled violently, and debris began to fall from the ceiling.

Armand froze at the sound of those screams, his gaze lifting to the ceiling. The tremors grew more violent, and pieces of the ceiling crashed down around them. He exchanged a quick glance with Carolina, then with Bojan, who was struggling to stand upright, distancing himself from her so as not to slow her down further.

"Bojan... you're overexerting yourself," she worried, glancing at him.

"He's coming," Bojan muttered in a hoarse voice.

Carolina cast a nervous glance at the stairs. "We can't let him catch up to us, not after all this."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I know," Armand replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "Let's go, we're out of time."

They started running, despite their fatigue. The thick mist made visibility almost impossible, but they could hear the clamor of prisoners moving near the main gate in the distance. Each step brought them closer to freedom.

Suddenly, a loud crash of metal rang out. Carolina stared straight ahead, wide-eyed. "The gate... it just gave way!" she exclaimed.

A roar of joy erupted from the crowd of prisoners. The opportunity to escape was finally here. "We're free, guys! This is our chance! Run while you can!" shouted one of the inmates, as others rushed over the fallen gate.

The collapse's blast cleared much of the mist, finally revealing the exit. They were almost there. Armand, Carolina, and Bojan cautiously advanced through the crowd of excited prisoners, carving a path through the chaos. Carolina kept her eyes on Bojan, watching his increasingly erratic breathing. Every breath seemed like a struggle, but he refused to slow the group down.

"Don't stop," Armand murmured, glancing around to make sure there was no danger. "We're almost out."

The moonlight pierced through the remaining mist, illuminating their path. The outside air was cold, but far more pleasant than the stifling atmosphere of the fortress. Carolina and Bojan finally crossed the gate and joined the prisoners gathered outside, helping those still inside.

"We made it," Carolina whispered to Bojan, who couldn't believe his eyes. She turned, realizing that Armand hadn't followed them. He stood there, motionless, facing the interior of the fortress, his gaze fixed on the lingering mist. She felt a lump of anxiety rise in her throat as she saw his trembling, clenched fists.

"What are you doing? We have to go, we're outside now, you said it yourself, there's no time!"

Bojan, struggling to catch his breath, glanced at Armand, unable to understand why their companion remained frozen within the walls they had risked their lives to escape.

"Carolina... he doesn't want to leave... he has something in mind," Bojan muttered.

Carolina didn't listen and took a step forward, walking over the debris, reaching out to him. "Please, we didn't go through all this for you to stay here! Come with us!"

But he didn't move. He took a deep breath, his gaze still fixed on the fortress, waiting for the inevitable to come. "You go now," he said sternly, without even looking at her. "I'm staying to fight."

Carolina froze, overwhelmed by confusion and fear. She clenched her fists, unable to comprehend what he planned to do in his current state.

"But, be reasonable!" she cried. "You want to fight Herman? Look at yourself before making such reckless decisions! You're exhausted, you can't face him. Not after everything we've been through!"

Armand's gaze hardened as he finally turned to face Carolina, his grey eyes shining with determination. "Get as far away to the east as possible. I won't say it again."

Startled by the force in his voice, she took a step back. "No! I..."

Armand abruptly cut her off, raising his voice. "Take Bojan with you and leave, now!" he shouted. "My goal wasn't just to free the people trapped here. I want to destroy this place. Reduce it to ashes, erase everything it represents and everything it's created. Herman is just one step on that path. I must face him."

Carolina felt her legs buckle under the weight of his words. "But... you can't..." Her voice trembled as she desperately searched for something to say, a reason to convince him not to rush into this senseless battle. But no words came; her mind was blank. In his gaze, she understood—it was already too late. Armand wouldn't change his mind. She turned away, her heart heavy, her eyes filling with tears as she bit her lower lip to keep from breaking down.

"This is craziness," she murmured, her throat tight, before walking away, followed by Bojan, who cast one last glance at Armand, a mixture of respect and sorrow in his eyes.

Armand turned his gaze back toward the imposing fortress. "I've already made my decision," he muttered to himself.

At that moment, a deafening crash echoed: the ceiling in the distance collapsed, momentarily clearing the smoke. Dozens of prisoners fell, unconscious, some drained and weakened, others already dead, their lifeless bodies strewn across the ground.

Amid the debris and dust, a massive figure slowly rose. It was Warden Herman. He brutally swept aside the prisoners at his feet with a flick of his chains, their bodies hurled violently against the cracked walls, smashing everything in their path. Emerging from the ruins, he advanced, towering, his chains vibrating around him like hungry serpents.

He was unrecognizable—his body was much larger now, enveloped in chains infused with magic freshly extracted from the prisoners in the upper level where he had been thrown earlier. This made him even more monstrous, almost inhuman.

Every muscle under the chains seemed ready to burst, his footsteps causing the entire fortress to tremble. His face, twisted with rage, turned toward Armand, who awaited him. A macabre, bloodied smile stretched across his lips.

"You? Don't tell me I'm dreaming. You're standing here instead of fleeing like the others? You're even more stupid than I thought."

Armand clenched his fists, his eyes locked on his adversary. This confrontation was inevitable; he had known it since the moment he entered the fortress. Freeing the prisoners was only the beginning. The real battle began now.

"I didn't come here to run," he replied in a calm voice. "I'm here to put an end to this fortress, once and for all."

Herman burst into laughter, a deep laugh that echoed through the ruins of the fortress, his chains clinking with every step. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Armand with a glint of disdain.

"Put an end to this fortress?" he repeated, amused. "That's absurd. Do you really think you can stop me? Look at yourself—you're exhausted, barely able to stand without shaking. Do you honestly believe you can stop me?"

He shook his head, slowly approaching Armand, his chains slithering along the ground around him.

"Know this, worm," he continued, licking his lips. "You think I'll just crush you and be done? Oh no, I'll take my time. Your death won't satisfy me after such humiliation! It will be slow, painful… unbearable."

Herman puffed out his chest, letting out a fierce roar, positioning himself to charge. Armand, his fists clenched so tight his palms bled, tried to control his trembling. Fatigue weighed on him, but he was mentally preparing for the inevitable.

"You really are stupid. But no matter. You'll be on your knees before I'm through with you, begging me to finish it!"

Herman's chains rose around him, ready to strike. Armand braced himself, his body tense, ready to react despite everything. The final battle was about to begin, and he knew one mistake could cost him his life.

"Come, little hero," Herman declared, his chains whipping through the mist around him. "Let's see how long you last before I crush you to pieces."

End of Chapter 19.