My heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest.

I was both excited and dreading the contents of the message. There was a part of me that wanted to pretend I hadn’t seen it and follow Rix, Oz, and Gesai up on the roof to see whatever was happening. If it was bad news, then I didn’t want to read it, but there was a chance it was good news. The only way that I’d know was if I opened it.

I clicked the message and saw that it was from Ether.

Atlas, Mister Vowler said that you wouldn’t be coming back until the end of the semester. Aelin, Fray, and I have been brought back to the Cathedral and Miss Hayz Calx, who is teaching the Yellow team has taken over our lessons while you’re gone. We can’t really go into the dungeon so we’re mainly just having class in the afternoons. Aelin said to tell Justia and everyone else hi and that she’s thinking about them a lot and to… No I’m not sending that. He’s in danger and doesn’t need to worry about that right now. I don’t care who he’s with, wait… is this thing sending the message as I speak? How do you erase that? Aelin now look at what you’ve done…

Sorry about that part. Aelin is bored and worried about everyone like we all are. Just come back to us whole okay? I love you too.

I smiled at Aelin being up to her usual antics. I started to type out a reply when Oz yelled at me from the roof.

“Atlas! You’ve got to come see this!”

I closed the display and ran up the stairs and used the back of one of the seats to climb on the roof where everyone except Jord was sitting.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The old man from the night before was out and wreaking havoc on the other shipping containers. He’d pilfered a sword from out of the weapon cache and gotten his cuff off somehow, which was allowing him to use his skills. From where we were sitting, I could tell he’d already killed a few of the Bandits who were in the bunk who had tried to stop him. The guard from the lift had just arrived as Glima started summoning monsters.

The monsters she summoned weren’t level one or two, but instead, larger and nasTier versions. A cat that looked like its body was made out of pure electricity started stalking the man, while a water snake attacked him directly. A bat with frost falling off of it began spitting hail at him.

The Nobleman destroyed the bat with a ball of fire, then closed the distance on the snake and reduced it to smoke with a single slash.

The guard launched himself at the Noble and the two began trading blows as they swung their swords at each other. They were moving so fast, I could tell that they were so much higher in level, Power, and Speed than I was.

Gesai seemed like she was itching to join the fight, but one look at us caused her to sit back down.

“Where did he come from?” Justia looked at Rix.

“He’s a kidnapping victim like us.” I cut off the answer that Rix would have given. "Getting him locked up in the Warehouse was probably what Glima was doing yesterday afternoon.”

“Do you think he can win?” Ren was biting her nails with excitement.

“Against those two…” I didn’t know what to say.

“Yes.” Gesai finished the answer that I didn’t have. "He is fighting for his freedom, his life. While the other two are just fighting to keep him contained.”

I had to admit, by the number of dead Bandits he’d already taken care of, I was inclined to agree with her. There was just one thing bothering me.

“What happens if the person who captured him in the first place is still here?”

Rix looked at me and I could see in her face that she hadn’t made sure that Yhan was the highest level person here when she let him out.