My feet pounded against the polished stone floor, the slick surface threatening to send me sprawling at any moment. But I didn't dare slow down. Not with the king's enraged bellow echoing behind me and the clatter of approaching footsteps filling my ears.

A flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was Elyse, her brow furrowed in concentration as she directed a tendril of white-hot flame towards Kass. The ropes binding my friend's wrists dissolved with a hiss, replaced by a plume of acrid smoke. Relief washed over me, tinged with a sliver of worry. Elyse, powerful as she was, remained trapped in her heavy iron shackles, a sitting duck if the guards reached her first.

Suddenly, Kass erupted into action. With a war cry that sent shivers down my spine, she launched herself at a hulking guard, her entire body weight a battering ram. The surprised grunt of the man was followed by the clatter of steel as his sword clattered to the ground. Kass didn't waste a second. She snatched up the fallen weapon, her movements fluid.

She disarmed another guard with a well-placed swipe of the stolen sword. Then she snatched Finn's knife and his belt pouch from the guard’s unconscious form.

The leather pouch arced through the air, landing with a satisfying thud at Finn's feet. He scrambled to pick it up. He grunted with exertion, the polished metal of his knife catching the flickering torchlight. A moment later, with a sigh of relief, he sliced through the last strand of the rope around his wrists and tossed the knife back to its sheath in one smooth motion. The belt followed, the familiar weight settling reassuringly on his hips.

He was back in the game.

My lungs burned, each ragged gasp a desperate plea for oxygen. A glance behind revealed the king, his face contorted with rage, had snatched his fallen sword. He charged towards me, his snarl a feral promise of pain.

But just as his blade blurred towards me, a figure erupted in front of me. Kass. My heart lurched with a mixture of terror and gratitude. My friend, ever the loyal shield, stood between me and the king's fury, her own sword raised in a defensive stance. The clang of metal on metal resonated through the chamber, deafening in its intensity. The force of the king's blow sent Kass staggering back a step, her face etched with a grimace of exertion. Yet, she held her ground, the point of her blade unwavering.

In that moment, I felt a surge of profound gratitude. Kass had stepped between me and certain death without hesitation. Her loyalty shone brighter than the flickering torches that cast grotesque shadows on the walls. The king might be a seasoned fighter, but Kass, with her unwavering determination and brute strength, was a formidable opponent.

A gasp escaped the king's lips. Kass lunged forward, a feral snarl twisting her features.

Finn, with a newfound courage, scrambled to his feet, using his small stature to his advantage as he darted towards the unsuspecting guards.

The room became a whirlwind of desperate movement, the clatter of steel meeting steel echoing through the chamber.

Finally, I turned towards my father. "Are you alright?" I gasped, my voice thick with adrenaline and concern.

His eyes, wide with shock, flickered between me and the fallen guard. "Kira…" he stammered, his voice hoarse.

But there was no time for a reunion. The chamber echoed with the clang of steel as Kass clashed with the king. Their swords met in a deadly dance, sparks flying with each impact. It was a surprisingly even fight, Kass' brute strength a match for the king's agility and speed.

"You dare draw your sword on your king?" the king bellowed, his voice laced with a spittle-flecked fury. "Do you know the penalty for treason?"

Kass, her eyes narrowed and movements deadly, parried a vicious blow from the king's sword.

"Death, I presume?" she deadpanned, her voice dripping with a sardonic amusement. "In that case, your Majesty, you’ll have to try harder."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Finn dart towards Isaac and Elyse. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the shackles binding Elyse clattering to the floor.

"Go!" he yelled.

Elyse needed no urging. She scrambled to her feet, snatching up a fallen sword.

The tide was turning, but the fight was far from over. Guards, jolted out of their complacency by the sudden violence, surged forward, their armored forms a menacing tide. But they hadn't counted on the desperate teamwork that had ignited within our group.

With a yell that tore through the din, I launched myself at the nearest guard, my dagger flashing in a deadly arc. He reacted with a surprised bellow, his heavy armor slowing his movements. A quick feint and a well-placed kick sent his leg flying out from under him, sending him sprawling onto the cold stone floor with a pained grunt.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Finn dart around the fray like a nimble weasel. He was far from the strongest, but his agility in the cramped chamber proved an unexpected advantage.

He snatched up a fallen sword, the clang echoing like a taunt, and used it to tap the armored backside of another guard. The surprised man whirled around, his heavy armor making him slow and cumbersome. Finn weaved out of reach before the guard could react, leading him on a merry chase around the chamber. The guard lumbered after him, his frustration growing with each missed swing.

I shoved a sword into my father's hand, the weight of the weapon unfamiliar in his trembling grasp.

"Stay close," I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument. Then, with a roar that echoed Kass' battle cry, I lunged towards another guard.

The primal scream that tore from my throat jolted Erin from her daze. The metallic tang of blood suddenly filled the air, a harsh contrast to the sterile emptiness that had numbed her senses.

Through blurry eyes, I saw her plunge her dagger into a guard's eye, his body crumpling to the floor.

Kass clashed with the king in a deadly dance of steel, their blades ringing out in a fierce symphony.

Even Isaac, pale and trembling moments ago, had found a fallen sword and stood beside Elyse, her determined snarl echoing in the chamber.

The air crackled with a chaotic energy. We moved with a desperate kind of cohesion, a well-oiled machine fueled by adrenaline and a newfound sense of purpose.

Suddenly, the room bathed in an unexpected brilliance. Elyse, her brow furrowed in concentration, had unleashed her ball of pure white light. It zipped around the chamber, disorienting the guards with its blinding luminescence. Their shouts of confusion rose above the din of battle as they stumbled and swatted at the elusive orb.

Seizing this advantage, Elyse launched into a new assault. With a grunt of exertion, she levitated one of the armored guards, his surprised yelp cut short. He rose helplessly into the air, his heavy form straining her magic visibly. With a grimace, she slammed him down onto another guard with a resounding clang. Both men crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain.

I watched in concern as Elyse panted, her face pale with the effort. Using telekinesis to such an extent was clearly draining her magic reserves. I needed to find a way to end this fight quickly, before she became too weak to defend herself.

Then, one of the guards lunged at Isaac, who stood frozen, his face pale with terror. He wasn't exactly built for battle, his calloused hands far more accustomed to stitching wounds than wielding weapons. But as the guard's fist swung towards him, a spark of defiance flickered in his eyes. Years of studying the human body flashed before him. He saw the tensed muscles, the predictable arc of the attack.

With a burst of adrenaline, Isaac sidestepped, not with the agility of a warrior, but with the calculated precision of a surgeon. The guard, thrown off balance by the unexpected maneuver, crashed to the floor with a surprised grunt. His armored form tangled in his own limbs, he struggled to regain his footing.

Stolen novel; please report.

Erin, seizing the unexpected opportunity, sprang into action. Clad in her black leather armor, she moved with the silent grace of a predator. She slammed into the fallen guard, her elbow connecting with his armored shoulder with a satisfying crunch. A pained yelp escaped the guard's lips, and he lay groaning on the cold stone floor.

Isaac watched, his eyes wide with a mix of terror and awe. The maneuver, so fantastical moments ago, had actually worked. He caught Elyse's eye, his lips twitching into a hesitant smile. She met his gaze with a resolute nod, a playful glint sparking in her eyes despite the effort. With a determined grunt, she sent another guard flying through the chamber, his armor clanging against the stone walls.

Another guard, enraged by his fallen comrade, charged at Isaac with a roar. But Isaac was no longer frozen. He saw the opening, the same vulnerability he'd exploited before. As the guard's fist swung towards him, Isaac ducked, his hand a blur as it shot out. With a strangled cry, he slammed the hilt of the sword, a weapon he barely knew how to hold, against the guard's temple.

The sickening thud of metal on bone echoed through the room. The guard's charge faltered mid-stride, his eyes widening in surprise. A moment later, his body went limp, crumpling to the floor with a heavy thud, unconscious.

Isaac stood there, trembling, the hilt of the sword slick with sweat in his hand. He wasn't a warrior, and the violence of the act left a bitter taste in his mouth. But the guard lay still, and a wave of relief washed over him. Despite his gentle nature, he wouldn't hesitate to protect himself and his friends, even if it meant resorting to brutality.

A shaky breath escaped his lips, and for the first time, Isaac saw his sword not as a symbol of violence, but as a tool for survival, a shield for the vulnerable.

Finn darted between the remaining guards, snatching fallen weapons and tossing them towards us.

Kass pressed the king back with every swing of her sword. A strangled cry ripped from her throat as another guard lunged at her from behind, sword raised high.

No way in hell.

I didn't have time to think, only to react. The ceremonial dagger felt ridiculous in my hand, a jeweled toy meant for parades, not brawls. But it was all I had.

With a desperate heave, I hurled the useless thing across the room. It found its mark with a satisfying thud, penetrating the plate and burying itself deep in the guard’s back. He crumpled to the ground, a surprised gasp escaping his lips. A small victory, a fleeting one.

This guard was the one who disarmed me. Reaching down blindly, I snatched the familiar hilt of Fang from his belt. A good exchange, I thought with a grim smile – useless bauble for my trusty blade.

With renewed determination, I charged into the fray, a snarl twisting my lips. Time to even the odds.

My father, eyes wide with a mix of terror and pride, fended off a guard with surprising tenacity, the sword somehow fitting his grip.

But my gaze kept flickering towards Caleb. He stood frozen, a statue amidst the chaos, his face etched with a mixture of shock and something else – pain? My heart ached for him. He was caught between loyalty to the crown and seeing the brutal reality of the king's reign.

"Caleb! Snap out of it!" I shouted, my voice hoarse with exertion. "This isn't who you are! Don't you see what he's doing?"

Caleb remained rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on the king and Kass's deadly dance. His expression was unreadable, a storm of emotions swirling beneath the surface. But there was no time for pleas. A guard lunged at me from behind, his armored form a hulking shadow. With a snarl, I twisted, using the momentum to slam my elbow into his armored chest. He grunted in surprise, momentarily stunned. I seized the opportunity, darting past him and rejoining the fight.

I lunged at yet another guard. My hands shot out in a blur of precise, calculated strikes. I targeted the pressure points on his neck and shoulder with swift, pinpoint accuracy. His eyes widened in surprise as his body went limp, collapsing to the floor in an uncontrolled heap.

I drove my dagger into his side with a swift, decisive motion. The blade found its mark with a wet thud, sinking deep into his ribs. He gasped, a look of shock and betrayal etched across his face as he slumped to the ground.

Another guard advanced, but I was faster. I sidestepped his clumsy attack and grabbed his arm, twisting it in a painful angle. The guard yelped out, his face contorting in agony as he fell to his knees before me.

"You fight like him, you bitch!" he spat out, his voice strained and laced with venom.

I leaned in close, letting a wicked smile curl on my lips. "I’m flattered. But unlike him, I don’t play by the rules." I said softly, my voice dripping with icy amusement.

Without another word, I brought my dagger to his throat. The blade cut through his flesh with a single, practiced motion, and in a matter of seconds, his life was extinguished in a final, silent gasp.

My eyes darted towards Kass, who had managed to disarm the king. Fueled by a relentless anger, she had him cornered. She raised her sword, a vicious blow aimed at the king's head.

Panic surged through me. I couldn't let her hurt him. Such brutality wouldn't just break the king, but one of his one hundred prisoners, or it would maybe even shatter Caleb.

With a desperate roar, I launched myself towards her, throwing myself between her and the king.

"Kass, no!" I screamed, my voice hoarse. "We don't become monsters like him!"

Kass, momentarily stunned by my intervention, lowered her weapon. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, her eyes blazing with a storm of emotions. The king, sensing an opportunity, lunged forward, a cruel smile twisting his lips. But before he could strike, a new figure slammed into him.

It was Caleb. He wrestled the king to the ground, his face contorted with a mix of rage and desperation.

"Enough!" he roared, the word echoing in the sudden silence that had fallen over the chamber. "The fighting ends now!"

Confusion clouded my mind. Caleb had been working for the king, yet he stopped the fight? What was his game?

His words, though, snapped me out of my internal debate. "Leave," he rasped, his voice strained. "Elyse, take them away from here!"

Elyse, her face pale but her eyes resolute, didn't hesitate. With a curt nod, she held up her sword and winced as she sliced open her palm. Using her own blood, she began to draw an intricate circle on the floor, her movements practiced and sure.

A portal spell. Elyse was creating a way out.

But my focus was ripped away as a choked gasp escaped Caleb. The king, a crazed look in his eyes, had his hands wrapped around Caleb's throat, squeezing with a sickening ferocity. Fear, cold and primal, flooded my veins.

I had to act, and fast.

Thinking became a blur. I ran to snatch up the fallen crossbow. My fingers fumbled for a bolt, blindly searching my pouch. Finally, I found it – a wolfsbane bolt, gleaming silver in the dim light.

A single, silent prayer escaped my lips as I aimed. There was no time for a perfect shot, no time for hesitation. The bolt flew true, embedding itself in the king's shoulder with a sickening thud.

A choked gasp tore from Caleb as the wolfsbane bolt sank into the king's shoulder. The king roared, a sound that echoed with a primal fury, but his grip on Caleb slackened.

Caleb scrambled back, mirroring the king's movement as he clutched his own shoulder, a look of agonizing pain twisting his features.

It was true then. Caleb was bound to the king, sharing every wound, every ounce of pain. He slumped to the floor, tears welling in his eyes, the raw agony etched on his face. A copy of the wolfsbane bolt materialized in his shoulder, oozing the same purple poison that now stained the king's wound.

For a heart-stopping moment, our eyes met across the chamber. In Caleb's gaze, I saw a flicker of relief, a silent plea. My body ached to reach him, to help him to his feet. But the illusion of victory shattered as the king, fueled by rage and venom, ripped the bolt from his shoulder.

"You insolent whelp!" he bellowed, his voice dripping with a murderous intent. He whipped his gaze towards the guards, their faces twisted in surprise morphing into a cold, predatory hunger. "Seize them! Leave none alive!"

He lunged towards me, his skeletal hand outstretched. But before he could reach me, the wolfsbane coursed through his veins, its properties taking effect. His movements grew sluggish, his face contorted in a mask of pain and fury.

The guards surged forward, a wave of steel glinting in the firelight. There was no time for heroics, no chance of fighting our way out of this.

With a choked gasp, Caleb turned his head, his face contorted in a silent scream. His eyes, filled with a mixture of pain, betrayal, and a desperate plea, locked onto mine for a fleeting moment.

An agonizing decision ripped through me. There, on the precipice of escape, was Caleb, his hand reaching out towards me. Every fiber of my being screamed to rush to his side, to drag him through the portal even if it meant sacrificing myself. But a cold logic intruded.

Caleb, paralyzed by the wolfsbane, would be a dead weight. Bringing him would endanger not just him, but all of us. The rebellion, the hope for a better future, all of it hinged on our escape.

With a wrenching sob that tore from my throat, I turned and bolted.

The clatter of boots on stone echoed behind me, a relentless pursuit that hammered against my eardrums. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision, but I didn't dare look back. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, to survive, to carry the rebellion's flame even if it meant leaving Caleb behind. The image of his pained face, his outstretched hand, burned into my memory.

There was no time for questions, no room for lingering goodbyes. We scrambled towards the circle Elyse had drawn, its intricate lines glowing faintly with a magical light. Fear propelled our movements as the remaining guards, enraged by the attack on their king, thundered towards us.

Elyse stood in the center of the circle, her face etched with concentration as she clapped her hands together above her head. Just as the first guard reached us, I felt a tug, a sensation like falling through a dream. A blinding light erupted, engulfing the chamber and washing away the sounds of battle.

I glanced back one last time. Caleb lay slumped against a pillar, holding his injured shoulder. The wolfsbane coursed through him, rendering him immobile just as the guards converged on him.

The ferocious glint in their eyes, the way they surrounded him like ravenous wolves closing in on wounded prey - it was a sight hat would forever haunt my dreams. He had reached for me, a plea for help unspoken, but the portal wouldn't allow another soul through. My agonizing choice, the desperate gamble I took to save us, meant leaving him behind.

The portal flickered, then with a final gasp, winked out of existence. The world dissolved into a swirling vortex of colors before fading to black.

When I opened my eyes again, the air was warm and stale, the sounds of a rushing river filling my ears.

We were gone.