Do not look up. That was what Mila continued to repeat to herself. No matter what, she couldn’t risk looking up. She couldn’t influence those forces anyway.

The sounds of rock being torn apart didn’t stop. Mila kept her gaze low, but even then, on the far side of the underground area, she saw cracks forming on the wall.

Mila quickly averted her eyes. She didn’t want to know what was in the cracks. Maybe nothing, but there was no way to be sure.

At least the sounds of shattering walls, battles, heavenly hymns and murmuring whispers gathered all attention towards the ceiling.

It was almost as if Mila was the only person not looking up. She ran past a couple guards, who stared at the ceiling with their mouths wide open. She left them there, then passed a few more.

There was no need to kill them. It would cut the moment of confusion and surprise short and alert everyone of Mila’s presence. She ran past another few guards.

Mila didn’t like the expression on their faces. It was not one of fear but that of deliverance. It was as if a promise had been made true.

The following exclamations only reinforced the impression. Mila heard the people around her praise their lords. From what she could tell, they had been promised a way out of the war.

“CAN YOU SEE?”

The loud question rolled over the surroundings. Mila weaved behind a large shieldbearer, using him as a cover, then looked at the speaker.

It was a thin, skeletal man with sunken eyes. While his demeanour appeared grand, Mila could tell he was about as tired as she was.

“THIS IS OUR WAY OUT!” The man continued to speak while the surrounding Nobles gathered around him. “THE MAD KING WILL NOT BURY US IN HIS SCHEMES! THE WAR WILL NOT DEVOUR US! WE WILL LEAVE, AND WE WILL THRIVE!”

“Ugh…” Mila wanted to puke. Of course, that was it. No wonder Andrew was so interested. She risked a peek at the cracks but didn’t raise her head any further than that.

Mila already knew the ritual was surrounding this place. It was woven tightly into the walls, ground and ceiling. This whole chamber was cut off from the rest of the world, and the interference extended further up the tunnel system, making it impossible for the Gods to interfere without their agents being here.

In the cracks, Mila saw nothing. Only darkness and chilling coldness seeped through them. It was as if, beyond the walls, the rest of the world was slowly vanishing.

They were trying to leave. They were trying to leave this world. Andrew had known. Did Helly tell him? Did the Sage? How did he find out? Why didn’t he tell them? Was this why she was shown that dream? Why did…

More and more questions popped up in Mila’s brain. All of them were useless. The old apparition’s smothering emotions pressed against Mila’s with renewed aggression, reminding her to move.

“This is too much…” Mila whispered while she travelled from one back to another. The defenders were still too distracted by the speech. They didn’t notice the small girl flicker amongst them.

Not that her passing went on flawlessly. Mila bumped into another person a couple of times. For better and worse, the closer she got to the fortress that held the ritual’s controls, the more people were there.

It meant Mila could hide amongst them but also couldn’t avoid them all. This was risky, but there was no other choice. She had to move.

The cracking of the surrounding shell was continuing. Mila feared the boundary would become strong enough to cut off the Military forces still pouring in. It would mean their and her death.

“FIGHT!” Mortimer’s father shouted again. “FIGHT FOR YOUR LOVED ONES! FIGHT SO THAT THEY CAN BE BROUGHT ALONG!”

Mila spared a glance at the man. He was almost a walking corpse with how he looked, but she didn’t miss how the mana seemed to gather around him. The few mana threads Mila could feel in the polluted air seemed to respond to Mortimer’s father’s words.

“-ILL THE TRAITORS!”

Suddenly, the attackers regained their voices. Mila could now hear their roaring and frantic tries to push forward.

They were met by even more powerful screams from the monsters created by the experiments. There were less than in the beginning, but just as potent and desperate.

Suddenly, it was impossible to hear anything but the chaotic battle. The constant death, pleas, curses and destruction filled the space with their grotesque sounds.

Above Mila, she felt several powerful signatures pass, disturbing the thick mana. These persons came from the Noble side and engaged the Military.

Mila ducked even lower. Ahead of her, explosions and projectiles impacted the earth and the constructions.

Dust was thrown into the air, and soon after, various other concealing magics were added to the mix… Just to be pushed back by the defenders, who cleared the air of the fog, shadows and more.

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The struggle between the two forces was fierce and relentless. Despite not being the target, Mila was buffeted by the shambles and even nicked by a stray icicle.

Another moment later, the world blurred. Someone was casting powerful illusions to mess with the minds. Mila shrugged off the influence with ease. Despite her poor conditions, having another presence in her mind had its perks.

The same couldn’t be said about the rest. Mila felt ferocity settle amongst the guards as their eyes became bloodshot and hungry. They turned their heads to where the Military’s forces had faltered just as the illusions settled in.

Mila could only guess what these people were seeing. Judging from how the guardians began marching towards their doom, she doubted it was anything good.

The nobles were throwing more bodies into the grinder. Mila’s guess was that the previous speech had been a seed that had been planted into these people's heads for the illusions to work better.

Shouts began rising all around Mila. The befuddled minds spoke of revenge, salvation, righteous fury, protecting families and more. Everyone had something to say, but all of them spoke of fighting against the intruders for the greater good.

These people were ready to die. Mila was too far from the Military’s forces to see what was happening with them. She doubted it was anything good.

Even the cleansing wave coming from behind failed to dispel the effects of the mind alteration. But it seemed to help the attackers. The sounds of the battle became louder again, regaining the desperate violence it had possessed before.

For a moment, Mila wondered what had happened to Andrew and Viola. They should be fine. Andrew was a walking, talking mana bundle while Viola had her blessing from a god. Still, she worried.

Which was good. Mila didn’t hate that, even if this wasn’t a suitable moment…

It really wasn’t…

Mila focused. Again. Stepping around a charging woman, she snuck towards the closest wall that would make for a great obstruction from the scrutinising eyes ahead.

And it wasn’t hard to get there. Mila just had to avoid a falling boulder and the following pebbles. She still didn’t look up.

The feeling of emptiness outside of the hall was palpable. Mila knew she couldn’t look into it. It was dangerous. But it was hard.

Keeping her eyes lowered made it hard for Mila to notice the ever-increasing amount of various falling and flying objects polluting the battlefield.

Be it stone, metal, flesh, bone or more exotic materials. Everything was adding to the chaos.

The only part of the area that withstood the attacks and corrosion of the emptiness and cold was the encased ritual lines etched in the ground. Their cover did not budge.

Mila passed one such line and poked the cover with her dagger. There was no scratch. Upon a closer inspection, she realised the overflowing mana was nourishing, repairing and reinforcing the covering material.

It was genius, really. Mila had to begrudgingly admit this rebellion would succeed.

Would - if Mila wasn’t here. She would not let it happen. Isabel deserved some peace in her heart.

But despite her inner pep talk, Mila knew nothing was decided. First, she had to get inside the little fort the nobles had made for themselves.

Mila clicked her tongue as another bolder fell from the ceiling, forcing her to dodge.

Only this time, Mila didn’t manage to go unnoticed. Her steps faltered. She staggered and landed on her butt in front of a fiery-looking woman - someone who would be a decent opponent for Mila at her best.

The woman blinked. She had been in the middle of the beginning of a shout, but now she squinted, realising something was in front of her. Her body moved before the illusion-riddled brain could catch up, forcing Mila to roll away from a ferocious chop of a sword.

It hurt. Mila hadn’t been hit, but the body protested against the sudden movement. She watched in horror as the woman raised her sword again and opened her mouth.

Mila hurried back on her feet. The rest of the surrounding defenders had yet to realise she was amongst them. She couldn’t allow the woman to alert everyone. Not now!

But it was too late. Mila was too tired. A slab of stone crashed between the two of them, raising more dust in the air.

It helped. The sudden impact drowned the woman’s voice for a movement and masked Mila’s approach. She relied on her senses, honing in on the mana signature ahead.

Just a bit more. Mila’s legs barely moved, arguing against them being lifted from the ground. She felt lightheaded.

A sharp stab nicked Mila’s cheek as she moved her head away from it. The woman had guessed correctly Mila would be coming. Or perhaps it was just luck.

It didn’t matter. Mila had survived once again. Her trembling fingers twisted around the handle of her dagger. She couldn’t dodge or clash against the stronger opponent.

There was little Mila could do but to trip forward. Her opponent was right there. She felt a sweep would come. The woman was inhaling to release a harsh yell.

The dust began to clear. Mila had to do something. But she was too tired, so… Instead of striking the woman, she threw her dagger up in the air.

It was a gamble. But Mila knew they were somewhere near.

And a moment later, a screeching yell reached Mila’s position. It muted the woman and made her stagger.

Mila hadn’t stopped moving. Even without the weapon, she was dangerous. Her body collided with the woman’s. She entangled her legs with the opponents, raised her arm, pressed her palm against the woman’s temple and pushed.

The woman lost her balance in Mila’s arms. Her legs left the ground. Mila twisted the woman’s body sideways, and with all her strength, she pushed the opponent's head towards the slab of stone.

Mr Crow’s voice was wearing off. Mila felt the woman’s body tense as she entered the freefall. It was too late to resist.

With a sickening crack, Mila smashed the woman’s head into the rock, robbing her of her life.

Mila took a couple of deep breaths. She felt her dagger fall back to the ground behind her.

With uncharacteristic gentleness, Mila closed the woman’s eyes. It was a pointless gesture, but she didn’t want anyone to see her as she was now - dirty, weak, floundering and desperate. Not even the dead.

Then Mila failed to stand up. She turned around and crawled towards her dagger. It was right there and just as well-made as she remembered it to be.

Somewhere nearby, more stone debris impacted the ground. Mila used one such stone to prop herself up. She gagged, then moved.

She had to get to the fortification. Mila had to. For Isabel… Everything for her girl.