Zara’s POV

  The world reassembled in an instant, the suffocating darkness peeling away like smoke as we blinked into existence inside the prison. My stomach lurched, the sudden shift leaving my vision swimming. I wasn’t the only one. Naja staggered, gripping onto Doran’s arm for balance. Malrick inhaled sharply, his veins flickering as he steadied himself.

  Kage, of course, looked completely unfazed. He moved immediately, scanning our surroundings with sharp precision, already adjusting to the dim lighting and tight corridors. “Get it together,” he muttered, his voice low but urgent. “We don’t have time to recover.”

  The facility was colder than I expected, the air damp, thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and something stale—like metal and decay. The long, narrow hallway stretched before us, lined with steel doors. Low, distant voices hummed through the walls, some groaning, some whispering. The magicals were here.

  Before we could move, the distant murmur of voices sharpened into something more immediate.

  “Hey!” A gruff voice barked from down the corridor. The beam of a flashlight swept toward us, catching the edge of Doran’s shoulder.

  “Guards,” Kage hissed.

  We had seconds.

  Doran reacted first, shoving Naja behind him as Malrick flexed his fingers, already reaching for his magic. My grip tightened on my staff.

  Kage didn’t hesitate. “Take them out—quietly. We can’t let the whole prison know we are here yet.”

  The sound of hurried footsteps pounded against the cold floor as the guards closed in. There was no turning back now.

  “Go!” Kage barked, and Naja and Doran didn’t hesitate. They darted down the corridor toward the imprisoned magicals, Naja’s hands already glowing with silver light as she prepared to heal them, while Doran tightened his grip on his axe.

  I took a step forward, slamming my staff into the stone floor. A pulse of necromantic energy rippled outward, and I felt the familiar tug of the dead beneath me. The ground trembled, then cracked as skeletal hands clawed their way up from the cold, damp stone. Within moments, a half-dozen skeletons stood at my command, their hollow sockets burning with green fire. “Hold the line,” I ordered, and they surged forward.

  Malrick braced himself beside me, his glowing veins pulsing as he reached for his magic. I saw him pull the blood from his fingertips, forming long, whip-like tendrils in his hands, his expression grim but determined.

  And then Kage was gone.

  A flicker of shadow, a whisper of displaced air—he blinked out of existence. I barely had time to register his absence before I caught sight of him again, high above us. He had reappeared in the rafters, perched silently like a predator watching its prey. Without hesitation, he lunged toward the guards stationed above, his blades flashing in the dim light.

  The fight had begun.

  Malrick’s POV

  I braced myself, my glowing veins pulsing as I reached for my magic. The first guard lunged at me, baton raised, but I was faster. I sidestepped, flicking my wrist as a thin tendril of blood shot forward, slicing across his arm. He grunted in pain, stumbling back. I could feel the pull of his blood, the warm, pulsing energy calling to me.

  I took just enough.

  A thin stream lifted from the wound, coiling around my fingers as I shaped it into sharp, dagger-like spikes. Another guard came at me, and I lashed out, sending the blood-formed weapons flying toward him. He cried out as they struck, dropping to one knee.

  For so long, I had thought my magic was only good for destruction, only useful for hurting people. But Kage and Zara had taught me differently. They had shown me that power was what you made of it.

  And tonight, I wasn’t fighting to survive. I was fighting to rescue them—the magicals locked away, drugged, helpless.

  I had been helpless once, but not anymore.

  Another guard swung at me, and I ducked, twisting my wrist to pull another thin line of blood from my attacker. I barely took a drop, just enough to control, to wield. The droplets in the air hardened, spinning around me in a deadly dance. I flicked my fingers, sending them slashing forward, incapacitating the guards without killing them. I wouldn’t let this power turn me into something I wasn’t.

  I glanced toward Zara, who stood at the center of her summoned skeletons, commanding them like an army. Kage had disappeared into the rafters, taking out guards before they could even scream. Doran and Naja had made it down the corridor, breaking open cells and tending to the prisoners.

  I tightened my grip.

  I would not fail them.

  Doran’s POV

  I had seen a lot of terrible things in my life, but this? This was worse than I had imagined.

  The magicals in these cells weren’t just imprisoned—they had been drugged, stripped of their strength, their will, their very ability to fight back. And yet, despite everything, the moment I broke open a cell, their hollow eyes filled with something new: hope.

  I swung my axe hard, the reinforced lock snapping with a sharp crack. The heavy metal door groaned as it swung open, revealing a thin, dazed magical slumped against the wall.

  Naja was already moving. Her hands glowed with silver light as she pressed them to the prisoner’s arm, her magic flowing into their weakened body. Within seconds, color returned to their skin, and their hazy eyes sharpened with clarity.

  “You’re safe now,” Naja whispered. “We’re getting you out.”

  The magical blinked at her, sluggish but understanding. I turned back, gripping my axe tighter as I moved to the next cell.

  This wasn’t the first time I had seen Naja do something incredible. But watching her now, surrounded by these broken people, pulling them back from the edge with nothing but her will and her magic—I had never admired her more.

  She wasn’t just healing them. She was saving them. And I’d make damn sure she had the time to do it.

  Another lock shattered under my axe. More prisoners, more broken bodies. But as Naja moved from one to the next, her silver-lit hands working tirelessly, the magicals started coming back to themselves. One sat up straighter. Another flexed their fingers, realization dawning on their face.

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  We weren’t just freeing them. We were giving them the strength to fight back.

  A loud clang echoed down the corridor—one of the guards had gotten through the fight outside. I turned to meet them, stepping in front of Naja as she worked.

  “Not today,” I muttered, raising my axe.

  Naja’s POV

  I moved between the magicals as fast as I could, my hands glowing with silver light, pressing against their skin, willing them back to strength. I whispered reassurances, making sure they understood what was happening, that they were being rescued—not just freed, but truly saved.

  Doran stood beside me, his axe ready, his presence a constant shield between me and the chaos outside the cells. I was grateful for him, more than I could ever say. He never hesitated, never flinched, cutting through locks, breaking chains, keeping the guards off me so I could focus.

  Then the alarms blared. A deep, metallic screech that reverberated through the stone walls, sending a jolt of dread through my spine. Now the entire facility knew we were here.

  The magicals flinched at the sound, panic flashing in their eyes, but I kept moving. “Don’t stop! You’re almost free!” I called out, pushing more healing magic into the woman in front of me.

  Twenty minutes had passed, maybe more. I had lost track of time in the flurry of movement, of blood and magic and fighting. But it was working.

  Some of the magicals, now fully healed, weren’t just escaping—they were fighting. A young man, barely past his teens, shoved past me, his hands sparking with raw energy as he lunged at one of the guards. Another, a woman with deep scars across her arms, clenched her fists and sent a wave of wind surging down the hallway, knocking two men off their feet.

  Doran turned to them all, his voice cutting through the noise. “Stay together! No one runs off! We’re all getting out of here—alive.”

  Kage’s POV

  From my vantage point in the rafters, I had a full view of the chaos below. My blades were slick with blood, the last guard on the catwalk collapsing with a strangled grunt. I barely spared him a glance before shifting my focus downward.

  The fight had erupted into something bigger than I had expected. But for the first time, I wasn’t worried. I saw how they moved together—Zara with her skeletons, commanding them like an undead army, Malrick lashing out with precise strikes, pulling blood from his enemies and using it to cut them down. Doran was an unstoppable force, keeping the group together while Naja worked tirelessly, reviving the magicals that had been trapped here.

  And the freed magicals? They weren’t just running. They were fighting. The first of them had joined the fray, their powers returning as Naja purged the drugs from their systems. They were angry. They were ready.

  But we weren’t done yet.

  The alarms continued to blare through the halls, a screaming warning that more reinforcements would come. We had to move.

  I took one last glance at the battlefield before slipping into the shadows. If there were more magicals here, I would find them. And if there was anything in this place that tied Dain to the disappearances, I would find it and bring it back to the city to prove to everyone what Alric Dain was up to.

  I moved quickly, slipping through the hallways like a ghost. Every door I opened led to empty storage rooms, supply closets, or security stations already abandoned in the chaos of the fight.

  No more magicals. They had to all be in the main room with the others.

  I was about to turn back when I spotted a door slightly ajar at the end of the hall, light spilling from within. I slipped inside and was met with an office cluttered with papers and maps pinned against the walls. A command center.

  I scanned the desk, my pulse quickening as I sifted through the documents. Most were logistical reports, tracking movements in and out of the facility. But then I found something worse.

  Direct orders. From Alric Dain.

  My grip tightened as I read through the papers. His signature was scrawled at the bottom of multiple directives—orders to transport captured magicals, to keep them drugged, to make sure no one escaped. Proof.

  My chest tightened. This wasn’t just speculation anymore. This was evidence.

  I took every document I could find, shoving them into my coat. We weren’t just breaking these people out—we were going to bury Dain with this.

  I turned back toward the exit, my mind already racing. We had what we needed. Now, we just had to get out of here alive.

  Kage slipped back into the shadows, reemerging near the fight. The scene had changed. The magicals, once weak and dazed, were now fully engaged in battle. They fought with a raw, desperate energy, their powers flickering back to life as they overpowered the remaining guards. They were winning.

  His eyes found Zara first. She stood at the center of her skeletal army, her green eyes glowing as she directed them with fluid, precise movements. He moved toward her, catching her attention just long enough to squeeze her shoulder and murmur, “You’re holding your own. Keep it up.”

  Before she could respond, he leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. A small, startled grin tugged at her mouth as he pulled away, but he was already moving—back into the shadows.

  He reappeared near Naja. She was exhausted, her silver-lit hands trembling as she reached for yet another wounded magical. The strain of her magic was taking its toll, and she was starting to sway on her feet.

  “You can’t keep this up,” Kage said, gripping her arm before she collapsed. “We need to get everyone out.”

  She looked up at him, breathing hard. “I know. But some of them still need—”

  “We’ll get them out together.” He turned, scanning the battlefield. “We need to break through the defenses. Fast.”

  The answer was obvious. The magicals.

  There were more of them now, stronger, awake, their abilities returning. They weren’t just surviving—they were ready.

  Kage stepped forward, his voice sharp, commanding. “We’re not just running—we’re breaking out. Use your magic. Whatever you have, whatever you can do—use it now.”

  A ripple of energy moved through the group as realization struck. A magical with fire-touched hands ignited a wave of flame, burning through the remaining barricades. Another, whose magic thrived in ice, froze the ground, sending guards skidding helplessly. Others lifted the weak, carrying those who still couldn’t walk. They weren’t just escaping—they were fighting their way out.

  Kage took one last look around before gripping Naja’s wrist. But as soon as he did, he felt the way she wavered on her feet, her breath coming too fast, her glowing hands dimming with exhaustion.

  Without a second thought, he scooped her up into his arms. “No arguments,” he muttered when she weakly protested. “You’ve done enough. Let me handle this.”

  He moved swiftly, carrying her toward the breach where an earthbender had blasted a hole in the outer wall. Through the opening, the freed magicals were already pouring out, their powers clearing the way through the remaining obstacles. Some were carrying the weaker ones, others using their magic to shield the group from incoming fire as they pushed forward toward the forest beyond.

  Kage tightened his grip on Naja and pressed forward. As he carried her through the corridor, he spotted Doran breaking through the last of the chains, his axe splintering metal and freeing the remaining prisoners.

  Doran turned as Kage approached, his eyes flicking between him and Naja. “You find anything?”

  Kage nodded, his voice low but urgent. “No more magicals in the cells. They’re all in the main hall. But I found something worse—documents signed by Dain himself. Orders to capture, drug, and contain magicals. We have proof.”

  Doran’s expression darkened. “Good. That bastard won’t be able to talk his way out of this.”

  Kage adjusted his grip on Naja, who stirred weakly but stayed quiet. “Make sure the cells are empty. Get any stragglers. I’m heading to the front to make sure the group stays together. We’re not losing anyone on the way out.”

  Doran nodded, hefting his axe. “Go. I’ll make sure no one gets left behind.”

  Zara’s POV

  I had never seen anything like this before.

  The magicals—many of whom had been weak and barely conscious minutes ago—were fighting together. Fire, wind, shadows, and raw energy crackled through the air as they tore through the last of the guards. I had fought beside magicals before, but not like this. Not as a united front, not with this kind of desperate, shared purpose.

  They weren’t just running. They were reclaiming their freedom.

  I pushed forward, raising my staff to command the last of my skeletons to clear the way, when I caught sight of Kage ahead of me. He stood at the front of the group, holding Naja in his arms, her body limp but her hands still faintly glowing. Even in exhaustion, she had done everything she could to save as many as possible.

  His expression was sharp, focused, his presence alone keeping the magicals together as they rushed through the broken wall and into the night.

  “No one splits off!” Kage called over the chaos, his voice cutting through the commotion. “We stay together! We head for the university!”

  A few of the freed magicals hesitated, glancing toward the open forest, but Doran stepped up beside Kage, his axe still in hand. “You heard him! Stick together! We all make it, or none of us do!”

  With that, the last of them poured through the broken wall, moving as one, a force that couldn’t be stopped.

  And for the first time since this fight started, I knew—we weren’t just surviving. We were winning.