Escape

'I'm done here for now…'

As Cole plummeted through the night sky from the gaping hole he had created in the King's chamber, he closed his eyes and relished in the sensation of falling. 

Fyu~

The wind hit his back, causing his snow-white hair and dark clothes to flutter in the abyss of darkness. 

'This is nice. Very nice.' 

He felt weightless, a fleeting moment of freedom amid the chaos he had sown.

Fwwom~ 

'I'm nearing the ground.'

The air rushed past him, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. 

Just before he reached the point of impact, Cole's body slowed in the air, and with a graceful movement, he straightened his form, landing on the cobblestone path with an ethereal grace.

"Hah…" Letting out a breath as he shook his head to get his hair out of his face, Cole finally began walking fluidly, without any pressure whatsoever.

'Are you trying to get yourself killed?!' 

A chill-inducing voice echoed in his mind, but Cole merely shook his head dismissively. 

"I knew you'd keep me alive, so I thought: Why not enjoy the moment? And I did to the fullest." He ended the sentence with a smirk as he studied the Capital of Silvindor from his current standing, still inside the castle's walls.

'This fucking-- When were you such a dirty shit?!' The voice responded with frustration.

"I wonder," Cole mused as he phased through the big gates with his already wavering body, "was I always like this? Or did these people just make this part of my personality surface?"

'Tch, no one gives a fuck! You got a whole lot to pay after this long-ass deal!'

"Yeah, yeah..." Cole replied nonchalantly as he kept streaming the peculiar energy throughout his body. 

His sight flickered between colors and darkness as he navigated through the shadows, avoiding any lanterns on the road that could expose his presence in the city.

"I shall go this way." Whispering to himself as he moved into dark alleyways, Cole lessened the amount of the energy taken, letting himself almost return to his mana-less form.

'I'm nearing my limit...' he acknowledged to himself, feeling his muscles begin to spasm as he pushed himself to the edge of exhaustion. 

'Now, the capital is big, but with my current speed, I can probably make it out within two hours—?!'

"Cole!"

Through the darkness of the alleyways, a voice cut through the night. Cole turned behind attentively, spotting a woman, the girl who had first freed him from the Mansion's cell.

The girl whose ends of her hair were matching Cole's own snow-white.

The girl who had a stoic expression etched on her face all the time.

'Why her again—' He couldn't help but wonder as she approached within a blink, heaving as she took hold of his shirt, sweat trailing across her forehead.

"D-Don't leave. Not without..."

Cole, not allowing her to finish her sentence, took hold of her hand with a strong grip. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded, his tone rough.

This was the first time Cole had seen Lyra show such desperation on her typically stoic face.

"L-Listen, Cole, I'm sorry but I had to let them take you in… I couldn't go against all of them and the party compared to the lone me and you!"

"Then why did you free me!?"

"I just…"

"Say it!"

"I just didn't want you to die!"

"W-What?" Cole stammered, quickly regaining his composure again.

"What do you mean you didn't want me to die?!"

"Exactly as I said… Now—"

"You really think I'll eat up your guys' lies again like that?"

"No, I'm not lying! I was sick and tired of those people, I wanted to leave that party to begin with. So please, don't leave without me…"

"…"

"I've become a mortal enemy of the King of Goldenvale. You know that if you stay with me that makes you my accomplice, right?"

"…Yes, I know, and I'll be trying to help you. I'm tired of a life under the rule of such a monster!"

She shortly persuaded him to take her with him, explaining how she could be useful. 

To start off, she voiced how she had access to a carriage and knew the way out of the city.

'Logically… It doesn't sound like a bad deal.'

Reluctantly, Cole entered the carriage as Lyra took the reins.

Whip—!

"Kgh?!"

With an instantaneous motion, Cole's blade was resting before Lyra's slender neck.

"Dare do something stupid and it's over for you!" Cole whispered.

Lyra, already seeming calm, nodded resolutely, assuring him that he had nothing to worry about. 

The journey through the layers of the capital began, with Cole pushing himself beyond his limits to stay alert and not lose his guard.

"Towards Skyleaves Forest, as I mentioned. One wrong move, and you're done for," Cole warned.

"Mhm..." Lyra nodded, guiding the carriage through the labyrinthine streets of the city. 

Cole's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts as the carriage passed through the city gates. 

"Thankfully, the cargo wasn't checked out…" Lyra voiced, surprisingly taking the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"…Credits to you for being so important in such a shit place." Cole voiced, the cool night air bringing a strange sense of calmness, contrasting with the chaos he had left behind in the castle. Lyra's presence before him on the reins of the carriage, silent but determined, added an unexpected layer to his journey.

As they traveled through the night, Cole couldn't help but ponder the repercussions of his actions. 

The city lights faded, replaced by the tranquility of the outskirts. 

And then, long and clean grasslands followed after.

Hours and hours passed by.

After what felt like an eternity, the giant trees of The Skyleaves Forest loomed ahead, its towering greenery shrouded in darkness.

The journey continued, with each passing mile further distancing them from the fallen kingdom.

Constantly, Cole's energy and vitality waned, but the relentless pursuit of escape fueled him. 

"…"

Lyra's gaze occasionally met his, her expression returned back to its unreadable state. 

In the solitude of the carriage, surrounded by the night's embrace and the music of crickets as the cracking of the wheels added to the calm melody of the night, Cole and Lyra remained silent.

The Skyleaves Forest drew near, and a sense of foreboding settled over the two. 

Cole, exhausted and battle-worn, prepared himself for what lay ahead. The forest, often spoken of in hushed tones, was bound to harbor mysteries that Cole, frankly, didn't want to find out.

But fate said otherwise the moment the rule for his execution was given.

Albeit, before that, he had to deal with the consequences of his gained power.

[Ding.]

[Contract between 'Cole Deimos' and '@%)!+$^' has been partly breached in '@%)!+$^' disadvantage.]

[Additional charges will be added upon 'Cole Deimos']

"Huh?"