Run, RAGE..... Part 3

CURRENTLY

"Thank goodness, they are finally gone," I sighed in relief.

"That's a cool trick that could come in handy," Angel said, clearly impressed.

"Okay, you can undo the spell now, or you'll just pass out," she added.

"Okay, but there's a problem," I replied.

"Don't you know how to undo a spell?" she asked, curious.

"Well, unlike my freedom spell, this one doesn't need undoing. So no."

"Let me educate you again. You just need to focus hard and it'll work. Or, since you can only cast spells using your grimoire, open spells will deactivate when the grimoire is closed."

"No time for option one, let's go for two," I said, closing the grimoire. Luckily, it worked, and the spell undid.

"Thank you, Angel, for being a good friend and helping me out. I'm sad to say this is where we part ways. Goodbye."

"Hahaha!" She burst out laughing.

"Shhh! What's so funny?"

"You're just dumb, and that's what I like about you," she replied with a grin.

"Angel, are you flirting with me even as I'm trying to protect you?"

"From now on, dumdum, we're looking out for each other. I'm coming with you."

"Wow, I can't believe you're leaving your life as a SUPREME ENCHANTRESS behind for me!"

"I can't believe it either, but I can't stay at this academy when I know it's not safe. Maybe this is how all those other boys disappeared too," she said. I couldn't believe she was actually following me, but that was all that mattered.

"That's true," I agreed. "The principal said he couldn't explain why they were expelled."

"And nobody ever saw them leave. We were just told they were expelled. It's wise for me to leave with you. We can part ways once we're safely out of here," she added.

"The academy itself isn't safe, and no one knows. More will disappear if they don't figure it out. We need to find a way to help them."

"But how?" I asked.

"I don't know, but for now, we need to get out of here and maybe come back when we're more capable."

"That's good, but since I came here, I've never seen the gate again. This will be hard."

"Wow, we're screwed then! And I don't even remember how I got here. This is a challenge, but we have no choice but to conquer it," I replied. All I knew was I woke up here with a sore head.

"But first, let's get out of this sick bay."

"Haha, we talk too much," Angel said, realizing how much time we'd wasted. We had to hurry, but where would we go now?

"Oh, I know what to do. I'll cast my location spell on the guards, and we'll follow the opposite way," she suggested.

"Location spell?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. That's how I knew you were in the dungeon. Otherwise, you'd still be there."

"Wow! You've got a spell too! We might get out faster than I thought!"

"Yes, but let me cast it first," she said. I didn't have enough time to thank her properly.

"Don't flatter me, Anon," she laughed. "You're welcome."

Angel grabbed her grimoire, flipped it open, and recited the spell. Like before, vines sprouted from the ground, stretching toward where we assumed the guards were.

"Okay, we need to move now."

As we stepped out, disappointment set in. The vines split in different directions, meaning the guards were searching individually, not as a group.

"This is a bummer, but we still need to hurry."

"But which way should we go?" I asked.

"This breeze feels so relaxing. Let's follow it—the fourth path to your right. If we see a guard, we'll dodge them, even if we have to come back to this spot."

"Okay, let's move."

We ran in that direction, never spotting a guard, but with no idea if we were heading toward the academy gate.

"I don't feel so good. I think I'm at my limit. I'll have to stop my location spell."

Suddenly, we heard a voice.

"I told you my wind spell would lead them right to us," a guard's voice boomed.

"This is bad—really bad!" We became more alert. They had spotted us.

"Guards, attack!" the lead guard commanded.

"Yes, sir!" they responded. Two swordsmen dashed toward us, swords drawn. Terror gripped me. Was I brought to this world just to die again? But we didn't give up. Fear had made me forget I was immortal—albeit a weak, vulnerable kind of immortal.

"Angel, just run! It's me they want. You can still get away."

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm leaving you here!" Angel shouted.

"Just do it for me so—" I started, but then—

"Ahhh!" I cried out as I felt a sharp pain in my back. I was bleeding.

"Help! Help! Someone, please help!" I screamed.

"That's useless," a guard sneered. "No one will come to your aid."

Angel knelt beside me, holding me tightly.

"Please, let him go. I'll give you something in return."

"We don't need weaklings like you," the guard mocked. "Unless you want to offer us some… pleasure." The others laughed cruelly.

"Please, just give us a moment," Angel pleaded.

The lead guard, surprisingly, allowed it. "Losing a close one is painful. Give them some space, but don't let them out of sight."

I couldn't believe it—they were leaving us alone.

"Don't worry, it's not deep. I can escape. This is your chance," I whispered.

"Get that stupid idea out of your head!" Angel shot back. "I'm not leaving you behind!"

"I'm sorry, but it's too late. We're surrounded. If you run, they won't chase you. It's me they want."

A guard approached us. "You couldn't have outrun a swordsman, even if you tried."

"Go, Angel. Don't worry about me," I urged her.

Angel began to cry. "Why would I leave the only person who understood me? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known how insane this school is. What if I were their next victim and no one came to help me? No, I've decided—I'm fighting back. We'll leave here together."

Her words touched me deeply. Angel stood, grabbed a long stick nearby, and took a stance.

The guards laughed. "What does she think she's going to do with that? Students at this academy are so stupid and useless."

"Mages, show her her place," the lead guard ordered.

"With pleasure," an archer guard replied, drawing his bow.

"What are you doing?" I called out, desperate to stop her. "We're exhausted from using our magic!"

"Don't worry, I'll be—" she began, but her words were cut off as she coughed up blood.

"Angel!" I screamed.

She looked down, eyes wide in shock, at the arrow that had pierced her chest. She collapsed, and I barely caught her before she hit the ground. My heart raced as I held Angel in my arms, her body limp, and blood dripping from the arrow still lodged in her chest.

"Angel, please hold on..." I whispered frantically, trying to keep myself together, but panic gripped me.

The guards were still laughing, their cruel amusement echoing through the dark corridor.

"Enjoy your last moments together, weaklings," the Lead Guard sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. They had no intention of letting us escape.

I clenched my teeth in anger. I wasn't strong enough to fight back, but I couldn't let Angel die like this. She had stood by me, fought with me—she didn't deserve this. My thoughts were racing. There had to be something I could do, some way to save her.

"Laura," I whispered, still clutching Angel tightly. "Give me a spell... something that can heal her, please."

"Lucius would be better suited for that," Laura said softly, her form still flickering beside me. "But... I will try."

As Laura reached out, the air around us grew heavy, and I could feel a strange warmth in my chest as if some power was awakening. She was doing all she could, but I knew it wasn't enough—Angel needed real help, not just a flicker of magic.

The guards were getting impatient. "Enough with the theatrics!" one of them shouted. "Finish them off, already!"

The Lead Guard raised his hand, signaling the final attack. "Kill them both."

I could hear the sound of swords being unsheathed, footsteps advancing toward us.

"Laura," I said again, my voice shaking. "We need more time!"

Laura closed her eyes, her expression tense as she tried to focus. "I'm sorry," she whispered, barely audible. "This is all I can do."

Just as the guards closed in, a burst of energy erupted around us. It wasn't strong enough to knock them back, but it was enough to make them hesitate. The shimmering barrier around us flickered, holding for only a few precious seconds more.

I knew we were running out of time. My mind raced, searching for anything, any spell that could save us.

And then I saw it. In my grimoire, glowing faintly on the page:

**[New Spell Forcefully Unlocked]: Vanish.**

I stared at the words. Could it be...? Was this our way out?

Without thinking, I placed my hand on the grimoire, the energy pulsing through my veins. The guards were moving again, their footsteps louder and faster. I had no choice.

"I have to try," I muttered, my hand trembling as I recited the spell aloud.

"AWAY THY FLEE OPENLY FOR MIST UNKNOWN CONSUMES!"

The moment the last word left my mouth, the air around us morphed and changed. A thick, swirling mist began to rise from the ground, enveloping us and spreading outward.