The next day, before they went to the cafeteria, Luka spoke to the boy,
"Hey, if you don't remember your name, how about you get a new one for the time being? It will be easier for me to address you."
"I would have to think for a name... Well, I guess anything would be ok unless it's something cringe."
"How about Reck?" Luka blurted out what came in his mind first.
They both looked at the resting skeleton as its jaw dropped on the floor.
"Ugh... how about Ares?" The boy suggested instead.
"Ya sure, Ares. No need for a second name right now."
And so, they went to their breakfast area. On their way, something made Ares feel weird. He thought to take a better look at the place.
He saw most of the people smiling, chit-chatting with their prison-mates and friends,. Though some cared only about finishing their plates, others gathered their people and competed in arm wrestling. Whenever the commotion became loud, the robots came and stopped them. It was as though everyone adapted to this place, considering it their own home.
Even the lady I met yesterday seemed to be lively. What's the matter with them? Have they completely given up on their life? he thought.
"Hey Luka, have you yourself every tried to run away from the prison?"
"Ya offcource. But it takes a lot of efforts to break this band overnight and escape the security."
"Didn't you say that if someone tries to break his or her band, it will explode and the person would die? Like Reck??"
" There is a trick to it. " Luka smiled, "The band detects our emotions and works as per them. If we can break it without having the slightest intent of running away, then it would break away without exploding."
"Is that even possible?"
" That's why it takes me a lot of time."
"didn't they punish you?"
"Yes they did. But not that badly. They once gave me a task of mining 2000kgs of iron ore in a day..." he said, though his face clearly reflected him feeling as though his arms still pained from the work.
After that a guy, a few years elder to Luka and Ares came and sat beside them.
"Hello, what are you people talking about?"
Luka replied, "My new friend is planning to break free from the castle. His name is Ares. Ares, this is Ethan. One of my older friends."
After exchanging a few words of introduction, Ethan said, " If you're planning to break free, going all alone would end you up being captured by the guard robots.You should add Luka to the plan too. He knows the whole map of the castle. Though i don't think he will try escaping now, unless he wants to shape 200kgs of steel himself again..." he gave a look at Luka.
"How many times have you tried to run away??" Ares exclaimed.
Luka hesitated before answering,
"5 times..." he claimed embarrassingly.
Ares was left speechless.
"So? What's your plan?" Ethan asked.
" I haven't thought of any right now. Ony if i could break this band right now..." Ares wondered, " I'll think of a way."
"Hope it does not go as Luka." Ethan laughed.
" I'm not that bad at making plans." Luka complained.
Meanwhile, Ares started inspecting his neckband and thinking what to do.
Ethan looked back at Luka with a serious face and started the subject for which he had originally joined both of them.
"There is one more case, One more person has disappeared."
"That's bad news..." Luka replied
"I'm telling you, these robots are not abiding by the rules. There is clearly a hidden intention."
"What do you think we should do? Should we take some action against it immediately?"
"I wish I could ask his majesty."
Sizzle
Ares had broke the band without anyone noticing.
"I-I don't know. I just cleared my mind and..." he didn't have the words to describe what happened.
The security alarm on the adjacent wall rang loudly.
"Luka, clear your mind." He broke Luka's band with only his fist.
"Ethan, you too."
"Hey I don't know how to completely clear my mind!"
"Ethan, just tell me how many robots have come inside the cafeteria??" Luka asked in order to distract Ethan's mind.
Ethan started to look here and there while Ares broke his band.
"24. 5 from the cells, 10 from distributers and others from the security patrol."
"Let's run then, all three of us. Our only goal is to reach to the portal in Sardinia town." Luka said with a desperate smile.
Chaos started to engulf the room. The robots started to shoot while other people ran for their safety.
"Three of us?? when was I added? I can't do something so dangerous, I mean, I'm not ready!" Ethan was surprised.
"Even I am not" Ares said, " But we've got Luka, who looks ready."
As the robots found the three in the crowd they started targeting their bullets towards them. They ran to the corridor which remained empty. Luka took with him some steel plates which were still lying on the tables. They ran into the corridor.
"Yes, you've got me. I will take care of the directions." Luka said with a serious face, " The game begins again."
...
"The game begins again"
Two robots were sitting in the security control room looking at the situation. They informed the other robots of the escapees' location whenever needed.
"Want to bet again?"
"Yes offcource." said his partner as he removed 2 ingots, "I bet 2 steel ingots on 'They will be captured and punished again'."
"I bet 2 steel ingots on 'they will die today'."
"That's not happening! You think someone will be captured 5 times just for fun? The king has some special plans for him."
"Nah. He got 2 more people with him now. He will die today for sure. Or more to say, 'they' will die today for sure."
Another robot came from behind.
"2 steel ingots on 'They will escape today'" he said.
"Ivan! You've gone mad or something? That isn't happening, no way. Don't tell me you're drunk on oil!" They both laughed.
"Not today. I just felt like losing my money, no specific reason."
"You should go the repair shop." one of the robots said and they went back to their work.
...
In the large corridor.
"Oye Luka! Are you sure This is the right way? I feel we are just taking turns without any sense, and this corridor is just never-ending!" Ares remarked as they ran towards the main exit. " And the robots behind us are constantly increasing!!"
" Don't worry we are quite close now." Luka assured.
It feels as though he is enjoying it. Ares thought.
Luka threw the plates he gathered one by one at the robots, like a Frisbee. Many of them fell. Finally, a robot crashed on another stack of robots and the crowd slowed down.
They reached a wide corridor which had many doors on the sides.
Prison cells
Ares heard the murmurs from inside. They were wondering why there was so much of a panic in the castle today.
"Aren't wee going to save them?"
"Not right now." Ethan said, "If we do, there would be many casualties. We will find a way to safely take everyone away after we save ourselves."
"Hey by the way," Luka suddenly shared, "Do y'all know how to fight?"
"I can a little bit." Ethan said, "I once held out against 9 robots together, though I couldn't win"
"I can also fight somewhat. But I only have the experience of fighting an out-looker robot. But why?"
Luka slowed down, "Because I can hear some noises from ahead."
The trio stopped midway. At the end of the long stretching corridor, which then opened left and right, there was really a noise coming, louder and louder with each breathe. Until a herd of robots came from both the sides, entering the wide and long corridor. They planned of running back, but the robots who were chasing them had already caught up to them, sealing the way from both the sides.
"This calls for a competition!" Luka's eyes were blazing with ecstacy. " The one who beats most of the robots, wins!"
"Idiot! This calls for a rapid escape plan!!" Ethan bonked his head.
"What? Do you see any other choice?" Ares complained.
"You're with him too??? You idiots..." Ethan cried, "That leaves me no other choice."
Meanwhile the robots closed up and the battle started.
Ares was surprised how much more agile he became since his last time. One after the other robots fell due to his speed and strength.
Luka was no small figure. Being more experienced he took it as a game, yet being the best player at it.
Ethan too was stronger than Ares expected. He was a wise soldier. He took on every robot on their face, never from their unnoticed back.
They decided not to keep fighting recklessly, so they made a way through the corridor and tricked the robots, then took a sudden turn and hid theirselves. When the robots went away, they came out.
"Phew... That was something" Exclaimed Ethan.
"I didn't know you could fight so good." Ares said.
"Even we didn't know you could" said Luka, "Let's go silently now."
"Escapees in section F22. I repeat, escapees in section F22." an announcement came from one of the speakers.
"Just come in front of me, I will kill you for sure!!" Luka threw a fork at the speaker to shut it off forever.
'He still had it from the cafeteria?' The other two thought.
They started running again, the number of robots behind them started to increase with the distance. At last, they reached the gate to outside, which was guarded by 5 robots. It was a huge brown door, not as big as the entrance portal Ares had seen before, but still, quite big. Inside it was another door of normal size.
"Here goes the final round." Luka said as the battle began.
All 5 of the robots at the gate were defeated by Luka, while the robots chasing them were taken care by Ares and Ethan. They tried opening the smaller door, but it was quite jammed. They saw another wave of robots coming from the back. With a final push, the door opened and they ran outside on the wide stone pathway after closing the door back again.
They had successfully escaped the hardest level.
When they reached Sardinia, they encountered a strange sight. The whole town was empty, no robots were visible in sight.
"Did they send all robots to castle to capture us?" Ares looked around cautiously as they stopped running.
"NO, they have a lot more. Then again, why didn't the robots from the castle come outside to catch us?" Luka was wrapped in confusion, just like the other two.
"Maybe the robots can't leave their jurisdiction. But the robots outside..." Etan wondered.
Empty wind flew across their face. The sky was cloudy purple as always. They dicided to get going before the robots come. They reached the portal, which was in the center of the town. It the same as the one Ares had come from back then. But still, no robot could be seen. The silence was pleasant, yet creepy.
"I hope they aren't planning something on the other side of the portal" Ethan remarked.
They entered the portal at the same time, into the still black rippling wall.
In front of them, were no robots again, only a clear path. It was strange, but atleast they had escaped.
The score had settled. Ethan defeated 19 robots, Ares – 24 and Luka – 28.
"I win." He exclaimed with joy, "And have finally escaped!"
...
In a corridor of the castle. Ivan, the surveillance robot, who just clashed out four iron ingots from his friends, reached the exit gate and saw the fallen robots being taken away for repairment. He opened the door and went outside the castle. To his surprise, the path was empty, no guard robots were on their position.
'This is strange...'
He thought about it but decided not to look into the matter deeply and went his way to a city nearby.