They burst through the dungeon doors and didn't slow down.
Not for a second.
"Wait—!"
The voice was thin.
Desperate.
Klaus glanced back.
A pair of fragile hands clutched the bars of the only occupied cell.
"Sorry," he threw over his shoulder. "Bad timing."
"Please!" the girl cried. "You're not guards—take me with you!"
"We don't have time."
"I don't care who you are!" she said, her voice breaking. "Do whatever you want with me—just don't leave me here!"
Klaus grabbed Egor's arm and pulled.
Egor didn't move.
"Klaus… we can't leave her."
"Yes, we can. Move."
"Klaus."
Something in his voice—
sharp,
unfamiliar—
made Klaus stop.
He turned slowly.
"Are you serious?" he said. "Half the estate is hunting us, and you want to save a random girl?"
"She's not a criminal," Egor said. "Look at her. They're keeping her here for a reason."
A pause.
"And what if she can help us?"
Klaus stared at him.
"Help us," he repeated flatly.
Egor didn't back down.
That was the problem.
Klaus knew exactly how stupid this was.
Trap.
Bait.
Risk.
But Egor was looking at him like—
like he could fix this.
Like he could fix everything.
"…Damn it."
Klaus turned back.
"If this goes wrong," he said coldly, "she's your responsibility."
Egor exhaled.
"Deal."
"And if I hear guards—we leave her."
"…Understood."
Klaus stepped up to the bars.
"Hands off."
He raised his hand to blast the lock—
"My lord—wait," the girl said quickly. "There are keys. On the wall. In the corner."
Klaus paused.
"They left the keys here?"
"I can't reach them," she said. "Only the slaves come… and the old woman who drains me—"
She cut herself off.
"Later," Klaus said.
Egor grabbed the keys and handed them over.
"The least rusted one," the girl whispered.
The lock clicked.
The door opened with a dry creak.
She stepped out.
Unsteady.
Barely upright—
but her eyes burned with something fierce.
"Egor first," Klaus said. "You—Lilith—follow him. I'm last."
"Lilith," she confirmed quietly.
They moved.
No pursuit.
Of course not.
No one with a functioning brain would run into the dungeons—
unless they knew.
And no one knew.
Except—
His mother.
She wouldn't chase.
She would wait.
With wine.
For confirmation of his death.
Not today.
—
The tunnel narrowed.
Forced them lower.
Then crawling.
"Move," Klaus snapped. "You're slowing us down."
"It's not me…" Lilith whispered.
"Sorry," Egor rasped ahead. "Adrenaline's gone. I feel… off. Too hot."
Klaus's tone changed instantly.
"Hold on. We're close."
Light appeared ahead.
Faint.
"I see it…" Egor breathed.
Then—
Lilith gasped.
"What?" Klaus snapped.
"He—he fell."
"Egor!"
No response.
"Damn it—what's wrong with him?"
"I can't see—but he's burning. His clothes are soaked—"
"Push him forward."
"I'm trying—"
Strained breathing.
Shifting dirt.
"I can't…" she choked. "I don't have the strength—"
"Lie down."
"What—?"
"Flat. I'm going past you."
She hesitated—
then obeyed.
Klaus forced himself forward.
There was no space.
None.
He had to press against her to move.
She flinched under him.
Every contact making her tense.
"Sorry."
"It's fine," she whispered. "I'm just… glad I can help."
He reached Egor.
The heat hit instantly.
"Shit…"
He shoved him forward.
Egor groaned weakly—
his face dragging across dirt and roots.
"Sorry. Just hold on."
Again.
And again.
Until—
light.
Klaus pushed him out.
Crawled after.
Dragged him away from the entrance.
Turned him over.
Pale.
Soaked in sweat.
Burning.
Klaus grabbed his injured arm—
"…What the hell."
The wound had turned black.
Not bruised.
Black.
And from it—
gray veins crawled upward.
Spreading.
Moving.
Alive.
"Get out!" Klaus snapped toward the tunnel.
"My lord… you didn't tell me—"
"Are you serious?" he barked. "Think. Move."
Lilith scrambled out.
Shielded her eyes—
Then froze.
"My lord…"
Klaus followed her gaze.
…and swore.
Hooves.
Dozens.
Too close.
Too fast.
How had he missed it?
Egor.
That's how.
"Watch him," Klaus said, already turning.
He didn't trust her.
Didn't have a choice.
Egor needed help.
Now.
At least fifty soldiers.
Royal banners.
His mother's men.
So she had told them.
"What do I do?" Lilith whispered, dropping beside Egor.
"I don't know!" Klaus snapped. "Just make sure he doesn't die!"
Rage surged.
"Leave," he snarled at the soldiers. "Walk away while you still can."
They didn't.
They surrounded him.
Weapons ready.
"Control yourself, Your Highness," the captain said calmly. "If you want them alive."
Klaus's gaze flicked to Lilith.
Ah.
So she mattered.
"Interesting," Klaus said. "Your men inside weren't so careful."
A flicker crossed the captain's face.
"I'll visit you later," Klaus added. "Right now—I'm busy."
More hooves behind him.
Reinforcements.
"…Perfect."
A breath.
"So that's it."
"No way out."
His voice dropped.
"Then I burn everything."
"Have you lost your mind?" the captain smiled. "Your friends will die too."
"We're dead anyway."
Lightning gathered around him.
An arrow struck the ground near his feet.
"Idiot!" the captain snapped.
Klaus didn't move.
Energy surged.
He released it.
A bolt split the sky.
Thunder followed instantly.
The soldiers flinched.
"One last chance," Klaus said quietly.
"Fire!" the captain shouted. "Kill the prince—leave the girl alive!"
Arrows rained down—
Shattered against him.
His armor held.
Behind him—
the ground began to blacken.
Burn.
Spread.
Toward Egor.
"Damn it…"
He tried to pull the energy back—
Couldn't.
So he moved.
Forward.
Away from them.
Dragging destruction with him.
His vision blurred.
His body was breaking.
One strike.
That's all he had left.
He dropped to one knee.
Hands hovering over the ground.
Soldiers rushed him—
And burned.
Instantly.
The air filled with the stench of charred flesh.
His fingers blackened.
Blood filled his mouth.
He swallowed it.
Didn't scream.
Wouldn't.
He opened his eyes.
"You chose this."
—
"Your Majesty, stop!"
The voice cut through everything.
Carried by wind.
Klaus froze.
"…Reinforcements?" he said coldly. "Good. I'll kill you all at once."
Confusion rippled through the soldiers.
"Rebels—"
"Your Majesty, please!"
Closer now.
Real.
Klaus didn't turn.
"Wrong title," he said. "Who are you?"
"To us—you are Majesty."
A pause.
"We obey."
Klaus let out a quiet breath.
A faint, dangerous smile appeared.
"Then prove it."
A slight nod.
"Kill them."
They moved instantly.
Avoided the burned ground.
Precise.
Efficient.
No hesitation.
Minutes.
That was all it took.
The royal soldiers were dead.
Or captured.
Silence fell.
Klaus exhaled.
Forced the lightning upward—
released it—
and dropped.
Hard.
Still conscious.
Barely.
He didn't trust them.
Not yet.
Didn't matter.
Only one thing mattered.
Egor.
If there was even the smallest chance—
He would burn the world for it.