Since the day he had been locked away in this cell, Tyler Lockwood had held on to one goal?
Freedom.
No matter what it cost, he wanted to be free.
And now, that chance had finally come knocking. A friend stood before him, ready to give him what he had been yearning for all this time.
"Hey, hey, wait a second," Tyler said quickly, stopping the maid before she could do anything further to the chains. "Setting me free? You're not joking, are you?"
"No, I'm not," she replied with firm eyes. "I've talked to you enough times to know you don't deserve to be trapped here. You're not a bad person."
She was right. Tyler hadn't done anything to deserve being treated this way, and part of him wanted to shout for joy. But another part of him hesitated.
"What about you?" he asked softly. "If they find out you helped me escape, won't you get in trouble?"
The maid looked away, as though she hadn't even considered that part.
[She's offering you a way out. Take it.]
Tyler heard the familiar inner voice echo inside his mind.
Of course, he wanted to take it. Who wouldn't?
Freedom was what he dreamed of every waking moment. The problem here wasn't him, it was her.
If he escaped, she would be the one punished for it. And that was something his conscience couldn't ignore.
He couldn't let the only person who had shown him kindness suffer because of him.
"Don't worry about me," she said, cutting off his silence. "Just go. Be free, and stay safe."
Tyler stared at her, stunned. No one, not in his past life, not in this one, had ever shown him such care.
He wanted to say yes, to just let her do it, but his heart couldn't let her take all the risk.
"You know what?" he said finally. "Just loosen it a little. Untie the chains enough so I can set myself free later."
That way, she wouldn't get into too much trouble if anyone found out.
The maid hesitated, clearly unhappy with that plan. She wanted to fully release him. But Tyler's insistence and calm reasoning eventually made her agree.
She stepped close to him, climbing slightly so she could reach the top where the chain was attached.
Her knee brushed against his shoulder as she leaned higher. Then, she pulled a small knife from inside her clothes, one she had kept hidden.
Carefully, she started cutting and loosening the thick metal knot holding the chain. It took a while, but Tyler could feel the tension in the metal weaken.
When she finished, the chain was loose enough that he could break free with effort whenever he wanted.
"Thank you," Tyler said softly, meaning every word.
The maid turned to leave, but before she could reach the door, he asked, "Wait. Before you go… can I at least know your name?"
She turned, surprised, then smiled faintly. "Anna. My name is Anna Warren."
Tyler nodded, memorizing her face, the soft black hair with faint orange strands, the round cheeks, and the gentle eyes.
He would never forget her. No matter what happened, the name Anna Warren would stay carved in his memory.
As she quietly slipped out, Tyler could feel the faint hope of freedom rising inside him.
[She's done the hard part. Now all that's left is for you to break through to the Magus realm. Once you do that, freedom will be yours.]
The inner voice was right.
"Yeah," Tyler whispered. "It's time."
That night, he meditated again, focusing his mind and body. He could feel the mana surrounding him, flowing closer each time he drew a breath.
Tomorrow, he promised himself, everything would change.
The next day arrived quickly. The Magus returned again to draw his blood.
They had already gone through the other prisoners before reaching his cell. But as soon as they entered Tyler's room, the leading Magus felt something strange.
She frowned, her instincts warning her that something was wrong.
This wasn't the first time she had felt uneasy inside this cell. But like before, she brushed it off. There was no reason to think anything had changed.
The Magus responsible for drawing the circle crouched down and started his work.
The chalk made quiet scratching sounds on the ground as he formed the ritual symbol. Once done, he stepped back, and the one holding the knife walked forward.
The man grinned under his hood, clearly enjoying his cruel task. He approached Tyler slowly, savoring the moment.
"Wait!" the leading Magus interrupted.
That same uneasy feeling surged back, much stronger than before. Her gut told her something was wrong with this prisoner.
"Let me do it," she said sharply, taking the knife from her colleague.
The others looked surprised but didn't argue. She was stronger than them anyway, a Magus Novice at the Early Stage of Mana Foundation Realm.
The rest were much weaker, stuck between the Mid and Late Stages of Mana Initiation Realm. Against them, she was far more capable and could easily handle anything that went wrong.
Still, the uneasiness refused to fade.
She took slow steps toward Tyler, her boots echoing faintly on the floor. Every instinct told her that this wasn't right.
Logically, she knew she was stronger than any prisoner, especially this one, who was malnourished, chained, and barely human at this point.
Even if he tried something, she could end him with a simple wave of her palm. She didn't even need to touch him. Her aura alone could crush him, make him fall to his knees and choke on his own breath.
There was no contest here, no reason to feel fear.
So where was this strange feeling coming from?
Her eyes narrowed as she moved closer, trying to understand it.
Tyler's head was lowered. He didn't move or react as she approached.
As soon as she stood directly in front of him, with barely an inch separating them, Tyler suddenly raised his head.
The motion was sharp, unnatural, like something out of a nightmare.
Their eyes met.
And in that single instant, she understood.
Pure terror flashed across her face.
"MOVE!" she screamed.
But it was too late.