chapter 16 – Escape Through Blood
Tyler led the way through the broken door with quiet, careful steps. The remains of the five soldiers he had killed were still lying across the floor.
Their bodies were scattered, their heads rolled off and resting in different places.
When his classmates came out and saw the scene, many of them couldn't hold it in. Some clutched their stomachs, turning pale before they started throwing up on the spot.
They were disgusted, shocked to the core.
"Wh–Who did this?!" one of them cried out, trembling.
Tyler didn't answer. He didn't want to.
"We should move," he said calmly, his voice firm. "Staying here too long will only get us caught."
At first, he hadn't thought much of what he did.
The situation had been dangerous, and his body simply reacted.
Now that he was looking at it clearly...
I took lives.
He had done it brutally. Decapitations, quick lethal strikes, precise movements that didn't match what a high schooler should know.
How did he even know how to do those things?
Worse, why didn't he feel guilty about it?
He hadn't felt a shred of remorse until his classmates started reacting. Only after hearing their frightened voices did it occur to him that maybe he should feel something.
Deep inside, a quiet voice whispered: They deserved it.
Every single one of them.
As Tyler led the group up the coiling staircase, he made up his mind not to be controlled by guilt.
Not anymore.
He was an innocent student once, just like everyone else, summoned by the kingdom and promised glory as a hero.
What did he get in return?
Pain. Chains. Torture.
He hadn't done anything wrong, yet they imprisoned him along with his classmates, treating them as tools instead of people.
Maybe the guards didn't make those decisions, but what did that matter?
They still served the ones who did.
It was like that saying from his old world: Show me your friend, and I'll tell you who you are.
Here, it was simpler: Show me the king you serve, and I'll know what kind of man you are.
Innocent or not, Tyler didn't care. His only goal now was to survive. If anyone stood in his way, he would do what needed to be done.
No hesitation. No guilt.
He clenched his fist and raised it, signaling for everyone to stop. They had reached the final staircase.
The exit ahead was shaped like an arch, carved into the stone with no door blocking the way.
Tyler stepped forward first to scout the area. He peeked through the archway and immediately froze.
Two armed guards stood on either side of the exit, watching the passage.
"Where did you come from?!" one of them barked, startled to see him.
Tyler straightened his back, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, thinking fast. Should he kill them or try to bluff?
The second guard noticed his outfit and weapons. "Hey, your uniform! And those weapons, where did you get them?!"
The guard raised his spear.
Tyler sighed softly. He didn't want to do this again. But he didn't have a choice.
He moved.
Swing!Swing!
In a flash, both guards fell. One head rolled across the floor. The other man dropped with a blade through his chest.
"Damn it…" Tyler muttered under his breath.
He hadn't wanted this to bother him, but it did.
He had promised himself he wouldn't feel guilty. Even now, that old hesitation crept back into his heart.
He shook his head, forcing the thought away.
Whoever needs to die will die. Whoever doesn't, won't.
It had to be that simple.
"It's safe now," Tyler said quietly to the others waiting behind.
They came out cautiously, stepping around the fallen bodies. Ahead was another gate, thick iron bars sealed tight.
That wasn't a problem for Tyler.
He grabbed the bars with both hands, pulling with all his strength.
Crack!
The metal bent and tore apart as if it were made of wood. The others stared in disbelief.
Beyond the gate stretched a narrow, dim passageway. It was long and cold, lined with rough stone walls.
When they reached the end, another gate stood in their way.
Tyler didn't hesitate this time. He gripped the iron and yanked.
Clang!
The bars snapped and fell to the ground, their echo spreading far through the tunnel.
That sound, unfortunately, caught attention.
Guards stationed outside turned at once, hearing the crash.
"Hey! What are you doing out here?!" one shouted, spear raised.
Tyler stepped forward, ready to strike, but before he could move, a dozen of his classmates rushed past him.
Weapons in hand, they charged the guards head-on.
The soldiers barely had time to react. The students surrounded them, swinging and stabbing wildly.
Screams echoed, then faded into silence.
Blood pooled at their feet. The guards were dead.
Tyler stood still, speechless. He hadn't expected them to act so fiercely or to kill at all.
One of the boys walked up behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "We're not going to be your baggage, Tyler," he said with a small, determined smile.
Tyler looked at him, stunned.
It was strange how he had never spoken to most of them before. Back in school, they had only mocked him, pranked him, laughed behind his back.
No one had ever spoken to him like this.
He didn't even know how to reply.
While he was still trying to find his words, movement caught his eye.
Another guard appeared from the corner of the path, adjusting his pants. He had clearly been away, probably to relieve himself.
Now he stood frozen, staring at the bloody scene before him.
For a brief second, his eyes widened with disbelief, but his training kicked in fast. He reached for the whistle hanging around his neck.
Tyler's eyes narrowed.
He couldn't let that whistle blow.
Without a thought, he sprinted forward, jumping over the group of classmates in front of him.
The guard fumbled with the whistle, trying to bring it to his lips, but Tyler was fast, faster than before.
He could make it!