Chapter 28
"The Queen..." His voice shook with fury.
"That bitch will be celebrating if both of us die here!"
I froze for a moment.
The Queen of Solaris?
But why?
Wait...
Could this be because we're royals?
"Go now!" Uncle shouted.
I gritted my teeth.
I didn't want to leave him.
But there was no other choice.
I turned and ran.
I sprinted through the trees, my heart pounding painfully in my chest.
Then I looked back.
A sword struck Uncle across the back.
"NOOOOO!"
My scream tore through the village.
Uncle staggered forward.
For a moment, our eyes met.
He didn't say a word.
But I understood the look in his eyes.
Don't stop.
My eyes filled with tears.
"Uncle..."
I turned away and continued running.
The men chased after me.
I clenched my sword and kept moving.
I couldn't stop.
I had to keep going.
After what felt like an eternity, the trees finally began to thin.
Then, in the distance, I saw the border.
Beyond it lay the Sylvania Empire.
I pushed myself harder, desperate to reach it.
But the moment I stepped out of the trees, I stopped.
Several men were standing there, blocking the path.
Despair washed over me.
I looked behind me.
The men from the village were already catching up.
I was surrounded.
There was nowhere to run.
I tightened my grip around my sword.
My hands were shaking.
My legs felt like they could give out at any moment, but I couldn't let myself collapse.
Not here.
Not now.
I slowly raised my sword.
The men in front of me began to advance.
The ones behind me were closing in as well.
I swallowed hard.
"Fine..."
I steadied my breathing.
"If you want me..."
I lowered my stance.
"Then come and get me."
One of the men charged at me.
I raised my sword and blocked his attack, but another came from the side.
I barely dodged before a blade cut across my side.
"Ah!"
I stumbled backward and quickly used my divine power to heal the wound.
But there was no time to rest.
More men rushed toward me.
I fought back desperately, using my sword to defend myself while relying on my divine power whenever I was wounded or needed protection.
But there were simply too many of them.
My breathing grew heavier, and my movements became slower.
I was exhausted.
I couldn't keep this up much longer.
Then, suddenly...
An idea came to mind.
Maybe I could create a barrier around them instead of myself and trap them inside.
If I could keep them trapped for even a few minutes, it would give me enough time to escape.
"Let's give it a try."
I glanced at the men surrounding me.
If I wanted to trap them, I needed to get them all in one place.
But how?
I tightened my grip on my sword and took a step backward.
The men followed.
Good.
I took another step back, drawing them closer together.
They continued advancing, their swords raised.
Just a little closer...
I waited until they were almost shoulder to shoulder.
And...
NOW!
I raised both hands and focused my divine power around the men.
A barrier formed around them, trapping them inside.
The men looked around in confusion, placing their hands against the barrier. Their eyes widened when they realized it was completely solid, and they immediately began striking it with their swords.
Bang!
The barrier shook but held.
I slowly stepped backward, keeping my hands raised.
Another strike hit the barrier.
Bang!
I flinched but continued moving.
They were desperately trying to break free.
I kept my focus on the barrier as I continued backing away, praying it would hold long enough for me to escape.
But with every step, I could feel my divine power weakening.
The barrier began to flicker.
Damn it!
"Please hold..."
Crack!
A thin fracture appeared across the barrier.
I pushed more divine power into it, but my body was already exhausted.
Crack!
Another fracture spread across the barrier.
Then-
Shatter!
The barrier broke apart.
The moment it vanished, I raced toward the border.
I didn't dare look back.
I pushed myself forward until my lungs burned.
The border was just ahead.
I forced myself to run faster, desperate to reach it.
Just as I reached the border, several Solaris knights stepped forward and blocked my path.
"Stop!"
I froze.
The knights exchanged suspicious glances.
One of them raised his sword toward me.
"State your name!"
I opened my mouth to answer, but his gaze suddenly shifted past me.
I followed his gaze.
The men were already catching up.
They were coming straight toward me.
The Solaris knights immediately tightened their formation, their swords still pointed at me.
"Wait!" I shouted.
But they didn't lower their weapons.
I clenched my teeth.
If they won't let me pass then...
I had no choice.
I used the last bit of divine power I had left.
Then...
BOOM!
A powerful surge of divine energy erupted from me, sending the surrounding knights stumbling backward.
I used the opportunity to push forward and break through the border.
My legs nearly gave out as I stumbled onto the other side.
Thud.
I dropped to my knees.
I had made it.
I slowly lifted my head.
And froze.
A familiar figure stood before me.
That black hair...
Those striking red eyes...
My heart stopped.
"Cassian..."
His eyes widened the moment our eyes met.
He looked just as shocked as I was.
"Stop right there!"
My gaze shifted behind me.
The knights had already gotten back on their feet and followed me to the other side.
I tried to stand.
But my legs refused to cooperate.
I gritted my teeth and tried again, but my body wouldn't move.
I couldn't even lift my sword anymore.
I had no strength left.
And then, before I knew it, their swords were already pointing at my neck.
Daaamnnnn...
I just hoped Cassian would save me.
And then...
Everything went black.
★★★
"Your Grace! Your Grace!" Yohan shouted as he rushed into the office without knocking.
Theon looked up from his desk, his brows furrowed and dark circles shadowing his tired eyes.
"We finally found her!" Yohan exclaimed.
Theon immediately shot to his feet.
"Where?"
Yohan quickly pulled a letter from inside his coat and handed it to him.
"One of Prince Enzo's men sent this letter," Yohan explained. "They reported that Lady Rishima is at one of the border facilities."
Theon's eyes immediately dropped to the letter.
"Prepare the magic scrolls right away!" he ordered.
He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and slipped it on.
"Already have them, Your Grace!" Yohan replied, pulling the scrolls from inside his coat.
"I'll activate it right away!" Yohan said as he unrolled one of the scrolls.
He placed his hand above the seal.
Theon immediately stood beside him.
"The border between Sylvania and Solaris," Yohan said, naming their destination.
The scroll began to glow beneath Yohan's hand.
A bright white light enveloped them.
In the next instant, their surroundings began to change.
The familiar walls of the estate disappeared, replaced by towering trees and the border between Sylvania and Solaris.
As soon as they appeared, several Sylvania knights hurried toward them.
"Your Grace!" one of the knights greeted, bowing respectfully.
The others followed, but confusion quickly spread across their faces.
They exchanged glances, clearly wondering why the Duke himself had suddenly appeared at the border.
"Your Grace... may I ask what brought you here?" one of the knights asked hesitantly.
Before Theon could answer, the doors of the nearby border facility opened.
Cassian stepped outside.
Theon immediately walked toward him, with Yohan following behind.
"Where is my daughter?" he asked.
Cassian stopped for a moment.
"Your daughter?" he asked, clearly wondering what Theon meant.
"We received a report that the Duke's daughter is here at one of the border facilities," Yohan explained.
Cassian fell silent for a moment.
As far as he knew, the only people in the facilities right now were knights, and they were all men.
He narrowed his eyes.
Unless...
Cassian remembered that time when the Grimaldi knights had asked about Luna some time ago.
His gaze shifted toward Theon.
"Are you talking about Luna?"
Theon's eyes widened.
"Yes, that's right," Yohan confirmed.
"Where is she?" Theon asked urgently.
Cassian's expression changed.
He couldn't believe that Luna was actually the Duke's daughter.
"She's at the Solaris border facility," Cassian said.
Theon's expression suddenly darkened.
"Solaris?" Yohan asked curiously. "Did she try to cross the border?"
Cassian hesitated before answering.
"She didn't try to cross into Solaris," Cassian said. "She came from Solaris."
Theon stared at him in shock, clearly not expecting that answer.
"That's why we couldn't find her in Sylvania..." he muttered.
"She's actually been in Solaris this whole time," Yohan added.
"Why is she being detained?" Theon asked, his voice turning cold.
Cassian's expression grew serious.
"We shouldn't talk about this here, Your Grace. Please follow me."
Cassian turned and headed toward the border facility.
Theon and Yohan followed him.
Once inside, Cassian led them to a private room, then they took their seats.
Cassian began explaining what had happened.
"All I know is that there was a commotion on the other side of the border," he said. "When I saw her, she was already on our side, kneeling on the ground, covered in blood and looking terrible. I assumed she had been trying to cross into Sylvania."
Theon listened in silence, his expression grim.
"The Solaris knights had followed her and immediately pointed their swords at her. She suddenly fainted, and then several men stepped in. They dragged her back to the other side. I tried to stop them, but I failed."
"Men?" Theon asked, his brow furrowing.
Cassian nodded.
"They identified themselves as the Apex Knights."
Theon and Yohan's expressions changed.
"The Apex Knights?" Yohan repeated in disbelief. "Are you certain? They really exist?"
Cassian nodded.
"Yes. They exist. They operate in secrecy and serve directly under the Empress. They answer only to her and carry out whatever orders she gives them."
He paused.
"Even the ones that cannot be handled publicly."
Theon's expression hardened.
His hand slowly clenched into a fist.
The air inside the room seemed to grow heavier.
"Can we see her?" Theon asked, his voice dangerously calm.
"Unfortunately, we can't," Cassian replied. "I've been trying to see her ever since they dragged her back, but they firmly refused."
His expression darkened.
"They even threatened to consider it an act of aggression if we tried to take her back."
Yohan's eyes widened.
"An act of aggression?"
Cassian nodded.
"They said it could lead to war."
"War?!" Yohan exclaimed in disbelief.
Even Theon hadn't expected that.
"What did she even do to make things like this?" Yohan asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
Cassian's expression turned grim.
"This may sound insane, but... according to them..."
He paused.
"She slaughtered an entire village before trying to flee."