Cool drafts blew in through the ventilation shafts high on the walls, stirring the stuffiness of the room. Lucian squinted toward the outside but couldn't make out even a sliver of moonlight — the night was pitch-black and deep.
In the darkness, Lucian sat on his bed, quietly listening to the sounds from beyond the walls, running through the entire plan in his mind one more time.
Once he confirmed there were no major oversights, his breathing grew slow and steady. He rose from the bed with measured deliberation and slid his feet into his shoes.
Bending down, he tightened the laces and straightened his clothes, performing each task with meticulous precision — a ritual to bring his mental state to its peak.
Tonight was the escape date Lucian had chosen.
After the failed body-transfer attempt, the old Witch would surely try to accelerate the seal's removal in the short term, making the end of this month and the beginning of the next the optimal window.
There was still the possibility that both he and Adam had misjudged — perhaps the old hag wasn't heading to the underground ruins to work on the seal during the Silver Moon's weakest phase at all, but for some other reason. Yet locked in this cell, starved of intelligence, with no reinforcements outside and no allies within, he had to take this chance no matter what. If he waited much longer, it wouldn't be long before he ended up like Ophelia — not like Adam, who had survived decades as experimental material. That kind of endurance was utterly unique.
After moving in place for a while to bring his body to peak condition, Lucian walked slowly to the right-hand wall and tapped lightly with his knuckle.
*Thump thump thump, thump thump thump.* After several knocks, the stone brick was removed from the other side. Karina's voice came through, carrying a drowsy rasp and barely contained excitement: "Mr. Lucian, what is it? Are we starting tonight?" Through their exchanges, she and Alvar and Brad had all gathered that the old Witch visited the underground ruins at the end and beginning of each month, so they had been waiting for Lucian's signal. But Lucian had been eating and sleeping well, showing no inclination to escape whatsoever, which left her anxious yet reluctant to press — after all, this entire affair was led by Lucian.
"Yes. Get yourself ready. If I fail on my end, I'll need you to lure the guard servants inside." Lucian's tone was calm, as though he were remarking that the moon looked especially round tonight.
Up until now, Lucian had not revealed his plan to anyone, lest he be betrayed.
Karina's voice jumped a full octave despite her best effort: "Of course. I await your orders at any moment, Mr. Lucian."
Lucian nodded faintly, turned, and walked to the iron door. He raised his right hand and slapped it hard.
*Bang bang bang, bang bang bang.* The loud noise echoed through the corridor. The two servants standing guard outside exchanged a puzzled glance, and the ruddy-faced one barked furiously: "You bastard, what are you banging for? Fancy a taste of the whip?"
It was deep into the night. Having never experienced an enemy incursion or a prisoner escape, they had no real intention of keeping proper watch. They had lined up beast pelts against the wall and sat on them, dozing off. After all, the purpose of their posting here wasn't to guard those powerless prisoners — it was to ensure someone was always present so that any physical or mental deterioration in the master's precious "experimental material" could be caught in time. Otherwise, the job could just as easily be left to the mindless Flesh Puppet Knights.
So when they were startled awake by Lucian's sudden, thunderous banging, they were none too pleased.
Lucian seemed oblivious to their fury, raising his voice: "Dinner tonight was absolutely terrible. I'm starving, and I want a late-night snack!"
"You damn bastard, who do you think you are? Have you lost your mind? You really want to feel the whip, do you? Get lost and stop bothering us!" Hearing that he had woken them for such a preposterous reason, the ruddy-faced servant erupted in a string of curses, itching to storm in and thrash Lucian right then and there. "Remember — you're nothing but a prisoner! Demanding a late-night snack? You're insane!"
But Lucian showed not the slightest restraint, continuing to pound on the iron door — *bang bang bang* — waking Alvar and the other prisoners nearby, driving the two servants to distraction.
At the same time he shouted: "You two disgusting wretches, get me a snack immediately! You'd better remember — I may be a prisoner, but I am your master's most valued experimental material. If I'm harmed because you withheld food, I'm certain she'll torture you thoroughly. Before her, you're nothing but dogs — utterly useless, with less standing than us prisoners. Think about it: the last person who even mentioned the old hag's name was killed along with everyone nearby. You're worse than dogs! I'm ordering you — get me a snack right now!"
The venomous, arrogant, overbearing words sent the ruddy-faced servant into a white-hot rage. He narrowed his eyes and snarled: "You clown, you piece of trash — I'll show you who's worse than dogs!" He snatched up his whip and was about to charge in.
Just then, the tall servant beside him seized his arm, his furious voice pitched low in caution: "Wait — this is nothing like how he usually behaves. Be careful something's off. And demanding food in the middle of the night is absurd. It could be a trap…"
"Don't you remember how he looked on the terrace, talking about how he could crush the master however he pleased? He's always been an arrogant madman — he just usually masks it with polite manners." The ruddy-faced servant had long taken a dislike to the way Lucian maintained his composure and refined bearing even as a prisoner and experimental subject. But he kept his voice low as well, so Lucian couldn't hear. "Besides," he narrowed his eyes further, "he's wearing an Anti-Magic Collar and Binding Shackles. Even if he's plotting something, I'm not afraid. Can he possibly beat me? And you'll be watching from outside, plus there's a Flesh Puppet Knight stationed at the key escape point. Even if he beats me up, he still can't get away — and afterward, I'll make him pay for it!"
Since becoming a servant of the arcane tower, almost no prisoner whose powers had been suppressed had ever dared to resist. The ruddy-faced servant himself possessed the strength of a High-level Knight Squire, and on top of that, Lucian had always appeared refined and gentlemanly. Contempt naturally crept into his mind — he figured that once a proper knight was fitted with Binding Shackles, they were nothing special.
"Fair point." The tall servant considered for a moment and released his grip in agreement. "And he's a mage, isn't he? Even if he has some knight rank, it was probably just pumped up with potions. His hand-to-hand ability must be terrible. I'll keep watch — you go in and teach him a lesson. Show him how a good little boy behaves!"
The ruddy-faced servant picked up the leather whip, pulled out a large ring of keys, and called out with a thin, mocking smile: "I just happen to have some food here. I'll bring it over as your opening snack. If you need anything else after that, just tell me straightaway."
"Excellent — if you're going to be a dog, at least be an obedient one!" Lucian continued his unrestrained taunting without the slightest hesitation.
The ruddy-faced servant clenched his teeth in fury, thrust the key into the lock, and twisted hard.
Hearing the sound of the key, Lucian silently slipped to the other side of the iron door and pressed himself against the wall.
The ruddy-faced servant shoved the door open and cracked the whip: "Come on, have a taste of your snack!"
The long leather whip, bristling with countless barbs, swept across nearly the entire room, striking the bed without any obstruction.
At that moment, a slender, powerful right hand shot out from the side, clamped onto his face with a vice-like grip, and slammed it hard into the iron door.