Free Web NovelChapter 550: Second mission
They did not look back as they moved through the hidden passage, because there was nothing to see that would change what had already been decided, and even if there had been, turning around would only slow them down and dishonor the choice Vorde had made, so they pressed forward through the narrow descent until the suffocating stone corridors gave way to the damp, uneven tunnel that Patrick and Vorde had originally used to infiltrate the city.
The air changed first, less controlled, less suffocating, carrying with it the faint scent of earth and stagnant water, and though the darkness remained thick, it no longer felt like a prison but like a path that led outward, and they followed it with quiet urgency, every step carrying them further away from the collapsing chaos of the castle behind them.
Patrick led without hesitation, his familiarity with the smuggler’s route guiding them through turns that would have otherwise seemed indistinguishable, while Lucas stayed close to the emperor, ensuring he did not lose consciousness again as Darmian supported him steadily, and behind them Wesley, Murray, and Bartho maintained vigilance even now, because escape did not guarantee safety, not while they were still within the territory of Rus.
After what felt like an unbroken stretch of movement, they finally emerged beyond the inner boundaries of the capital, the tunnel opening into a concealed exit point hidden among rocky terrain just outside the city’s controlled perimeter, and for the first time since the alarm had been raised, the immediate pressure of pursuit eased, replaced instead by the distant sounds of a city now fully alerted and hunting.
They had made it out.
But it did not feel like victory.
Not yet.
Bartho was the first to turn slightly, his gaze lingering back toward the direction of the city, his expression unreadable as he exhaled slowly. "He’ll find a way," he said, more to himself than anyone else.
No one disagreed.
They simply accepted it as something they needed to believe.
The emperor was lowered carefully to rest, his condition still fragile but stable enough to survive for now, and Wesley and Murray began scanning the surrounding terrain for a secure position where they could remain hidden while deciding their next move.
That was when Lucas spoke.
"We’re not done here."
Bartho looked at him immediately. "We got what we came for."
Lucas shook his head slightly. "One thing left to do."
The words settled heavily.
Patrick’s jaw tightened. "This isn’t the same. The city is on full alert now. Every route we used is compromised. Every patrol is doubled. Going back in now is suicide."
Lucas held his gaze, calm but unwavering. "Which is exactly why it’s the best time."
That made Patrick pause.
Not because he agreed.
But because he understood the logic behind it.
Lucas continued, his voice steady. "All their attention is on the breach at the castle. Their strongest forces are being redirected there or preparing for reinforcement toward Lechia. Internal control will tighten, but focus will narrow. That creates gaps. Small ones, but enough."
Patrick looked away briefly, thinking through it, weighing risk against possibility, the image of his mother and sister clearly flashing through his mind as conflict settled deep within his expression.
"It’s still dangerous," he said finally. "More than before."
Lucas nodded. "I know."
Silence held for a moment longer.
Then Patrick exhaled slowly. "If we go back in... we don’t get a second chance."
"We won’t need one," Lucas replied.
That answer did not bring comfort.
But it brought clarity.
Patrick looked toward the others, then back at Lucas. "The rest can’t follow us. Too many will draw attention."
"They won’t," Lucas said. "They stay here. Hidden."
Wesley stepped forward slightly. "And you think the two of you can move unnoticed in a city that’s actively searching for intruders."
Lucas met his gaze. "We won’t move like intruders."
Murray narrowed his eyes slightly, then gave a faint nod. "That’s the only way it works."
Bartho folded his arms, watching the exchange before speaking. "You’re walking back into a fire that hasn’t even settled yet." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Lucas’s expression didn’t change. "Then we move before it does."
Patrick closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, the hesitation gone now, replaced with resolve that had been waiting beneath the surface all along.
"Alright," he said quietly. "We go back."
Lucas nodded once.
No more needed to be said.
He turned to the others. "Find cover. Stay hidden. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary."
Wesley crossed his arms slightly. "And if you don’t return."
Lucas didn’t answer that immediately.
Then he said simply, "We will."
It wasn’t reassurance.
It was intent.
Patrick adjusted his stance, already shifting back into the mindset of infiltration rather than escape, and without wasting another moment, the two of them turned back toward the direction of Rus, toward a city now fully alert, fully dangerous, and still holding the people Patrick had come to save.
Behind them, the others disappeared into concealment.
Lucas did not slow as they moved back toward the concealed entrance, his pace measured but deliberate, because now that the decision had been made, hesitation would only create cracks in execution, and beside him Patrick had already shifted fully into a different mindset, no longer the soldier escaping a hostile city, but the man returning to it with purpose far more personal than any mission they had carried out so far.
"Where would they keep them," Lucas asked quietly as they approached the hidden entry point, his voice low enough to blend with the movement of air through the rocky passage.
Patrick did not answer immediately, his gaze fixed ahead as he replayed what he knew of the usurpers’ methods, the patterns he had once been part of, the habits that did not change even when rulers did, and after a few seconds he spoke.
"They won’t keep them in the main dungeons," he said. "Not people like them."
Lucas glanced at him. "Why."
"Because they’re leverage," Patrick replied. "And leverage isn’t thrown into the same pit as prisoners. It’s kept separate.
Lucas absorbed that. "So where."
Patrick exhaled once, then nodded slightly as if confirming his own thoughts. "There’s a holding quarter within the inner districts. Not public. Not officially marked. It used to be a merchant storage compound before the usurpers took control. They converted it. Quietly."
Lucas’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You’re sure."
"I’ve seen it," Patrick said. "Not inside. But I know what goes in... and what doesn’t come out easily."
That was enough.
They reached the concealed entry point, a narrow fissure hidden beneath overgrown rock and shadow, almost impossible to identify unless you knew exactly where to look, and without slowing, Patrick slipped inside first, guiding them back into the smuggler’s route that curved beneath the outer wall and into the lower layers of the capital.
The tunnel felt mentally tighter this time.
Because now they were not escaping through it, they were choosing to walk back into danger, and every step forward carried that weight with it as the distant hum of the city above filtered faintly through the stone, a reminder that Rus was no longer unaware of intruders.
They moved carefully, their footsteps controlled, their presence minimized as much as possible, and after navigating the winding underground path, they reached the internal exit point that opened into one of the quieter sections of the capital, a place where structures stood close together and light barely reached the ground even during the day.
Patrick paused just before emerging, listening.
Nothing immediate.
But that did not mean safe.
He stepped out first, scanning quickly, then signaled Lucas to follow.
The city had changed.
Patrols moved more frequently, their routes tighter, their expressions sharper, and though the streets were not flooded with soldiers, the tension hung in the air like something waiting to snap, civilians keeping their heads down, movement more cautious, voices lower.
"The castle breach spread fast," Patrick muttered.
Lucas observed quietly, his gaze moving across rooftops, alleyways, patrol routes, calculating paths and risks without speaking, and after a moment he nodded slightly.
"Then we don’t move through the streets," he said. "We move around them."
Patrick gave a faint, approving nod. "I know a way."
He led again, but this time not through obvious paths, instead weaving them through narrow alleys, abandoned corners, and partially collapsed structures that provided cover from direct sightlines, using routes that only someone who had lived under this system would know, avoiding patrol intersections by seconds rather than minutes.
As they moved deeper into the capital, the atmosphere grew heavier.
More guards.
More checkpoints.
More tension.
And eventually, Patrick slowed.
He gestured ahead without speaking.
Beyond a partially broken wall and across a narrow stretch of open ground stood a compound that looked unremarkable at first glance, its exterior worn and unassuming, but the guards positioned around it told a different story, their placement too deliberate, their attention too focused for it to be anything ordinary.
"That’s it," Patrick said quietly. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Lucas studied it carefully, taking in every detail, the patrol patterns, the entry points, the blind spots, the rhythm of movement around the compound, and after a few seconds, he nodded once.
"No direct approach," he said. "We go in unseen."
Patrick’s jaw tightened slightly as his gaze lingered on the structure, knowing that somewhere inside, the people he had come back for were being held.
"They’re in there," he said.
Lucas didn’t look away from the compound. "Then we break them out."
