Free Web NovelChapter 13: The Worst Escape Plan Ever Created
The ceiling exploded.
Not dramatically.
Not elegantly.
A literal section of the upper structure cracked apart with a deafening metallic scream before debris rained across the chamber floor.
Seraphina stared upward.
Then slowly looked back at Theren.
"...I think your building is dying."
"It remains operational."
A giant piece of metal crashed behind him.
She blinked.
"...That sounded defensive."
Kael tightened his grip around her wrist slightly.
"We need to move."
Theren stepped forward immediately.
"You are not authorized to leave this sector."
Seraphina looked offended.
"You kidnapped me."
"Detainment and kidnapping are legally distinct."
"...You people are actually insane."
Another alarm suddenly echoed through the chamber.
This time it didn’t shut off after two seconds.
A calm mechanical voice spread through the facility:
"Structural collapse probability increased to thirty-two percent."
Silence.
Then the voice added:
"Recommendation: immediate evacuation."
Seraphina slowly turned toward Theren again.
"...Even your building wants us to leave."
For the first time since arriving at Noctaire—
Theren looked genuinely tired.
Kael pulled her slightly behind him.
The movement happened so naturally that Seraphina almost didn’t notice it.
Almost.
Then she blinked once.
Wait.
Since when did he start doing that automatically?
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Theren’s gaze shifted toward Kael.
"Secondary subject instability continues increasing."
Kael looked completely unbothered.
"Open the exit route."
"Denied."
"Then I’ll make one."
Seraphina sighed dramatically.
"You know, I support violence emotionally, but your methods are becoming expensive."
Kael looked at her calmly.
"You said you wanted a dramatic escape."
"That was before the ceiling started attacking me personally."
Another tremor shook through the structure.
This time the lights went fully dark.
For one second—
Two—
Then emergency crimson lighting flooded the chamber instead.
Everything immediately looked worse.
Seraphina looked around slowly.
"...Oh, this is evil-looking."
Kael glanced toward her.
"You like it."
"I absolutely do."
Theren pressed something against the side of his wrist.
Several sealed doors throughout the chamber suddenly opened.
Not an escape route.
Security units.
Seraphina stared.
"...You had hidden soldiers inside the walls?"
"Standard precaution."
"That sentence is terrifying."
Five armed Noctaire personnel stepped into the chamber cautiously.
Unlike previous guards, these ones didn’t look nervous.
That somehow felt more dangerous.
One of them spoke calmly.
"Executor Theren. Retrieval authorization confirmed."
Seraphina immediately pointed at them dramatically.
"Retrieval is such a rude word."
No one reacted.
Honestly insulting.
Kael’s posture shifted slightly.
Very small movement.
But Seraphina noticed instantly.
His shoulders lowered.
His breathing steadied.
And somehow—
That looked more dangerous than before.
One guard stepped forward carefully.
"Secondary subject. Stand down."
Kael answered immediately.
"No."
Straightforward.
Simple.
Like refusing tea.
The guard raised his weapon slightly.
Bad decision.
Very bad decision.
Because Seraphina saw Kael’s eyes change instantly.
Not emotionally.
Not angrily.
Just—
Focus.
Pure terrifying focus.
The atmosphere in the room tightened sharply.
Seraphina reacted before anyone else.
"Oh no."
Everyone looked toward her.
She pointed toward Kael casually.
"That expression usually means someone made a very stupid choice."
The guards visibly stiffened.
Good instinct.
One of them moved first.
Huge mistake.
Everything happened at once.
The guard lunged forward—
Kael moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Even Seraphina almost lost track of the movement.
One second he stood beside her.
The next—
The weapon hit the floor across the room with a violent metallic crash.
The guard himself was suddenly kneeling.
Alive.
Uninjured mostly.
But completely unable to move.
Silence filled the chamber.
Seraphina blinked slowly.
Then looked at the guard.
"...That looked painful emotionally."
Another guard immediately stepped back.
Smartest person in the room so far.
Theren watched calmly despite the tension rising everywhere.
"Interesting."
Seraphina looked horrified.
"Interesting? Your employee just got folded like laundry."
Kael ignored everyone again and looked toward the far corridor.
"The eastern route collapsed."
Theren’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"You memorized the structure."
"Yes."
"...That’s concerning," Seraphina admitted quietly.
Kael turned back toward her.
"We’ll use maintenance access instead."
"You already found another route?"
"Yes."
"How long were you wandering through evil headquarters alone?"
"A while."
"That’s not comforting."
Another loud explosion echoed somewhere distant.
The entire chamber shook violently again.
Dust scattered from the ceiling.
Then suddenly—
Water began pouring from one side of the upper structure.
Everyone paused.
Seraphina stared upward.
"...Why is there water."
A beat of silence.
Then another massive burst exploded overhead.
The water pressure doubled instantly.
Theren finally looked upward sharply.
"The coolant systems ruptured."
Seraphina looked at Kael.
"...Did you break the building AND its organs?"
"I broke a wall."
"That sentence keeps becoming less reassuring."
The emergency voice echoed again: freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Critical containment failure detected."
Then:
"All personnel evacuate immediately."
One of the guards looked visibly alarmed now.
Good.
Finally someone was reacting normally.
Kael looked toward Seraphina again.
"We need to go now."
She crossed her arms.
"Fine."
Then immediately pointed toward Theren.
"But I’m still morally winning this argument."
Theren actually looked at her for two whole seconds before answering.
"...Noted."
Seraphina froze.
Then pointed dramatically.
"KAEL. HE LEARNED SARCASM."
Kael stared at Theren briefly.
"...That is concerning."
Theren looked deeply exhausted now.
Honestly understandable.
His secret organization was collapsing because two teenagers refused to behave correctly.
Seraphina was almost proud.
Almost.
Kael began pulling her toward the open corridor.
But before they could leave—
A new voice echoed through the chamber.
Soft.
Elegant.
Female.
"Well... this became much more entertaining than expected."
Everyone stopped.
Even Theren.
That alone immediately made Seraphina suspicious.
A woman slowly stepped from one of the upper observation walkways above the chamber.
Long silver hair.
Dark formal uniform.
Sharp golden eyes filled with amusement.
And unlike everyone else—
She looked completely relaxed.
Like the collapsing facility below her was part of a theater performance.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes immediately.
"...Oh, I know that type."
The woman smiled slightly.
"And what type is that?"
Seraphina pointed upward confidently.
"The secretly insane pretty one."
Silence.
Then unexpectedly—
The woman laughed.
A real laugh.
Not polite.
Not fake.
Kael’s expression hardened instantly beside her.
Theren finally spoke.
"Director Celestine."
Seraphina blinked.
Then looked back upward.
"...Director?"
The woman rested one arm casually against the railing above them. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Yes."
A pause.
Then her smile widened slightly as she looked directly at Seraphina.
"I’ve wanted to meet you properly for quite some time."
