"Wow, I never thought I would see you here," Trivia said, staring at Kendrick with excitement in his voice.
"I was always here, watching your back. I was waiting for Elvis to slumber before I struck," Kendrick replied.
"You are still the smartest man I've met," Trivia said.
"You mean the cunningest," Owen interrupted.
"Owen, you haven't changed a bit, always interrupting others' discussions. And Trivia, why is he still alive?" Kendrick asked.
"He's still very useful," Trivia answered. "And he can't betray me because I sit on the throne, and we all know he's bound by loyalty to the throne," Trivia said.
"But he was among those that contributed to your misery," Kendrick said.
"Well, I'm still going to punish him," Trivia replied. "From now on, you, Owen, will no longer be the personal adviser to the throne. Kendrick will take your place," Trivia said.
"Then what will I be?" Owen asked.
"His deputy," Trivia answered.
Kendrick turned to Owen and smiled, mocking him for his demotion. Owen knew that he had to act fast, or else the future of Kron would be at stake.
Owen immediately sent a message to Axiel through telepathy: *We need to free Lucas from the dungeon. We leave by midnight; get ready.* Axiel received the message, stood up from his seat, and brought out his axes to prepare for the prison breakout.
Lucas sat in his cell, still feeling down, when he heard a voice in his head: *Lucas, it's Owen. Get ready for an escape. Axiel and I will come to your aid by midnight.* As Lucas heard those words, a sense of hope rushed through his mind. His eyes had life again. Lucas stayed silent, waiting for midnight to set, but the more he waited, the longer it felt.
It was now midnight. All the guards were awake and vigilant. The prison was held tight with security all over. But that wasn't a problem for Owen. He walked past them, followed by Axiel. No guard made an attempt to stop them because Owen had made an illusion in their minds, leaving the prison as it was without any intruders or movements.
One of the guards opened the bars of Lucas's cell. Lucas was surprised, but he walked out anyway. Lucas observed the guard and realized he was unconscious. He knew this was none other than Owen's doing.
Lucas walked around the prison, trying to find his way out. He also noticed none of the guards tried to stop him.
"Behind you," a familiar voice said. Lucas turned to see who it was, seeing it was Axiel and Owen.
"Phew, I thought it was someone else. Thank heavens it's you. What took you so long?" Lucas asked.
"That's not important. What's important is for you to leave this place at once. Take this alpha box," Owen said, giving Lucas the alpha box. "You must leave before Trivia gets here. He will definitely find out you're trying to escape, especially now that Kendrick is in the picture."
"What! Kendrick, the cunningest man in all of Kronax? How did he get into the castle?" Lucas asked.
"That's not necessary," Owen replied.
"When you get out, there's a ship outside this prison. Waste no time; get on it and head for Earth. That's the only planet Trivia has no influence on. You should be safe there. While you're there, gather as much alpha energy as you can, then you can return to put an end to your brother."
While Owen was still speaking, the prison started to quake.
"What's going on?" Lucas asked.
"It's Kendrick. They're here. Hurry, let's get out of here," Owen said while they headed for the giant door. But they saw someone conscious standing in front of them.
"Hello there, trying to escape?" Kendrick asked, smiling. "You won't win today," Owen said.
"Who talked about winning?" Kendrick replied. "Let's play a game. Don't worry, it'll be fun," Kendrick said, flicking his finger. In an instant, he disappeared into thin air, and all the guards became conscious again.
"Shit, I guess we'll have to fight through this. My powers aren't working. I think he used sorcery or something that reversed my mind influence," Owen said. While Owen was still speaking, the guards realized there were intruders and immediately brought out their weapons, ready for battle.
Axiel leaped into action. He moved with lightning speed, parrying the first guard's attack and countering with a swift slash of his axes to the guard's throat. The guard crumbled to the ground, his lifeblood spilling onto the stone floor.
Lucas was unable to fight because he was too weak and had little alpha energy in him. Meanwhile, Axiel faced the second guard, his hands a blur as he disarmed the guard with a series of swift, precise movements. With a low grunt, he spun and delivered a brutal blow to the guard's head, leaving him dead, his head rolling on the stone floor.
"This way!" Owen said, gesturing down the hallway. The trio sprinted through the twisting passageways of the prison, the sound of guards and alarms echoing in their wake.
They rounded a corner, only to be met with a dozen more guards, their swords drawn and ready.
"Stay behind me," Axiel said, his eyes blazing with defiance. Axiel launched himself forward, a whirlwind of his axe and fury. The guards fell before him, their cries cut short by the viciousness of his attacks.
Lucas and Owen followed in his wake, leaping over the bodies of the fallen guards and racing through the chaos.
They arrived at a heavy wooden door, barred and locked against intruders.
"It's locked!" Lucas shouted, his frustration mounting.
"Allow me," Owen said, his eyes fixed on the barrier. With a slow and deliberate breath, he focused his mind, channeling the power that flowed through it.
The doors exploded inward, the wood splintering into fragments. "It's a little trick of mine. Now let's go," Owen said.
Lucas and his companions raced through the opening, their path now clear.
As they raced through the prison's corridor, Lucas and his companions rounded a corner and found themselves face-to-face with none other than Trivia, his eyes burning with a familiar intensity.
"Lucas," Trivia snarled, his voice thick with malice. "You didn't think I'd let you escape that easily, did you? I see even you are afraid of death."
Axiel stepped forward, his axes crackling with lightning. "He has to escape," Axiel growled, his voice low and menacing. "And you're not going to stop him."
With a crackling of lightning, Axiel launched himself at Trivia, his axes a blur of deadly steel. Trivia parried the strikes, his own sword a steel-clad extension of his furious rage.
The two men moved through the hallways, their battle a raging inferno of swordplay and lightning. Axiel slashed and spun, his lightning bolts arcing across the walls and floor, while Trivia countered with swift, precise strikes, his movements graceful and deadly.
Lucas watched the fight unfold, his heart pounding. He knew that if Axiel fell, his fate would be sealed.
With a sudden flash of inspiration, Axiel leaped into the air, his axes spinning in an arc of crackling lightning. The lightning arced from the axes, enveloping Trivia in a blinding white flash.
Lucas seized the opportunity, ducking around the combatants and racing down the corridor. Behind him, Axiel's battle cries mixed with Trivia's roars of fury.
Lucas made it to the outer walls of the castle, his heart racing, when he saw a familiar figure in the courtyard below.
"Owen!" he shouted, his voice carrying on the breeze. Owen turned, his eyes alight with relief.
"I'm here, Your Majesty," he called out, his voice echoing across the courtyard.
Lucas didn't waste a moment. He leaped from the wall, landing in a rolling tumble on the hard stone of the courtyard. Owen rushed forward, his hands outstretched.
"We must move quickly," he said, taking Lucas by the arm. "There are still guards searching for you."
Lucas nodded, following Owen's instructions as he fled the prison and disappeared into the dark of the night, heading straight for the ship that Owen had set for him.
As Lucas escaped into the ship, the battle between Trivia and Axiel raged on, the sound of clashing steel echoing through the corridors. Axiel fought with all his might, but Trivia was relentless, driven by a rage that knew no bounds.
With a swift, precise strike, Trivia sliced through Axiel's defenses, his blade sinking deep into his opponent's chest. Axiel stumbled backward, his expression a mix of pain and resolve.
"Your reign will soon be over," Axiel said with a smile. Trivia let out a triumphant roar as Axiel collapsed to the ground, his body slowly bleeding out.
Trivia stood over his fallen foe, then turned away, his eyes now fixed on the path that Lucas had taken.
"But there's still a traitor who eludes me," Trivia growled, sheathing his sword.
Lucas had escaped, flying into the vastness of space. "I'll avenge your death, my good friend," Lucas said, wiping the tears that escaped his eyes. Lucas had a determined look on his face. "Earth, you say. That's exactly where I'll head to," Lucas said.