Escape

Nana sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when the door creaked open. She turned her head and saw a young maid step inside, carrying a tray of food.

Nana frowned slightly. It wasn't Lucian. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or suspicious.

The maid placed the tray on the small table near the bed and took a step back. "Your meal," she said softly.

Nana glanced at the food—warm bread, soup, and some fruit. Her stomach grumbled, but her mind was elsewhere. She looked up at the maid.

"What's your name?"

The maid seemed surprised by the question. "Elia."

"Elia," Nana repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "You're new."

Elia shook her head. "I've been here for a while."

Nana narrowed her eyes. "Then why haven't I seen you before?"

Elia hesitated. "Because I stay out of the way."

Nana could understand that. It was better to stay hidden in a place like this. She picked up a piece of bread and took a small bite before asking, "How did you end up here?"

The maid's eyes flickered with something before she answered, "The same way most of us do."

Nana swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Elia lowered her voice. "Whenever Keir destroys a village, he takes the surviving maids and brings them here."

Nana's stomach turned, and suddenly, the bread didn't taste as good. "So you're one of them?"

Elia nodded. "I was taken years ago. I barely remember my home now."

Nana felt a chill run down her spine. She had always known Keir was cruel, but hearing it from someone who had lived through it made it feel even more real.

"Why do you serve him?" she asked quietly.

Elia's face was expressionless . "Because we don't have a choice."

Silence filled the room. Nana stared at the tray of food, her appetite gone.

"Did you ever try to run?" she asked.

Elia let out a short, bitter laugh. "Of course. We all did at some point." She looked directly at Nana. "But there's no escaping him."

Nana gripped the edge of the bed. She wanted to argue, to say that nothing was impossible—but something about Elia's expression made her hold her tongue.

"Eat," Elia said, nodding toward the tray. "You'll need your strength."

"For what?"

Elia didn't answer. She simply turned and left, shutting the door behind her.

Nana sat there for a long time, staring at the door, her mind spinning with questions she wasn't sure she wanted answers to.

Lucian stepped into the room without knocking, his usual frown in place. Nana looked up from her bed and sighed.

"It's time for training," he said, his voice flat.

She smirked. "You sure spend a lot of time around me, Lucian. Starting to like me?"

He scoffed, arms crossed. "I hate it. I'm only here because I was assigned to you."

"Right," Nana teased. "That's what they all say."

Lucian let out an annoyed sigh. "Move it. I don't have all day."

Nana stretched and got up, making a show of taking her time just to irritate him. When she finally followed him out, the hall felt colder than usual.

They walked in silence, the only sound was their footsteps against the stone floor. Nana glanced at him sideways. "So, do you do this for everyone, or am I just special?"

Lucian didn't look at her. "You're not special."

"Ouch." She placed a hand over her chest dramatically. "That almost hurt."

Lucian ignored her.

When they stepped outside, the training ground was empty. It was just them.

Nana looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"You're not training with the others," Lucian replied.

She raised a brow. "Why? Afraid I'll embarrass you?"

He shot her a sharp look. "You couldn't embarrass me even if you tried."

"We'll see about that," she muttered.

Lucian picked up two wooden training swords from the rack and tossed one to her. She barely caught it.

"Try not to drop it," he said.

Nana rolled her eyes. "You are such a joy to be around, you know that?"

Lucian didn't respond. Instead, he took a stance. "Show me what you can do."

Nana hesitated. "Uh… I don't know how to fight."

"Obviously."

"Wow. You really have a way with words, Lucian."

He sighed. "Just try."

She tightened her grip on the sword and lunged at him, swinging wildly. Lucian stepped aside easily, not even lifting his weapon.

"Pathetic," he muttered.

Nana glared. "Excuse me for not being a trained killer."

"Again," he said.

Nana gritted her teeth and tried again. This time, he blocked her strike effortlessly and knocked her sword from her hand with one quick movement.

She stared at her empty hands. "Okay. That was rude."

Lucian smirked. "Pick it up."

Nana groaned but did as he said. She had a feeling this was going to be a long, frustrating session.

Nana wiped the sweat from her forehead, her arms aching from holding the wooden sword for so long. Lucian stepped back, lowering his own sword.

"That's enough for today," he said, his tone as cold as ever.

She let out a breath of relief, dropping to the ground. Her whole body ached, but at least she had survived the training.

"Rest for a while before you go back," Lucian muttered, rubbing his wrist. Even he looked a little tired, which made Nana feel just a little proud.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Then, suddenly—

"Run. Run now. This is your chance."

Nana's eyes snapped open. The voice wasn't Lucian's. It wasn't even real—it was inside her head. A whisper, a demand.

Her heart pounded. Was she losing her mind?

She looked at Lucian, but he didn't seem to notice anything. He was adjusting his gloves, preparing to leave.

"RUN."

The voice was urgent now, almost desperate. Nana felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

Lucian turned to her. "Training is over," he said.

Without thinking, without even planning, Nana did something reckless.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

Lucian frowned, confused. "For wha—"

Before he could finish, she gripped the wooden sword tightly and swung it with all her strength.

CRACK.

The sword struck Lucian hard across the chest. He stumbled back, his eyes wide in shock.

Nana didn't wait.

She turned and ran.

Her legs burned, her lungs screamed for air, but she didn't stop. She didn't even know where she was going—only that she needed to get away.

She could hear Lucian groaning behind her, hear his footsteps trying to regain balance.

"STOP!" he shouted.

But Nana didn't listen.

She ran like her life depended on it, because maybe it did.