Chapter 28 - A Calculated Risk

Three days. Three excruciating days. For Bastian, it had been four years in the Ethereal Battlefield. Every moment felt like a battle against time, sanity, and the creatures designed to destroy them. He wasn't the same angel who had walked into this place, naive and hopeful. Now, he was calculating, cold when he needed to be, and above all, determined.

He sat with Hugh, Jacob, Phillip, and Trixie under the faint light of a crimson sky that never dimmed. The five of them were huddled around what looked like a flickering flame but was nothing more than a manifestation of their collective energy, a small illusion they had created to remind themselves of warmth and hope.

"We need a way out," Bastian began, his voice low but steady. "The battlefield is draining us, and the longer we stay, the less of us there will be left."

"Easier said than done," Hugh muttered, running a hand through his dark, matted hair. "This place is locked tighter than the Celestial City vaults. And Gabriel isn't stupid. He'll see us coming a mile away."

Phillip leaned back, his wings—once bright and golden—now dull and frayed from the years of endless battles. "We're not the first to think about escaping. And the ones who tried didn't exactly leave a good record of success."

Bastian nodded. "That's why we're going to do this differently. We don't just need a plan; we need the plan. One they won't see coming."

Bastian laid out the possibilities.

Their escape came down to three choices, each more dangerous than the last. The first option was to let the battlefield's strongest creature drain them, making their defeat look natural. This would allow them to be taken to the recovery chambers, where security was weaker. However, recovery was unpredictable, and many angels never returned. If the creature overdid it, they wouldn't have to worry about escaping at all—they'd be dead.

The second option was to sacrifice one of them as bait, then ambush the guards when they came to collect. It was brutal but effective. Guards were powerful, but they wouldn't expect a coordinated attack. However, if the plan failed, the punishment would be beyond comprehension, and if the guards sensed a trap, they simply wouldn't take the bait.

The third and riskiest option was to overpower a trainer during a battlefield session. Trainers were focused on teaching, not defending themselves, making them vulnerable. If they managed to take one down, they could use their power to break out quickly. But trainers were walking weapons—missing their shot meant instant death. Failure didn't mean another battle; it meant eternal imprisonment in the Celestial Pits, where no one ever escaped.

They all fell silent as Bastian began calculating.

"In any of these plans," he said, "we're taking risks. But we need to think about probabilities, not just the risks."

He gestured to Hugh, who had a knack for remembering every battle scenario they'd faced. "Hugh, how many times have you seen someone drained by the battlefield's strongest creature and survive?"

Hugh frowned, counting silently. "Maybe three times out of ten. Most don't make it. Those who do… well, they're shadows of what they were before."

"Thirty percent survival," Bastian murmured, shaking his head. "Not good enough."

Jacob chimed in, his voice tight. "And the guards? We've seen how they operate. If we can catch them off guard, maybe we've got a fifty-fifty chance. But those odds drop if we don't incapacitate them immediately."

Phillip scoffed. "Fifty-fifty? Generous. They're faster and stronger than any of us."

"Which is why we'd have to outnumber them," Trixie added. "If all five of us focus on just one guard, we'd increase our odds. Two of us take the offensive, the other three aim to bind their wings."

Bastian nodded. "Binding the wings might give us an edge. Without their flight, they lose mobility, and we can use that to escape."

"Escape to where, exactly?" Hugh snapped. "The battlefield is surrounded by barriers. Even if we get out of the recovery chambers, we'd need a way to disable the wards or… or something!"

That was the crux of the problem. Even with a solid escape plan, the barriers surrounding the battlefield were almost impenetrable. Almost.

Bastian stood, pacing. "Then we create a diversion. Something big enough to distract the guards and weaken the wards."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Trixie asked, raising a skeptical brow.

Bastian stopped, his eyes blazing. "The battlefield itself. The creatures. If we can lure enough of them to one point, their combined energy might disrupt the barriers, even temporarily."

"That's insane," Jacob said, though his tone carried a hint of admiration.

"Insane, but possible," Trixie admitted reluctantly.

Phillip crossed his arms. "So let me get this straight. We lure the biggest, nastiest creatures to the barrier, make it look like a natural surge, and use the distraction to ambush the guards and escape?"

"Exactly."

"What happens if the creatures kill us before we even get close to the barrier?" Hugh asked dryly.

Bastian met his gaze, his expression unwavering. "Then we die fighting. But if we don't try, we'll rot here for eternity."

The group fell silent again, the weight of the decision settling over them.

Bastian looked around at his comrades, his voice steady but urgent. "This isn't just about us. Gabriel and the others are planning something far worse. They're trying to erase ties between angels and humans. They're targeting my child, and who knows what else they're hiding? If we don't stop them, no one will."

Hugh sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… I'm in."

"Me too," Trixie said without hesitation.

Jacob shrugged. "Not like I had any better plans."

Phillip hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine. Let's do it."

Bastian's heart swelled with gratitude and determination. They had a plan. It was risky, reckless, and borderline suicidal. But it was their only chance.

As they huddled together, whispering the final details, the battlefield seemed to grow darker, the air heavier. They didn't know if they'd make it out alive, but one thing was certain: this was the beginning of the end.

Just as they finalized their strategy, a deafening roar shook the ground. The five of them froze, their eyes darting to the horizon. A massive shadow loomed in the distance, larger than anything they'd ever seen.

"It's early," Trixie whispered, her voice trembling. "The creatures aren't supposed to come yet."

Bastian's blood ran cold.

The battlefield was already moving against them.