Prison Escape

Chapter 7: Prison Escape

It was not like anything they had felt before, the steady rumble of distant voices and the harsh clink of chains. No, this was different. The atmosphere was charged, electric with an expectant tension that vibrated off the stone. The inmates knew that this would occur. They had waited, watched, and the hour was here.

And yet, the halls were still.

Not a word. Not a whisper.

Asher pulled the hood over his head tighter, his body coiled as tight as a spring. Mara's breathing was even next to him, her tiny form almost lost in the dim torchlight. The halls stretched out in front of them—dark, narrow, filled with dark iron-barred cells.

The gates rose up in front of them. Three of them.

Each of them infused with divine runes, the same kind that glowed in warning whenever Asher used his power. That was the real problem. Even if they killed the guards, even if they could disable the mechanisms those runes would stop them.

And slowing down meant death.

"Go fast, no mistakes," Asher breathed.

Mara nodded. "I know."

They met the first gate. There were guards on each side of the gate, both in bulletproof vests, the guns glinting in the dim light. They weren't prison guards. These were soldiers of the order, foot soldiers, at that.

Asher exhaled in frustration. He knew this.

The Order wouldn't have stood idly by and let their cherished prison so easily breached.

Mara drew an eyebrow back and stared at him. "I can fight one."

Asher remained silent. He leapt forward.

The first guard had no time to react before Asher punched him in the face, and he stumbled backward. The second charged at him, sword flashing but Mara darted past him and plunged a dagger into his side. The man grunted surprised, but he did not fall.

Asher took the sword of the first guard a short, serrated blade and thrust it upwards, through the man's throat. Blood splattered the stone. The corpse fell.

Mara dodged a blow, kicked off against the wall, and swung her knife slashing across the second guard's unprotected throat. He gurgled, dropping to his knees before tumbling over.

The fight took only seconds.

No time to breathe and definitely no time to think.

Asher opened the mechanism of the gate. The runes on the gate trembled as if they sensed he was present. If he moved with his powers there, the entire prison would be alerted.

But he could not help that.

He reached out, hand extended. Black mist curling around his fingers as it erupted from his body and then slammed into the gates, rolling into the lock as living cord. The metal shuddered, resisting but Asher drove in harder. The runes erupted insanely then shuddered back into fragments.

The gate screeched open.

No alarm yet.

They burst through.

The second gate was in range, but they had more guards this time. Five of them. Armed.

Mara tensed. "This will take longer."

Asher didn't like that answer.

Before he could speak, a deep voice boomed from behind.

"You're making this less fun, kid."

Asher turned sharply.

Leon.

The old man sat up against the wall, arms folded, smiling. Behind him, the other prisoners huddled in the shadows, observing but not interfering. This was their deal, after all.

Leon chuckled. "You're wasting time doing this, and the main Paragons will arrive before you even pass the last gate."

Asher scowled. "Then get moving."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "No thank you? Well, I guess I'm the one who brought you here."

Mara shot Asher a warning glance. But Asher didn't pay attention. He knew Leon. The guy wasn't here to ambush them.

Leon's smile widened. "Relax, kid. I'm not after you. In fact, I thought you'd be glad for some help."

He waved his fingers.

The men at his back changed. Two guards stepped forward men Leon had trained himself. Silently, they sprinted ahead, attacking the men at the second gate. Yelps of pain and the clash of metal met their ears.

Leon smiled. "Make it my going-away present."

Asher didn't wait. He sprinted forward, Mara on his heels. The second gate had been yanked open during the chaos.

One left.

Then, the world shifted.

A ripple of energy slammed through the prison, so strong it nearly knocked Asher off his feet. The torches flickered violently. The walls trembled.

And then—

The alarms rang.

Loud. Piercing.

The runes along the walls surged with golden light, pulsing in warning.

Asher's stomach twisted. They were out of time.

A dull *thud* sounded up ahead. The third gate.

No. Not only the gate.

Behind it, something larger.

A man.

Tall. Wearing silver and dark blue armor. A billowing cape. A glowing emblem on his chest.

Hopekeeper.

And following behind him the Justice Paragons, proteges of the strongest Paragons in New Eden.

Asher hardly had time to react before the ground burst around him. A tremendous force sent him flying back, slamming him into the wall of rock.

Mara screamed as a burst of gold energy sent her tumbling to the ground.

Hopekeeper's voice rang out. "That's enough."

The prison shuddered at his approach.

Asher struggled to his feet, his vision bluring. His chest ached from the impact. He wiped blood from his mouth and glared up at the Paragons.

They stood like an unbreakable wall.

Hopekeeper's gaze locked onto him. "You're not leaving."

Asher's fingers twitched. His power roared beneath his skin, itching to be unleashed. But he knew even at full strength, he wouldn't win this fight.

Not with his merger strength.

Mara was scrambling to her feet, gasping. "Asher—"

Another flash of light. Another jolt of shock.

This time, Asher didn't react quickly enough.

Pain burst in his chest as he was sent flying through the chamber. He landed hard on the ground. The world went fuzzy.

He couldn't win.

Not here.

Not now.

A voice seeped into his mind.

"Pathetic."

The weight of something ancient, something far beyond the reach of mortal comprehension, bore down upon him. His arms were leaden, his breathing wild.

Khaelos.

"Would you care to see, child?" The voice taunted. "Would you care to see the touch of real power?"

Asher's eyes turned black.

His heart slowed.

The world around him seemed to stretch and twist.

Hopekeeper took a step forward. "You should have stayed in your cell."

The words barely reached Asher's ears.

A grin curled at the edge of his lips.

"You should have killed me faster," he whispered.

And then—

The prison shattered.

Darkness swallowed everything.