Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 118: In the cellar

Theia peeked around the corner and saw a guard approaching. He wore light armor over a blue uniform, and his face was dimly lit by the flickering oil lantern he held.

"Are you in?" Theia whispered urgently to Hilda, feeling the tension rising as the guard drew closer.

Hilda didn’t respond, her focus entirely on the lock. It was a simple lock, but it required time to pick, and Hilda hadn’t been trained in the art of lock-picking—her main role had always been to protect Reeva.

Theia’s eyes darted back and forth between the guard and Hilda, watching them both like a hawk. They had about 15 seconds before the guard reached their position. The manor grounds were slowly becoming more illuminated as the guard made his way through, lighting lanterns one by one.

A bead of sweat dripped down Theia’s forehead as she held her breath, waiting for Hilda to finish unlocking the door. She wanted to ask again if it was done, but held back, seeing Hilda’s concentration.

The guard approached the fourth lantern, using a small candle to transfer the flame. He lit it up, casting light over the area around him. He moved to the next lantern, and now only two lanterns separated him from discovering them.

Just as Theia turned to check on Hilda again, the guard’s eyes shifted her way. She was sure their eyes met. She quickly ducked back behind the corner. She couldn’t help but break a little of Hilda’s concentration to get a confirmation.

"Hilda, are you in?" she asked, her voice urgent.

"Almost," Hilda replied.

"I think he saw me," Theia whispered.

"…"

Hilda didn’t say anything, but her hands moved faster. A series of options flashed through her mind. She could break the lock with her technique, but that would alert the guards immediately.

"Is anyone there?!" the guard called out, his voice a mix of worry and curiosity. He wasn’t sure if he had seen a ghost or an intruder. Theia remained hidden behind the wall, not daring to peek again.

The guard’s footsteps grew louder as he moved closer. Theia’s breathing quickened, and her mind raced for a solution. Hilda worked frantically, trying to pick the lock without breaking it.

What would Reeva do?

Theia wondered. That was the best question she could ask herself in this situation. She imagined Reeva might try to knock the guard out… but no, he would more likely find a way to buy time for Hilda to finish.

How could I do that? she thought desperately.

The guard drew his weapon, bracing himself for any potential intruder. Slowly, he peeked around the corner and saw... a giant frog.

Bigger than any amphibian he had ever seen before, its massive mouth opened, revealing a pink tongue tinged with orange in the light from the lantern on his hip.

For a moment, his mind went blank as he stared at the creature. Then, his survival instincts kicked in, and he stumbled backward, trying to get away.

"AHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

he screamed like a child, his fear reaching new heights as he ran back toward his partner in a desperate attempt to find safety.

"What happened?!" his partner shouted, startled by the scream, immediately drawing his sword, ready for any threat.

"A frog! There’s a big, freaking frog over there!" the guard gasped, panic in his voice.

His partner burst into laughter at the sight of Jerad’s terrified expression.

"Jerad, you’ve got to stop with these pranks, man."

"I’m not joking this time! There really was a big frog over there, bigger than both of us combined!" Jerad insisted.

The guard nearly dismissed his partner’s words again, but Jerad sounded genuinely scared. Sighing, he raised his sword and shield, keeping his lantern close to illuminating the unlit areas.

"Alright, fine. Let’s check it out," he grumbled, deciding to take his partner’s fear seriously, if only for a moment.

Jerad followed closely behind, still shaken but ready to back up his partner if needed. They turned the corner, expecting to find a monstrous creature, but there was nothing there—just the usual garden path.

Jerad’s eyes widened in confusion. "No… it was right here!"

"Jerad… I swear, I’m going to grill you alive this time!" the guard growled, exasperated.

"No, there really was a big freaking frog! You’ve got to believe me, man! It was just here a moment ago..."

Jerad pleaded desperately, but his partner was clearly done with this nonsense.

---------------

On the other side of the wall, Theia and Hilda heaved a huge sigh of relief. When the guard had turned the corner, Theia made a split-second decision to summon a giant frog as a distraction to buy Hilda enough time to unlock the door without raising an alarm.

Tich.

At that moment, the lock snapped open. Theia quickly unsummoned the frog to conserve her energy, but the price for using her power still came. Her eyes grew heavy, and her vision blurred. Hilda caught her just in time and pulled her inside the cellar.

For a brief moment, the haunting vision of her house burning down and her family in ruins flashed through Theia’s mind. Thankfully, it was fleeting—she had only summoned the frog for a short period, avoiding prolonged exposure to the horrors of her power.

As Theia’s eyes fluttered open, she found herself enveloped in the cellar’s darkness. Hilda closed the cellar door and lit an oil lamp. The orange glow of the lamp illuminated the gray stone walls around them. Beside them was a set of stairs leading down five steps to the main cellar area.

"Are you okay?" Hilda asked, concerned about the toll Theia’s power had taken.

"I’m fine," Theia replied, though her voice was tinged with exhaustion.

Hilda took her at her word and began moving downward, but she kept a firm grip on Theia’s arm to help support her.

As much as Theia wanted to rest, she knew that wasn’t an option during an infiltration. At any moment, someone could discover them, and They was determined to minimize that possibility.