Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 124: Escape

After thinking for a moment, Theia made a quick decision. She needed to get out of there first; then, if the church didn’t help, she could find others who would. She knew of only one other mystic in town who might be willing to help her.

Onia, her sister, was studying at the Royal Academy. Theia felt confident her sister would come to her aid, but she wasn’t sure she could convince Onia not to take her back home.

But that concern would have to wait. Right now, she needed to act — and fast — before it was too late for both her and Hilda.

"Once upon a time, there was a turtle, Yurdle the turtle, ruler of all he could see,"

Her voice echoed through the air, a chant that seemed to linger even when you didn’t want to hear it. The moment Theia uttered those words, Tula, who was a distance away, knew exactly who it was.

He started to call out a greeting, but his mouth froze mid-sentence. Everything within the turtle’s gaze came to a sudden halt. Yurdle appeared as innocent as ever, yet its sharp eyes froze everything they looked upon.

People, monsters, and even the air itself seemed to stop moving. Hilda reached for Theia’s body, hoisting her up and pulling her behind her back. She raced forward, intending to leap over the wall and escape from both the monster and Tula.

The monsters tried to move at Tula’s command, but their efforts were thwarted by the unyielding gaze of Theia’s turtle. Theia’s head began to throb painfully the longer she kept the turtle’s sight fixed, but she knew she had to endure it for their chance at escape. Running wasn’t ideal, but it was often the best tactic when facing a mystic.

Powers like these required time and preparation. Hilda quickly sprang up, using her legs to push herself over the wall. She grabbed the top with one hand and scaled it quickly. She was thankful the lord of the mansion cared about appearances; if the wall had been any higher, it could have been fatal.

As soon as the turtle broke eye contact with Tula, everything snapped back into motion. The guards tried to give chase, but Tula stopped them.

"It’s too late," he muttered. "Causing a scene here wouldn’t be good for our plans."

The guards looked at him and nodded.

Hilda ran like hell, carrying Theia over her shoulder. They turned five corners, with Hilda frequently checking to see if anyone was following them. After the sixth turn, she realized that no one was in pursuit. Tula had called off the chase.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she set Theia down. But as she did, she remembered the aftermath of using the turtle’s power. She closed her eyes and flipped Theia’s body over.

Hilda had forgotten about Theia’s black eyes, a dark void that seemed even worse than being struck by one of the muscle monsters. Just looking into those eyes sent chills down her spine. She shuddered at the thought of getting caught in their pull.

Quickly, Hilda tore a strip from her clothes and used it to blindfold Theia, preventing her from accidentally harming anyone with her gaze. With Theia safely blinded, they finally made their way back to the hotel on the Grand Road.

Reeva was on his way to the designated meeting place. The Lndlon Hotel was already in the central district, so it was an easy trip down to the shoreline. They were scheduled to meet at midnight, but being early wouldn’t hurt.

He took his time, strolling around and observing the area, yet still managed to arrive just in time for the meeting.

The location was an old building just two blocks away from the church. Reeva couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of such a hiding place.

The most dangerous place is the safest place.

Day seemed to take that saying far too seriously. Or perhaps the rumors about their dealings with the church were true. Reeva was leaning toward the latter. They hadn’t yet confirmed the theory, but the evidence was starting to point in that direction.

He didn’t bother hiding his face; after all, he had been in communication with Landlon, so they were already expecting him. The building looked like one of those haunted houses your aunt used to scare you with as a kid — except this time, it was real, and the ghosts were heretics hiding in plain sight.

The night was still young. The meeting with Landlon had occurred around 6 p.m., leaving him with plenty of time and nothing to do while Theia and Hilda were out. So, he decided to come early.

The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room filled with broken furniture. Before Reeva could comment on the state of the place, a knife was swiftly pressed against his neck.

A warm welcome from a guy in a dark hood.

"What is your purpose here?" a voice demanded, serious and cold.

"I’m just looking around..." Reeva replied with a playful tone, hoping to glean more information about the place.

"What is your purpose here?" the voice repeated, as firm as before. Reeva could sense a flicker of killing intent. If his next words weren’t satisfactory, the man might very well slit his throat.

"I’m here to meet the god."

It was the scripted response he had been given — a code to gain entry. Landlong had prepared him, warning that the guards were quite serious. Reeva now realized he should have taken the old man’s words more seriously.

The knife withdrew from his neck, and the tension in the air lightened. Reeva turned to look at his assailant, but the man’s face was concealed in the shadows, hidden beneath a heavy hood.

"Do you do this to everyone who comes here?" Reeva asked.

"No."

"Then how were you so sure it was me?"

"You don’t look like a beggar, a child, or a lover. That makes you either a special guest or a priest undercover."

"I thought the priests had a deal with you?" Reeva pressed.

"Things change…" the man replied but caught himself mid-sentence. "You’re rather cheeky for your age."