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She’s right. My illusions are too unstable. The contract’s torment saps my strength. The unstoppable Gilak demon is likely smashing its way through the fortress corridors. Soldiers roam unimpeded, slaughtering any lesser demon that tries to fight back. I can’t let them capture her.

I inhale, forcing calm. “We retreat. The fortress is compromised.”

She eyes me in shock. “This place is your home, your domain. You’d give it up?”

My horns dip, shame and fury mingling. “Better to escape and live than be pinned down and executed. I’ll… I’ll reclaim it eventually. But for now, we flee.”

Even as I say it, heartbreak gnaws at my gut. This fortress was my one bastion of independence, shaped by centuries of labor. But a single legion from the monarchy is forcing me out. Truly, the binding is not so easily shattered.

Valentina licks her lips, flicking a glance at the swirling chaos. “Then let’s go. Which way?”

I think fast. “There’s a side passage below the throne dais that leads to a hidden exit, a rift back into the marsh. The illusions might hold just enough to hide us if we slip away.”

She nods, scanning the battlefield. “We need a distraction.”

I clench my claws, forcing the last vestige of illusions into a towering image of a monstrous demon-lord, thrice my size, erupting from the throne. It roars, brandishing spectral flames. Soldiers reel back, startled. The illusions flicker dangerously, but it’s enough to buy a few seconds.

“Now!” I grab Valentina’s arm, dragging her behind the dais.

A hidden mechanism triggers as I press a glyph etched into the stone.

The dais shifts, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.

We plunge down, the thunder of battle receding behind us.

My illusions fade the moment the dais realigns, sealing the passage overhead.

Our footsteps echo in the cramped tunnel, lit only by the faint glow of crystals set into the walls.

The swirl of arcane wards drifts overhead, but they’re weaker here, as if the fortress can sense my imminent departure.

My chest twinges with guilt. I’m leaving my minions behind.

But they’d rather scatter than be slaughtered.

A demon’s loyalty only lasts as long as it’s profitable.

Valentina tugs at my elbow as we round a corner. “I can’t see anything. Are you sure this leads out?”

I hold out a clawed hand, conjuring a small orb of black flame.

It casts flickering shadows across the damp basalt.

“Yes. I shaped this passage centuries ago for emergencies. The monarchy never discovered it.” My throat tightens.

They’ll likely tear the fortress apart in my absence, defacing everything they find.

We hurry along, winding deeper into the labyrinth.

Water drips from overhead, forming shallow puddles.

My side throbs, the contract’s pulsing pain subsiding a bit now that I’m physically resisting the King’s call.

Adrenaline courses through my limbs. If we escape, we live. If we’re cornered, we die.

Eventually, we emerge into a small chamber with a swirling portal carved into one wall. Purple veins of demonic energy ripple around the arch, similar to the gateway that leads to the swamp. Valentina exhales in relief. “Thank the gods.”

I approach the portal, pressing a hand to the runes. They flare, responding to my signature. “It’ll take us to the edges of the swamp. Beyond that, we vanish into Protheka’s wilderness. The monarchy will try to track us, but at least we won’t be pinned in a siege.”

She nods firmly. “Better than staying to be overwhelmed. Let’s do it.”

My wings shift, scraping the narrow walls. I glance back once more, a pang in my chest. This fortress was my refuge, the place I poured centuries of effort into. Now the monarchy storms it, calling me traitor. I let out a breath, chaos swirling around my horns.

“They’ve branded me an enemy,” I mutter. “I suppose it was inevitable. Let them. I’d rather be free than a hound on a chain.”

Valentina steps closer, voice tentative. “You risked everything to protect me. That means something… to me.” She hesitates, as if uncertain how to phrase the gratitude. “We can rebuild, right? If we can break your contract, we can figure out the rest.”

My gaze flicks to her. Bruises shadow her cheekbones, hair ragged, yet her silver eyes shine with steadfast resolve. She’s changed so much, from a cornered slave in Lowtown to a fierce partner. Something warm stirs in my chest, though I tamp it down. Now’s not the time for sentiment.

I nod curtly, pressing my palm against the archway. The runes spark. The portal coalesces into a swirling vortex of purple and black. The air vibrates with arcane tension. “Stay at my side,” I command, forging an edge of authority into my tone to hide the unsteady swirl in my gut.

She lifts her chin. “I’m not going anywhere else.”

With that final statement, we step through. My illusions flicker as the portal engulfs us in a rush of cold wind. The fortress’s essence recedes behind us—the wards, the lesser demons, the unholy halls. My ears ring, emptiness yawning in my chest. I’m leaving my only home.

A heartbeat later, we’re spat out onto muddy ground. The swamp’s stench slams my nostrils. I stagger, nearly collapsing under the fresh wave of contract pain. The monarchy’s call intensifies, as if outraged at my daring to flee. My fangs clench so tightly my jaw aches.

Valentina stumbles forward, catching my elbow before I collapse. Mist drapes the bog, tree silhouettes looming like withered sentinels. Far in the distance, thunder rumbles. The horizon remains dark, no sign of Vhoig’s lights. We’ve teleported far from the city.

I sag against a twisted trunk, letting the black flame flicker around my claws. We escaped. That doesn’t mean we’re safe. The monarchy might track us. My fortress stands battered, possibly in ruin. My lesser demons can’t hold off the assault without me. So be it.

Valentina places a hand on my chest, eyes worried. “You’re trembling again. Is it the contract?”

I nod, choking back a groan. “Yes… it tries to drag me back, or cripple me for disobedience.”

Her lips thin in concern. “Let’s find somewhere to hide before it knocks you out.” She glances around, scouring the murky waters and tangled roots. “Maybe a cluster of trees or a patch of dry ground. Then we can regroup.”

I clench my fists, letting out a shaky breath. “All right.” My illusions are nearly spent, and I can’t conceal my horns or wings for much longer. If any wandering elf patrol spots us, we’ll stand out. But better than a direct siege.

She slips her arm under mine, supporting me as we slog through the swamp.

The mud swallows our boots. In the distance, faint lightning arcs across an overcast sky.

Dull pain throbs with each step, blending with the contract’s ache.

My body begs for rest, yet my mind churns with rage.

They forced me to flee my own domain. They declared me a traitor.

Valentina halts beside a low rise of land, crowned by gnarled tree stumps. The ground here seems a bit firmer. “This is better than sinking in the mire. Let’s stop, catch our breath.”

I grudgingly agree, collapsing against a half-rotted trunk.

The gash at my side reopens slightly, crimson mixing with the mud.

Valentina tears a strip from her own cloak, pressing it to the wound.

I flinch, but let her do it. The hush that falls between us weighs heavily, broken only by the croaking of distant marsh frogs.

She breaks the silence. “You protected me in there,” she whispers. “You defied the monarchy, lost your fortress… all to keep me safe. Malphas, I?—”

I hold up a hand, bitterness flaring. “Don’t. I did what I must. If they took you, the contract might tighten around me again. If you died, I’d lose the key to my freedom.” My voice emerges harsher than intended, a shield for the roiling vulnerability inside.

Her face tightens, a flicker of hurt crossing her eyes. “If that’s all it is, then fine.” She looks away, focusing on the murky swamp.

Guilt twists in my chest. But I can’t let her see my weakness.

The contract’s dull pressure throbs, and I exhale.

“We survived, but we’re not victorious,” I say, redirecting.

“They’ll rally more forces, spread the word.

Our best option is to vanish, gather strength, find a way to shatter the oath properly. ”

She nods, trying to conceal the flicker of disappointment. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

A hush returns. We settle there, side by side, mud soaking our legs, the stench of rot clinging to the air.

Our flight from the fortress echoes in my mind, each step hammered home by the monarchy’s brand.

The illusions I once commanded so effortlessly have cost me dearly.

The King’s forces have hammered my domain to rubble, leaving me adrift.

Valentina eventually stands, scanning the gloom. “We need shelter. I’m not sure how safe these trees are, but we can’t remain in the open.”

I force my stiff legs to move, wincing at the shot of pain. “Let’s search. The swamp might have pockets of dry ground or a ruin we can claim.”

She helps me limp forward, stepping around thick roots and stagnant pools.

My senses remain on alert, scanning for any sign of pursuit.

Each minute that passes, the contract’s scalding presence calms fractionally, as if the King’s immediate wrath has to subside.

He must focus on the fortress, ensuring it’s thoroughly destroyed. That’s our only advantage.

A swirl of relief and bitterness churns in my gut.

I picture my fortress towers collapsing under siege, illusions scattering as the monarchy plants their banner over my final bastion of independence.

The notion drives a fresh wave of rage through me, but there’s nothing I can do now.

I will reclaim my domain one day, once I’m unbound.