Getting out was the easy part.
At first, he thought it would be difficult. The great lord of the sky had set a bounty on his head, and that kind of order usually turned rats into hunters.
It didn't.
The moment they learned what he had done, the world stepped aside. Eyes dropped. Mouths shut. The air shifted, as if the streets themselves wanted no part of him.
He walked without hurry, steps steady, cloak brushing his boots. A few lingered in the corners, watching, but none of them moved.
Pride sat in his chest, cold and certain. They feared him. And fear was the only shield worth keeping.
No one was foolish enough to trade their life for a wish they'd never live to ask for.
They waved their goodbyes, and he sent Alice back to the Underworld.
The air was cooler this high up, tugging at their hair, carrying the faint scent of the sea. Liz kept her gaze on her parents—now just small, distant shapes below.
