Lucien's POV
Pain shot through my wings with every dodge, every leap. Spells scorched the stone beside me, weapons clanged inches from my head, and I could feel the soldiers gaining ground. The injuries slowed me, but it wouldn't stop me—not today.
I knew every nook, every shadow of this place. Each corner, nook and secret passages from the times I had snuck through this realm unnoticed for years. I just needed a chance to use them to escape. I cast a large, roaring spell which slammed into a large boulder ahead, scattering guards in a blinding flash of light—just enough.
In that heartbeat of chaos, I slipped into a hidden passage I had discovered years ago. The walls were tight, the air musty, but it led away from the palace grounds… and into the mountains beyond. Freedom, if I could just survive the rest of the way.
After weaving through passage after passage, hidden routes and half-forgotten paths, I finally made my way from the palace grounds and into the free mountains.
