Kaiden's boots were heavy against the stone floor as he walked through the darkened hallways of Kasir's mansion. His bloodied body felt sluggish, the cuts and bruises from the battle still fresh, but he didn't slow down. Each step felt like a reminder of the price he had paid, the toll the fight had taken on him. Thirty guards. Thirty men who had stood in his way, all dead at his hands.
He didn't feel the triumph he expected. There was no relief, no sense of accomplishment. Just the burning drive to reach Elira, to find her and make sure she was safe.
As he walked, the sound of his steps echoed through the empty halls, a stark contrast to the quiet tension that hung in the air. The mansion felt different now, its grandiose halls empty and lifeless. Kaiden could feel the weight of it pressing down on him.
He passed by rooms he didn't care to inspect—decorated with opulent furniture, their velvet curtains drawn tight, as if Kasir had been trying to keep the sun out of the mansion's heart. Kaiden didn't care. He just needed to find her.
Finding Elira
At the end of the hallway, a heavy wooden door loomed before him. It was guarded by two more men, but Kaiden had already taken care of that. The door swung open without a sound as Kaiden stepped inside, his breath catching for a moment when his eyes landed on her.
Elira.
She was huddled in the far corner of the dimly lit room, her knees pulled to her chest as she rocked back and forth. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear, as if she couldn't recognize the world around her. She didn't know who had entered the room, didn't know who to trust.
But when she saw him—when she saw the bloodied, battered form of Kaiden standing in the doorway—her breath caught in her throat.
"Elira," Kaiden said softly, his voice cracking. He didn't know what he expected, but the sight of her shaking in fear hit him harder than anything.
Her eyes filled with recognition, and in an instant, the fear turned to relief. The floodgates opened, and Elira broke into tears. She rushed toward him, arms trembling as she reached out to him.
"Oh my God," she gasped, her voice breaking. "Kaiden… I— I thought you were—"
Kaiden closed the distance between them, lifting her into his arms as she clung to him. He held her close, but the pain in her touch was like a knife to his chest. He hadn't known what he'd expected—maybe a happy reunion, maybe an emotional moment—but this was different. She didn't care about the blood or the bruises; she cared about him.
"I'm here now," Kaiden whispered, his voice barely above a breath. His body trembled under the weight of the emotion that threatened to overtake him. "I'm here."
Elira sobbed into his chest, her hands running over his arms and face as if she couldn't believe he was real. "I don't know what to say… I don't understand. How did you—"
Kaiden pulled back slightly, his hand cupping her cheek. He didn't have words for what he'd been through. He didn't know what he was supposed to say. Instead, he gently wiped the tears from her face.
"It doesn't matter," he said, forcing a small smile despite the weariness in his eyes. "You're safe now."
Kasir's POV: The Price of Control
Meanwhile, as Kaiden stood with Elira, Kasir sat comfortably in his carriage, his fingers tracing the edge of the rose tattoo on his own neck. The rhythmic clop of the horses' hooves against the cobbled road echoed in the carriage as he stared out the window, lost in thought.
He had felt it—the sudden, violent disruption in the Flow when three of his elite guards had perished. He knew that Kaiden was responsible. There was no other explanation.
Kasir's lips twisted into a grim smile as he contemplated the situation. The boy had taken out his most trusted guards, but he still hadn't broken Kasir's will. Kasir's influence was still strong. He had been too careful, too strategic. But now, with Kaiden having infiltrated the mansion, it was time to make sure the boy would never make it out alive.
He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a small vial, its contents glowing faintly. The activation marks. The explosive markers placed on Kaiden's body were now his only line of defense.
Kasir clenched his fist around the vial, his mind calculating. He knew Kaiden was close. The boy had to be.
He activated the first mark—sending a jolt of pain straight to Kaiden's neck. But when nothing else happened, Kasir frowned, realizing something was wrong. The mark didn't explode as he'd expected. Instead, Kaiden felt a sharp, piercing pain, like an unrelenting ache that dug into the very core of him. He gritted his teeth, the nagging pain from the mark almost too much to bear. He thought for a moment that it might be the end, but it didn't feel like death. It felt like a warning.
Kasir cursed under his breath. So, he survived.
But he had no time to dwell on it. He had to act fast. The boy was still alive. But for how long?
Kaiden's POV: The Final Steps
Kaiden felt the agonizing pain in his neck—sharp, unrelenting. It was as if the tattoo was burning through his skin, scorching him from the inside. But it didn't matter. He focused on Elira, holding her close, letting her calm down. The pain in his neck was nothing compared to what he had already endured.
"Stay close," Kaiden whispered, his voice hoarse. "We're leaving now."
Elira nodded, still sniffling, but she didn't question him. She trusted him. That was all that mattered.
Kaiden looked around, his eyes scanning the room. He knew he had to leave before Kasir sent more of his men. He needed to get Elira out of here and back to the safety of the Seris household.
With a determined look on his face, Kaiden grabbed Elira's hand and led her toward the door. But as he stepped out, a thought crossed his mind. He didn't have much money, but he couldn't leave the mansion empty-handed.
He moved quickly through the mansion, finding the safe hidden behind a painting in Kasir's office. He cracked it open with a piece of metal he'd taken from the tools earlier, revealing stacks of cash—gold and silver. Kaiden grabbed 600,000, the exact amount he needed to repay Lady Seris for everything.
With Elira in tow, Kaiden made his way back to the Seris household. He wasn't just going to take back what he owed. He was going to make sure every slave, every person Kasir had wronged, was paid back.
The Payback
Kaiden arrived at the Seris mansion, his heart racing as he knocked on the door. The moment Lady Seris answered, Kaiden held out the 300,000 he'd set aside for the other slaves.
"I told you I would pay you back," Kaiden said, his voice steady despite the pain coursing through him.
Lady Seris stared at the money in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing like she didn't know what to say.
"Why?" she finally asked, her voice trembling.
Kaiden smiled faintly. "For the others. They deserve to be free, too."
But before he could say more, his vision blurred, and his knees buckled. The pain from the mark on his neck finally overwhelmed him.
"Kaiden!" Lady Seris cried out, rushing to his side as he collapsed onto the floor.
He barely registered her words as darkness took over. The last thing he saw was the faint smile on Lady Seris's face as she knelt beside him, her hand gently brushing his hair.
End of Chapter 40
Kaiden had fought to get this far, pushing through pain, blood, and betrayal. But now, as he lay unconscious, his journey was far from over. His survival wasn't guaranteed, but one thing was clear: he would never stop fighting for those he cared about. The battle had just begun.
To be continued...