There hadn't been a proper exit plan to begin with. Now, the responsibility for at least thirty more children had been added to a plan that barely existed. Trying to calm them down, line them up, and lead them out without knowing what dangers lay ahead felt reckless. But Arsh knew there was no other choice.
Juan was tense as well, but he answered Tedor's question without letting it show.
"There's no other way; we stick to the plan. Tedor, you and Arsh watch the children. I'll head out first to check the back door, then I'll signal the others." he said.
...
After Juan left, Arsh tried to calm the children. They were very frightened, but hearing this man assure them that they would return to their families, many began to relax and stopped crying. There were even more children he guessed. To make sure no one was left behind, Arsh and Tedor counted them several times. There were exactly sixty-four children in the room.
The older children held the hands of the younger ones, helping Arsh calm them down. Tedor, meanwhile, moved the men lying by the door out of their sight so that the children wouldn't be scared.
"Stay close, and don't let go of each other's hands," Arsh told them.
Then Tedor led the way, and the children followed him upstairs hand in hand. The staff and supply doors were in that floor. Once everyone was up, they waited for a moment for Juan's signal.
The doors were behind the kitchen. It was impossible to see what was going on there, but they heard some voices.
The children were crowded in the corridor, silently looking at them with expectation. Tedor started moving down the corridor without waiting any longer.
"I'll check what's going on. Wait here for a moment," he said, then walked down the corridor and disappeared.
Arsh could hear the sounds growing louder. A fight was going on. He wondered if Juan and his team could truly handle everyone in their way. Tedor and Juan were strong; he had seen that with his own eyes. But when it came to Flora and her fighting skills, he couldn't say the same. It was clear that her senses were far sharper than any normal human's. But he wasn't sure how this would help her in a real fight. Physically, she didn't look strong or imposing.
He had no idea about Ray and Eliz, either. Although Eliz looked strong, Ray had a more fragile appearance. Still, he knew that one couldn't judge someone's fighting skills based on these observations alone.
If they encountered another man like the one from before, it would be impossible to get the children out unharmed. There were too many of them to begin with and they couldn't just run for it. If they wanted to escape safely, they had to deal with every single man first. If they were followed, they stood no chance. There simply weren't enough of them to protect so many children.
Arsh closed his eyes. Now that they were inside, he could try to find the best exit route. After closing his eyes and focusing, he muttered to himself.
"The safest way to get the children out."
When he opened his eyes, he saw a few golden threads. Two of them were stretching toward where Juan and his team were. But now, the darkness he always saw was wrapping around the golden threads again—and it was denser than ever. This path was the most dangerous one for the children.
The other one was going upstairs. Unlike the others, there was no darkness around this one. But the golden thread was fainter than the rest. Still, Arsh felt that this was the path they had to follow. Although he didn't yet know what these faint golden threads meant, it seemed like the best option to follow them at that moment.
But somehow, he had to let the others know before leaving.
'Should I just leave them and follow the threads with the children?' he thought. Making such a decision on his own was risky, and he knew there wasn't much time.
While he was lost in thought, he heard footsteps rushing toward him. A moment later, Juan's voice echoed in his ears.
"Arsh, watch out!"
He had been so focused on finding a safe exit that he didn't see the danger coming. The only thing Arsh saw was a flash of lightning coming toward him. He managed to avoid the first strike, but the next attack came too quickly. He barely blocked the lightning fist with his arm.
"Aghh!" he cried out in pain.
'It is burning! It feels like it's burning!'
When the children saw Arsh on the floor, they began to cry. They had been barely holding back their tears in the first place.
Arsh saw the man this time. He was fast, but he hesitated for a second because of the children's screams. Still on the floor, Arsh kicked the man's legs, making him fall too. But the man quickly recovered.
His fist started to light up once more. Fire was coming out from between the man's knuckles. Arsh was stunned for a moment, but he had no time to hesitate.
'Oh, this is going to hurt,' Arsh thought. He was already aware that he didn't have time to run from it. He prepared himself for the pain.
But at that moment, just as the man was about to lunge at him, he stumbled. Arsh took the opportunity and pulled back. Then he saw a shadow surrounding the man. He couldn't move. He tried to escape from it, but it was useless. Juan was already wrapping around him, trying to choke him.
The man suddenly shouted loudly as his whole body burst into flames. It looked like he was trying to use all his power, but it seemed as if the fire was burning him, too. Still, he managed to throw Juan off.
Arsh heard Juan's voice echoing again.
"I will take care of it. Get away!" Juan said.
Taking the chance, Arsh spoke up
"I found a safe route."
Juan didn't question him. He answered immediately.
"Go now. We'll follow you."
While the man and Juan continued their fight, Arsh turned to the children. Some of them were still crying, trembling with fear.
"Hey, hey, look at me. I'm okay, you see? Now everyone, hold hands and don't let go, okay?"
With the children behind him, he headed in the direction the golden thread was guiding him. After moving through the corridors, taking a few turns, and climbing another staircase, the golden threads led them to a door.
Two people dressed as hotel staff were standing there. When they suddenly saw Arsh and the dozens of children following him, they froze in shock.
Arsh moved instantly and jumped over the stair railings. In just ten seconds, the two men were lying unconscious on the floor. It was very easy to take them out. They were probably just waiters.
"Sorry for that," he said while pulling one of the men aside.
A couple of the older kids were also trying to pull the other man. He helped them, and they quickly cleared the doorway. This time, the children didn't cry.
Loud music was coming from behind the door. Arsh took a deep breath and grabbed the handle. Even though he expected it to be relatively safe, he wasn't sure what was waiting for him, and it made him nervous.
When he opened the door, the intense light suddenly made him squint. As he slowly took a few steps inside, the children quietly followed behind him.
The scene in front of him was similar to what he had seen in old newspapers left behind in their village by merchants or adventurers. Or what he had read in history books.
It looked exactly like a ball, with chandeliers, exquisite food, the smell of perfume, beautiful women, well-dressed men, and polite waiters.
"So... how am I supposed to get out of here?" Arsh thought hopelessly.
He began to think that he shouldn't have trusted the golden threads so much.