Tower of Paradise

Chapter 46: Moment Of Truth

POV'S ARCEUS PENDRAGON.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor with deliberately slow steps, my fingers brushing against the cold railing while each step brought me closer to my destination. The heat between the thick stone walls and the absolute silence that reigned in the orphanage deeply disturbed me. It was an unnatural silence, too perfect for my taste, and my instincts screamed that something wasn't right.

As I ascended, Reinhardt was already waiting outside with the other children, all preparations were ready, except for the most crucial element: Cassie. The idea of failing at this point, when we were so close to freedom, tormented me.

I held my breath, swallowing hard and hoping the enemy hadn't discovered our plan.

Upon reaching the landing, I stopped, feeling how nerves accumulated in my stomach. I didn't have a clear plan about how I was going to handle Emilia, a notoriously difficult woman to deal with. How would I convince her? How would I distract her enough to take Cassie away? The options swirled in my head, each more unlikely than the last.

My hand hesitated over the doorknob. I exhaled a deep sigh — lately it seemed I was sighing more than usual — and finally pushed the door. The creaking of the hinges mixed with the dull echo of my own heartbeat, creating an unsettling symphony that resonated in my ears.

The room was immersed in darkness, illuminated only by the dim light of a flickering lamp filtering through a dust-covered window. To my surprise — and momentary relief — Emilia wasn't there. However, what I saw made my blood freeze in my veins.

My eyes fell on Cassie's motionless figure, lying on a bed against the wall. The impact of seeing her in that state was like a punch to the stomach. Her face, which had always been lit up by a smile and full of life, now looked pale and emaciated, like a flower withering under a relentless sun.

—Cassie...

I whispered, approaching the bed. My trembling hand brushed her cheek, and the cold of her skin startled me. Remorse hit me like a devastating wave. She was like this because of me. If I had been stronger, if I had found another way, she would never have had to use that ability that had left her in this state.@@@@

With all the care in the world, I slid one arm under her knees and another behind her back. As I lifted her, I was surprised at how light she had become, as if her very essence was fading along with her weight. We needed to find something that could help her, and soon.

As I descended the stairs with my precious cargo, the silence of the orphanage began to weigh on me more and more. It was unnatural, as if the entire building was holding its breath, waiting for the precise moment to exhale chaos. A stab of anxiety pierced my mind: something definitely wasn't right. Everything was turning out too easy.

I ignored my instincts that were screaming at me to stop and continued toward the exit. The courtyard was plunged into almost total darkness, but years of living in the shadows had given us all vision adapted to the gloom. In the distance, I distinguished the silhouettes of my siblings, with Reinhardt at the center of the circle they had formed, all holding hands.

A fleeting smile of relief illuminated their faces upon seeing me approach with Cassie. Even Reinhardt sketched a slight smile in response. For a moment, I felt we had succeeded.

—Did you really think it would be so easy, little brats?

Her soft voice cut through the silence like a poisoned dagger.

She approached the group with measured steps, her presence dominating the scene like a dark queen in her court of shadows. The children were visibly trembling, some sobbing silently, others paralyzed by pure terror.

—Children, keep calm!

She ordered with a voice that pretended to be reassuring but only managed to increase our fear.

The four hooded figures moved as a single entity, their movements perfectly synchronized as they surrounded Cassie and me. One of them stepped forward, extending a hand toward my friend's motionless body.

I closed my eyes with regret. We were finished. There was no way to overcome this crisis. All our plans, all our hopes... were crumbling before my eyes.

And then, it happened.

Bang! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound was so powerful it erased everything else, as if the entire world had suddenly gone mute. I opened my eyes just in time to see how the night sky was torn apart, crossed by a golden flash that seemed to split the darkness itself.

—What is that?

The words escaped Reinhardt's lips before he could contain them.

Baaang!

A ray of golden light fell from the sky. The earth trembled under the impact, and a shock wave swept the area with such force that the cloaks of the hooded figures waved violently, like flags in the midst of a storm.

In the center of that blinding radiance, emerged a figure I knew too well. Her blonde hair shone like the sun in the midst of darkness, her presence as serene as always. The Iron Lady, Emilia, had arrived on the battlefield.