Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Survival

Then...lightning!

A blinding column of light tore through the roof above them, splitting through stone and steel like paper. The sound was deafening, a roar that swallowed every other noise in the world. The celestial turned his head sharply, his attack faltering for the briefest moment, just before a streak of silver and gold descended from the heavens.

The Empress of Lechia crashed down like divine judgment.

Her robes were torn and scorched, her hair whipped by the wind of her own descent, and on her shoulder hung the limp body of Lucas, his face pale but still breathing faintly. In her other hand, lightning danced like a living serpent, coiling around her arm and bursting forth in a flash of divine wrath.

"Get away from them," her voice rang through the hall...cold, commanding, and sharp.

The celestial barely had time to react before her attack struck him. A blinding bolt of lightning crashed into his face, exploding with such force that the shockwave hurled dust and stone in every direction. The man screamed, clutching his head as blue-white sparks danced across his armor. The divine energy scorched his skin and seared his face black.

If he had been anything less than a celestial, he would have died on the spot.

The Empress didn’t stop there. She turned her wrist and struck again, her lightning gathering once more in her palm before she thrust it forward, striking him square in the chest. The blow sent him flying through the corridor, smashing through several stone pillars and vanishing through a crumbling wall.

The entire hall quaked under the impact, and debris rained from above.

Selene covered her head, shielding Lira and Mirielle as the dust settled. Her breath caught when she finally saw the Empress standing there, her aura burning like a storm. "Your Majesty..." she whispered, disbelief and relief flooding her voice.

Theron lowered his sword, his eyes wide. "By the gods... she’s free," he murmured.

The Empress didn’t answer them. Her gaze was fixed ahead, her expression grim. Lightning still flickered faintly in her eyes as she shifted Lucas gently on her shoulder, holding him protectively.

Nyx stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Xavier!"

The Empress glanced at her, her voice low but steady. "He’s alive. Barely. He took the backlash for me."

Lira’s eyes widened, tears already gathering as she stepped closer. "We... we felt it," she whispered, pressing a hand to her chest. "Through the bond. It felt like his soul was tearing apart."

Selene swallowed hard, looking away. "That idiot," she said quietly, though her voice was thick with emotion. "Always taking the hit for someone else."

Mirielle nodded silently, wiping her eyes, her grief still raw but now mixed with a fragile spark of hope.

The Empress shifted her stance, her gaze turning back toward the hole the celestial had flown through. The air still trembled faintly with his lingering energy. "There’s no time to linger," she said firmly. "That strike won’t kill him. We move now."

Theron nodded. "Then let’s get to the cellar before more of them come."

Nyx took one last look at Lucas, her lips trembling before she turned to lead the way. "Let’s go," she said softly. "We’re not losing anyone else."

The group descended the last set of stairs in a stumbling rush, dragging one another through the narrow corridor that led to the old wine cellar. Their clothes were torn, their faces streaked with sweat and grime, but they did not stop...not even when their legs began to give out beneath them.

The innkeeper eyes darted constantly toward the door, was waiting for them in the corner. When he saw them appear...with the Empress herself among them..his mouth fell open in disbelief. Then, dropping to his knees, he pressed his forehead to the floor. "Your Majesty... praise the heavens, you’re alive," he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.

The Empress gave him a single, weary nod. Her once-lustrous robes were torn and burnt in several places, and on her shoulder, Lucas hung limp and unconscious. "Get up," she said quietly, her tone firm despite her exhaustion. "Take us through the passage. Now."

The innkeeper scrambled to his feet, fumbling for the hidden lever near one of the wine racks. With a soft click, the rack shifted aside to reveal a narrow stone tunnel that sloped downward into darkness. They had come through the same passage earlier.

"This way, Your Majesty," the man said, bowing deeply once more before hurrying ahead.

The group followed without hesitation. Selene helped Mirielle steady one of the wounded servants, while Lira supported Nyx, who had taken a heavy blow earlier. Theron stayed at the rear, his sharp eyes sweeping every shadow for signs of pursuit.

The Empress was the last to enter. She took one lingering glance behind her, her gaze sweeping across the cellar that had once stored the royal family’s finest wines...now reduced to a place of hiding and despair. Lucas’s body shifted slightly on her shoulder as she tightened her grip on him. She refused to let anyone else carry him. Her strength, though diminished, still surpassed that of the others, and in truth, she could not bring herself to let him out of her hold. Too much had been lost already.

As she stepped into the tunnel, the foul stench of the sewers hit her full force. The air was thick with rot, filth, and stagnant water, but she did not flinch. There were worse things than smell; the ruin of her kingdom, for one. She raised her hand briefly, a soft blue glow forming at her fingertips, and sealed the hidden entrance behind them with celestial energy.

"That should slow them down," she murmured to herself.

Ahead, the flickering light of a single lantern guided their path. The group moved carefully through the narrow tunnels, the sound of rushing water echoing from somewhere deep below. The loyalists whispered prayers under their breath, their voices small and hollow in the vast darkness. Every so often, the Empress could hear one of them sob quietly, the realization of what they had lost settling heavily on their shoulders.

The Empress kept her gaze forward, her expression beneath her veil wasn’t good. Her thoughts heavy with sadness. Each step seemed to echo the truth she could no longer ignore...Lechia had fallen.

The divine restraints that bound her powers had done more than limit her; they had drained her reserves to the point of near-collapse. The energy she used to strike back had come at a cost, and though she stood tall, she could feel the hollowness within her Qi core. Her strength was fading, her celestial essence frayed and unstable. To fight now would be nothing short of suicide.

Selene slowed slightly, glancing back at her. "Your Majesty... we can rest for a moment if you wish," she said softly, her voice trembling with concern.

The Empress shook her head, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. "No. We move. Every moment we linger, the enemy draws closer."

"But you’ve been carrying him all this time..." Lira began, but the Empress cut her off with a look that silenced her immediately.

"He risked his life for me. I will see him to safety," she said, her tone calm but absolute.

The Empress adjusted Lucas slightly, careful not to let his head slump too far forward. For a moment, her eyes softened as she looked at him...this strange young man who had thrown himself into the storm for her without hesitation. She could still feel the echo of his energy from earlier, fierce and raw, unrefined but powerful.

Lechia was gone. The truth was bitter, cold, and absolute. She had no army left, no throne to return to, and no power to challenge what had come. Not now.

Running was the only choice. Survival was all that remained.