Loud explosions erupted within the Prismatic Palace, and towering flames roared and consumed the area. Fumes of smoke cast a long shadow that loomed over the Prismatic Palace.
Anasthasia was already in a hot chase. She tore off the lower portion of her ball gown. She snapped her finger and lit aflame with a cloth in her hand, burning it to the cinders.
It was unfortunate that the fire ceased, puffing out and then fizzled.
"It hurts! This will be quick!" Heel shoes restricted her movements so she had to slash the heels with a sharp blade of ice that protruded from her fingers.
The blade of ice didn't take long for it to melt into drops of water.
"Great, it's wet now." She warmed them up with her hands, wore them again, and continued to sprint.
"Anasthasia!" a deep groan echoed in the hallway.
Anastasia shuddered and hastened her pace; she took her chance but stopped when an explosion collided with the pillar right in front of her. An immense shock reverberated, resulting in a crack branching out over the foundation.
She noticed the dire situation; she flashed a thin sheet of ice in front of her and skid past the pillar that showed loss of structural integrity. It did not take long for the pillar to crumble and fall.
"That was close!" Anasthasia spoke in ragged breaths, "It could've...been my end."
Anasthasia inwardly cursed as she stared at the peculiar bracelet on her wrist; she noticed how it hungrily absorbed her mana.
Beyond pissed as she scolded, "Where the hell are those guys at?!" She looked at different passages by the end of the corridor. "I must take this path!"
Different noises assaulted Anasthasia's ears from every direction. She could feel the explosions and cries of men from the never-ending war.
She found herself kneading her forehead as she advanced faster and faster.
Anasthasia thought she needed to look for them as she escaped from the pursuit, she then yelled, "Is... Is anyone there?!" Frantically looked around, calling for help.
Anasthasia thought and slowed her tracks, pondering, 'Nobody is around here, have they escaped? Have they scattered? Have they fought hard and died—' But then shook her head as she dismissed the idea heavily.
"I have to keep moving!" She continued as tears trickled on her face. "For them..."
'I'm sure there are still ones who remained and are still alive.' She briefly thought as she bit her fingers, 'I have to find them!'
Things got worse when she heard near the end of the passage, various screams heard along with the loud bangs.
"Destroy the Prismatic Empire!"
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Destroy the Prismatic Empire!"
"Chase them down! Charge!"
Voices coated with vim and vigor, which continued to haunt Anasthasia, enough to freeze her blood.
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Don't let a single one of them leave the palace alive!"
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Don't let a single one of them leave the palace alive!"
"The time has come! To overthrow the empire!" Consequently causing a ripple of cheers from the rowdy crowd.
Anasthasia leaned further and clutched her chests. However, the voice continued to overpower her.
"Anasthasia..."
Closing her eyes as she winced from the throbbing pain in her head.
"Anasthasia...."
Flinching from her stead, there she saw a familiar face.
The man she looked for the whole time and eventually sought refuge.
"Sir Edward— " Her eyes glistened like the stars when she made contact, "I—" Unable to ramble as lips sealed with a prod.
"I'm well aware of your concerns," Edward glanced at her stature, "The enemies have breached the palace's outer layer. We must get moving!"
Anasthasia nodded. Without further ado, they rushed towards the inner layer and noticed another precarious situation.
"Didn't you say they were still on the—" Anasthasia saw how his eyebrows knitted and jaws clenched.
"I miscalculated..." Edward clicked his tongue. "We need to take a detour. I know where the rest are!"
"Lead the way, Sir Edward!"
"Even to this day and with the current situation we are in, you still call me that." Edward chuckled softly.
"I—"
"Save your worries, let's advance to the other side of the palace."
Both of them ran as fast as they could.
Even amidst the chaos, the conversation continued between pants and breaths.
"How is the general situation?"
"Majority of our defenses were breached and compromised." Edward's lips drew thin from the remark he made.
Anasthasia's lips thinned. "Is there anything we can do at this point?"
"We have done everything we can. Takashi and his group are stationed at the west, while Lancelot is stationed at the east."
"Sir Edward, the south has been breached, and I think something seemed suspicious!" Anasthasia commented as she bit her fingers.
"I have a hunch, but we can't confirm it for now." His grey eyes seared from anger.
Nevertheless, Anasthasia asked with immense curiosity, "Will the two of them rally back into the inner palace? What about the rest of our trusted subordinates—"
"Yes, I had already instructed them." Edward cut her off with his stern tone, "When things go rough and dire, we would immediately rally to the exact rendezvous."
Anasthasia sighed helplessly. "I hope they are all fine." Then, she shifted her thoughts as she glared at the bracelet, murmuring, "If only I had any way to shatter this piece of annoying ornament!"
"You think it's because of that?" Edward tilted his head with brows arched.
Anastasia's eyes rolled. "I noticed it too late! Perfectly made for me to trap my powers!"
"Did you notice it just recently?"
Anathasia nodded. "I noticed the sudden fluctuations of my spells and the distribution of mana differential—"
Both of them never stopped their pace as they reached the meeting area. All of a sudden, Anasthasia was in a shock to realize the possibility.
The eyes of the dignified woman bulged as her mouth went agape. "Wait, you mean 'he' did this—"
"I repeat, I've had my speculations since. But you could say we thought of the same person." Edward clenched his teeth from anger. "I should have known. Everything... well thought out and planned perfectly!"
"That can't be!" Anasthasia screamed as she felt mortified from the revelation, "Such betrayal is considered to be an understatement!"
Thoughts started to cloud her vision as she remembered the relevant and meaningful memories, only turned out to be nothing but a false promise. Her chest eventually tightened from heavy breaths paired with rummaged thoughts.
"We are almost here!" Edward declared with confidence.
The closer they approached the door, a sudden buzz was heard. Anasthasia's head recognized and was familiar with the various voices, but her heart froze when she listened to the same dreadful lines.
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Don't let a single one of them leave the palace alive!"
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Don't let a single one of them leave the palace alive!"
Anasthasia thought she had heard it wrong, but things went on great clarity at a proximate distance from the doorway.
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Don't let a single one of them leave the palace alive!"
"Chase them down! Charge!"
"Don't let a single one of them leave the palace alive!"
"This can't be happening! Let's go this way!" Edward grabbed her by the arm, turned the other side, and tugged her roughly towards the spacious hall.
Minutes later, it was eerie and quiet in the hall. Only the moonlight shone from the glass panels on the ceiling bathing the room with tranquility.
Edward and Anasthasia walked towards the center, the clopping noise from their footwear heard and slightly echoed on the walls.
'Was this the rendezvous?' She thought carefully. Nevertheless, she called out their names.
"—Iris! Matthew! Jamie! Takashi! Wallace! Lancelot—!" Her voice rang so sweet, beckoning their names as she looked around the dark corners.
"This is no time for hide and seek!" Anasthasia groaned as she was upset, feeling powerless for the first time in her whole life.
How could the empress such as herself, the strongest human magician ever recorded down to history, fall to such a miserable state.
Anasthasia glanced at her bracelet and forcefully tried to remove it by force but led to no avail.
"Maybe we're too early, and they should come soon enough." She muttered softly.
All of a sudden, a light flashed spreading throughout the hall. Temporarily blinded her sight.
Anasthasia squinted her eyes from the intensity, arms automatically covered. It took half a minute for everything to subside.
There she saw how the soldiers of Brotzmann Empire, the sole empire that dared to bare it fangs to her treasured place, carefully positioned at every corner of the hall.
'It was a trap!'
"Such a preposterous deed!" She shouted, "Sir Edward—!"
But the next thing that happened crumbled her soul.
Behind her was a man with a sacred dagger aimed at her throat, arms tucked at the back with a familiar voice ringing.
"Don't move."