Lucas cautiously approached the slumbering Richard, trying not to disturb him. He had determined that it would be best to take care of Richard first, in case he woke up and caused a commotion.
Without any hesitation, Lucas drew his blade and swiftly cut Richard's throat, silencing him forever. Blood sprayed out, but the room remained quiet.
'I don't feel anything. I just killed someone, yet I didn't even close my eyes to do it.'
Lucas had always been curious about what it would feel like to take a life, having read in books about the main character's determination to spare even the villains. He now realized that he shouldn't have expected anything.
The guards on duty were all fast asleep, as usual. Lucas dispatched them as well, but he left Daniel alone. He was on the other side of the dungeon, too far away for Lucas to bother with.
Lucas noticed that the energy in his blade was gradually dissipating. He reactivated the traces, replenishing the blade's energy and extending its lifespan.
Lucas made his way to the door of the dungeon. It was locked, but the energy blade easily cut through the metal. The noise of the door being destroyed was loud enough to attract attention.
"Richard? Is that you?"
Daniel emerged from his chamber, rubbing his eyes.
'I need to go! Now!'
Lucas raced through the destroyed door and ran at full speed towards the garden.
'I remember the garden being near the exit. I should be able to find it on my own once I get there.'
There were many guards patrolling the area, and some of them had heard the noise. A few went to investigate, but Lucas was out in the open with nowhere to hide. He was forced to fight them.
'There are only two here. Maybe I can use that same sensation of slowing down time when I activate the traces to kill them.'
With that thought, Lucas charged at the guards, who were already skillfully swinging their swords at him.
Lucas felt the world slow down, but he knew the effect wouldn't last long. He sidestepped and easily ran behind them. It was fortunate that Lucas wasn't as slowed down as the guards, or he would not have been able to outmaneuver them.
The world returned to its normal speed, and the guards were just starting to turn around, but it was too late.
Two heads thudded to the ground.
Lucas finally reached the garden, but he started to feel pains throughout his body. It was not from the exertion of running, but from overusing the traces. It was not surprising that Lucas, with his young, eight-year-old body, could only handle a few activations in a row before suffering the consequences.
However, Lucas could see the gate, the only entrance and exit. There were two problems: Daniel had probably discovered Richard's body and raised the alarm, and there were six guards protecting the gate. Lucas couldn't use the traces anymore, so he would either have to find a place to hide until he could activate traces again, or somehow get past the guards and climb over the gate, which was two times taller than the average guard, without the aid of the traces. The energy blade still had some energy left, but it would be depleted soon.
'I need to make a decision now.'