It took Rex around 30 minutes to grasp the meaning behind the message. "With 'Escape' as the title... Someone's trying to help me escape. But what if it's a trap?" The unsettling thought nagged at him, but he brushed it aside with a confident shrug. He knew he could handle whatever came his way. Carefully nibbling on the meat, he suddenly felt a burst of energy that made him feel refreshed and re-energized.
The next step according to what was written was to tap into his internal energy. Closing his eyes, he focused on channeling his energy, feeling an odd sensation coursing through him. When he opened his eyes, wisps of energy shimmered around his body like a faint aura. "Whoa!" Rex couldn't help but smile widely, unable to contain his excitement.
He walked toward the cell railings, reaching out to touch them before exerting a force to separate them. "Wow!" he exclaimed, astonished at his power. The noise caught the guards' attention, and they rushed towards him.
"Uh-oh!" Rex muttered as they rushed toward him. Reacting quickly, he pushed the railings apart, freeing himself just in time to evade their attacks. He darted up the wall with agility and delivered a swift kick to one guard's head, rendering him motionless. Skillfully, he also avoided the attacks of the other and with a well-aimed blow, he struck his opponent's jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground.
As the guards lay defeated, Rex made a dash for the door, disregarding the message's contents. "I'm not following any strange instructions," he declared to himself.
Reaching outside, he was met with the sight of numerous xenarmies patrolling the area.
Oh no," he muttered in resignation, he knew that attempting to pass through them would attract unwanted attention. Reluctantly, he retraced his steps back into the dungeon, his focus now set on locating the secret passage as indicated on the small piece of paper.
"How... How do I find this?" Rex muttered in frustration, his footsteps echoing against the walls of the dimly lit dungeon constructed from sand, mud, and water. As he paced, his gaze fell upon a peculiar slanted wall in the distance. With curiosity, he approached it and attempted to push it open, but it refused to move. He then focused on his aura, he exerted force against the wall hoping for a stroke of magic and to his surprise, the wall yielded to his touch, sliding aside to reveal a hidden passageway. Hastily, he stepped inside as the wall sealed shut behind him, leaving him in pitch darkness.
The darkness was so thick making it nearly impossible to see anything. In his urgency to escape, he had completely forgotten the final sentence from the paper and he used his hand to feel his way through the murky corridor. As he pressed forward, his heart pounded with each step. After about ten minutes, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the distance. With careful steps, he moved softly, tiptoeing to avoid any chance of being noticed.
Meanwhile, April sensed Rex's presence drawing near and swiftly rolled away the stone blocking his exit causing him to pause as he was startled.
"It's okay, I sent the note," April reassured him, her calm voice cutting through the darkness. Though barely visible, Rex could see her striking purple eyes
"You?" Rex questioned in surprise
"There's no time for questions," April replied calmly.
"You might want to brush up on your English writing skills," Rex quipped, gently teasing her about the way she had written her escape message.
"I do know how to write in English. I wrote it that way in case it fell into the wrong hands," she explained, prompting Rex to nod.
"You can run through the village with your super speed," April instructed urgently. "No one will notice you. Keep running until you're out of this town and wait for me by the riverside in the north,"
"How did you know I have super…" Rex paused "Wait, why are you aiding my escape?" he questioned.
"Consider it a favor for the future," she responded cryptically. "Now, go."
He nodded slightly, feeling a bit puzzled, then dashed quickly past the Xenos village, moving so fast that nobody noticed him.
After a few minutes of running, he halted midway into the forest, his thoughts swirling with questions about April's motives and if she was going to be okay after this.
The north river she mentioned was approximately 50 kilometers distant. But opting to prioritize finding his siblings first, he veered in the opposite direction.
* * *
April closed the stone, then scaled the wall and slipped through a tiny window into the inner chambers.
Moving silently through the corridors, she made her way towards the exit stairs, her heart pounding. As she entered another passageway, she unexpectedly encountered King Carlos accompanied by two guards. Panic flooded through her veins, but she quickly hid and concealed herself, though her racing heart betrayed her presence.
"April," the King's voice echoed down the corridor, his gaze penetrating her hiding spot.
She emerged cautiously, attempting to steady her breathing to appear composed, but her efforts were in vain.
"Is the prisoner awake?" he inquired.
"Yes, sir, but he should be asleep at this hour" she responded
"Bring him to me in less than an hour," the King demanded firmly, his voice edged with anger.
April bowed silently, acknowledging the command, and waited until the king was out of sight before letting out a heavy sigh and resuming her movement.
As she took a step forward, a hand seized her wrist, pulling her back into the corridor.
"Gor?" she exclaimed, surprised. "Why did you do that, and how did I not notice you?"
"I hid because I was scared too," he confessed. "What have you done, April?"
"What do you mean?" she inquired.
"The prisoner," he replied with a sorrowful expression, as if he pitied them both. "If the King finds out..."
"I'm ready for whatever comes," April asserted.
"But I'm not," Gor admitted, his tone filled with fear. "I don't want to end up like Marc."
"You won't end up like him. I caused this, and I'll handle it or face the consequences myself," April assured him. "Just don't tell him anything yet, okay? Trust me." She tapped Gor's arm gently.
Gor sighed heavily and nodded. April offered him a sad smile before turning to continue walking.
She knew Gor wouldn't keep silent for long. With no plan in mind, she simply awaited the inevitable confrontation with the King in the next few minutes.