Bombardments kept going; some flew from their backs, some on their sides, and the worst are the strong ones that could shake the ground. The houses that turned to rubles are now starting to turn into literal dust, while broken wood has turned to ash.
Hunter felt hopeless—more hopeless than the other two. Despite being the face and the forefront of all his playmates, he knows deeply how much of a coward he is. He would cry from a simple scratch, squeal at a simple bump, and now, a little more, he feels like he'd drop dead from a heart attack. No matter how he looks at the man pursuing them, one thought is only circling his mind. "He could snap a child's neck effort-free."
They had a perk though; thanks to their height and size, they can easily pass through gaps that are impossible for an adult. But perks and luck are not enough of an advantage against their pursuer. His giant steps have far more reach than their little feet. Feeling weaker and weaker as the man laughed from behind, it was so deep that it sounded like it came from the bowels of hell. It might as well be the devil finding entertainment in their suffering.
"Useless struggle brats, you'd die here," he said, sending shivers down their spines and finally weakening their legs.
Hunter planted his face to the ground after an uncoordinated leap over a fallen branch. All he could do was look at the man's wide smile as he approached. Alisa, who was behind him, quickly helped him up. It looks like her playful deviant acts—running and jumping around the castle with the prince—had made her a suitable runner for this kind of death game. She quickly made him run when her skirt got caught on some sharp-edged leg of a broken table. Struggling to free herself, Hunter did not even look back to try and help his savior—not even an apology. He just kept running, tears continuously falling, drenched with sweat, perfumed by smoke.
Then, out of nowhere, projectiles came flying, adding to the breathtaking dodgeball with the explosives. The poor girl almost loss her head as a ruble as big as her face zoomed by. It made her tiny legs weak. She trembled at the sight of those large hands reaching for her, she was out of breath, her heart pounding so fast that she could feel every beat in her head.
"Where's Alisa?," Nicolas asked as Hunter caught up to him.
He just looked at him, scared, sorry, and bitter, like a pug. Except Pugs looks cute and has a clear conscience, unlike him, a person who left behind a comrade on a battlefield because it's convenient.
"Answer me, Hunter, where is she?"
"She's back there. I—I don't know."
Nicolas did not wait for the boy's excuse and quickly rushed back through the smoke and chaos. He picked up a knife. It must have been displaced from one of the fallen houses, but who cares? If it can help even a little bit, then better equip yourself with it.
"Get away from her," he said, throwing the knife as those huge hands tried to seize the frozen girl.
It spun into the air without any determined trajectory, Nicolas had left everything to luck, hoping it would hit the most convenient place for them. Then, just before Alisa was caught, the man retracted and bellowed in pain. He cried blood as the knife punctured his eyes, impeding his vision and immobilizing him long enough for the distressed to run. But there are two things that can come with pain: the agony that you absorb and the anger that you release. It did not only blind one of his eyes. It made him furious.
"Run while you can. Once I catch you, I'll snap you into two. I will savor your meat, while enjoying your screams as I'm slowly munching your breathing half."
He began mindlessly throwing ruble again, but it was the least of Nicolas's concern. Alisa was fine; that's all he needs to know. They caught up with Hunter in front of another wreckage, biting his nails down to the bone as he panicked.
"Move!" the prince shoved him out of the way before a burning tree came falling down.
"Mooottthheeerrr," Hunter cried as he fell to the ground; he's not only drenched in sweat anymore. It was mixed with piss, making him smell.
"We don't have time to cry. Start climbing," Nicolas helped Alisa climb before shaking Hunter back to his senses. "I'll hold him off, so keep your shitty tears for yourself and go if you still want to survive."
"Let's go Hunter," Alisa encouraged him and so they climbed first.
The prince, on the other hand, was quick in his feat. He collected all the combustible materials he could find—a broken chair, a twig, a branch, a blanket, clothes, anything—to set up a wall before setting it ablaze. He knows this might not do much, but for now, this is all he can think of. After putting a bit more of the materials, he too began ascending. He could see the fireworks in the night sky; they were still going. It might have been an hour or more, but he's not sure; none of them knows. All they know is that the castle from a distance is like a dream come true, yet they are here living a nightmare.
Hunter, on the other hand, is fixated not on the castle but on their pursuer. His silhouette menacingly getting larger as his fear-inducing laughter started to grow louder than any of the explosions. He had one thing in his mind, as he watched Alisa near where he stood.
"I must live. Mother, I must live..." he whispered.
"Nicolas! Behind this wall is a clearing; we might be able to get out of here," Alisa rejoiced as she reached the top. She extended her hand for Nicolas when the agitated Hunter yelled. His eyes are shivering, and his smile is grim. He had loss it that he can't even see the positive side of the situation.
"I don't wanna die!" he yelled.
Nicolas watched as Alisa lost her balance and tumbled forward and Hunter's smile was his last view before the boy left. Alisa, on the other hand, was back to square one; hope must have finally left her soul as her worried eyes met with the prince.
"Save yourself," the girl whispered, but Nicolas could not make out the words.
He can only hear his heart beating; his only focus is his friend's tears as the gigantic hands finally hugged her tightly. "Let her go!" he cried as he rushed back down, throwing whatever first came to his grasp.
"Why would I listen to a kid?"
"I'll trade my life for hers, so let her go."
"Not even a please, I see," he said, tightening his grip, which made her scream.
"Leave me here, Nicolas. Save yourself," Alisa begged.
"I can't lose you too!"
"Enough with the chatter. I don't care. If you both want to die, I will gladly take my fill."
"Are you sure you want to kill the person you are ordered to capture?"
"Nicolas don't—"
"I don't know who the hell you are, just sit there and wait for your turn, it won't be long."
"I'm the prince that you're looking for!"