Alex paced up and down in this small, almost darkened room, his heart racing with every detail of the escape mentally rehearsed.
It was the weeks of careful planning that, for the first time in what had seemed like an eternity of suffering and frustration, were falling into place. The air was heavy with tension-the kind that made his skin prickle.
His allies—though it was a stretch, using that term—were ready. They didn't altogether trust him, but they hated the demon king more than they feared Alex's wild scheme. For the present, at least, that was enough.
"We are running out of time," Alex muttered to himself, his eyes darting nervously to the glowing system screen that hovered in the corner of his vision.
It was as if he could feel its presence watching over him-the system, like a shadow, was always there, always waiting. He did not know whether it was friend or foe, but it had given him this one chance, and he wasn't about to let that slip away.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock onto the wood of the door. Alex's head jerked toward it; he felt his breath catch in his throat. He was not expecting anyone this early.
"Who is it?" he whispered harshly, reaching instinctively for the small dagger hidden beneath his tunic.
"It's me," a well-known voice whispered back. Elena joined the few who had agreed to risk everything in this escape plan. The door creaked open just enough for her to slip inside. Her brown eyes scanned the room with the precision of a person who had spent all her life in survival mode.
Alex let his breath out slowly, lowering his hand. "You're early."
Elena nodded, her face set. "We need to talk."
She came further into the room, her soft cloak whispering against her legs as she moved. She seemed calm enough, but Alex could see the tightness around her eyes.
It had been a tough couple of weeks for all of them, but for Elena most of all. She had served as one of the personal attendants to the demon king himself, and she had witnessed firsthand many of his cruel deeds.
If there ever was anyone who would have more reason to want him gone than others did, then it would be her, which in itself made her a valuable ally but at the same time also dangerous.
"We've got a problem," she whispered.
Alex's stomach twisted. He'd expected this. Actually, he'd expected a problem at every turn. "What now?"
"The guards," Elena said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "They've doubled patrols outside the tower. Someone must've tipped them off that something's going on."
Alex ground his teeth. This was the last thing they needed. They were perfectly timed—or so he had thought. The increased security was reducing their chances, second by second, of slipping away unscathed.
"We'll have to adjust," he said, trying hard to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Maybe we can still—"
"No, we cannot wait," Elena said firmly, her eyes narrowing. "The more we wait, the more we stand to lose all hope of any window of opportunity. The more time we waste here, the likelier we are to get discovered. You know that.
Alex ran a hand through his mussed hair, staring at the wall as if the answer would magically appear there. She was right. They couldn't afford to wait.
The demon king was a paranoid tyrant, always suspicious of the people surrounding him. If even the smallest hint of rebellion reached his ears, Alex's head would be on the chopping block before the night was over.
"I know," he said finally, his tone soft. "But we have to be realistic over it. Rushing in blind is suicide."
Elena crossed her arms over her chest, the tension in her body palpable. "We don't have the time, Alex. The others are getting restless. They want to act now."
Alex felt his chest heave with anxiety. He had spent hours and days trying to convince this little group of rebels to follow him, to believe in his plan, even though he has never led an escape before.
He knew all of them had seen how weak he was under the demon king's control, how abysmal his stats were, how he was nothing more than a pawn in a much larger game. Yet they had followed him, holding on to the hope that this time it would be different.
"Tell them to hang on a little longer," Alex said, his voice now firmer. "I'll think of something. Just give me a little more time."
The lines in Elena's face softened somewhat. "Alex, we are all afraid, but you've brought us this far. We do trust you."
It was like trying to hold up a mountain with the weight of her words. Trust-it was a fragile thing, easily broken and hard to rebuild. And right now, it was the only thing holding their group together.
"I won't let you down," Alex said, more to himself than to her.
Elena gave him a small nod before turning towards the door. "I'll keep an eye on the guards. We don't have long."
Alex let out a long breath as she slipped out of the room, his mind racing. The options were running out, and fast. Still, there had to be something-things he had missed, advantages not yet apparent.
He turned back to the system screen, the soft glow reflecting from his tired eyes. For weeks, the system had been eerily quiet. It hadn't interjected very often-just upgrade notices or occasional messages-but it hadn't really said much of anything. He had grown to count on its presence when it was so capricious. Now he needed it more than ever.
"Come on," Alex whispered to himself, staring at the screen. "There's gotta be something. Help me out here."
And then, as if in response to his desperate plea, the system flickered. A small message at the top of the screen made Alex's heart leap in a microsecond.
[Hidden Function Unlocked: Shadow Cloak – Activate? Y/N]
Alex's eyes widened as he read the message. A hidden function? Why hadn't this shown up before? He quickly selected 'Y,' feeling a strange surge of energy ripple through him. The system screen blinked again, showing the details of the new ability.
[Shadow Cloak: Grants the user temporary invisibility, allowing them to move unseen by enemies. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 2 hours.]
Alex couldn't believe such luck. It was just what they needed, a way past the guards without them having been seen. With the Shadow Cloak, he'd be able to slip out of the tower and disable the outer defenses without being seen, giving his group an opening they'd need to make their escape.
"This.this changes everything," Alex whispered, a new surge of hope rising in his chest.
He had to try it out, see that it worked. If this ability failed, they would be caught in a matter of minutes, and the consequences would be deadly.
Taking a deep breath, Alex rose to his feet, taut muscles trembling with anticipation. He flipped the Shadow Cloak on in his mind and felt a bizarre coolness seep over his body, as if a thin veil had been pulled over him, muffling his presence.
He stared down at his hands and found them totally invisible. His heart did a somersault with excitement. It had worked.
For the first time in a long time, Alex let himself smile. He might just pull this off after all.
He couldn't get ahead of his thoughts, though. There was so much yet to do, and the brevity of the Shadow Cloak's sustain meant they needed to time things just right.
"I have to find Elena," Alex whispered to himself, now racing toward the door.
As he slid along the narrow corridors of the tower, right through patrols of guards and quite invisible to them, a strange sense of freedom stole over him.
For the first time since his arrival in this accursed land, the helplessness which had driven him so long was gone. He actually had a chance to break out, and possibly take the demon king down in the bargain.
Elena had been standing near the outer courtyard, pale-faced with worry. She sprang when Alex suddenly materialized beside her, dropping the cloak.
"How did you—"
"No time to explain," he said curtly, but with growing urgency in his voice. "I've got a new ability. We can get past the guards. But we need to move quickly."