The air was thick with the scent of polished stone and burning incense, a sharp contrast to the tension coiling in Jude's gut.
Kazimir walked ahead with the same effortless confidence as before, as if he belonged here. Jude, however, forced himself to match the pace, careful to keep his breathing steady. They couldn't afford mistakes.
Captain Soren led them through the corridors, his heavy boots echoing ominously. Jude kept his gaze locked ahead, though his eyes flickered to the intricate sigils carved into the walls. Fatebound reinforcement runes they were deep inside enemy territory now.
"How did you come across this information?" Soren asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Kazimir didn't hesitate. "Connections. You know how it is—word gets around when someone screws with fate." He shot Soren a sideways smirk. "And the girl? She's a real special case, isn't she?"
Soren's jaw tensed slightly. "What exactly do you know?"
Kazimir shrugged, his tone casual. "That she isn't just some noble girl anymore. She's a symbol now. People are talking. Some even say she might be a Wild Card."
Jude felt his heart pound, but he kept his face neutral. Kazimir was playing a dangerous game.
Soren stopped abruptly, turning to face them. "That is dangerous talk."
Kazimir sighed. "Relax, captain. We're here because we can help. If the girl is a threat, you want to make sure she's properly contained, right?"
Soren studied them for a long moment before finally nodding. "Follow me."
They descended deeper into the fortress, moving past layers of security checkpoints and armored knights standing guard. The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Then, they reached it.
A massive steel door reinforced with glowing fate-seals.
Jude's pulse quickened.
She was behind there.
Soren gestured to the guards. "Open it."
One of the knights stepped forward, pressing his palm against the sigils. The energy pulsed, chains of blue light unraveling from the door before it groaned open.
The room was dimly lit, lined with chains and enchanted restraints. And in the center of it all, seated on the cold stone floor, was Elara.
Her silver hair was disheveled, her once-pristine noble attire replaced with a simple, tattered prison gown. Yet, even in captivity, there was a fire in her violet eyes.
She lifted her head slowly, her gaze locking onto Jude.
He felt his breath hitch.
"Elara," he whispered.
Her eyes widened slightly, but then her expression steeled. "What are you doing here?"
Soren stepped forward. "They claim to have information regarding your condition."
Jude barely heard him. He was too focused on Elara—on the silent question in her eyes. Why are you here?
Kazimir, ever the performer, gave a knowing smirk. "And now that we've seen her, we can confirm our suspicions." He turned to Soren. "You're in bigger trouble than you thought, captain."
Soren's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Kazimir leaned in, lowering his voice. "You ever hear of fate instability?"
The captain's brow furrowed. "That's a myth."
Kazimir chuckled. "Oh, is it?" He nodded toward Elara. "Because if I'm not mistaken, that girl right there? She's got all the signs."
Jude saw Elara's hands clench against the restraints.
Soren turned to her. "Is this true?"
For a brief moment, hesitation flashed across Elara's face. Then, she looked straight into Jude's eyes.
And smirked.
"Guess you'll have to find out the hard way."
Then—chaos.
Elara lunged, her restraints glowing before shattering.
She wasn't waiting for an escape plan. She was making one herself.
Jude barely had time to register the chaos before Elara moved.
The moment her restraints shattered, she became a blur, exploding forward with lightning-fast precision. A Fatebound knight raised his sword only for Elara to slam her knee into his gut, twisting mid-air to crack an elbow across his temple.
He collapsed.
Another knight lunged. Elara ducked, spun, and wrenched his weapon from his hands, using it to drive him into the stone floor.
"Damn," Kazimir whistled. "That girl's got bite."
Soren's eyes barely flicked toward her. "Restrain them."
The knights responded immediately, golden fate-seals sparking to life in their hands. Chains of pure energy snapped through the air toward Elara, wrapping around her arms and legs.
Jude's heart pounded. "Elara!"
She struggled, muscles straining, but the seals held tight, pinning her in place.
Jude didn't think. He moved.
A knight turned too late. Jude slammed his fist into his jaw, stole his weapon, and twisted the blade in a brutal arc, knocking another knight away. He didn't care about form or skill he was fighting with pure, unfiltered desperation.
Then—BOOM.
A massive burst of black and gold energy exploded through the chamber.
Jude barely managed to throw himself back as a Fatebound knight was blasted across the room, crashing into a stone pillar.
Kazimir finally stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, fun's over."
The air around him shifted.
The golden chandelier above flickered. The roulette tables in the distance rattled, and a single playing card floated through the air, spinning lazily between Kazimir's fingers.
"Let's make this interesting."
With a flick of his wrist, he threw the card.
The knight nearest to him barely had time to react before the card pierced straight through his armor.
BANG.
A second later, an explosion erupted from the impact. The knight was sent flying, golden fate-seals sparking off his shattered armor.
Jude's breath hitched. "What the hell was that?!"
Another knight turned on Kazimir, raising his blade—
Kazimir snapped his fingers.
The solid stone beneath the knight's feet transformed into a massive roulette wheel, spinning at an impossible speed. The knight lost his footing, tumbling forward as Kazimir casually stepped to the side.
"Gotta be careful, pal," Kazimir said, tilting his head. "The house always wins." The knight slammed into the stone wall, unconscious.
Jude exhaled sharply. "This guy is insane."
Kazimir grinned. "What? Never seen a Wild Card in action?"
A shadow loomed behind him—another knight, sword raised.
Kazimir sighed. "Predictable."
He flicked his hand again, and a dozen playing cards shot forward like bullets. They sliced through the air, striking with pinpoint precision. Each card that landed detonated on impact, sending Fatebound knights sprawling.
Jude took the opening.
With a burst of movement, he slashed through a Fate-seal, shattering the chains binding Elara.
Her violet eyes snapped to him.
"Can you fight?" Jude asked, breathless.
Elara grabbed a fallen knight's spear, flipping it effortlessly in her grip. "Always."
A dozen knights remained, forming a tight formation. Soren stood at the center, watching silently.
Kazimir chuckled, flipping another golden coin in his palm. "Alright, captain. Your move."
Soren exhaled.
Then, for the first time—he moved.
Jude didn't even see it.
One moment Soren was standing still—the next, Kazimir was gone.
A shockwave ripped through the room, knocking Jude and Elara back. Stone pillars splintered from the force, the ground cracking apart as two figures blurred through the air, clashing at speeds beyond human perception.
Jude barely caught glimpses—Kazimir flickering between attacks, cards spinning in the air, explosions erupting mid-strike.
Soren? Untouched. His black sword cleaved through the air with absolute precision, cutting through Kazimir's attacks as if fate itself guided his blade.
Kazimir landed on a roulette table, dusting off his coat. "Damn, you're fast."
Soren adjusted his grip. "You're reckless."
Kazimir smirked. "I prefer lucky."
Then he vanished.
This time, Kazimir moved first.
A hundred playing cards erupted from his hands, spiraling in a chaotic pattern. Some struck the air and transformed—into razor-sharp daggers, into exploding dice, into golden chains that wrapped toward Soren like fate's own grip.
Soren cut through all of it.
Kazimir landed, clicking his tongue. "Tch. Tough crowd."
Then—
A blur.
Soren appeared in front of him, sword arcing down. Kazimir barely twisted aside, the blade grazing his cheek.
For the first time, Kazimir grimaced. "Oh. That's gonna scar."
Jude's heart pounded. Even Kazimir can't win this.
Then—Soren turned toward them.
Jude froze.
Soren exhaled slowly, raising his sword.
The fate-seals around the entire room pulsed.
Jude barely had time to react before the golden chains snapped out, wrapping around his body.
"No—!"
Elara gasped as she was seized too, forced to her knees by the crushing weight of the magic.
Kazimir tilted his head. "Huh. That's a problem."
Soren pointed his sword at him. "You lose."
Kazimir's smirk didn't falter.
He reached into his coat—
Soren moved first.
The moment his sword pierced through Kazimir's chest, the Wild Card vanished into smoke.
Jude's eyes widened. "An illusion?!"
Kazimir's voice echoed from behind Soren.
"C'mon, captain. You think I play fair?"
BOOM!
A massive explosion detonated beneath Soren's feet, shattering the stone floor.
The force knocked him back—but only for a second. Soren landed smoothly, completely unharmed.
Jude gritted his teeth. Nothing was working.
The Fate-seals tightened.
Kazimir sighed. "Alright, kid."
His golden eyes locked onto Jude's.
"Time for Plan B."
Jude's breath caught. "Plan B?"
Kazimir snapped his fingers.
And then—
The entire building collapsed.