I was trapped.
Celine stood in front of me, her crimson eyes glinting with amusement. Elias loomed behind her, arms crossed, flanked by two guards.
This wasn't just a confrontation.
It was an execution.
The Noble's Game
Elias sighed, stepping forward. "Ren, do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
I swallowed back my frustration. "Trouble? I was just following the trail you left me."
He smirked. "And yet, here you are. Cornered. Vulnerable. Predictable."
Celine leaned against the wall, inspecting her nails. "You really should've stayed quiet."
I exhaled. "If I was predictable, you wouldn't have needed to set a trap."
Celine raised an eyebrow. Elias chuckled.
Good. Keep them talking. Keep them distracted.
Because if I didn't figure out a way out of this, I wasn't walking away alive.
The Hidden Blade
The guards stepped forward.
Two men, well-trained, well-equipped. They weren't students. They were personal enforcers.
Too strong for me to fight head-on.
I needed something unexpected.
I tightened my grip on the Manuscript hidden in my sleeve.
A single sentence could change fate.
But I had to be careful.
Rewrite too much, and the story would break. I would break.
My pulse pounded.
I had seconds to decide.
A New Script
I took a slow breath.
Then, I flipped the page of the Manuscript—
And I wrote.
⟡ "The candle flickered, casting just enough shadow for Ren to disappear." ⟡
The words burned into the page.
And then—
The lights flickered.
The guards hesitated. Elias's smirk faltered.
And I moved.
A Desperate Escape
I lunged to the side, disappearing into the shifting darkness. My body blended into the flickering shadows, just as the text had described.
Not invisibility.
Just a gap in perception.
It lasted only seconds.
But it was enough.
I bolted down the corridor, feet silent against the marble floor.
Behind me—
Shouts. A crash. Someone knocking over furniture.
"Find him!" Elias barked.
I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
The Secret Passage
The Northern Wing was a maze, but I had done my research.
These estates weren't just homes for nobles. They were fortresses.
And every fortress had an escape route.
I turned sharply at the next hallway, pushing past an old bookshelf.
It didn't move.
Damn it.
I pressed harder—
Click.
The wall shifted slightly.
A hidden door.
Without hesitation, I slipped inside, pulling it shut behind me.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
The Buried Truth
The passage was cold, damp—the scent of old stone and forgotten secrets clung to the air.
I exhaled, letting my heartbeat slow.
For now, I was safe.
But this wasn't over.
Celine was the assassin.
Elias had set me up.
And worst of all—
They weren't afraid of killing me.
Which meant my next move had to be perfect.
Because if I slipped up again—
They wouldn't miss.