Chapter 3: The King’s Enforcers
The air in the underground chamber had grown thick with urgency. Lior felt the weight of his decision pressing down on him as the Keepers of the Unseen prepared for what lay ahead. The knowledge he now carried—the revelation that the gods were an illusion and the monarchy’s rule was built on deception—was more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
Sera placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “We don’t have much time,” she said, her voice edged with tension. “The king’s Enforcers will know something is amiss. We must move before they track you.”
Lior swallowed hard. He had spent his life as a scholar, buried in books and manuscripts. Now he was a fugitive.
“How do they find people like me?” he asked.
The elder Keeper, Aldric, stepped forward. His weathered face was grim. “The Enforcers don’t rely on ordinary means. They have seers, those who can track a person’s movements through the echoes of their actions. The more significant the disruption, the clearer the trail.”
Lior’s mind spun. “So, by uncovering the truth…”
“You’ve left a mark,” Sera finished for him. “One they will follow.”
A sharp knock echoed through the chamber. A lone Keeper, clad in dark robes, stepped inside, his breath labored. “They’re moving. The Enforcers have begun their search. They started at the archives.”
Lior’s stomach dropped. The archives—his home, his sanctuary—were no longer safe.
Aldric nodded. “We must get him out of the city.”
The tunnels beneath the city stretched endlessly, winding through forgotten catacombs and buried ruins. Lior followed Sera closely, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Every step they took felt like a countdown to the inevitable moment when the Enforcers would catch up.
“Where are we going?” Lior asked, breathless.
“A safehouse beyond the city walls,” Sera replied. “If we can get you past the gates before dawn, we might have a chance.”
Lior glanced over his shoulder. The tunnels were eerily silent. Too silent.
Then he heard it.
A distant echo of footsteps.
“They’ve found us,” he whispered.
Sera cursed under her breath. “Run.”
They sprinted through the winding passageways, the torchlight flickering wildly. The footsteps behind them multiplied, growing louder. Shadows danced along the walls as dark figures emerged from the tunnels, clad in obsidian armor marked with the sigil of the king’s Enforcers.
“Don’t let him escape!” one of them barked.
A sharp whistle cut through the air. Lior barely had time to react before a bolt of energy struck the wall beside him, sending stone fragments flying. He ducked, heart hammering, and pushed himself forward.
“Keep moving!” Sera shouted.
They rounded a corner, and suddenly, the tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber. A river ran through its center, the water shimmering with an unnatural glow. A single wooden bridge stretched across the chasm.
Lior hesitated. “That doesn’t look stable.”
“Better than getting caught,” Sera said. “Go!”
Lior dashed onto the bridge, the wood creaking beneath his weight. Sera followed close behind. The Enforcers reached the chamber’s entrance just as they made it halfway across.
“Destroy the bridge!” one of them commanded.
A robed figure raised his hands, muttering an incantation. The air crackled with energy.
Lior felt the tremor before he heard the crack. The bridge shuddered violently.
“Jump!” Sera yelled.
Without thinking, Lior leapt. The wooden planks splintered beneath him, collapsing into the river below. His stomach lurched as he hit the ground on the other side, rolling to absorb the impact. Sera landed beside him, her breath ragged.
The Enforcers stood on the other side of the chasm, staring at them with cold, calculating eyes.
“This isn’t over,” one of them called out.
Sera grabbed Lior’s arm. “Let’s move.”
They emerged from the tunnels just before dawn. The city loomed behind them, its towering spires silhouetted against the first light of morning. The chill in the air did little to calm Lior’s nerves. He had escaped—for now—but he knew this was only the beginning.
Sera led him through the dense outskirts of the city, navigating through abandoned alleys and hidden pathways. Every noise made Lior flinch, expecting an ambush. He clenched his fists, his mind racing.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
Sera didn’t slow her pace. “We find the others. There are people outside the city who fight against the king’s rule. Rebels who believe in the truth.”
Lior exhaled shakily. The idea of joining a rebellion felt unreal. A day ago, he had been nothing more than a historian. Now, he was a hunted man, an enemy of the throne.
He glanced back one last time at the city he once called home.
“Let’s go,” he said.
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