CHAPTER 45: DUNGEON ESCAPE

(Last Chapter for this Arc)

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ALERT!!! ALERT!! INTRUDER!! ALERT!!

The mechanical voice blared through the halls. Red warning lights stuttered on overhead, washing the kitchen in a hellish glow.

Emma froze mid-slice, the half-cut carrot slipping from her fingers. "What? What’s happening?"

Silver didn’t answer right away. Her eyes darted toward the corridor like a predator scenting blood.

"Silver?" Emma called again, knife still in hand.

The maid’s gaze cut to her sharply. "They found us."

Emma blinked. "They...?"

"Those hunters," Silver said, voice flat. No wasted words, no time for comfort. She grabbed Emma’s wrist and pulled her toward the back, moving with a speed that made the younger woman stumble.

They ducked through the rear storage room, weaving between stacked crates until Silver shoved open a concealed panel at the far wall. An elevator waited behind it, humming faintly.

Emma’s voice was tight. "Are you going to tell me what’s going on—"

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a stark white hall. Ten demon hunters rounded the far corner almost instantly, with the same armor, which was black, it drank the light, with red color that pulsed faintly with magic. Their eyes locked onto them.

"Contact!" one barked, and they broke into a run.

Silver’s hand dipped into the folds of her maid uniform and came back with a narrow throwing knife. Emma’s eyes widened, she’d never seen her carry a weapon.

The blade flashed once in the red light before Silver hurled it down the hall. The hunters, disciplined and wary, dodged without slowing.

But Silver wasn’t trying to hit them. She grabbed Emma’s arm again and pivoted away, pulling her into a sprint in the opposite direction.

Emma started running on her own now, but one of the hunters lunged, his gauntleted hand snatching for Silver’s collar.

A blur of light cut in between them.

Emma’s arm shot out, her [Light Pincer] snapping forward like a striking serpent. The hunter twisted, avoiding the needle-point, but the confined hall meant several of his comrades caught glancing blows. The impacts barely dented their armor, but the stagger was enough.

They burst into the Observation Room, the door slamming shut behind them.

"That guy almost had you," Emma said, still breathing hard.

Silver ignored her, already at the control console. Fingers flicked over glowing runes, cycling through security feeds. Every screen showed the same sight, the demon hunters sweeping room after room, moving with military precision.

Emma leaned closer, scanning the footage. "This is insane. What are we supposed to do about all this?"

Her eyes caught movement on one screen, bare-chested Caelen, sprinting down a hall with Evelyn beside him in a maroon gown that clung to her curves and split high at the thigh. Emma opened her mouth—

"Don’t worry about it," Silver said flatly, pressing a single button.

Meanwhile, in the halls...

"Are we being attacked?" Caelen asked, still jogging as he dragged his pants into place.

"Yes," Evelyn said, hair bouncing with each stride. "And there’s only one group that could have found us this fast. I thought we had two days to prepare."

"Guess they’re that good."

The corridor ahead erupted into motion, and the six demon hunters stepped into view, weapons already drawn.

The lead one froze for half a heartbeat when he saw Evelyn’s long ears, her black horns, and the glinting gold hair.

"Another demon," he muttered. "Kill it."

They charged.

A metallic clang rang out, then thick, black chains tore from the walls like living things, coiling around every hunter in a blur.

Caelen grinned. "Oh, hell yes—"

The chains snapped toward him, wrapping tight around his torso.

"Hey! What the—"

Evelyn’s lips curled in an infuriatingly calm smile. "Relax."

The chains slithered off him a moment later, retreating into the wall. Evelyn was already moving. "Let’s go."

They hit the elevator, riding it up to the Observation Room level. The moment the doors opened, they stepped into chaos, more hunters trapped in chains, shouting orders, their armor scraping against the enchanted bindings.

Caelen and Evelyn didn’t slow. They passed the snarling hunters and slipped into the Observation Room, where Emma immediately rushed to hug Caelen. Evelyn stepped aside, scanning the space.

"Is he here?" she asked Silver.

The maid’s eyes flicked to her, calm as ever. "Yes. Look."

Five minutes earlier...

"No member of my family will be a demon," Valen said.

The pressure he exuded was suffocating. Lucy’s limbs trembled, her breath catching in her throat. She tried to meet his gaze, but the weight crushed her down like an avalanche.

"Stop resisting," he said coldly.

The pressure vanished. She collapsed to her knees, gasping, every muscle screaming from the strain of holding out against him. She’d burned through more energy than she could afford.

Then—chains.

They burst from the stone behind Valen, locking around his wrists and wrenching his arms apart.

Lucy blinked, stunned. What...?

Valen’s head snapped to the side. "What the hell?" He pulled against the bindings, magic flaring around him, only for the chains to thicken and grow heavier.

"These... These chains... How does this place have something like this?" His tone shifted from fury to something like wary fascination.

Lucy didn’t waste the opening. Primordial demon energy shimmered in her palm, freezing into a blade of jagged ice. She stepped forward, the sword’s tip hovering a breath from his throat.

"How and why are you here?" she demanded.

For the first time in years, he smiled at her.

"You should ask yourself how you’ve grown so careless. I can find you whenever I wish."

Her gaze flicked past him. The other hunters in the hall were also caught in chains, struggling uselessly. Realization clicked, this house had its own defense system, something meant to lock down threats instantly.

"Lucy, stop talking to him!" Evelyn’s voice cut through the tension, calling from the open elevator behind Valen. "It’ll wear off in a few minutes! Get in—NOW!"

Valen’s eyes slid back to her, his voice low and certain. "You can’t run from me."

Lucy’s jaw tightened. She lowered the sword, and the blade dropped on the floor. "I don’t care," she said.

He frowned. "Why not kill me?"

She stepped backward into the elevator. "You’re my father... I guess, and we will meet again as you said."

The doors began to close. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes followed her until the metal sealed between them.

The elevator shot upward.

When it opened, she stepped into the Observation Room and into Caelen’s arms. He pulled her close without hesitation.

"Sorry," he murmured against her hair. "About him."

Lucy didn’t answer. She just stayed in his arms, eyes closed, feeling the warmth.

When she finished calming down, she shoved Caelen back, her eyes sharp and voice cold."Enough with the sorry shit. Start thinking of an escape plan."

Caelen straightened, rubbing his jaw with mock offense."I don’t know, maybe we head to... no, they’ll track us. And involving Miss Rebecca? Yeah, that’s asking for a whole new level of trouble."

He shook his head, trying to piece together how they’d been found so fast. It didn’t matter. Right now, it was about moving.

Evelyn, calm as if the walls weren’t filled with demon hunters, stepped forward and asked Lucy, "Where’s your phone?"

Lucy frowned. "In my room—" Her eyes widened. "Wait... did they track us through—"

"Yes." Evelyn’s tone cut her off. "And before you apologize—don’t. This place cuts off the outside connection. Which means... you were tagged yesterday when you went out. My fault. Forgot to warn you two."

"Wait," Emma interrupted, "phones can be tracked like that?"

Evelyn smirked. "Easily. But that’s fine. I’ve got a way out." She reached into her cloak and produced a stone etched with glowing blue-purple veins, faintly humming in the dim light.

Silver’s expression shifted instantly. "You’re going to use that now?"

The others looked confused, but Caelen was the first to speak. "What is it?"

Evelyn’s golden eyes flicked toward him. "Remember that golem you fought?"

Emma’s brow furrowed. "Yeah. The one that nearly shattered my leg—"

"Sorry about that," Evelyn said, a half-smile tugging her lips. "Anyway... this came from it." She turned toward the door. "We don’t have time to waste."

Silver hesitated. "Should I really come along? I’ll just slow you down."

Evelyn stopped, walked over, and pulled her into a sudden embrace. Her voice softened."You’re never a burden, Silver. Not to me. Trust me."

Silver nodded quietly, and they moved out fast. The demon hunters they’d passed earlier were still trapped in the black chains, but Evelyn knew Valen would break free soon enough.

From the hall, muffled shouts followed them: promises of a "painless death" if they surrendered, demands for release. None of it slowed their steps until one voice rang out.

"Lucille!"

Lucy froze mid-step and turned. "Ryuen?"

The hunter’s face was twisted with fury. "You knocked me out, but I will find you. And you will pay."

Caelen didn’t bother hiding his impatience, he grabbed Lucy’s arm. "Let’s go."

They pressed on, cutting through the hallways until they reached the heavy steel door at the dungeon’s rear entrance.

Evelyn went straight to the side panel and pressed a recessed button. A deep hiss of shifting mechanisms filled the air as the door slid open. Without hesitation, she stepped inside.

The others followed—though their confusion deepened as they recognized the place.

Pillars carved from pale stone. The air was thick with the damp stillness of being underground. The faint scent of royalty.

"...We’re back here?" Caelen said, his voice echoing off the chamber walls.

Emma nodded. "The place with the stone golem."

"This place," Evelyn said as she led them down the stairs, "is special. Inaccessible to anyone but me because only I know the coordinates."

Lucy frowned. "Coordinates? Then what is this place?"

Evelyn chuckled. "First of all, I’d like to point out that me and Caelen are not dressed for this trip—wait, actually, neither is Emma. A maid outfit? Really?"

Emma blinked. "...What?"

Caelen tilted his head. "So what is it? Some sort of... gateway to elf territory?"

They reached the massive door at the far end of the hall, and Evelyn’s lips curled in a smile. "Yes."

Inside, they passed the shattered remains of the once-mighty stone golem, skipping over rubble until they reached a throne carved into the wall itself.

Evelyn moved behind it, feeling along the surface until her fingers found a small, smooth depression. She pressed in the stone, and the throne lit with a deep blue glow.

"It’s working," she murmured. "Now..." She climbed to the top step before pausing. "Knife?"

Silver shook her head. "Threw mine earlier."

Lucy, still unsure what Evelyn was doing, created a blade of jagged ice using her primordial energy. The act made her sway on her feet, but Emma was quick to steady her.

"Thanks," Evelyn said, taking the blade. She pricked her finger, letting blood drip into a shallow bowl carved into the throne. The crimson hissed on contact, shifting to a swirling blue-purple light.

The ground trembled. The throne slid aside, revealing a widening gap in the wall.

Evelyn stepped back and looked at them, her gaze steady."This is it. The door that will take us to the elf territory. Caelen already asked before, but I’ll ask again. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Caelen grinned. "Of course. You’re mine, remember?"

Lucy blinked, stunned by the bluntness. She realized with a faint scowl that he was still partially under Evelyn’s charm. "...Yeah, fine. I’m in."

Emma beamed. "Obviously I’m coming."

Silver said nothing—she simply walked over and took Evelyn’s hand, squeezing it once. Evelyn smiled softly in return and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Caelen bounced on his heels. "So... are we going? I want to see these elves."

With a breath, Evelyn turned toward the glowing doorway."Let’s move."

Together, they stepped forward, crossing into the light.

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NEXT ARC STARTING IN THE NEXT Chapter

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[Finally the the feel for the story, Hope you keep reading and support me, and help out, and i will do my best to deliver]