Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 270: We move before dawn

When the tunnel finally opened into the outskirts beneath the crumbling district walls, the cold night air washed over them like a long-forgotten mercy. The innkeeper crawled out first, his frail body trembling as he pushed aside the moss-covered grate that sealed the passage. He glanced around, squinting into the darkness to make sure no one was nearby before signaling for the others to follow.

One by one, they emerged from the filth and gloom of the sewers...Nyx and Selene first, their hair and clothes soaked and reeking; then Theron, who helped the weakened loyalists out of the narrow hole; and finally the Empress, who stepped out last, still carrying Lucas on her shoulder.

"Your Majesty, this way," the innkeeper whispered, glancing nervously toward the flickering torches in the distance. "We’ll go through the old alley behind that building....It’s quieter there." He pointed towards the direction.

They followed his lead, slipping between the shadows of abandoned buildings and stalls. The city above them no longer resembled the glorious capital of Lechia; Somewhere in the distance, bells were tolling...slow and heavy, a signal of lockdown.

When they reached the back door of the inn, the innkeeper hurriedly knocked three times, paused, then knocked twice more. A small hatch opened and an old woman peered through. Recognition flashed in her eyes, and without a word, she unlatched the door, allowing them inside.

The moment they entered, the Empress gently laid Lucas on one of the tables, brushing away strands of his hair from his face. His breathing was shallow, but steady. She pressed two fingers to his pulse, her expression unreadable, though a flicker of worry passed through her eyes. She said that they leave him so his body could rest a little, then she infused a bit of her celestial energy in him so as to calm him and strength his weaken meridians and Dantian.

"He’s barely alive," Selene murmured, stepping closer. "His meridians... they’re damaged. I can feel it through the bond."

Nyx clenched her jaw. "We should find a healer for him, then leave this capital."

The innkeeper shook his head quickly. "Leaving the capital will not be easy. The gates have been sealed."

Mirielle frowned. "Sealed? Why?"

"Because of her," the man replied, lowering his voice. "Ken gave the order himself. No one leaves or enters without inspection. Every patrol in the capital is searching for the Empress. Anyone found helping her is to be executed on sight."

The words settled like lead in the room. Lira swore under her breath, her hand tightening around the hilt of her blade. "He’s locking down the whole city just to trap her."

Selene glanced toward the window, where faint glows flickered through the night fog. "He’s afraid," she whispered. "Afraid she’ll escape before he can finish what he started."

The Empress said nothing for a long while. Her gaze lingered on Lucas, her hand still resting lightly on his arm.

"He believes control makes him invincible. But men like him always fall to what they underestimate." The Empress said softly.

Nyx stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Then what do we do now, Your Majesty? If the city is locked down, we can’t reach the outer gates."

The innkeeper hesitated for a moment before answering Nyx’s question, as if weighing whether to speak or not. Then he took a deep breath and looked around the dimly lit room, his eyes moving from the Empress to Lucas, who still lay sleeping peacefully on the table. "There is a way," he said quietly, voice carrying the tone of one who had lived too long in danger. "If I could smuggle royal goods and celestial stones under the nose of palace wardens, then I can smuggle you out of this Capital."

The Empress raised her gaze to meet his. " You’ll smuggle us out, we’ll take the risks.?"

Without another word, the innkeeper motioned for them to follow. He moved toward the back of the inn, behind a curtain that hung loosely over what looked like a pantry. He pushed aside a shelf of empty barrels and pulled a concealed lever fixed to the wall. The floor shifted with a faint grind of stone, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling downward into darkness.

The Empress gestured for Seraphine and the others to bring the loyalists along. They moved carefully, one by one descending into the secret passage beneath the inn.

At the bottom, a heavy wooden door creaked open to reveal a hidden chamber...large, with arched stone ceilings. Crates were stacked neatly along the walls, some, covered with clothes. Lanterns burned on iron hooks, bathing the underground room in a soft, amber light.

"This is where I kept the things that weren’t meant to exist," the innkeeper said with a dry chuckle. "But tonight, it’ll serve a better purpose."

The Empress looked around, taking in the old rugs and worn benches scattered across the floor. She nodded once, the gratitude clear in her eyes. "You’ve done well, innkeeper. For now, this will do."

The old woman who had opened the door earlier appeared at the far end, carrying a tray of steaming bowls. "Food and clean water," she said briskly, setting them down on a long table. "And if you’re to escape, you’ll need rest and clean clothes. I’ll prepare baths for the women and have the men washed in the adjoining quarters."

Despite the gravity of the moment, the smell of cooked meat and herbs made the loyalists stir with faint hunger. There were only thirteen of them left...tired, bloodstained, and hollow-eyed, yet loyal still.

The innkeeper and the old woman worked together to prepare small baths, heating water in iron kettles and pouring them into large wooden tubs. The scent of medicinal oil filled the air, mingling with the faint perfume of crushed lavender.

While the loyalists washed themselves quietly in the smaller chambers, the Empress and her companions were led into a larger bathing room. The steam clung to the walls, softening the edges of their exhaustion. Seraphine, Lira, Nyx, Selene, and Mirielle entered first, their steps slow and heavy, their minds still anchored to Lucas’s still form above.

Even as they slipped into the warm water, none of them could find ease. The ripples around them mirrored the tension in their hearts.

Selene sighed, dipping her head beneath the water before surfacing again. "He’s too quiet," she murmured, voice barely audible. "Even when he’s unconscious, I can feel him through the bond... but it’s faint. Like he’s drifting away."

Nyx leaned back against the stone edge of the bath, her gaze unfocused. "He’ll live. He has to," she whispered. "He’s survived worse."

The door opened quietly, and the Empress entered. The girls turned, surprised for a moment by the sudden presence of the woman they had risked so much to save.

Without a word, she removed her ruined garments, the fabric falling soundlessly to the floor. The lantern light revealed her body, delicate yet strong and graceful. Her curves, flawless and regal, seemed to defy the filth and ruin of the world above.

She stepped into the bath, the water rippling outward as she sank slowly into its warmth. The tension in the room shifted. Even in silence, her presence commanded both reverence and calm.

Above them, in the quiet of the hidden chamber, the innkeeper and the old woman were tending to Lucas with utmost care, applying herbs and ointments over his wounds.

The Empress closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the water soak into her weary bones. "Rest while you can," she murmured softly. "we move before dawn."