Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 487: Escaping 2

They did not stop moving until the noise of the search began to thin behind them, until the shouting grew distant enough to blend into the background of the town, and even then, Lucas did not allow them to slow, his instincts refusing to trust the silence too easily, because he knew that patrols would still be sweeping through the streets in unpredictable patterns. Patrick continued to guide them through the narrowest routes, avoiding open paths and cutting through back alleys and less-traveled passages, his awareness sharp as he checked every turn before signaling them forward, while Darmian and Lady Isabelle carried Sage Raph with unwavering determination, their steps heavy but steady.

By the time the familiar structure of Lady Cecilia’s house came into view, the tension had not left them, but it shifted slightly, no longer the immediate pressure of being chased, but the lingering caution of knowing they were not yet fully safe. Patrick paused briefly before the final approach, scanning the surroundings one last time, his eyes narrowing as he ensured there were no hidden patrols nearby, and only after a few seconds did he give a subtle nod.

Clear.

Lucas stepped forward first, opening the door just enough for them to slip inside quickly, one after the other, their movements quiet but urgent, and the moment the door closed behind them, the outside world was cut off, leaving only the stillness of the room and the heavy breaths they had been holding back.

For a second, no one spoke.

Then Lady Isabelle moved.

The moment her eyes landed on Lady Cecilia, whatever restraint she had been holding onto broke, and she crossed the room without hesitation, closing the distance between them before pulling her into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around her with a strength that carried days of fear, uncertainty, and longing. Lady Cecilia did not resist, her composure slipping just enough as she returned the embrace just as firmly, her voice soft but filled with emotion as she said, "You’re safe... you’re really safe," and Lady Isabelle’s grip tightened slightly as she replied, "I thought I wouldn’t see you again," her voice low, strained, yet filled with relief.

They remained like that for a moment, holding onto each other as if grounding themselves in the reality that they had made it out, that this was no longer a distant hope, but something real.

Across the room, Flora and Gwen were already moving, their attention entirely on Sage Raph as Darmian carefully lowered him down, and without delay, they began attending to him, checking his condition, supporting his posture, and trying to stabilize him as best as they could with what little they had available. Flora’s expression was focused as she said, "He’s still breathing, but he’s very weak," while Gwen quickly added, "We need to keep him stable before we move him again," her hands already working to clean some of the dirt and assess any visible injuries.

Tom stood near one of the windows, his posture tense as he kept watch outside, his eyes scanning the street for any sign of approaching guards, while Patrick positioned himself near the entrance, listening carefully for any unusual sounds beyond the door, his earlier authority now replaced with sharp vigilance. Darmian joined them shortly after, stepping back once he was sure Sage Raph was in capable hands, his gaze shifting between the exits as he said quietly, "They’ll still be searching, we don’t have much time before they widen the perimeter."

Lucas stood near the center of the room, his breathing steady, his expression composed, but his eyes sharp as they moved from one person to another, taking in the situation quickly, and after a brief moment, he spoke, his voice calm but firm as he said, "We don’t stay long, we move as soon as he’s stable enough to travel," his tone leaving no room for delay.

Lady Cecilia finally pulled back slightly from Lady Isabelle, though her hand remained on her arm, as she looked toward Lucas and nodded, her expression returning to its composed state as she said, "Everything is ready, we can leave at a moment’s notice," and Lucas gave a slight nod in return before adding, "Good, because they won’t stop searching until they’re sure we’re gone."

Outside, the distant echoes of movement still lingered.

Now, all that remained... was escaping for good.

He remained still for a moment after giving his instructions, his eyes lowered slightly as his mind worked through the situation with cold precision, because even though they had succeeded in rescuing Lady Isabelle and Sage Raph, the most dangerous part of the operation was not over yet, in fact, it had only just begun. He already knew how the usurpers would respond, the moment the alarm spread, every exit in the town would be sealed, guards stationed at every gate, every road, every possible escape route locked down with strict orders to let no one pass.

Tom, still watching through the window, spoke quietly, his voice tense as he said, "They’re increasing patrols outside, more than before, looks like they’re pushing toward the exits," and that only confirmed what Lucas had already expected.

Lucas lifted his head slightly, his expression calm but resolute as he said, "They’ve sealed the town by now, we won’t be walking out of here without resistance," and Patrick, leaning near the door, frowned as he asked, "Then what’s the plan, because forcing our way through a guarded exit with him like this," his eyes flicking briefly toward Sage Raph, "is not going to end well."

Lucas was silent for a brief second before answering, his voice steady as he said, "We don’t force our way through, we make them open a path for us," and that drew everyone’s attention immediately.

Darmian stepped closer, his brows furrowing slightly as he asked, "How exactly do we do that," and Lucas met his gaze as he replied, "We create pressure, not in one place, but in several," his tone controlled as he continued, "If multiple exits are threatened at the same time, they won’t be able to concentrate their forces in one spot, they’ll have to divide their attention."

Patrick’s eyes narrowed slightly as he began to understand, his voice low as he said, "A distraction," and Lucas gave a small nod before adding, "Not just one, several small ones, enough to make them believe there are multiple escape attempts happening at once."

Lady Cecilia crossed her arms slightly as she considered this, then asked, "And while they’re distracted, we slip through the weakest point," and Lucas nodded again as he said, "Exactly, one exit will inevitably be less guarded than the others, that’s the one we take."

Tom turned from the window, his expression serious as he said, "That means splitting up," and Lucas shook his head immediately, his voice firm as he replied, "No, we don’t split the group, that would be too risky, especially with Sage Raph in this condition," before adding, "We use controlled chaos, not sacrifice."

Gwen looked up from where she was attending to Sage Raph and asked, "Then how do we create these distractions without dividing ourselves," and Lucas’ gaze shifted toward the group as he answered, "We don’t need to be physically present at every point, we just need to make them believe something is happening."

Patrick let out a quiet breath, a faint smirk forming as he said, "Noise, fire, movement, anything that draws attention," and Lucas nodded, his voice steady as he said, "Exactly, small but convincing disturbances at different exits, just enough to trigger a response."

Darmian straightened slightly as he said, "We can set off something at one gate, then another shortly after, make it look like coordinated escape attempts," and Lucas replied, "Yes, and while they’re scrambling to respond, we move toward the exit that shows the weakest reaction."

Lady Cecilia stepped forward slightly, her voice calm as she said, "I know the layout of the town well enough to identify which exits would be easiest to manipulate," and Lucas looked at her as he said, "Then we use that knowledge, we don’t have time to hesitate."

There was a brief pause before Tom spoke again, his tone firm now as he said, "Then let’s do it, because staying here any longer just increases the risk, they’re soon going to start searching every house." Lucas gave a final nod, his expression sharpening as he said, "We move soon, prepare whatever we can for distractions, once we start, everything has to happen quickly."

The room shifted once again, urgency replacing relief, as each of them began to understand that escaping the town would require just as much precision as breaking into the estate, and this time, the margin for error was even smaller.

Lucas’ eyes moved slowly around the room, taking in everything they had and, more importantly, everything they lacked, his mind already narrowing down the kind of distraction that would be effective enough to pull guards away from multiple exits without requiring them to physically split their forces, and after a few seconds, his expression shifted slightly as a clear idea settled into place.