Chapter 14
1527words
They had to find her. There was no other way.
The sun had risen fully now, casting long shadows through the trees as they approached the Valley of Shadows. The cool morning air bit their skin, but neither of them slowed. If Estella really was in this stronghold, their mission would take everything they had.
“Do you think we’ll make it in time?” Kimoko asked, her voice confident despite the fear that was slowly building inside her.
Kigami didn’t answer right away. Instead, he quickened his pace, lost in thought. The truth was, he didn’t know. Nikita was a demoness like no other, merciless, cunning, and unyielding. And yet, something inside him wouldn’t let him give up. Estella had always been more than just an ally. She had become family, in a way that went beyond blood. And he wouldn’t let her fall into Nikita’s hands.
“I don’t know,” he finally admitted quietly. “But we’ll try.”
Kimoko nodded, feeling a fire of determination ignite in her chest.
“It’s all we can do.”
Meanwhile, within the cold, stone walls of the Keep, Estella sat motionless, leaning against the wall. Her wrists were raw from the chains that bound her. The silence around her was oppressive, broken only by the distant howl of the wind as it squeezed through the cracks in the fort. Nikita had left her for now, perhaps preparing for the next stage of her sick game. Estella’s thoughts were racing. Every second spent in this place made her chances of escape less likely. But she wasn’t going to give up. Not without a fight.
She could feel the sting of her bloody fingers as she gripped the chain links tightly. Her body ached, but she refused to show weakness. She had survived worse. She would survive this.
Then she heard a soft sound, the soft clicking of heels on stone. She tensed, but didn’t look up. She knew who it was.
Nikita’s voice rang through the air, cold and mocking, as always.
“Are you comfortable, Estella?” she purred.
Estella clenched her jaw, anger flaring inside her despite her fatigue. She refused to acknowledge her, even though she could feel the demoness’s gaze piercing through her.
“I won’t tell you anything,” she said sharply. “You’re wasting your time.” Nikita laughed softly, stepping into her field of vision.
“Oh, I’m not wasting anything. You just don’t realize how much more you have to lose.” Estella lifted her chin, though her breath caught in her chest.
“Do whatever you want. I’ll never give you what you want.” Nikita’s crimson eyes flashed, and for a split second Estella thought she saw something more than simple malice in them.
“We’ll see, right?” the demoness replied, her four hands delicately adjusting the hilt of the sword at her belt.
Estella gritted her teeth, bracing herself for what was to come. And yet, deep inside, she felt something new, a spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a way out of here. She just had to hold out long enough.
Kigami and Kimoko reached the edge of the Valley of Shadows as dusk fell. The landscape before them was as ominous as its name suggested ,dark, twisted trees seemed to lean over crumbling stone paths, and in the distance, the Keep loomed like a dark sentinel against the sky.
Kimoko glanced at the demon beside her, her resolve hardening.
“We’re close,” she whispered.
Kigami nodded, his gaze narrowing as he focused on the Keep.
“We must act quickly.”
They both knew what dangers awaited them within. Nikita was no ordinary foe. But they also knew they couldn’t leave Estella in her hands.
Kigami stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his side.
“Let’s end this,” he said.
Kimoko and Kigami stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the grim keep. The stone walls, covered with vines and shrouded in mist, seemed as inaccessible as Nikita herself. Faint torchlight’s could be seen moving along the walls amidst the darkness – guards.
Kimoko narrowed her eyes.
“We won’t get there just like that,” she said quietly.
Kigami looked away from the fortress and at her.
“Do you have a plan?”
Kimoko bit her lip, analyzing the terrain. There were few possible paths. The main gate was out of the question – too well guarded. Climbing the walls? Risky, but possible. But something else caught her eye. To the left, in the shadow of large rocks, she noticed a smaller side tower, with a partially collapsed roof.
“There.” She pointed. “We can try to get inside through that tower. If we move carefully, we can get in.” and if everything goes well, we’ll bypass most of the guards.’’
Kigami frowned.
“What if it’s a trap?”
“It’s still better than going in through the main gate and asking for death.”
The demon sighed heavily, but agreed with her.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
Estella felt time slow down. Every second spent in the dark dungeon was torture, but not just because of the wounds. Nikita had been toying with her, waiting, testing her limits.
Now the demoness stood before her, playing with the ring on one of her fingers. Her four hands moved lazily, but any of them could reach for a weapon at any moment.
“You know, Estella, I wonder…” Nikita tilted her head, her crimson eyes gleaming in the semidarkness. “How long will you last?”
Estella didn’t answer. Her lips were chapped and blood had dried on her chin, but anger still burned in her eyes.
Her heart pounded. She couldn’t let herself be provoked.
Nikita crouched in front of her, looking into her eyes.
“But you see… I have time. You… not necessarily.”
Estella gritted her teeth. She had to think. She had to find a way…
And then she heard something else.
A quiet, distant sound.
It didn’t belong to Nikita.
Kimoko and Kigami moved in the shadows, keeping close to the walls. The guards were moving, but their attention was focused on the main entrances. This gave them an advantage.
Climbing up to the collapsed roof of the side tower was more difficult than they expected. The stones were slippery, and some cracked under the pressure of their hands. But eventually they reached the edge.
Kimoko leaned out carefully. It was empty inside. The stairs led down towards the interior of the fortress.
Kigami looked at her and nodded.
“Let’s begin.” They set off silently, ready for anything.
The stairs creaked softly under their feet as they slowly descended. The air smelled of damp and old stone, and shadows danced across the walls, quivering in rhythm with the crackling torches. Kimoko tried not to think about what they might encounter. She had one goal – to find Estella and get her out of here.
Kigami walked ahead of her, his silhouette almost completely blended with the darkness. The demon moved silently, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His senses were strained to the limit, ready to detect even the slightest movement.
“Do you hear anything?” Kimoko whispered.
Kigami stopped for a moment and narrowed his eyes, then nodded.
“Guards on the lower level. Two, maybe three. If we continue down this corridor, we can bypass them.”
Kimoko looked in the direction he had indicated. There was a narrow passage between old columns, hidden in shadow.
“We’ll try,” she said, following him.
They moved cautiously, ready to spring into action at any moment if they were discovered.
Estella counted the seconds in her mind.
She heard something.
The sound of footsteps—light, careful, completely different from the heavy, military boots of the guards. Her heart began to beat faster. Could it be possible?
If this was a trap, she had little left to lose. But if it was… them?
She couldn’t risk waiting.
For the past hours, her hands had been shaking with pain, and the chains had been nearly impossible to break. But now, with a new spark of hope, she gritted her teeth and tried again.
Metal creaked, and cold links cut into her skin, but Estella focused on one thing: free herself before it was too late.
The shadows in the hallway began to move.
And then she saw them.
Kimoko and Kigami.
Estella’s eyes widened, but she didn’t make a sound. Her friends moved quickly and silently, and as soon as their eyes met, she knew—they had a plan.
Kigami gestured for her to stay put while Kimoko pulled out a knife, ready to open her shackles.
They were here.
They really were here.
And then they heard the guard shout.
“INTRUDERS!”
Estella’s heart sank.
Their time was up.
