Chapter 4 : THE ESCAPE
The spy moved like a shadow through the dense fog of the coast, salt clinging to his cloak. His small skiff slipped into a hidden cove, where a waiting man stood in silence beneath a worn stone arch. The senior agent's armor gleamed dully in the moonlight, a crest half-scratched from his chestplate.
The spy bowed quickly and stepped forward.
> "Gorran is dead," he said. "But before he fell… he left something behind."
The senior tilted his head. His voice dropped to a near growl.
> "The chest?"
The spy nodded.
> "The mage and the boy have it."
A long silence. Then a sharp exhale, filled with quiet fury.
> "Send the riders," the senior muttered, already turning away. "Burn their hiding place if needed. I want that chest. I want what Gorran died to protect."
---
Scene Shift – The Chest Opens
In a dim-lit attic room above a worn-out inn, Mikael, Elhaan, the local dark-skinned waiter (Joel), and the little girl gathered around the blackened chest.
Elhaan held his breath as he slowly pushed the lid open.
The air shifted. Cold. Ancient.
Their eyes locked onto something inside the chest. Elhaan blinked, then let out a long exhale. Mikael's jaw clenched.
> "No…" Mikael muttered. "This can't be real. This changes... everything."
> "It's not just treasure," Joel whispered. "It's a curse... or a map to one."
Glowing runes suddenly activated beneath the chest, casting strange light onto the floorboards. A magical map unfolded in layers of illusion and ink.
---
The Map of the World
It spread across the room — a spinning orb of sea and land surrounded by constellations that moved like clockwork. At its center, a swirling black spiral pulsed faintly… the symbol of the Black Mark.
Three massive continents ringed a central sea filled with broken isles and misty trenches:
🌍 Minhaz – The Shattered Coast
A pirate-infested land of cursed ruins, floating tombs, and sunken cities.
Home to humans, warlocks, and exiled skyfolk.
⛰️ Davelay – The Titan Reaches
Frozen peaks and volcanic ridges ruled by stone giants, thunderblood clans, and the elusive Skyborn.
A place of storm-duels and divine ancestors.
🌿 Nirvhaal – The Whispering Wilds
Endless jungles, deserts of fire and ash, and shifting cities of demihumans, elves, and spirit-bound tribes.
Its heart is said to be older than the moon.
Between them lies the Drowned Expanse — countless isles and reefs that drift like memories, forgotten by kings and ruled by pirates.
And below it all… faintly glowing, the Netherwaters.
> "What are those islands?" the girl asked.
> "Places not even legends dare name," Elhaan replied. "And see that glow? That's… civilization beneath the earth."
Joel frowned.
> "We were never meant to see this."
---
Scene Shift – Knight Encampment
Torches flickered. Steel clashed. Horses neighed under the weight of saddled knights.
> "It's time," one said, tightening his gauntlets. "We ride under moonlight. If they resist, they burn."
The order had been given. Their targets would be surrounded before dawn.
---
Scene Shift – The Inn
Inside the inn, Elhaan chuckled softly as he scribbled something on parchment, smirking like a mischievous child.
Mikael was stuffing supplies into a bag, glancing over.
> "What's so funny?"
> "Oh, just an old trick," Elhaan said. "Let's give them a memory to choke on."
Outside, nearly an hour later, the inn glowed warm under dim lanterns. Two drunk sailors stumbled out, muttering curses about bad soup and cold beds.
As one pushed the door open, he froze.
A knight stood right in front of him — tall, silent, unmoving.
The sailor swallowed and stepped aside quickly.
The knights stormed in. Their leader scanned the room, then pointed.
> "There. The black chest. Open it."
A soldier approached and unlatched the box.
Suddenly — a burst of light. A glowing illusion rose from the chest… it was Elhaan.
The image grinned, made exaggerated faces, and gave a mocking bow.
> "Too slow, boys. Next time, try knocking."
The knight leader's face twisted in rage.
> "They've already escaped! The other squad — head to the harbor! Search the city — every alley, every ship. I don't care if the others run or die — just get me Red's belongings!"
---
Scene Shift – The Father and Children
A man led his two small children, a boy and a girl, up a weathered plank onto a small cargo ship. The daughter clutched a wool doll; the boy held a bag of dates.
> "Papa, will they chase us again?" the girl whispered.
> "Not if the sea favors us," he replied gently.
The ship's ropes were unfastened. The wind picked up.
---
Scene Shift – Mikael
Mikael ran through the harbor, his coat flaring behind him.
A knight spotted him from a nearby rooftop.
> "There! He's headed for the ships!"
Mikael didn't look back. He lunged forward — leaping off the dock and landing hard on the deck of a moving vessel.
> "Smooth as always," he muttered, catching his balance.
---
Scene Shift – The Father Questioned
The father and his kids sat quietly as two knights approached.
One grabbed the father's shoulder and began inspecting his coat. He reached into his satchel.
> "Magic nullifier," the other knight said. "Let's see if you're hiding anything."
The father's hand trembled as the knight raised his palm toward him.
> "Please… they're just children," the father whispered.
Suddenly—
> "Over here! They're over here!" someone shouted in the distance.
The knights snapped their heads toward the sound.
> "Damn it. Move!"
They let go of the man and ran. The ship had already begun drifting out. Mikael stood at the railing, smirking.
He waved.
> "Better luck next tide."
The knight stared back, helpless.
Mikael's eyes shifted — he noticed someone.
Beside a wooden pole sat a tall man — head bowed beneath a wide, worn samurai hat. His hand rested on the hilt of a blade.
---
Scene Shift – The Clash
The knight commander arrived at the bay and heard the report.
> "The boy escaped?" he growled.
Without hesitation, he leapt — over a hundred farad — from the dock toward the escaping ship.
Steel gleamed in the night.
But then… a spark.
The samurai's eyes lit red. In a blink, his blade unsheathed with a scream of steel, and he launched into the air, intercepting the commander mid-flight.
The two blades clashed midair.
A shockwave rippled out.
The commander was flung back to the dock, landing hard with a crash. His face darkened.
He stood, teeth clenched.
> "Where is that ship headed?!"
The knights on shore stood frozen. Someone had just matched their commander in a single strike.
---
Scene Shift – Peace at Sea
The small Chinese-style ship bobbed gently across the waves.
Inside, the father and his two children sat around a simple table, laughing softly and chewing on spiced meat. Warm lantern light danced on their faces.
> "We made it, papa," the girl said.
> "For now," he said with a smile. "But we'll keep sailing. Until it's safe."
---
Scene Shift – Deck of the Ship
Mikael lay on the ship's deck, catching his breath.
Boots stepped near him.
He looked up.
The samurai stood over him, face hidden beneath the brim of his hat. Silent. Unreadable.
Only the wind and the waves spoke.
[TO BE CONTINUED]