Once Veilstep kicked in, I didn’t waste a breath.

  In a swift move that defied my athleticism, I pulled the two on my shoulders, hauling them like sacks of potatoes as I started running towards the edge of the clearing.

  [7 Seconds Remaining.]

  [6 Seconds Remaining.]

  “Come on, come on,” I gasped, running like a madman as I approached the clearing, my legs already burning from the extra weight.

  [Veilstep Expiring in: 5 Seconds.]

  Almost there.

  [4 Seconds Remaining.]

  [3 Seconds Remaining.]

  A few more feet and I would be back in the forest.

  [2 Seconds Remaining.]

  I approached the tree I was hiding behind before I conjured this madness.

  [1 Second Remaining.]

  That was my limit.

  I crashed on the ground, sending the two people on the floor next to the giant jade feather.

  [Expired.]

  [Returning.]

  Color bled back into the world as I crouched down and covered the tied mouths of the two Sacrifices just as they began yelling in panic at what could’ve been a fraction of a second to them.

  “Silence,” I ordered, my voice heavy with exhaustion as sweat built on my pale forehead, hoping my plan worked.

  [Directive Unchanged: Escape.]

  Fuck me sideways, it wasn’t enough. We had to go.

  But the annoyed shriek from behind the tree and the panic in the savages’ voices made me question my thoughts on the matter.

  What if they saw us? That would be the death of us all. But at the same time, staying here wouldn’t help either.

  “Any tips, Ephe?” I asked quietly, my breath quickened, almost hyperventilating by that point.

  [Run.]

  Good enough.

  “We run,” I whispered, preparing to dash as quickly as I could, “Tree to tree, until we’re clear of this hellhole. Do not stop at all, and keep following me. If you fall behind, I leave you behind, understood?”

  The two nodded sharply, knowing this could have been their only chance to escape this conundrum they were in. But bloody hell, I wasn’t better either.

  My body was shaking, piss and bile threatening to leave my body at any moment as panic and adrenaline replaced any thought in my mind.

  But so be it. Either I see the castle gates at the end of all this, or Julia. One of the two.

  With another check to see that the savages and their God were searching through the tents for the Sacrifices, I picked the giant feather and gave the command.

  “Now.”

  For minutes, we ran like we were trying to escape Mount Vesuvius, and in a way, we were.

  “Ephe...” I gasped, my lungs burning. “Did they see us?”

  [No.]

  [The Sovereign’s Feather hid the ‘Subject’s Scent’.]

  “Scent?!”

  [Several Lifeforms are Searching.]

  [Beware.]

  “What of their… God?”

  [Eating the Remaining Lifeforms.]

  “Oh, thank God,” I muttered, not even disgusted that I didn’t feel bad for their deaths. Karma was the wildest of bitches, after all. Sacrificing others just for you to become the sacrifice.

  Fitting.

  Still, I didn’t stop. Eyes forward, breath ragged, I focused only on the path ahead and the footsteps following close behind.

  Despite what they went through and were about to go through, they did as they were told, keeping up with a steady pace despite their labored breaths.

  By the grace of whoever still watched above, after minutes that felt like hours, I finally saw something I recognized, the narrow valley and its shallow creek.

  That was the location in which I finally decided to slow to a stop, allowing my body to finally let go of the overextended strength I used. A strength that I didn’t have.

  [Congratulations.]

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  [Directive ‘Escape’ Followed - Registered.]

  [Optional Directive ‘Rescue the Sacrifices’ Followed - Regi-]

  "Ephe?” I asked, blinking, the interruption in her own voice making my stomach drop.

  [Danger.]

  [Above.]

  And as if she could choose a worse timing, the treetops around us began to creak under the heavy windstorm the creature’s wings made as it flew overhead.

  “Hide, hide, hide,” I hissed, dropping flat and crawling toward the nearest tree just as the godlike thing above let out a deep, thunderous roar.

  Its pride must’ve been wounded too much for another shriek.

  The teenage boy and the young woman dove beside me, pressing their bodies, and mine, hard against the rough, itchy bark.

  But it didn’t matter, for what echoed in my mind was about to hurt much more.

  [Warning.]

  [The Sun is Coming.]

  “Huh?”

  The being shot upward, breaking through the treeline, its ruby eyes shifting to molten gold as it stared directly at the rising sun.

  Brighter and brighter they burned until it tore its gaze away and unleashed all that gathered light across the forest.

  The flash came first. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn’t matter. The light pierced through my eyelids, burning into my skull as if I was staring straight into the core of the sun itself.

  The two beside me cried out, their pain raw and guttural. Acting on pure instinct, I yanked the massive feather over us, hoping it would protect us.

  It worked. The radiant glow dimmed to a muted gold, the world reduced to the sound of my own hammering pulse, until the creature screamed. No… it howled.

  The sound tore through the forest, making the air tremor in utter violence as the waves of sound crashed in every imaginable direction.

  Then came the heat.

  Gods, it felt like my blood was about to boil. The air thickened, pressing against my skin until it burned to breathe.

  And yet the feather held. It absorbed the inferno, deflecting it, unburned, unaffected by its own source.

  For a heartbeat, hope returned. I… We still had a chance to live.

  And then, silence. The light, the sound, the searing heat, all gone, ripped away in an instant. Stopping just as quickly as it came.

  Only a gust remained, a single violent breath of wind that bent the trees before the sky fell quiet once more as the godlike beast flew away.

  [Congratulations.]

  [Directive ‘Escape’ Followed - Registered.]

  [Optional Directive ‘Rescue the Sacrifices’ Followed - Registered.]

  [Untold Directive Followed – Registered.]

  [Reign Index Increased: 0.05% -> 0.06% -> 0.08% -> 0.10%]

  [First Threshold Reached.]

  [Reigncraft Seed Level Increased: Level 1 -> Level 2.]

  [The ‘Subject’ Grows Stronger.]

  [Ephemera Grows Stronger.]

  [Abilities Grow Stronger.]

  [Passive Abilities Grow Stronger.]

  [Free Slot Added.]

  [Warning: Mental State - Degrading.]

  [New Direction: Continue Existing.]

  [The ‘Subject’ Needs Rest.]

  “Soon, Ephe,” I muttered, finally forcing my eyes open. My neck ached as I turned to check on the other two, just in time for them to stir and meet my gaze, perhaps thinking of doing the same.

  Their wide, frightened eyes met mine, pink-red and trembling, and for the first time since this madness began, I realized: we were still alive.

  Probably fucked in more ways than one, but alive nonetheless.

  Slowly, I lifted the feather off us.

  The forest beyond had changed. The colossal trees stood stripped of all their greenery, their leaves turned mustardy yellow, painting the ground in a sea of gold.

  And for the first time since arriving in this place, I could see the sky clearly, in its vast and heartbreaking blue.

  A muffled sound broke my trance.

  “Mm,” the woman managed through the gag, pulling my attention back to the present.

  “Ah. Right.”

  My body protested as I pushed myself to my knees, groaning as I worked to untie their bindings.

  When the last knot came loose, setting the two free, I finally had a chance to really look at them, to see who I’d just risked my life and sanity to save from becoming god-food.

  Weird thing to only realize now, but there it was.

  At least, all things considered, I’d gotten something worthwhile out of it.

  But as the two got to their feet, I started studying them.

  The boy was the first I noticed, with a round, handsome face, dark hair surprisingly well-kept for someone who’d been one sacrifice away from digestion, and a clean set of brown eyes that didn’t belong anywhere near that hellish village. His clothes were too fine for the occasion, too, closer to noble than nomad.

  The boy looked sixteen at best.

  The young woman, on the other hand, was something else entirely. Her face was all sharp edges and chiseled beauty, even through the busted lip the savages might have given her.

  Orange, amber-filled eyes, crimson hair matted with dirt, and a body that looked far too cared for, or at least, until they were brought here. Since the remnants of a gray dress were the only thing clinging to her like the last hint of decency they allowed her to have.

  She couldn't have been older than I was, at most twenty-five.

  “S-sir?” the woman stammered, dragging me back to the present and reminding me I’d been staring.

  It most likely didn’t help that my eye color was the way it was. My fucking luck, I guess.

  “Are any of you hurt?” I asked, taking note of the fact that we were understanding each other just fine.

  “No, sir,” the woman replied, voice trembling, exhaustion and fear written all over her face.

  “I am well,” the boy added, taking a step forward while trying to hide his limp, offering me a deep bow, “Because you saved us, sir. Thank you.”

  “Please,” my eyes shot wide at the sight of the boy bowing to me as if I were someone important, “It was just luck that saved you. Thank your Gods that you are alive and free. I was just there to cut the rope.”

  They both nodded quickly, too polite or too terrified to argue.

  I wasn’t in the mood for conversation anyway. My body was spent, my head pounding.

  But at the same time, I wanted more raw, unfiltered information, something that Ephe never gave me.

  “Excuse me for a moment,” I said, turning a few paces away, “Ephe.”

  [Yes.]

  “Is it fine if I bring the two to the Castle with me?” I asked in a whisper, “Wait… is the Castle still standing after that thing spewed the sun at us?”

  [Yes.]

  [Calcan Castle is Undamaged.]

  “How is that possible?” I questioned, amazed, before a deep frown formed on my forehead, “And how did that Castle remain undiscovered for who knows how long?”

  [Patience.]

  [The ‘Subject’ can Invite his Guests to Calcan Castle.]

  [The ‘Subject’ is its Ruler.]

  I sighed, deciding that was a question for a future, better-rested version of myself.

  “S-sir?” the woman called softly as I turned back. “Who… are you? Why are you in this place?”

  And for some reason, that question made me forgive Ephe for her earlier lack of response, as I could only offer a smile to the woman as a response before changing the subject.

  [See?]

  “So,” I muttered, ignoring Ephe’s sassy remark, “Shall we continue?”

  “Aren’t we safe here?” the boy asked, glancing around us.

  “Not here,” I turned, walking along the creek’s edge in the Castle’s direction, “There is a safer place. If you want to come, that is.”

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