LANCASTER

He finds Clyde breathing hard at the feet of the general. Despite being told the truth about him, he still can't seem to bring himself to the idea of the general being a traitor.

When Trajan is about to strike a final blow to his friend using Clyde's sword (which Lancaster wonders why), Lancaster intercepts the blade in the general's hand with his own. It is a loud, ringing clatter of a clash of swords.

The general flinches at the unexpected counterattack, almost giving way. If he is only a regular enemy, Lancaster would've been long successful in knocking his sword aside. But he maintains his firm stance, much more shocked to find Lancaster's intense glare compared to his sudden appearance.

"General," Lancaster says mockingly, "I see that you are fine."

"So are you," Trajan shoots back, unpleased with the mockery. He presses on, but they are both of equal strength, and neither is overpowering the other nor showing a sign of backing down. "Give it up, Lancaster. You cannot win this battle. Not with all these people dead, anyway – not like they're of any use to you to begin with, they're merely civilians. Hopeless, useless civilians who serve only as extras."

Lancaster nearly gives way at the general's cruelty. He's never believed someone like him would wear a mask so thick. He understands, at that very moment, that there is never a real way of revealing what's under the invisible mask everyone is wearing. Truth is subjective; people are mysterious figures.

"Join me." Once he's said so, Trajan slides his blade softly off Lancaster's and retreats. "I mean no harm to you, or to anyone who is a potential key to the rising empire. We need all the elites we can gather."

Lancaster keeps his distance, but sees the opportunity when the general retreated: Clyde is no longer in harm's way. He takes a step forward, ensuring Clyde is safely behind him. He doesn't take the risk of adverting his eyes to check his injuries – he doesn't need to, anyway, to know it's not too fatal. Clyde is still breathing, although heavily, against his boots.

"And what of the people you have just killed mercilessly simply to realise your ideals? Selfish ones, I may add." Lancaster points the tip of his sword to Trajan, who doesn't flinch. "I do not know of your intentions or your motives. I do not understand what you strive to achieve with the empire, with these much people dead merely because they wanted to fight for their own freedom, their own beliefs. But I do know one thing: that I cannot, and will not, work alongside someone who betrays his own kind."

Trajan laughs. Lancaster finds it utterly despicable for one to not only already having executed murder towards innocent people and yet to have completely no shame about it, but still stands laughing without a care. What more, Trajan is a general. He is supposed to protect people, not in any way allow a single harm to arrive at their doorsteps, much less kill them himself.

Shaking his head, Trajan says, "Lancaster. Think about it. You can bring so much to the empire."

"Right you are," Lancaster agrees, bringing the general's attention back from laughing. "At least, I can bring peace and order; what can you? Destruction? War? Do not be too full of yourself. Be it a kingdom or an empire, whoever the ruler, if it is someone like you, it is a failed policy."

Before the general can react, Lancaster tosses a small dagger out of nowhere, scratching past Trajan's cheek. And in a swift movement, he heaves Clyde up and puts one of his arms around him in order to balance his movements, taking off at once before Trajan can come to his senses.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes," Clyde mutters.

They move as fast as they can. Lancaster wonders why Trajan hasn't caught up yet, and the fact that he did not really put up much of a fight despite knowing full well he's got the upper hand. Instead, it's as if he lets them go on purpose.

But since it's the best for their situation, all he has in mind now is to get out of here as quickly as possible. He wraps a cloth around Clyde's nose and mouth to prevent the poison from seeping in.

Not too far, he sees the backs of two familiar figures: Alaina and Kai. He breathes a sigh of relief, knowing they are fine and are just heading towards the main gates of Theia just like himself.

But Lancaster's moment of relief and joy – if any – perishes into nothing within a second, like how the rivers dry so fast in drought. As he is trudging to catch up with the other two, he hears loud thumping – no, loud marching. Thundering footsteps and clanks of armours. The little clinks of metal – weapons.

He speeds up. Whatever that's catching up, it's obviously bad news. He can tell by experience it's a huge crowd of armoured soldiers. And form his guess, it is probably Trajan's army or reinforcements.

"Your highness! Kai!" he yells as he nears them. "We have to hurry!"

When his eyes meet Kai's, he knows the other is aware and alert, too.

Kai grits his teeth as he shakes Alaina slightly but urgently. "That doesn't sound good."

ALAINA

She is conscious enough to be able to tell between the sky and the ground now.

When she draws her next deep breath below a cloth Kai gave her, her vision steadies.

After being shaken by Kai, it's as if the urgency in his message transferred to her own body, and adrenaline rushes through her veins as her heart skips a few beats.

Alaina can hear the thundering footsteps and the clank of armouries and weapons drawing near. Kai pulls her forward and they break into a run with Lancaster and Clyde slowly catching up not far behind.

When they reach the main gates of the Kingdom of Theia, she spots Lloyd and Rose, who both beam at the sight of them.

"Alaina!" Rose calls.

"Hurry now, we can –"

Arrows intercept the distance between them, cutting Lloyd short as the attack takes him by surprise, narrowly missing him if it wasn't for Rose who yanked him back. Before the two of them can react any faster, more arrows showered around them, this time barricading most of the gates' entrance.

Alaina is relieved when the two of them steps out unharmed, all thanks to Rose's nature barrier. But it isn't time for any of them to celebrate.

Now they're trapped; even if they try to dig their way out, it is only an act of inviting the archers for a clear shot.

At least, that's what she thinks. The next thing she knows, flames erupt before her, burning most of the arrows and clearing a path of shattered remains of the arrows.

"Go, hurry!" Kai yells.

Lloyd and Rose quickly help Clyde over while Lancaster stands in defence of the approaching forces – they can see them now: soldiers, many of them, just like the ones lining up on the podium earlier, all in armour and helmets that seem to act like protective masks to shield them from the haze. All of them armed.

Alaina glances back to see Lloyd and Rose slowly bringing Clyde towards the main gates. An arrow whistles past her when she does so, striking through some of her hair. The forces charge, and Kai summons a wall of flames before them.

Just when Alaina thinks they're safe to turn and run, more arrows shoot towards them, all in different directions as if being fired blindly. And the next thing she knows, weapons come flying at them.

So aggressive, so desperate.

On instinct, she grabs both Kai and Lancaster by their arms and turn to run. But Lancaster is stuck fighting off a soldier that somehow found his way through Kai's flames, and as he fends the soldier off, more soldiers round up the corner.

"There are too many," Kai says, trying to block off some to his left. He glances over to Lancaster, who nods.

Before any of them can say anything, Alaina interjects, "No. I'm not leaving without any of you, if that's what you're thinking."

"But –"

"No!"

Kai's gloveless hand brushes her cheek briefly through her hair, as if reassuring her, before he pushes her forward harshly. "Just go!"

Her body feels warm and so does her cheeks, but she knows it's not because of Kai's heat or his flames. She's burning up inside. Alaina fights to hold back her tears.

"If we want to win this war, we will have to fight another day," Lancaster says, backing up to Kai as more soldiers start to surround them. Where Alaina stands, she is safe, but not for long if she doesn't comply. "Some of us may have to lose this battle. Survive, your highness."

For a decisive moment, the world stops. Alaina's body shivers unnaturally as she watches in horror the scene that's unfolding before her: Kai and Lancaster, back to back, as they are about to be surrounded by approaching forces.

They move slowly in her eyes as she makes up her mind.

And for once, she lets go of her stubbornness.

"I'll be back," she promises, before turning around and sprinting for the main gates, trying to catch up with Lloyd, Rose and Clyde.

Alaina isn't sure how she made it so fast to the main gates, but it is just what she needs anyway. And since she has her mind too clouded with a mixture of emotions to understand the full event of what's going on, she feels as though she is leaving a part of her behind in the dust she creates as she runs.

As soon as she steps safely out of her own kingdom, she catches more speed, running as fast as she can, away from this catastrophe she is silently wishing only to be a nightmare she'll wake up from anytime soon.

She doesn't look back, for she fears she hasn't a heart to see what she is leaving behind.