Chapter 87: 87:A Deadly Escape

Kael looked over the battlefield, taking in the wreckage, the bodies, and the exhausted faces of his knights. The victory was theirs, but the aftermath needed to be handled properly.

"Set up camp. Let everyone rest for now," he ordered, his voice firm. "Once you’ve recovered, we begin cleanup."

The knights nodded, relief washing over their tired expressions. Many of them dropped to the ground where they stood, gulping down water, tending to wounds, or simply staring at the night sky in exhaustion.

Kael turned to a group of knights standing nearby.

"You, twelve of you..head to the town. Assist Ariana. Inform them of the Baron’s death and give them an overview of what happened. Let them know that order will be restored soon."

"Yes, my Lord!" they saluted before immediately setting off into the dark.

........

Albert groaned as he woke up, his head pounding. His vision was blurry, but he quickly realized he was tied up. Around him, several servants were also restrained. His anger flared, and he opened his mouth to shout when a voice whispered in his ear.

[Don’t scream if you don’t want to die.]

Albert froze, his body stiff with fear. He whispered back, "Who... Who are you?" Before he could get an answer, he felt something cold slithering around him. His eyes widened in horror as a greenish serpent wrapped itself around his neck.

"You don’t need to know that. If you want to escape, follow my lead."

Albert frowned, still trying to make sense of what was happening.

"How can I trust you when I don’t even know who you are?"

His mind was already blaming Kael for everything. If that bastard hadn’t appeared, he wouldn’t be in this mess. He should have been standing proud, receiving praise for his brilliance.

"Damn you, Kael!" Albert cursed.

"Hoho! I can feel the sweet smell of hatred and revenge," the serpent hissed, flicking its tongue. Albert clenched his fists, weighing his options. "Tell me what I need to do to get out of here," he finally said.

"I will unlock the cuffs. Mea—" The serpent’s words stopped as Baroness Hela suddenly woke up and screamed.

"What’s going on?" she shouted, her voice filled with panic. "Where am I? Who locked us up?"

"Silence her if you want to escape," the serpent warned as it unlocked Albert’s cuffs. Albert lunged forward, clamping a hand over Hela’s mouth. "Shut up, Mom! Don’t scream. We need to escape," he whispered urgently.

Hela thrashed in his grip, her eyes wide with shock. "Mmph! Mmph—" Albert loosened his grip slightly, and she gasped, "I am the Baroness! I own this place! I will not run!" Her defiance echoed in the dimly lit room.

"Everything here belonged to me...Mine...Mine.."she screamed in hysteria.

"She has lost her mind. It’s better to kill her," the serpent whispered. Albert hesitated, his hands trembling. His mother’s frantic eyes stared into his eyes, filled with disbelief and anger.

For a moment, doubt crept into his mind, but then his expression hardened and he grabbed her neck.

Albert’s breath came in ragged gasps as he felt the warmth of his mother’s body beneath his grip. Hela’s frantic eyes bulged with terror, her hands clawing desperately at his arms, trying to pry him off.

Her nails scraped against his skin, drawing thin lines of blood, but he didn’t loosen his grip. If anything, his fingers tightened, driven by a cold, unshakable force that gripped his soul.

"Mmph! M-my son! Albert! No—" Hela choked out, her voice rasping as her air supply dwindled. "Pl-please... I... I raised you! I love you—!"

Albert felt something shift inside him. A part of him hesitated, an instinct buried deep beneath his newfound darkness. But the moment was fleeting.

Love? What love? The Baroness never cared for him—only her own power, her own control. She would have sacrificed him in a heartbeat if it meant securing her position.

This was justice.

His justice.

"Shut up," he hissed, his voice void of emotion. He pressed down harder, his thumbs digging into the soft flesh of her throat. Hela’s body spasmed violently, her legs kicking against the ground, her bound arms struggling uselessly. Tears streaked down her face, mixing with the spit bubbling at her lips.

"She’s pathetic," the serpent whispered, its cold voice slithering through his mind. "A woman like her, begging for mercy? Tsk, tsk. Kill her, Albert. Become who you were meant to be."

Albert’s breathing grew steady, his hesitation melting away like a candle burning to its end. He watched the light in Hela’s eyes flicker, her pupils dilating as her body surrendered to death. The once-mighty Baroness, the woman who always looked down on others, was now nothing more than a dying animal gasping for air.

Her lips trembled, forming silent words. Perhaps another plea. Perhaps a final curse. It didn’t matter.

With one final squeeze, the last bit of life drained from her body. A rattling breath escaped her lips, then silence. Her arms fell limp, her head lolling to the side.

Albert didn’t move at first. His hands still clutched her throat, feeling the last remnants of warmth slowly fading. A strange sensation washed over him—power, liberation, something far greater than fear or regret.

"Hoho... magnificent," the serpent purred, wrapping tighter around his arm. "A poisonous snake indeed... I like it."

Albert finally let go, allowing Hela’s corpse to slump against the cold floor. He wiped his hands on his pants, though no amount of rubbing could rid him of the phantom sensation of her skin against his palms. He looked down at her lifeless face, once filled with arrogance and pride. Now, it was frozen in horror.

A cruel smile curled at his lips. "Goodbye, Mother."

Then, without looking back, he turned to the serpent. "What’s next?"

Albert took a deep breath, his hands still wrapped around Hela’s lifeless body. His heart pounded, but his face remained cold. He let go, letting her slump to the ground.

"Good. You made the right choice," the serpent whispered, coiling around his arm. Albert didn’t respond, his mind already working on the next step. "Now what?" he asked, his voice steady.

"We leave," the serpent hissed. "But first, we deal with the witnesses."

Albert’s gaze flickered toward the bound servants locked with him. Some of them trembled, others kept their heads down. He walked toward the nearest one—a middle-aged man with terror in his eyes. "You saw nothing," Albert said flatly, grabbing the man’s face.

The man nodded frantically, his breath shaky. "Y-yes, Master Albert... I saw nothing," he whispered. Albert smirked. "Good." He turned to the rest. "If any of you speak a word about what happened here, I will find you." His tone was calm, but the deadly promise in his voice sent a shiver through the room.

"Hah... You truly are ruthless," the serpent chuckled, flicking its tongue. "But words won’t keep them quiet forever."

Albert didn’t need the serpent to tell him that. He grabbed a candle from a nearby table and let the flame dance in his palm. "Then we make sure no one finds out." He turned toward the curtains, dragging the fire along the fabric. Within seconds, the flames began to spread.

And then he lit up the entire basement.

Panic filled the room as the servants whimpered, their muffled cries breaking through the silence. Smoke curled into the air, and Albert stepped back, watching the fire consume everything. The scent of burning wood and fabric filled his lungs.

"Now, let’s go before we get caught in the mess," the serpent urged.

Albert nodded, stepping over his mother’s body without a second glance. He walked toward the door, feeling the heat rise behind him. As he slipped out into the corridor, a smirk curled on his lips. This was just the beginning.