Chapter 42: Escape and Echoes
Mini Arc: Gasper's Rescue
The alarm howled behind them like a beast unchained, echoing through the ancient tunnels of the Vladi estate.
The very stone trembled underfoot as ancient magic surged in protest of the breach. Red sigils pulsed along the walls, defensive wards awakening for the first time in decades.
Volundr didn't stop.
With Gasper clutched in his arms, light as a whisper, he sprinted down the escape tunnel carved by his scouts three days prior.
The route wasn't stable—an old mine vein laced with volatile mana crystals and natural leylines. A collapse could come at any moment.
"Tunnel integrity down to 68%," muttered Lilith, running at his side, one hand pressed to her ear crystal.
"Faster," Volundr snapped. "Route Delta, skip the old shrine bend. It's unstable."
Behind them, muffled explosions rumbled. Magic detonations—likely meant to seal escape paths or trap invaders inside. The Tepes were fast to react, and furious to find a prisoner gone.
Darius shouted from ahead, "Phase Gate almost ready—thirty more seconds!"
Navigating the Collapse
A spray of gravel burst from the wall beside them as a ceiling rune failed, sending chunks of rock crashing down. Volundr turned his body, shielding Gasper as Lilith cast a quick Terra Shell, diverting debris.
One scout, Reynos, stumbled with a gash across his thigh. He limped toward the portal frame being anchored at the tunnel's far end—a ring of obsidian etched with runes, humming with restrained power.
"We're not leaving him!" Volundr barked, eyes burning. "Lilith, left flank. Cover. I've got Gasper. Darius, stabilize the gate!"
They surged forward just as the ceiling behind them collapsed completely, sealing off the estate's path with a final roar of falling stone and breaking sigils.
The Old Keep
The portal dumped them into the Vampire's Old Keep, a long-abandoned outpost buried within a wooded ravine. It was night—quiet, cold, and wet with dew. Ghostly mist hung in the air like a forgotten shroud.
Reynos dropped to his knees with a groan. Lilith conjured healing sigils while Darius scanned the area for pursuers.
Volundr set Gasper down on a worn stone bench under a moonlit arch. The boy still hadn't spoken again, only clinging to Volundr's cloak with trembling fingers. His eyes darted about—confused, traumatized, yet slowly grounding.
Volundr crouched to meet his eyes.
"You're safe. They can't reach you now."
A flicker of something—relief, maybe—passed over Gasper's face before exhaustion claimed him. He slumped forward. Volundr caught him again.
"He needs a better future than this."
The Mirror Call
Volundr reached into his cloak and retrieved a thin shard of polished obsidian. He activated the spell carved into its surface—a Mirror Link, coded to connect to Rias Gremory's personal relay.
It flickered once. Then twice.
And then, her face appeared—calm but alert, framed in candlelight.
"Volundr."
"I have him."
Relief flooded her features. Behind her, Grayfia Lucifuge leaned into view, her eyes wide.
"Show me," Rias whispered.
Volundr turned the mirror to show the sleeping boy resting in his arms.
Grayfia gasped quietly and stepped through the frame as the mirror portal solidified. She appeared in full beside Volundr a second later, kneeling down with a soft whisper.
"Oh… Gasper." Her voice trembled as she brushed his hair from his face. "They truly hurt you…"
She lifted him gently, her expression a mixture of heartbreak and fury barely held in check.
Volundr stood, dusting dirt from his cloak.
"He'll need time. And trust. He's seen what cruelty looks like from every side. You'll have to show him kindness."
"I will," Grayfia said immediately.
Rias stepped through next, her blue eyes softening as she looked at the boy in Grayfia's arms.
"I'll protect him," she said, placing a hand over her heart. "That's a promise."
Volundr gave a small nod. "Not just from the Tepes… but from those who would see only his power."
They locked eyes. A silent agreement passed between them.
Rias turned to go, but paused. "Will you be watching from afar?"
Volundr smirked faintly. "You know me."
Echoes and Reflections
As the portal faded, taking Rias, Grayfia, and Gasper with it, Volundr stood beneath the archway, the mist curling around his feet. Lilith approached.
"You did it," she said, voice quiet.
"No," Volundr answered. "We've only just begun."
He turned his eyes eastward—toward the deeper shadows of the Tepes territory, where Valerie Tepes still remained.
His hand closed into a fist.
"One piece freed… one still caged."
The moon hung high above, silver and sharp, as the night deepened around them.