Chapter 22: Approaching Madness.
Anna woke up. Her sword had created a barrier around her and had been absorbing mana from the surroundings to heal her.
"Vincent."
She tried to stand up, but her legs felt weak. She noticed her surroundings and the destruction caused by the Dragon and the Mana entity.
She looked around and saw Alex collapsed on the land. Using her sword as her walking stick, she was able to walk towards him.
She fell on her knees and placed her hand on his chest. His heart was beating normally.
<<Barrier>>
She sat down beside him and continued to heal herself. It wouldn't be long until the owner of the Dragon would come looking for it. They had to leave this place and fast.
After an hour passed, she had recovered enough strength to move. She picked up Alex and used some of her mana to cast a spell.
<<Boost>>
She hurried towards the camp. When she reached the tents, she saw Mona and James, who were on the floor.
Anna placed Alex in one of the tents. She approached the two siblings and examined their bodies.
"Mana poisoning."
Just like all the monsters in their immediate surroundings, James and Mona had been exposed to an unnatural amount of Mana. Their capacity to perceive mana was low, so their bodies were overwhelmed.
She pointed her sword towards their bodies, and it absorbed the excess mana out of them. Her reserves were almost empty, so this helped her too.
A few more minutes passed. She created some water and splashed it on their faces.
They opened their eyes and saw a distressed Anna in front of them.
"Anna, what happened?"
"Can you two move?"
Mona and James tried to move their bodies. They felt heavy.
"I feel tired. What happened?"
"I don't have enough time to explain."
She used her healing to relieve some of their fatigue. Their bodies felt better.
"We have to get back to the city. We are no longer safe here."
The siblings stood up.
"What about Alex?"
"He is fine."
She pointed towards the Tent.
"I will carry him. We will leave separately, and meet at your house. Be discreet when you move, and don't stand out."
She helped them up. The three of them made some preparations like packing up some basic stuff and incinerating all the evidence and went their ways.
Mona and James walked in from the central gate.
"What is your profession?"
One of the guards on duty asked them this question.
"Adventurers."
They handed their cards over. The guard inspected the stamp on it and said,
"You can enter. But remember to go straight back to your homes. curfew is in full effect."
The siblings frowned.
"What for?"
"The King died, and the princess has been kidnapped. The entire kingdom is on high alert."
He handed a paper to both of them.
"Keep this."
James took the papers and placed them in the bag.
They both entered the city, and James looked at Mona and said,
"This place is no longer safe. We should talk with miss Anna and leave for a different kingdom."
Mona whispered,
"Let the both of them arrive first. Then we can consider our options."
They safely reached their apartment.
Anna decided to take one of the hidden tunnels connected to the guild. She had to get to her mistress as quickly as possible.
"There is no one here."
She entered the guild through the hidden door and placed Alex on the sofa. She then went to Melida's room and touched a spell formation on her desk.
<<Scan>>
A message was transmitted to her mind.
"The King has been executed. Take Alex and get out of here."
It was a short message, but she knew what to do now.
She took out a space bag and placed all the books required to train Vincent. She also took all the weapons inside the guild and everything that she deemed important. They could be on the run for a long time.
After her preparations were complete, she took a scroll and used it on Alex.
<<Transparent>>
Vincent turned invisible. She placed him on her back and got into the tunnel.
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"Knock, Knock."
Somebody knocked on the door. James approached the door while Mona looked at him.
"Who is it?"
James said.
For a minute, there was no response.
"Who is-"
The door was blown through. James went crashing back. Mona prepared to use her magic.
Two guards rushed at them. They cuffed the unconscious James and used their weapon to immobilize Mona. The lightning magic stunned her on the spot.
There were 3 more guards, and they searched the house.
"He isn't here."
The guards cuffed Mona and carried the siblings outside the house. They were the last ones to make contact with the Hero. They were being taken to the Jailhouse for further questioning.
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Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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stone