บท 60: Chapter 60 - Escape
All three stood in the dark, narrow pathway. The scent of mold and dampness clung to the air, making Kui wrinkle his nose in discomfort. Only the sound of their breaths filled the suffocating silence.
Guilin gazed at him, panting softly. "I don't know how they found out," he whispered, his voice tinged with regret. "I made sure no one would spread the news about you."
Kui stepped away, his body tense, pulling the young mer along with him.
Mi Aok stumbled slightly, his small hands clinging to Kui's leg, his tail dragging limply behind him. In his rush to escape, Kui had practically dragged the child along, too focused on survival to notice the little one's struggle.
"Damn it," Kui muttered under his breath, guilt flickering in his chest. He bent down, lifting Mi Aok onto his back, securing the boy's frail arms around his shoulders. The weight of responsibility, both literal and emotional, pressed heavily on him.
"Kui," Guilin's voice trembled as he peered at him intently, a desperate plea shining in his eyes. "You have to believe me."
"Why should I?" Kui's words were sharp, defensive. His throat tightened. "I... I don't care about that. Just let us go."
Guilin's hand shot out, gripping Kui's wrist with a firmness that startled him. "No one knows this room exists. Let them search the pool. When they leave, we can talk. Please."
Kui yanked his hand away, his heart racing as he leaned against the cold, wet walls. His chest ached with an unfamiliar heaviness. "There's nothing I want to talk to you about. Just let us leave."
"No..." Guilin's face contorted with panic, a raw vulnerability bleeding through his voice. "You... you can't leave me like this."
The words hung between them, making Kui's pulse quicken with alarm. Mi Aok's earlier warning echoed in his mind: 'Humans... they get enchanted by mers too easily. Is that why mers rarely come to the surface? If everyone becomes like Guilin, it could cause a disaster.'
Kui swallowed hard, his emotions tangling in knots. He was about to reject him, to say something final—
But Guilin's hand suddenly cupped his mouth, gesturing for silence.
Outside, footsteps echoed—heavy, deliberate. Two pairs.
"This must be where he's keeping the mers," a commanding voice pierced through the door.
Kui stiffened, his blood boiling strangely in his veins. His body felt like it was being pulled, an invisible force pressing down on him. His knees weakened, a primal urge to kneel overwhelming him.
'Who is this mer? Why are they so strong?'
"Where are they then?" the voice demanded.
"They must've escaped, sire," another voice responded weakly.
Guilin froze, his body going rigid. The voice was familiar—it was his personal servant, the one who woke him every morning, who stayed by his side until dawn. Betrayal stabbed at him like a knife. 'He's buying us time... or so I thought.'
But then the servant's tone shifted, smug and gloating. "There's a secret passage here. They must have used it. It's right behind the bed."
Guilin's heart sank. 'That bastard! He ratted us out!' Panic surged through him as he grabbed Kui's hand, pulling him through the dark passageway. There was no time to waste—no room for hesitation.
The door to the secret room would open any second. The mer guards would storm in. They had to move fast.
Guilin's breath came in ragged gasps as they stumbled down the narrow passage, his heart pounding in his chest. The suffocating darkness only amplified his fear.
They came to a crossroads.
"Gods..." His hands fumbled against the cold walls, his fingers brushing the grooved stone, trying to remember. The labyrinth was a maze, twisting in on itself. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe.
He had been here once before, when he was five. His father had guided him through this secret path, his warm hands gently leading him. If they took a wrong turn, they would be lost forever.
Behind them, the sound of the door crashing open echoed ominously.
There was no time to think.
"This way!" Guilin's voice trembled as he pulled Kui frantically to the left. Their footsteps echoed through the passage, faster now, desperate.
The mer guards were close. Too close.
Guilin suddenly stopped, grabbing Kui by the shoulders, forcing him to face him. "You run, and don't stop. The walls have notches to guide you. Follow them."
Kui's eyes widened. "You're not coming with us?"
"No... I'll buy you some time," Guilin said, his voice softening as his hand hovered near Kui's face. "Just remember... there was a human named Guilin who loved you. With this, you owe me nothing. Come to me only if you want to." His voice broke slightly as he pushed Kui toward the left path.
"Wait," Mi Aok, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, his voice soft but firm.
Kui paused, his heart clenching. "We don't have time."
"Just go to him," the child whispered.
Kui hesitated but then followed the young mer's advice.
Mi Aok reached out, his tiny hand offering something to Guilin.
Confused, Guilin extended his hand, and a small, shimmering fish scale fell into his bruised palm.
"With this, we are even," Mi Aok said, his voice calm but resolute. "Kui doesn't owe you anything." Then, with a push, he sent Kui running down the passageway.
Guilin watched as they disappeared into the darkness, a sad smile curling his lips. "So beautiful, yet so cruel..." he whispered, gently tucking the scale into his breast pocket. He turned back, waiting for the inevitable. Waiting for his doom.
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