There were only so many times you could escape the same dungeon before the guards stopped being polite about it.

Ren dusted himself off as he and Mira sprinted down yet another narrow corridor—one that, in his opinion, looked exactly like the last three they’d run through. Behind them, the second golem trailed obediently, looking very pleased with its work. The very large hole it had punched in their cell wall was already filling with furious shouting.

Mira was not amused.

“Ren,” she panted, yanking him forward by his sleeve. “Tell me you actually know where we’re going.”

Ren considered lying. Then remembered she still had a knife.

"Of course!" he said. "It's called outside."

Mira groaned. "Unbelievable."

Behind them, the dungeon erupted into chaos. Guards shouted, prisoners cheered, and a very loud alarm bell rang from somewhere above. The passage tilted upward, finally leading to an archway of blinding light. The exit.

Ren grinned. "See? Outside."

Then a crossbow bolt whizzed past his ear.

Ren skidded to a halt.

A line of guards stood at the exit, weapons drawn, looking very, very tired of this situation.

Mira groaned again. "I hate everything."

One of the guards pointed his sword at them. "Enough! Surrender, or—"

He didn’t get to finish that sentence.

Because at that moment, the ceiling collapsed.

Ten Seconds Earlier – Above the Dungeon

There were many ways to break someone out of prison.

Exploding the entire roof was not usually the first choice.

Unfortunately, Keldrin was not a subtle man.

The sky shattered with fire as a massive skyship—yes, a skyship—descended from the storm clouds above, cannons glowing with leftover destruction.

A voice boomed from the deck.

"HEY REN! NEED A LIFT?"

Ren coughed through the dust, squinting up at the ship now hovering over the ruined prison.

Mira, covered in debris, slowly turned to glare at him. "What is that?!"

Ren grinned. "Our very dramatic ride out of here."

One Chaotic Flight Later…

The skyship tilted dangerously as Ren stumbled onto the deck, nearly falling overboard. Behind him, Mira dragged herself up, looking both relieved and furious.

Keldrin, still laughing, clapped Ren on the back. "Now that was a prison break!"

Ren wheezed. "That was something, alright."

Mira leaned against the railing, eyes dark with exhaustion. "If I ever go to prison again, remind me not to let you plan the escape."

"Noted," Ren said. Then, after a pause, "So I can still be involved, just not in charge?"

Mira looked five seconds away from throwing him overboard.

Keldrin just chuckled. "Where to now?"

Ren looked out over the vast, open sky.

The city was far behind them now. Below, the rolling forests stretched toward the horizon. But further ahead, in the distance, stood a lone mountain—one untouched by time.

Ren’s grip tightened on the rail.

He had a feeling their problems were just beginning.