His throat bobbed.

“You have two choices,” she continued. “You can locate the bomber carrying the switch in the crowd, or you can rescue your siblings—bound on the bottom floor with the bombs… And a few monsters that I let loose.”

He nearly crumpled to the ground at her words. It was an impossible situation. Either way they would die and he was helpless to stop it. 

He burst into a run, practically throwing himself down the staircase to reach the next floor. Down and down he climbed, eventually reaching the caverns below the palace.

The rotting stench of mold and methanol overwhelmed his senses, enough to make someone pass out. He held his breath, entering with caution.

The floor turned to earth, walls to stones. Darkness loomed ahead, the path illuminated by torches mounted on the walls. Someone was down here to light them, but they were long gone.

The glint of steel stopped him in his tracks.

A pair of bright blue eyes sharply turned to him, a sword now angled under his throat. 

“Calisaya,” he breathed.

Her head of long blond hair tilted, eyebrows furrowed, no doubt confused why he knew her. “I always believed in giving people the benefit of the doubt,” she murmured. “But you’re at fault for their deaths, aren’t you?”

Eyes from dozens of citizens emerged from the darkness to stand behind Calisaya. Her words repeated, echoing in his mind. Nothing he said would ease their grief. An invisible weight threatened to crush him. “Hurry and leave,” he breathlessly managed. “The palace is going to explode soon.”

An older man stepped forward, his features struck from exhaustion. “You knew the relationship between us and the sorcerers, how they’re greedy for the core’s power, yet you let them inside the palace, around our children and loved ones.” His words raised similar reactions from those behind him. 

Something cracked inside him. “Nothing I say will bring them back,” he said with a shaky voice. “I’m so sorry,” he choked out. “I’m sorry for being the one that survived. Please, just get out of here before you end up dead, too. I can’t afford to lose anyone else.”

The hardness in Calisaya’s expression softened into pity. She lowered her blade, turning to the gathered citizens with the air of a leader. “From our mistakes, we learn to do good.”

“No,” a woman countered, stepping forward. Her eyes were red with tears, shoulders ridged. “He just wants to erase the evidence. He’s the one responsible for the bombs!”

Murmurers resounded among them, Calisaya trapped in consideration as well.

Ah… So this was what the blind woman was after. 

She was using him to start an uprising against the royals.

And from the look of things, she already started one.

And Calisaya... Zhen Xue could see her inner battle, torn between saying revenge was wrong and unable to dismiss their grief. Thus, she didn’t stop the citizens from rallying their rage, nor when they shouted in agreement for his death. 

Calisaya’s blade lifted again, blue gaze reluctant but resolute. “It’ll be quick.”

Footsteps deep within the cave suddenly rushed into the scene.

Xu Yang swept forward, maneuvering in front him. He raised his blade against Calisaya, standing tall and resolute. Dozens of royal guards followed suit, drawing their weapons and remaining on standby.

Zhen Xue stumbled, someone bumping into him. 

Tick, tick, tick.

The sound was coming from his front pocket. 

Without hesitation, he grabbed the damn device, before shouting, “Everyone get down!”

The crowd recoiled in unison, gaze breaking away from the tension of what almost turned into a fight. 

Calisaya and Xu Yang looked at him with an equal understanding of what was about to happen.

His heart raced, throwing the bomb with all his might deep into the cave.

Boom.

The cavern shook once, followed by an even bigger explosion. 

Rocks fell overhead, cutting off their path of escape. 

Xu Yang lunged for Zhen Xue in the last moment before they, too, got buried.

What felt like hours passed when light flickered from within the darkness. The rocks began to move as Ming Yi dug them out. 

Xu Yang was alive, passed out at his side. The sight made him exhale in relief.