Doderick led Kaiden through the dimly lit barn, stepping carefully over bodies curled up in makeshift beds of straw. The quiet murmur of exhausted captives filled the air, but no one paid them any mind. Near the back of the room, a small group huddled together, five in total, their faces tense with anticipation.

  three men. Two women. All of them wore collars. Two of them—one man and one woman—were shackled, their chains visible in the flickering oil light.

  Doderick stopped in front of them and gestured toward Kaiden. "This is the guy," he said, keeping his voice low.

  Kaiden gave them a small nod. "Name’s Kaiden."

  The group exchanged wary glances before nodding back. No one said anything right away.

  These six weren’t the only ones with collars, but they were the ones Doderick somewhat trusted—the ones he believed could help. It was an unspoken rule that when you were planning something as dangerous as a slave break, the fewer people who knew, the better the chances of success.

  One of the men, the largest of the group, shifted forward. He was built like a mountain, broad-shouldered and thick with muscle, though Kaiden could see the toll of captivity in the way his ribs pressed faintly against his skin. His head was shaved, his face completely smooth, without a trace of stubble. Kaiden wondered how he was able to shave in this place. "Berrick," he introduced himself. His voice was quiet but steady. "Been here over a year."

  Next to him, a lean, wiry man with sharp features and shifty eyes nodded. He had dark, unkempt hair and a nervous energy about him, his fingers constantly twitching. "Name’s Lorant. Doderick says you broke his collar."

  "Yeah," Kaiden confirmed. “I have an ability that could disable it”

  A woman with dark skin and a shaved head scoffed, her arms crossed over her chest. She was shackled at the wrists, the heavy iron biting into her skin. "I’ll believe it when I see it," she muttered. "Risha."

  Kaiden didn’t blame her skepticism.

  Beside her, a younger woman, barely past her teens, offered a small, hesitant nod. Her long brown hair was tangled and unkempt, but her green eyes were sharp, observant. "Sera," she said softly. Unlike the others, she didn’t look hardened—at least, not yet.

  The last man, the one still in chains, was older, his beard thick and streaked with gray. He had the look of someone who had seen too much but survived anyway. "Gartree," he grunted. His tired eyes flickered toward Kaiden. "Doderick says you’re some kind of miracle worker."

  Kaiden smirked slightly. "I wouldn’t go that far."

  Gartree huffed. "We’ll see."

  Introductions done, the group settled into a tense silence, waiting for Kaiden to explain what came next.

  Kaiden scanned the group, taking in the thick metal bands around their necks. "I won’t know if I can disable all your collars," he said, keeping his voice low, "but I’ll give it a try."

  If there happened to be some locked runes, he had no idea if he could find a way around it. He doubted it. But as long as he could free up a few more, they should be able to get a key easily.

  Berrick grunted. "That’s all we can ask."

  Kaiden nodded and moved toward Berrick, preparing to make him the first trial of the night. Then he hesitated. He really didn’t want to summon the quill in front of everyone—it would raise too many questions, and he didn’t want to answer them.

  Good thing this place is poorly lit.

  "Don’t move," Kaiden said quietly.

  Berrick gave a small grunt of acknowledgment, standing still as Kaiden circled behind him. He activated Arcane Vision, and the runes on the collar flared to life, their glow cutting through the dimness. Even in low light, they were easy to see, allowing him to work without straining his focus.

  Taking a deep breath, he summoned the quill into his hand.

  This time, the process felt smoother. He had a better grasp of the precision required, though he still needed a few tries before he got it right. He worked carefully, keeping his movements controlled, making sure no one caught a glimpse of what he was actually doing. Thankfully, Berrick’s broad frame shielded Kaiden’s hands from view, and the others couldn’t see the quill in action.

  They could, however, see his eyes glowing.

  That was fine There were plenty of magical sight abilities in this world, and if they assumed that’s what he was using, he wouldn’t correct them.

  Then, suddenly—success!

  The rune flickered three times and vanished.

  "Done," Kaiden said quietly.

  Berrick inhaled sharply, a look of shock crossing his face.

  Before he could react further, Doderick was on him, clamping a hand over his mouth, grinning ear to ear. "I know! Amazing, right?"

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Kaiden stepped back around to face Berrick, whose wide eyes darted between him and Doderick in disbelief. Slowly, Doderick removed his hand so Berrick could speak.

  Risha, arms still crossed, scoffed. "Well?" she asked, her voice laced with both anticipation and doubt.

  The others waited, barely breathing.

  Berrick’s stunned expression shifted, his lips curling into a slow, almost disbelieving grin. "Check it out," he murmured.

  As he spoke, his skin began to shift. A strange texture overtook his body, his flesh transforming into thick, bark-like plating. In the dim light, Kaiden could make out tiny spikes protruding along his arms and shoulders, blending into the rough, wooden surface.

  Kaiden nodded to himself. Most likely a Defender with high constitution. Makes sense.

  The others gasped, eyes widening in shock and awe.

  Doderick clapped him on the shoulder. "See? Told you."

  A few of the others stifled excited chuckles, their disbelief rapidly giving way to hope.

  Then, just as quickly, Doderick jumped in again, hissing, "Shush! Keep it down!"

  The group quieted instantly, their excitement muffled but still buzzing in the air.

  One down. Five to go.

  Berrick turned to Kaiden, eyes still wide with disbelief. "How?"

  Kaiden shook his head, then turned to meet each of their gazes in turn, making sure they knew he was addressing all of them. "It’s an ability I have, and that’s all you need to know," he said firmly. "My secrets are my own, and I’d appreciate it if you don’t ask further. That’s my only condition for helping."

  Really, Kaiden should’ve led with that, but he knew seeing was believing. They needed to witness what he could do before they’d accept such an unusual demand.

  Doderick was the first to respond. "Of course, you have my word."

  He turned to the others, and Berrick nodded. "Agreed. That’s the easiest price to pay for freedom."

  "We’re not free yet," Risha said, arms still crossed, "but I agree as well."

  The others voiced their agreement as well without argument.

  "Me next, please," Lorant said, stepping forward.

  Risha shot him a look but said nothing.

  Kaiden had already maneuvered himself so his back was to a dark corner, ensuring that no one could see the quill when he worked. "Okay," he said, and Lorant stepped up.

  "Turn around," Kaiden instructed, and Lorant did as told.

  A few tries later, another success.

  Lorant grinned, holding up his hand as an ice shard materialized in his palm, reflecting the dim light of the barn. His excitement was barely contained, and he looked like he wanted to shout, but one look from Doderick kept him in check.

  Risha then nudged Sera forward. "She’s next."

  Sera hesitated, her nervousness clear, but eventually, she stepped forward and turned around.

  Kaiden nodded and got to work. This time it felt even easier, and on the second try, he traced the rune perfectly. But something was wrong.

  The rune blinked twice, then turned red before staying in place, unmoved.

  Kaiden frowned, a pit forming in his stomach. He had done it right. He was sure of it.

  He tried again, this time moving even more carefully, adjusting his mana flow to be as precise as possible. But the same thing happened—blink, blink… red.

  Kaiden cursed under his breath. There was no system notification, no sign of what had gone wrong, but he knew. This must be a locked rune.

  He clenched his jaw. Fine, I’ll just disable another one.

  He carefully traced a different rune—red again.

  Another—red.

  A sinking feeling settled in his chest. He tried two more times, but the result was the same. A locked rune must mean the entire thing is locked, which he had hoped wasn’t the case.

  A few minutes passed before Doderick spoke, his voice careful. "Everything okay there?"

  Kaiden didn’t want to say it, but he had to face the facts. "I can’t disable this one."

  The air grew heavy. Sera’s head dipped, and a few of the others cursed under their breath.

  Doderick exhaled sharply. "Our firepower is greatly reduced without her."

  She must definitely be a Caster then.

  Gartree still kept quiet, watching, measuring.

  Sera’s voice was barely above a whisper. "I’m sorry, everyone."

  Risha was at her side immediately. "Why are you apologizing? You’ve done nothing wrong." She put a hand on her shoulder. "We just need to get a key, that’s all. Don’t worry."

  The others chimed in with reassurances, but Kaiden could see the doubt creeping into their eyes. Locked runes. The worst-case scenario.

  Risha turned to Kaiden and said, "I'm next."

  Kaiden nodded, and she stepped forward, turning her back to him.

  Taking a steadying breath, he traced the rune precisely and smoothly. To his relief, the rune blinked three times and vanished.

  "Done," Kaiden said quietly.

  Risha tightened her fists, a spark of excitement in her voice. "It worked."

  She turned to face Kaiden and, to his surprise, gave him a deep bow. "You have my eternal gratitude."

  Kaiden smiled weakly, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of such immense thanks. "You're very welcome."

  Risha was intense, that much was obvious. The way she carried herself, the sharpness of her eyes—Kaiden could already tell she wasn’t the type to offer words lightly.

  "I'm sorry I ever doubted you," she continued, then her expression darkened slightly. "But why couldn't you disable Sera’s?"

  Kaiden squirmed a little under her piercing gaze, his fingers twitching at his sides. He lowered his eyes for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Her collar is different from everyone else's. It has extra... defenses," he said, struggling to find the best way to describe the situation. He wasn’t sure if that was the right word, but it was the closest explanation he had.

  Risha studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "I understand. Nevertheless, I thank you."

  Kaiden smiled weakly, hoping she would turn her attention elsewhere. He hadn’t seen any obvious manifestation of her ability, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t active. Maybe it wasn’t something visible, or perhaps it was too disruptive to use in such a confined space. Whatever the case, he was just relieved it worked.

  Finally, Risha stepped back, and without a word, Gartree stepped forward.

  He met Kaiden’s gaze for only a second before turning around, waiting.

  Kaiden went to work immediately on Gartree. He carefully traced the rune, keeping his mana steady, but to his utter disappointment, the rune flashed twice and then turned red.

  He cursed silently and tried a few more runes, hoping at least one would react differently. One after another, they blinked twice before turning red, unmoving.

  After a few moments, Gartree spoke. "Let me guess—this collar's like Sera's."

  Kaiden exhaled slowly. "Yeah, it seems so."

  Gartree didn’t sound surprised or even disappointed. Instead, he simply nodded. "Okay," he said, and nothing more.

  Doderick sighed. "I'm sorry."

  The others were about to jump in with their own words of reassurance, but Gartree raised a hand, stopping them. "It's fine," he said evenly. "We just need to get the keys."

  "Exactly," Doderick agreed.

  Kaiden, still standing behind Gartree, let out a quiet breath. "And how exactly are we gonna do that?"

  Lorant crossed his arms and glanced around the group. "Alright, let's go over what we know."

  Just as he said that, the last flickering oil lamp sputtered and went out, plunging the room into near-total darkness.

  "Well, shit," Kaiden muttered.

  The thick silence that followed was broken only by the faint shuffling of bodies adjusting in the dark. But the loss of light didn’t stop them.

  In hushed whispers, they began outlining everything they knew.