She held Elias up and unlocked the chains binding his hands to the wall.
"Where is Vuno?" Gina asked.
Elias' lips refused to move, but the pain in his eyes said more than words ever could.
Gina froze for a brief second.
Then she understood.
This was not the time to mourn the dead.
They had to escape first—fast—before they joined him.
Her gaze dropped to the energy-concealing iron collar around Elias' neck. She quickly searched through the keys and found the right one.
With a sharp click, the collar fell away.
"Let's go. Bruno is waiting outside," Gina said, pulling Elias up.
Although the collar had been removed, Elias was still weak from the effects of the drugs that had been injected into him earlier that day. The effect had not fully worn off.
He struggled to stand.
Just then, Bruno rushed in.
Commotion could be heard outside.
The alarm had gone off.
The intruders had been discovered.
And they were the intruders.
Bruno hurried to the other side and helped Gina support Elias.
Together, the three of them rushed out.
But just as they reached the hallway leading to the entrance, they were blocked by a group of demons.
"What are we going to do?" Gina asked Bruno.
"I'm definitely not dying to save this damn idiot," she muttered under her breath as she stared at the ten demons surrounding them.
"Get him out first. I'll hold them off," Bruno said, trying to sound as calm as possible.
Gina nodded and tightened her grip around Elias.
She started moving toward the exit.
"Get them!" one of the demons barked.
At once, all of them launched their attack.
Bruno raised his hand, and a sword instantly appeared.
The fight began.
He fought relentlessly, doing everything he could to cover for Gina and Elias as they escaped.
But two demons managed to slip past him.
"Shit," he cursed.
Gina, who was struggling to drag Elias away, suddenly stopped in her tracks when she saw the two demons blocking her path.
"Surrender," they ordered.
Gina gently lowered the weak Elias against the wall and stretched her neck.
"You asked for this," she said coldly before charging at them.
Unlike Bruno, who used a sword, Gina fought with her fists and legs.
Her movements were sharp, fast, and brutal.
Within moments, both demons crashed lifelessly to the floor.
A satisfied look crossed her face.
Without wasting another second, she rushed back to Elias and pulled him up again.
The moment they stepped outside the dungeon and crossed beyond the barrier, Gina disappeared with Elias.
They reappeared at the back mountain.
"You stay here," Gina said firmly. "I need to go help Bruno."
Before Elias could respond, she vanished again.
Back in the Palace
I walked cautiously toward Queen Emily's room and knocked.
The moment I stepped inside, I noticed the demon that had been following me had retreated.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
But then I looked at the elegant Queen Emily standing before me, and I couldn't tell whether I was safe… or whether I had just walked straight into the lion's den.
What if the person standing in front of me wasn't the queen at all?
What if she was a demon?
I gulped hard.
"You are even more beautiful than Jeffrey described," she said softly.
I smiled.
"Don't flatter me, Your Majesty. I definitely can't be compared to you," I replied.
She turned and walked toward her dressing table before taking a seat.
She picked up a comb and began running it through her hair.
"Let me help you, Your Majesty," I offered, stepping forward and gently taking the comb from her hand.
She smiled and handed it over.
I began combing her hair slowly and carefully.
As I worked, my mind raced.
How am I supposed to pull this off?
I always seemed to get the hardest part.
I just prayed my head wouldn't roll on the floor before I completed this mission.
She stayed silent while I combed her hair.
Honestly, I was grateful.
At least the silence gave me time to think.
I gathered the strands of her hair gently, and she handed me a band.
I tied her hair up the same way Dylan always did mine.
Then she placed her crown on top and smiled elegantly at her reflection in the mirror.
"You are quite skilled," she complimented.
"Yeah," I replied with a small smile. "My husband is so good at it that I ended up learning without even realizing it."
She smiled faintly.
"Yes… I suppose he really is kind and sweet," she said.
Looking at the beautiful queen in front of me, I felt almost certain she was human.
And if she was, then maybe she would help me.
Maybe I could get everything done without trouble.
But then I remembered Dylan's warning.
Demons are deceptive, he had said.
Don't judge them by what you see. In this world, demons always wear beautiful faces.
Suddenly, she coughed.
Here comes my chance, my mind screamed.
"I'll get you some water, Your Majesty," I said quickly.
"It's alright—" she coughed again.
"You are not alright, Your Majesty."
I walked to the table, picked up a glass of water, and handed it to her.
She took it and drank desperately.
I watched her carefully.
I had worn a strong perfume and deliberately stayed close enough to make her uncomfortable.
Then, while preparing the water, I had slipped a foreign substance into it.
Now, I watched as she swallowed every last drop.
"Thank you," she said, handing the cup back to me.
And just like Dylan had described, I noticed it almost immediately.
She began scratching her neck repeatedly, her expression growing more uncomfortable by the second.
Terror gripped my chest.
She wasn't human.
But I forced myself to stay calm.
One wrong move, and I would be dead.
"Can I have a moment?" she asked stiffly before rushing into the bathroom.
The second she disappeared inside, I moved.
I quietly opened the door and peeked outside.
The hallway was clear.
I slipped out immediately.
I had to act fast before she noticed I was gone.
Luck seemed to be on my side.
There was chaos somewhere outside, and the palace halls were unusually empty.
Dylan must have been discovered.
I didn't have much time.
Quickly, I found the storeroom and slipped inside, my heart pounding hard against my chest.
The moment I entered, I saw it.
Black liquid.
It was everywhere.
I didn't have time to process what I was seeing.
I was sure they would already be searching for me.
I reached into the jeans Dylan had made me wear and pulled out the small container hidden inside.
Then I rushed forward and dipped it into the black liquid.
Heat instantly burned against the surface of the container.
I could feel how unnaturally hot the liquid was.
I collected just enough.
I turned to leave—
But suddenly, a knife pressed against my neck.
I froze.