The plan was now set.
Inside the glowing cage, silence fell for a brief moment, heavy and tense. Every heartbeat felt louder than the last. The air itself seemed to wait, as if the forest knew something terrible was about to happen. Eamon closed his eyes for a second, steadying his breath. This was it. There would be no second chance.
Roneth moved first. He gently guided Korran, Felis, and Orzen toward one corner of the cage. His movements were careful but quick, like a soldier who had done this kind of drill many times before. Korran held Felis close, his arms shaking. Orzen leaned on his staff, his old eyes filled with fear but also trust.
"Stay behind us," Roneth whispered. "No matter what happens, don't move."
Korran nodded silently. Felis clutched his father's clothes, peeking out only slightly. Orzen swallowed hard and murmured a quiet prayer under his breath.
Eamon stepped forward, placing himself between the family and the cage wall. Damien stood beside him, calm on the outside, but his fingers were slowly curling, his body ready to move at a moment's notice.
Eamon raised his hands slowly. His voice dropped to a deep, steady tone as mana gathered around him, warm and alive.
"Arcana Flame Veil."
The words left his mouth like a command to the world itself.
At once, flames burst into existence. Not wild, not explosive—but controlled. A massive wall of fire rose around them, circling the inside of the cage like a living barrier. The flames moved like curtains in a strong wind, twisting and dancing, glowing bright orange and red.
The fire spread quickly, covering the cage walls from all sides. Thick heat waves filled the space, but Eamon focused hard, his jaw clenched. He shaped the flames carefully, leaving a clear and safe space around his friends. The fire never touched them. It only blocked sight, sound, and clarity from the outside.
From within, the cage now felt like the center of a burning storm.
Outside, Gorochi suddenly stopped walking.
"What?" he muttered, turning around.
A wall of fire had swallowed the glowing cage completely. The soldiers froze, shielding their eyes from the sudden heat and light. Some stepped back in shock. Even Haizer narrowed his eyes, his expression dark and unreadable.
Flames roared and crackled, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
Gorochi stared at the fire, then burst into laughter.
"So that's it?" he said loudly. "You're trying to break my cage from the inside?"
He shook his head, amused.
"How foolish can you be?"
Haizer studied the flames carefully. Even he couldn't see through the veil. His grip on his sword tightened, though his face remained calm.
Inside the fire veil, Eamon's eyes snapped to Damien.
"Damien," he whispered urgently, "now!"
In that instant, Damien moved.
The fire hid everything perfectly. Soldiers laughed. Gorochi laughed louder than all of them. No one noticed the faint ripple in the air as Damien stepped forward.
He passed through the cage as if it wasn't there at all.
The moment his body crossed the barrier, his expression changed. His eyes glowed a deeper red. His feet hit the forest ground silently.
Without wasting a second, Damien sprinted.
He dashed toward a tall tree nearby, his movements fast and sharp. He ran straight up the trunk for a few steps, then planted his right foot hard against the bark.
The tree cracked slightly.
Using the force of his jump, Damien pushed himself backward into the air. His body twisted mid-air with perfect control. As he turned to face the cage, his hands came together, veins glowing dark beneath his skin.
His voice echoed, filled with raw power. He chanted,
"Noctis Blood Cannon."
Pain flashed across his face as blood surged from his palm, but he didn't scream from pain—he screamed with fury.
A massive cannon of dark red energy formed instantly, thick and heavy, pulsing like a living thing. The air around it shook violently.
Damien roared and slammed the blood cannon straight into the wall of the cage.
The impact was terrifying.
A deafening explosion tore through the forest. The glowing strings of the cage cracked, shattering like glass under immense pressure. Light burst outward, blinding and violent.
The cage trembled.
Then, slowly, the glowing structure began to fade. The strings snapped one by one, dissolving into sparks of light until nothing remained.
The cage was gone.
Eamon reacted instantly. He grabbed Korran and pulled him forward.
"Move!" he shouted.
Roneth lifted Felis in one arm and dragged Orzen with the other. They burst out into the open as smoke and dust filled the air.
The explosion left a thick cloud of smoke hanging over the forest floor. Leaves burned. Trees shook. The smell of blood and fire mixed together.
Gorochi stumbled backward, his face pale.
"What—what just happened?" he shouted.
Haizer drew his sword in one smooth motion. The blade gleamed darkly, humming with power.
Eamon didn't hesitate.
He thrust his hands forward, sending a wave of flames rushing toward Gorochi. The fire twisted like a beast, hungry and fast.
Gorochi screamed and raised his arms in fear.
But before the flames could reach him, Haizer stepped in.
With a single slash, Haizer cut through the fire itself. The flames split apart and vanished, scattered into harmless sparks.
Silence fell for a split second.
Gorochi's face twisted in rage.
"You bastards!" he yelled. "How did you get out of my cage? Was it a Tier Four spell? Did they really use a Tier Four spell?"
Haizer lowered his sword slightly, his eyes sharp.
"No," he said calmly. "That was barely a Tier Two spell at most. The cage was broken by someone or something from the outside."
He paused, confused.
"But how?"
Gorochi clenched his fists, veins bulging on his thick neck.
"It doesn't matter anymore," he snarled. He turned toward his men and screamed, "Soldiers! Capture them alive. I want to torture those bastards to their deaths. Bring those insects to me."