TCCIO 04

Chapter 4. Got Caught
The damp dawn dew, the blazing sun hot enough to burn, and the freezing chill of the night air—these were the cruel cycles the captives endured, bound to wooden stakes. They had been battered by the wildness of the mountains and were completely exhausted. Their lips were cracked and dry. Blood had long since stopped flowing to their tied wrists, and they had lost all feeling in their hands. With cloths tightly wrapped around their eyes, they had no sense of their surroundings.

“Water… please.”

“Heartless bastards. At least give us water.”

The voice that came out was hoarse from a dry throat, but no one came to offer relief. For those trapped in utter darkness, only the cries of owls and grasshoppers responded.

“Do you think everyone else is safe?”

Once one person broke the silence, others joined in, trying to shake off the unease through conversation. In a world without sight, all they had left to rely on were their voices.

“Yesterday’s search was relentless. I worry whether they all escaped.”

“If they’re not here, it means they probably made it out.”

“I hope so…”

“Damn Imperial bastards. Why did they tie us up here in the first place?”

Jerre listened to the others and recalled the Imperial commander he had encountered the night before. Even in the dark, those sharp eyes gleamed. That persistent voice demanding to know who the leader was. What he wanted was obvious.

“We’re bait. To lure out the head.”

At Jerre’s words, some groaned in anguish.

“They’re probably hiding nearby, waiting for our commander to show.”

“You think the commander will come for us?”

“He mustn’t. It’s a trap.”

“Then what happens to us?”

“What do you think? We’re as good as dead. The moment we were captured, it was over.”

“That bastard won’t let us live. Did you see his eyes?”

At the mention of “that bastard,” silence instantly fell. A cold breeze passed through the forest, sending shivers down their spines. The rustling of leaves in the wind sounded eerie and ominous.

“Just thinking about that look gives me goosebumps. That guy’s nuts. Completely insane.”

“He laughed while beating people—that’s what scared me the most.”

“You wouldn’t understand unless you got hit. I thought my insides were going to burst from a strike with a sheathed sword.”

Recalling the pain from last night, someone spat on the ground in frustration.

“Bastard. If I weren’t injured, I’d beat him to a pulp.”

The others chuckled bitterly, trying to shake off the tension.

“Too big of a gap in skills, though.”

“Funniest joke I’ve heard in my life. Thanks to you, I’ll die laughing.”

“Idiots.”

“Shh. Quiet.”

At Jerre’s warning, the prisoners fell silent. With no voices, the forest’s darkness crept in again. Clop, clop—the sound of hooves broke the quiet. A soft whinny followed. A group on horseback was approaching.

“Who is it?”

But with their eyes covered, they couldn’t tell. Jerre asked sharply, but there was no answer. The sound of someone stepping on grass followed. With vision gone, their other senses sharpened. Amid the tense silence, the sound of a blade being drawn reached their ears.

“Ugh.”

“Shh. Don’t make a sound. Can you walk?”

It’s her. That firm yet gentle voice. Jerre nodded vigorously. Even if he had to drag a wounded leg, he had to do it.

“Ten o’clock direction. They’re waiting to extract you. Just hold out until then. Don’t look back, just run.”

The voice’s owner lightly approached Jerre. Recognizing her, Jerre let out a long breath. He felt both hope and despair from the small hands cutting his ropes.

“You shouldn’t be here. You know it’s a trap.”

“How could I not come? You’re alive. I know you are.”

Despite her calm voice, her hands moved swiftly to free him. Once untied, Jerre wobbled to his feet and caught the knife she tossed to him.

“It’s too dangerous. We’ll handle this. Please go.”

“If you’ve got time to argue, use it to run.”

His vision was blurry from the long blindfolding, but he recognized her instantly—the small figure in a black robe, the clear, firm voice. It was the commander. Jerre sighed in dismay and moved to free another captive.

“Looks like the Imperial army abandoned you and marched on.”

“That can’t be. They were chasing us like mad dogs.”

“I know it sounds crazy, but they crossed Alden Plateau this morning.”

“No way…”

“I saw it with my own eyes. They’re headed for the capital.”

The commander kept freeing others while quickly updating Jerre on the situation. The guards who came with her helped the wounded onto horses, starting with those in critical condition.

“There’s no way they’d just let us go.”

“I don’t get it either. We searched all day, but no one was here.”

“What?”

“This whole area was empty. You were the only ones here all day.”

Jerre looked around, stunned. The rustling trees sounded unusually ominous. The moonlight on the empty barracks behind them was unsettlingly still. A chilling silence. Jerre swallowed hard, his nerves on edge.

“We’ve been watching this place all day just in case. No signs of life.”

“It’s still dangerous.”

“That’s why we need to get out.”

“You go first.”

“Jerre. If you have time to talk, then move. I’ll follow on horseback. My horse can’t carry two.”

Her gentle yet resolute voice silenced him.

“Then we’ll go first. Please follow quickly.”

Finally, Jerre began moving with the others. After a full day tied up, his legs were weak, but he pushed himself. The longer he delayed, the more time the commander would spend in danger.

Delia watched them go and turned to the remaining prisoner. Even to her, it felt strange—an enemy camp left this empty? With only the captives remaining? But she’d confirmed it with her own eyes. The Imperial army had crossed the plateau and was advancing on the royal capital. Her men had been left behind in an empty camp. She had searched the area all day for any sign of ambush—nothing. Only after darkness fell did she feel sure: the prisoners were left behind to prevent an ambush. The Imperial army had gained another day on the road, and her side had lost a day in hesitation. A two-day gap had formed between the two armies. Realizing this terrifying truth, Delia had acted quickly to rescue the prisoners. They had to return before the Imperial army reached the capital. Her hands moved faster.

“Thank you.”

“Just run.”

The twenty-ninth prisoner started running. Watching them, Delia unconsciously clutched her arm and looked around. Everything was going according to plan, so why was her heart pounding so hard? Was it just nerves? Swallowing her unease, she approached the last prisoner. Her injured arm had nearly reached its limit, so she switched the blade to the other hand, clenching her teeth against the shaking.

“All done.”

Delia finally cut the rope and looked up at the last prisoner, now illuminated by moonlight. His face was shadowed by a pressed-down hat. A shiver ran down her spine.

“Can you run? Let’s go. This place is giving me a bad feeling.”

She turned toward her horse, urging him to follow. She wanted to leave this ominous place.

“Ugh.”

She was suddenly pulled back. The last Iorenti prisoner had grabbed her arm. Furious, Delia snapped:

“What are you doing?!”

He dared touch a royal? And he had grabbed the exact spot of her hidden wound. Delia looked up, her face twisted in pain.

“We don’t have time—let go!”

But he didn’t. Instead, he gripped tighter and smiled. Smiled? In this situation? While Delia froze in disbelief, the prisoner slowly removed his blindfold. The cloth fluttered down in the moonlight, revealing his eyes. Despite the shadow, his sharp gaze pierced through—silver-gray eyes gleaming more ominously than the moonlight.

“Checkmate.”

His low voice was soaked in satisfaction. The chilling moonlight couldn’t smother the oppressive heat in the air.

“W–what are you?”

He whistled. Then gripped her arm harder, pulling her slowly toward him.

“Ahh…”

A groan escaped her lips. As he drew her in, he whispered into her ear:

“You use terrain. We create it.”

As he finished speaking, the ground around them stirred. Imperial soldiers emerged from hiding. They had buried themselves to mask their presence, responding to the man’s call.

“After all this effort, don’t you think it’s time you accepted our invitation?”

Click, click—the sound of guns loading echoed alongside his voice, like moonlight on metal. Delia felt like a butterfly caught in a web—so tightly bound she forgot to flap her wings.

“We have so much to talk about.”

As Delia stood frozen, the man pulled back her hood. Golden hair spilled out under the moonlight. She instinctively tried to resist, but his grip only tightened.

“This time, I hope you’ll accept our invitation.”

His icy gaze bored into her. Only then did Delia realize the truth.
She had been caught. Captured by the enemy.