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Chapter 45 – The Heist

  Chapter 45 – The Heist

  The idol room stretched before them, ancient and bathed in the flickering glow of torches mounted along the crumbling stone walls. Shadows stretched long across the floor, dancing over the faded carvings of long-forgotten deities. The chamber smelled of damp earth and old stone, thick with the weight of history.

  At the heart of the room, resting on an ornate pedestal, sat their target.

  The idol.

  A smooth, obsidian relic, both in the shape of, and no larger than a human skull, its polished surface inscribed with delicate spirals. Even from across the room, Kaelin felt an odd pull toward it, like a whisper in the back of her mind. It wasn’t magic, at least, not in a way she could sense, but the weight of its presence was undeniable.

  Kaelin’s fingers twitched.

  It was right there.

  So close—

  A soft rustle behind her yanked her from the thought. She forced herself to exhale slowly, pushing aside the rush of adrenaline burning through her limbs. Focus. They weren’t alone.

  Ahead, standing just before the pedestal, Rhen and Sienna lingered, eyes locked on the idol.

  Kaelin’s breath hitched, and she immediately slipped back into the shadows of the ruined archway, pressing herself against the cool stone. Kana did the same, her expression unreadable as she peeked around the edge.

  “Well, well,” Kana murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “Looks like someone else did the hard work for us.”

  Kaelin’s mind raced. If Rhen and Sienna had beaten them here, that meant they had already disarmed any traps. No pitfall surprises, no sudden magical defences. They had paved the way to the pedestal.

  All Kaelin and Kana had to do was take it from them.

  Kana nudged her lightly with her elbow. “So, what’s the plan, leader?”

  Kaelin exhaled through her nose. A direct fight would be stupid. Rhen was skilled, more skilled than she was, even with her recent improvements, and Sienna wasn’t exactly weak either. They had been a team from the start, covering each other’s weaknesses. She and Kana, meanwhile, were barely tolerating each other.

  No, brute force wouldn’t work.

  They had to be smarter.

  Kaelin turned to Kana. “You can read minds, right?”

  Kana grinned, her dark eyes gleaming. “Not deeply, but any surface thoughts are mine for the taking.”

  Kaelin met her gaze, a slow smirk forming. “Then find out their plan, and let’s make them hand it over.”

  Kana’s smile widened. “Now this is my kind of teamwork.”

  ***

  Moving carefully, Kana slipped behind another cracked pillar, blending seamlessly into the shadows. Kaelin, on the other hand, stepped forward, letting herself be seen.

  Rhen turned first, sharp eyes locking onto her immediately. His stance shifted, a flicker of caution. Sienna followed a second later, her fingers tightening around the idol.

  Kaelin swallowed and let her breath hitch slightly, selling the act. “You’re still here?” she asked, keeping her voice just slightly breathless. “Didn’t you hear it?”

  Rhen narrowed his eyes. “Hear what?”

  Kana, hidden just out of sight, pushed.

  A ripple of influence, subtle as a whisper.

  Kaelin watched as Rhen’s expression flickered, his focus wavering just enough to plant a seed of doubt.

  Kaelin took another step forward, letting her hands shake slightly as if she had just run for her life. “I- I don’t know what it was, but it was big. It nearly tore through the wall behind us.” She let her voice waver just a little more, adding an edge of urgency. “We barely made it past.”

  Sienna shifted uncomfortably, glancing toward Rhen.

  Kana nudged again, pressing the uncertainty deeper.

  Kaelin saw it in Rhen’s fingers—the way they twitched toward the idol, a small, subconscious movement.

  Sienna hesitated. “Maybe we should—”

  “Go,” Kaelin urged, lowering her voice. “If we stay here, we’re trapped. That thing… whatever it is, might come this way. We need to get out of here, now.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Rhen’s jaw clenched.

  Kaelin held her breath.

  Then—

  “Fine,” Rhen snapped. “We’ll move.”

  Sienna still looked uncertain, but as Rhen turned toward the entrance, she followed, snagging the Idol as she left.

  Kaelin barely had time to smother her grin before–

  A flicker of motion.

  Sienna’s fingers slipped.

  The idol tumbled.

  Kaelin lunged.

  Her hands closed around the obsidian skull, yanking it away before Sienna could react.

  A heartbeat of silence. Then,

  “You little—!”

  Kaelin threw it at the pillar Kana had hidden herself behind. A lone hand popped out from behind, catching the skull as it flew.

  She called back before bolting off, “Thanks you two! Get running Kaelin, I doubt they’re gonna play nice.”

  Kaelin ran after Kana, speeding up her legs for a burst of power and speed.

  ***

  Shouts erupted behind them.

  Kaelin didn’t waste time looking back, she just ran.

  The ruins blurred past her, dark corridors twisting and stretching like a labyrinth. The air was thick with dust and the scent of old stone, her heartbeat pounding against her ribs. Kana was beside her, moving just as fast, the idol clutched between them.

  “They’re gaining on us,” Kana muttered.

  Kaelin didn’t need to check, she could hear Rhen’s footsteps slamming against the stone behind them, fast and determined.

  “Then run faster,” Kaelin hissed.

  A sharp whistle cut through the air.

  Kana cursed. “Oh, come on!”

  Kaelin barely had time to react before a shard of stone whizzed past her shoulder, slamming into the stone beside her. Rhen was attacking.

  Sienna’s voice rang out. “Don’t let them get away!”

  Rhen replied, clearly frustrated “Yea, no shit! What do you think I’m trying to do!?”

  Kaelin’s breath came fast and shallow. Think.

  Futuresight, now.

  Her vision flickered.

  The world stretched.

  She saw further now. Whether it was because of the stress or the panic, she saw five seconds ahead.

  A flash of movement.

  Another bolt, aimed directly at Kana.

  Kaelin reacted before she could think.

  She grabbed Kana’s arm and yanked her left, just before the attack whizzed past the place where her head had been.

  Kana stumbled slightly but caught herself, throwing Kaelin a sharp look. “What—”

  Kaelin didn’t explain. She just ran.

  They had the idol.

  But Rhen and Sienna weren’t giving up.

  The chase wasn’t over.

  The ruins shook.

  A deep, ominous groan rumbled through the ancient stonework, like a dying beast taking its final breath. Dust billowed from the cracks in the walls, and chunks of debris crumbled from the ceiling, crashing to the ground in violent bursts.

  Kaelin barely had time to brace herself before another tremor rolled through the structure, nearly knocking her off balance, blocking off the path ahead.

  "What did you do?" she shouted over the noise.

  Behind her, Rhen was breathing hard, his hand stuck in the hole he had created in his last attack.

  "I—" Rhen hesitated, realization dawning in his expression. "I was trying to block you off!"

  Kaelin's stomach dropped. Idiot. He hadn't just cut them off, he'd destabilized the entire ruin.

  A sharp crack split the air as a massive stone slab broke free from the ceiling. It plummeted, crashing into the ground with a force that made the entire chamber lurch.

  Kana cursed. "Great. Fantastic. We’re all going to be buried alive because he has anger issues."

  Kaelin didn’t wait to hear Rhen’s defence. She spun on her heel, gripping the idol tighter as she bolted for the exit. "Move!"

  The corridors twisted ahead, dark and unsteady as debris rained from above. The tremors worsened, shaking loose entire sections of the ruins. Jagged cracks raced across the stone, threatening to send everything tumbling down.

  Kaelin’s pulse pounded. They had seconds before the entire place collapsed.

  Behind her, Kana kept pace, moving with effortless speed despite the chaos. Even Rhen and Sienna, though their expressions were twisted with frustration, weren't stupid enough to stay behind.

  Kaelin's mind whirred through possibilities. If they were too slow, if she miscalculated for even a second.

  Her vision blurred.

  A five-second flash.

  The world warped ahead of her, debris crashing down, a boulder splitting the path, a narrow gap just wide enough to slip through.

  Kaelin snapped back to the present.

  “Left!” she shouted.

  Kana, despite herself, didn’t hesitate. She veered sharply, just as a massive stone slammed down behind them, cutting off their previous path.

  Rhen and Sienna barely made it past in time.

  The walls trembled. The final collapse was coming.

  The exit was ahead, just past a stretch of unstable flooring.

  Kaelin’s mind flashed forward.

  A step too slow meant death. A moment’s hesitation meant getting buried alive.

  She clenched her jaw.

  Not an option.

  Kaelin surged forward.

  With every ounce of strength, she leapt.

  Her foot barely touched the edge of the cracked stone before she pushed off, launching herself toward the open air.

  The others followed.

  Kana, fast and fluid.

  Sienna, right behind her.

  Rhen, teeth gritted.

  The floor caved in.

  For a split second, Kaelin thought Rhen wouldn’t make it.

  But he lunged, barely catching the edge of the threshold as the last of the ruins collapsed behind him.

  A deep, earth-shaking boom filled the air as the temple gave one final, agonizing groan—

  Then it was gone.

  Dust and debris billowed into the night sky. The ruins of the ancient structure had been swallowed by their own weight, leaving behind nothing but rubble and silence.

  ***

  Kaelin lay on her back, breathing hard, the idol still clutched in her fingers. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears, her limbs aching from exertion.

  For a moment, nobody moved.

  Then Kana gave a slow, dry laugh.

  Kaelin turned her head, watching as Kana rolled onto her side, propping herself up on an elbow. "You know," she said, voice slightly hoarse from the dust, "I hate to say it, but that was actually kind of fun."

  Kaelin groaned. "We nearly died."

  Kana smirked. "Exactly."

  Before Kaelin could respond, a new voice cut through the air.

  "Well," Instructor Aldric stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, watching them with mild amusement. "That was certainly... dramatic."

  Kaelin forced herself to sit up. Others were approaching, the examiners, the other students who had been waiting for the results.

  Rhen cursed under his breath. He looked about one second away from punching something. “You cheated,” he muttered, glaring at Kaelin.

  Kaelin, still too exhausted to care, just shrugged. “What the fuck are you on about? Your mate here dropped the idol, we won.”

  The instructor smirked. "Indeed, you did."

  Later, after everything had settled, after the results had been officially announced and the trial declared over, Kaelin found herself sitting on the cool grass, exhaustion settling into her bones.

  She barely reacted when Kana flopped down beside her.

  For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

  “You’re not as useless as I thought,” Kana said casually.

  Kaelin snorted, rubbing her temples. “High praise.”

  Kana smirked. "Don’t get used to it."

  Kaelin rolled her eyes but found that, for once, the frustration wasn’t there. Just exhaustion.

  Maybe – just maybe – they were finally starting to figure out how to work together.

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