I looked left, then right. Even in the thick darkness, I could see the corridor stretching endlessly in both directions, cold and empty.

I pushed against the old iron door, hoping for the best, but it didn't budge. Locked, of course. They must have known someone could break out of the restraints, so they relied on a door even a monster wouldn't move.

But… I did have a little skill in lockpicking. Let's just say I picked up some weird hobbies from social media.

Using my acupuncture needles, it took only a short moment of trial and error before I finally heard the soft click.

I pushed against the door as gently as I could, praying it wouldn't screech. If I got caught now, I'd be dragged into another fight, and I was in no shape for reckless battles. Even a simple guard could probably overpower me right now.

I remembered Silver coming from the right. There was definitely a path that way, but what if I ran into her too soon?

I didn't want another direct confrontation. Revenge had to be taken in silence, and I hated admitting it, but she was still too strong for me, even with my ice powers.

My eyes drifted to the empty tunnel stretching endlessly to the left. What about that side? I wondered, and decided to take my chances. Anything was better than waiting here for a certain death.

Step by step, I walked through the darkness. The deeper I went, the longer this tunnel seemed to stretch, like it wanted to swallow me whole. After a while, a faint sound reached my ears. Breathing.

There's somebody else locked up here?

I was not exactly surprised. This was the capital, after all. What surprised me more was how empty the prison felt. That probably meant nobody was as stupid as me to pick a fight with their knights. Now that I thought about it, it really was a bad decision. A very bad one.

But oh well. Too late to cry over it now. I would just have to be more careful in the future.

My eyes scanned the person behind the bars. Their body wasn't chained like mine had been, no visible restraints tugging at their limbs. But something else held them in place.

Thin golden lines stretched across their skin, weaving over their body in a pattern so intricate it almost looked alive. Whatever it was, it bound them from every corner of the cell, curling in like the roots of a tree clutching its prey.

"Pitiful…" I murmured softly. I felt for them. Maybe it was because I was wronged by the world myself, cursed to walk a path where both sides saw me as an enemy. Neither human nor vampire truly accepted me. "Let me lend you a hand… if I even can," I whispered, though the figure gave no response. It was like their mind had already slipped away.

I slid a needle into the lock. It clicked open with barely any resistance, but I didn't step inside. Instead, I lifted my hand and let frost spill out in a cold, steady wave. The temperature dropped instantly, mist coiling across the room as my frost spread toward the places where the golden lines seeped from the walls.

The lines dimmed at once, flickering like dying embers, though they didn't fully fade. They were weakened, that much I could tell, but still holding on. Some kind of magic… binding them as tightly as roots clinging to earth.

Whoever this person was, they had to be important. Or dangerous. Maybe both. Maybe they would be my doom. Or maybe they would be my ticket out of here.

But in truth, I acted for one simple reason. Pity… and the feeling of recognizing a fellow wretch of this world.

At that moment, the entire cell began to shake, and my face dropped. Shit… why do I always meddle with danger? I instinctively stepped back, ready to turn and run, but before I moved, my gaze met a sudden green glow.

Two eyes were staring at me from the darkness, sharp and bright like emeralds, cutting straight through my soul. I froze for a heartbeat, unable to look away. The golden lines binding the prisoner reacted instantly, flaring with a fierce light as they tried to push through my frost. The temperature rose enough to crack my ice apart in thin, splintering lines.

Whoever this was extended their arms.

The bindings shattered in a burst of soft golden dust that scattered through the air like glowing snow. Light filled the cell, washing away the shadows, and I finally saw the figure clearly: ragged clothes, long brown hair tangled and dull, emerald eyes that refused to dim even in captivity, and skin pale and dried from far too long without sunlight. Their frame was petite, almost frail, with barely any fat left beneath the skin. Only those eyes held life.

That was enough for me. Whatever I had just released was not my problem right now. I needed to flee before I made everything worse. The moment the thought hit, a loud commotion echoed from the right side of the tunnel.

"She's escaped!" a male guard shouted, his voice trembling.

"She cannot have gotten far. Do not let her get away, no matter what!" And there it was… Silver's voice, sharp and unmistakable.

My heart dropped. Time to run.

But the second I tried to run, a hand shot out and clamped around my arm with surprising strength.

"Take… me…"

The voice was feminine, but so hoarse it scraped through the air like broken glass. It sounded like she had not tasted water in months. Judging by her appearance… maybe even longer.

"Get off, I did everything I could to help you. I can't risk my life to—"

My words choked off. My heart gave that familiar, unwanted thump, the one that always dragged me back to who I used to be. Before I died. Before I became this. I had once lived to save others, no matter how much it hurt me. I had been a doctor before I became anything close to selfish.

I couldn't leave her here, not like this. It went against every instinct buried in my bones.

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