Four: Out of Darkness

The secret door behind the bushes creaked softly as the old farmer opened it, revealing a narrow, damp, steeply descending passageway. The air inside was stuffy, smelling of wet earth and the moss growing wildly on the dirt walls. Qinny carefully supported Foreplay, who occasionally winced from the pain in her injured arm, while Win trailed behind, trying to sweep away their footprints with a large leaf he had picked up.

"Hurry, kid. Don't make a sound," the old farmer whispered,

his voice hoarse with age and tense tension. From the direction of the hut, the faint sound of shouting and heavy footsteps could be heard. All three of their hearts were pounding. The royal police had arrived at the hut and were most likely interrogating the farmer.

The journey through the dark passageway seemed to last forever, especially for Foreplay, who was starting to lose much of her strength. Her arm, which Qinny had bandaged so carelessly, continued to ooze fresh blood, leaving dark stains on the bandages. The passage eventually climbed slightly and emptied into a gap between the overhanging roots of a giant sea mangrove tree, forming a sort of natural gateway. They had reached the small forest the farmer had mentioned, a wilder, more untended area on the edge of the Exodus Kingdom. Pale moonlight filtered through the dense foliage, providing only minimal illumination.

"From here, just follow this brackish water stream toward the clearer sound of the waves. There's a small fishing village there. May the sea spirits protect you and they'll help you," the farmer said,

pointing in a direction where the sound of the crashing waves was more distinct. He then pulled a small package from beneath his simple robe, containing a few pieces of dried smoked fish and chewy sea fruits.

"This is all Grandpa has for you. Go now, before dawn breaks and the morning patrol begins."

Without waiting for further thanks, the old farmer turned and nimbly disappeared back into the secret passage, blocking the gap with a pile of dry leaves and twigs until it was almost invisible.

The three of them were silent for a moment, breathing in the slightly fresher salty air of the coastal forest.

"We have to find a place to properly treat Foreplay's wounds," Win said, his face anxious as he watched his friend's increasingly pale condition as she leaned weakly against Qinny.

Qinny nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. "That fishing village is our only hope for medicine and perhaps a temporary hiding place. But we also have to be extremely vigilant. We don't know if the residents there will be friendly or turn on us for a reward."

Foreplay, with the last of her strength, murmured softly, "Alven... what about Alven? We have to... find him..."

"We will find him, Foreplay. I promise," Qinny replied softly, trying to reassure her friend, but her own eyes conveyed deep worry for Alven, now alone in the midst of pursuit. "But right now, you have to be strong first. For all of us."

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of the Exodus Kingdom, now deserted after the chaos of the celebration, Alven was still a shadow darting between the coral buildings. He managed to get away from the main police force, but several smaller patrols were still persistently searching suspicious areas. He jumped from one rooftop to another, exploiting the dark shadows cast by the underwater city's unique architecture.

"Damn, they really are like blood-sucking leeches!" Alven hissed, catching his breath behind a statue of an ancient sea god covered in colorful anemones.

He could hear the rapid swishing of the police's fins and their shouts of command as they drew nearer, then approached again from another direction. One of the police even grabbed the hem of his robe before he managed to dodge with an acrobatic maneuver that nearly caused him to slip.

He had to think fast. The main city was definitely under siege. He remembered old stories he'd heard from traveling merchants about ancient, long-abandoned underwater caravan routes located on the outskirts of the kingdom, near areas of wild kelp forests bordering open water. Perhaps there he could find a hiding place or even a way out of King Albert's domain.

With a glimmer of new hope, Alven changed direction, instinctively moving toward the outer limits of the kingdom, away from the center of splendor that had now become his hunting ground. The thought of his friends—the agile Qinny, the resourceful Win, and the now-possibly-injured Foreplay—continued to gnaw at his heart. He had to find them. But he knew he would be of no use to them if he himself was captured. He had to survive first, then devise a new plan to reunite and, perhaps, rethink his entire mission.

The small forest at the edge of the Exodus Kingdom felt stifling. Qinny and Win, with the half-conscious Foreplay between them, moved as fast as they could along the brackish waters toward the sound of the waves. The old farmer's provisions wouldn't last long, and Foreplay's injuries were worsening. Each step felt heavy, haunted by the fear of the kingdom's patrols and the uncertainty of Alven's fate. The fishing village they were heading for was in ruins, destroyed by either a storm or an ancient conflict, forcing them to continue along the barren, rocky coastline, away from the center of Exodus. Hope dwindles as the energy of Foreplay is drained.