Chapter 2: Escape

“Alix? What are you doing here?!”
I’m just relieved it’s not another clan member—or worse, Alexandre.

Alix steps forward slowly, stunned by what she sees in front of her.
“What is going on, Lucian?” she asks, her voice shaking. “Sophie radioed me. She said something was off with you and that I needed to check on you.”

“Does she know about this?” I ask, worry creeping into my voice.

“It didn’t sound like she did,” Alix replies. Her eyes drop to Ella. “What the hell is going on, Lucian? Is she... is she what I think she is?”

I understand her concern. If any other clan members show up and realise who Ella is, we’re going to be in serious trouble.

“Listen,” I say quickly, pointing toward the pod. “We don’t have much time. We need to take Lucy and flee Rose.”

“What are you even saying, Lucian?” Alix’s brow furrows with disbelief. “Do you know them? Do you realise what we’re dealing with here?” Her voice is tight with impatience.

“Listen, Alix!” I motion to Ella. “This is Ella—and her daughter, Lucy. Ella led me here and needs my help. Our help. Lucy’s father is the leader of the Fallen Angels. He’s the one who turned Henri.”

Alix’s eyes widen in shock. She lets out a sarcastic laugh and turns her back to me.
“This is just great.”
She sighs deeply and faces me again.
“Do you realise how screwed we are if we don’t report this? How do you think Alexandre and Gabriel are going to react? And now you want to take the child and run?”

“I know it’s a lot to take in—I felt the same way. But Ella is genuine. I believe her. If Lucy really is his daughter, then we need to think carefully. We’ll need her when they come after us. We need all the help we can get. If we hand them over to the clans, who knows what they’ll do to them? They won’t listen to us. Or to Ella.”

Alix looks torn. I can see it in her eyes. I don’t blame her, but we need to decide—now.

“Where would we even go, Lucian? Have you thought this through?”
Her eyes flick down to my arm. “What happened here?” she asks, grabbing it and inspecting the injury.

“I don’t know how she did it, but when she touched me, she read my memories. That’s how she knew about Henri. She said we need to go to the Zulu Kingdom.”

Alix looks up at me, confused.
“The Zulu Kingdom? What does she know that we don’t?”

“Apparently so,” I reply. “She said it would be safe.”
Though I’m still unsure about it, it’s the only lead we currently have.
Something about the way Ella said it makes me think… there might be some truth to it.

“You really trust her? A Fallen Angel?” Alix asks, glancing over at Ella. “How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not sure, Alix,” I admit. “But what other option do we have? I can’t just leave Lucy. She’s still an innocent child. If the clan decides to kill them both, I won’t be able to live with myself.”

Alix places her hands behind her head, visibly frustrated.
“You’re not making this easy for me, Lucian. You’re asking me to betray our family. You do know what that means, right?”

“Of course I do,” I say, my expression hardening.
Alix’s face mirrors mine—stern, conflicted.

There’s a heavy silence between us.

Suddenly, her walkie crackles to life. Someone’s calling.

We stare at each other, tension thick in the air.
“You need to answer it, Alix,” I say. “If you don’t, they’ll know something’s wrong.”

Alix slowly reaches for the walkie. My heart pounds harder with dread.

“This is Alix,” she answers.

“You and Lucian need to get out of there. Take the child and go to the Zulu Kingdom.”

We both freeze. The voice—we recognize it immediately.

“Sophie?” Alix and I say at the same time, stunned.

“How...?” Alix begins, but Sophie cuts her off.

“I bugged your walkie and have been listening in on your conversation,” she says bluntly. “Listen to me. You need to go. Now. The clan knows about the ship that crash-landed outside the kingdom. They’re trying to keep it from going public. That area’s already sealed off. They don’t know your friend’s whereabouts yet, but that could change any second. Right now, I’m the only one who knows.”

Alix and I glance at each other, equally surprised. A crashed ship? We hadn’t even known.
They really are keeping this under wraps.
No wonder the clan isn’t swarming the kingdom.

“So what?” Alix scoffs. “We just take my bakkie and drive out of Rose?”

“Yes,” Sophie answers with urgency. “Take the child and go—before another clan member or even Alexandre shows up.”

That settles it. We’re going to the Zulu Kingdom.

“I know the two of you have never felt truly loyal to the clan. I don’t blame you,” Sophie continues. “You’ve both been through a lot. Now you have a chance to get out... maybe even survive this.”

She’s not sugarcoating anything. If we’re caught, that’s it. Sophie won’t be able to help us.

It’s now or never.

“Alix, let’s take Lucy and go,” I plead, desperation leaking into my voice.
“I’m willing to risk everything if there’s even a small chance we can get away from this life.”
I place my hand on her shoulder. “Please, Alix.”

“Take my daughter,” Ella says unexpectedly.
I guess she didn’t want to interrupt earlier.

“I can sense two powerful auras that just entered your kingdom.”

Alix and I look at each other.

She can’t mean...

“Hold on,” Sophie says, then hangs up on Alix.

There’s a deafening silence for a few seconds.

The walkie crackles back to life.

“I don’t know how your friend did it,” Sophie says, “but those two auras are Alexandre and Gabriel. They just informed me they entered the kingdom through the northern gate. They didn’t say anything else, but I can buy you some time to leave through the eastern gate.”

This is it.

I move toward the pod containing Lucy. I stare at it, unsure what to think.

“Don’t worry—she’ll recognize you,” Ella says gently. “Take her. Please.”

I bend down, then glance at Ella.
“We’ll come back for you,” I say.

She smiles sadly.
“That’s generous of you to say, but I don’t think I’ll ever see you or Lucy again.”

I don’t want to admit it, but she’s probably right. The odds of her surviving are slim.

Alix kneels beside her.
“Listen, Ella, was it? You need to prepare yourself for the worst. They’re going to capture you. Torture you. Get every piece of information they can. Whether you comply or not, they’ll likely kill you afterward. I know it’s not what you want to hear.”

Ella gives her the same reassuring smile she gave me.
“Thank you, Alix. If I must die, then so be it. All I care about is my daughter getting a chance at life. I know I’ve put both of you in a difficult situation—but I believe you’ll survive this. Now, it’s time you went.”

“Sophie, we’re going now,” Alix radios.

“Lucian, take Lucy,” she instructs.

I lift the pod. I’m surprised at how light it is.

“Good,” Sophie’s voice crackles through the walkie. “I’ll do what I can to help you. This is probably the last time you’ll hear from me. I’m sorry things turned out like this. I love both of you—more than I ever showed.”

“We love you too, sis,” Alix replies softly.

Sophie ends the transmission.

“You ready, Lucian?” Alix asks.

“Yes, I am. Let’s go,” I say.

I glance back at Ella one last time as we exit the alleyway.
For both our sakes... I hope we make it out alive. I hope we get to see each other again.

As we approach the bakkie, Alix turns to me.

“Listen, Lucian. We don’t know anything about Lucy, so you’ll ride in the backseat with her. Keep an eye on her.”

Ella said Lucy would protect me... What did she mean by that?

“Yes, I will,” I reply.

Alix walks to the driver’s side. I open the back door and slide in with Lucy. I place the pod beside me and secure it with the seatbelt. Can’t have her tumbling around—this road’s going to be bumpy.

Alix starts the bakkie, and slowly, we pull away.

It still hasn’t fully hit me. We’ve betrayed our family. We’ve sided with our sworn enemies—our creators.

Guilt gnaws at me.
I’ve dragged Alix—and even Sophie—into this. I don’t want them to suffer because of my decisions.

I close my eyes.

Please, God. Help us. I know I’ve been distant from You... but we need a miracle to make it safely to the Zulu Kingdom.

“Hey Lucian, keep your head down until we reach the eastern gate. We don’t want to be seen unnecessarily,” Alix says, pulling on a hat and lowering it slightly.
“We’re not out of trouble just yet. We’re heading for the eastern gate—we’ll have to hope Sophie comes through, whatever she meant by that.”

I’m guessing she’ll distract the guards somehow. They’re probably on high alert, knowing a Fallen Angel is somewhere in Rose.
Whoever attacked Ella must’ve informed the clan.
That’s the part that bugs me—how could a Fallen Angel take such a beating? They created us. Aren’t they supposed to be superior?

I have so many questions.

“Listen, Lucian—take this blanket and put it over Lucy,” Alix says, handing me a blanket she pulled from the passenger seat.
“Also, place her on the floor, not on the seat. That pod looks way too suspicious.”

I unbuckle the seatbelt holding Lucy in place.
It’s strange—she’s not crying or stirring. It’s like she’s in a deep slumber or something.

Gently, I lift the pod and lower it onto the bakkie’s floor, making sure it stays upright. Then I drape the blanket over it, covering it completely.

“All right, Alix. It’s done,” I tell her.

She glances at me through the rearview mirror.
“Good. We’re getting close to the eastern gate. We need to be ready for whatever happens. If they try to stop us, we may have to haul ass out of there.
I don’t think it’ll come to that though. The clan doesn’t take us seriously anyway—we’re just children to them.”

“Yeah... especially to Alexandre and Gabriel,” I mutter.

Silence follows.

“I’m scared of how Alexandre will react to this,” Alix finally says, her voice quieter.

“Let’s not think about that now, Alix,” I reply. “We need to get out of Rose first.”

As we near the eastern gate, we stay alert, checking constantly to make sure no one’s following us.

Each meter we cover tightens the knot in my chest. I can feel the anxiety building, and I know it’s affecting Alix too.

I’ve never been outside Rose before. I’ve only read and heard about the other kingdoms.
My father—along with Alexandre and Gabriel—are the only ones I know of who’ve ventured out.

I’ve heard a lot about the Zulu Kingdom. It’s supposed to be the largest of them all. Their military is rumored to be even bigger than the clan’s.

But what if us fleeing there triggers a war?
What if innocent people die because of our decision?

This whole situation is so messed up.

I’ll probably never see Rose again.

I’ll never see Sophie, Lungisile, or even Amund again.
I just hope the clan doesn’t go after them to use them as leverage against us.

The thought makes my stomach twist. The anxiety sharpens.

What would you say to me now, Mother?

Looks like Alix and I are following in your footsteps.

If only you’d taken us with you that night.

I close my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside me.

I think of Ella—her sincere smile, and her eyes.
Her eyes were beautiful. Almost mesmerizing, like staring into a clear blue ocean… and being enveloped by it.

Then everything changed.

There was wind on my face—not the stale air of the bakkie, but something crisp, clean.

I opened my eyes.

I was sitting on the ledge of a tall building.
The city beneath me stretched endlessly—sleek, modern, and almost impossibly quiet.
Lights flickered to life below like stars scattered on the ground.

The sky was breathtaking.
A deep orange bled into violet, clouds stretched like ribbons across the horizon.
The kind of sunset that made time slow down. That made you ache.

I didn’t recognize the place.
It wasn’t Rose. It wasn’t anywhere I’d ever been.
But somehow… it felt familiar.

I felt something warm trickle down my cheek.

I was crying.

Not out of fear. Not sorrow.
It was deeper than that. The beauty of it—the peace of it—stirred something I hadn’t felt in years.
Something I’d buried under too many nights… and too many regrets.

Then I saw her.

A little girl, sitting just beside me on the ledge.
Her legs swung like mine, small hands folded in her lap.
Her face was turned slightly away, and the sun caught her in such a way that her features blurred—like she was made of light and memory.

She didn’t speak. Neither did I.

But her presence… it filled the moment with something gentle. Something I couldn’t explain.

“Lucian?”

The voice yanked me back.

My eyes snapped open.
The bakkie. The road. The tension. All of it returned in an instant.

“Are you okay?” Alix asked, half-turned in her seat.

I wiped my face. My fingers came away damp.

“Yeah,” I said, quieter than I meant to. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”

She gave me a look but didn’t press.
The road kept rolling beneath us, each bump a reminder we were still in Rose—not free yet.

I glanced down at the pod beside me.
Lucy hadn’t moved. Still asleep. Still silent. Still hidden under the blanket.

I didn’t know what had just happened.
A dream? A memory from someone else’s life?
Maybe I was just losing it.

But the way it made me feel—that calm, that ache—it lingered.

And the girl…
There was something about her.

“This is it, Lucian. We’re coming up on the eastern gate. Just act natural, and I’m sure we’ll get through,” Alix says, a nervous edge in her voice.

I lean back in my seat, trying to appear calm. I glance down at Lucy, hidden beneath the blanket on the floor. She’s out of sight — for now. My heart’s pounding. Act natural? In a moment like this?

The gate looks quiet. A few people on horseback with carriages are heading in — probably from the Basotho Kingdom. Not many people are leaving Rose. Just two bakkies ahead of us. Farmers, by the look of it. Likely heading back to the outer farming district.

One of the bakkies pulls through the gate, and we inch forward. I force myself to stay calm, though my body wants to run.

“Get ready, Lucian,” Alix says, her voice firm now. “If things go south, I’m flooring it.”

I nod, guilt twisting in my gut. I dragged her into this. But there’s no going back. The clan has probably found Ella by now. In her condition, she won’t be able to resist. I don’t want to think about what they’ll do to her... but I can’t pretend to be hopeful either.

The bakkie ahead of us clears the gate. The guard waves us forward.

This is it.

Alix grips the steering wheel tight as we move up. Then the guard raises his hand — we stop again.

He approaches her side of the bakkie.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Alix greets him, polite and composed.

“Good afternoon,” he replies, then glances at me. I nod in return.

“What’s your business outside the walls?” he asks.

Didn’t Sophie say she’d help us? What are we supposed to say now?

Another guard appears on the left, circling us from a distance, eyeing the vehicle.

“Our sister, Sophie Durand, sent us on an errand outside the walls,” Alix says confidently.

The guard’s expression changes — surprise flashing across his face.

“You must be Alix and Lucian,” he says. “Forgive me. I didn’t recognize you.”

Alix chuckles lightly. “It’s alright, sir. We’re not nearly as famous as our older siblings.”

She’s doing a good job keeping it together. Better than I expected.

“And what errand would that be?” the guard asks, narrowing his eyes. “We don’t allow civilians or clansmen beyond the walls unless they live in the farming district or have valid clearance.”

He must’ve heard about Ella’s crash...

His radio crackles to life.

“Yes?” he answers.

“This is Sophie Durand. Please allow my siblings to continue. Their task is important.”

She came through for us.

The guard straightens, clearly startled. “Yes, Lieutenant!”

“Thank you, soldier,” Sophie replies.

He lowers the walkie, still staring at it as if it’s haunted. Clearly, Sophie has access to more than just our channel.

“Are we free to go?” Alix asks, eyeing him cautiously.

He hesitates. “Well… if Lieutenant Durand gave the order, I can’t exactly refuse, can I?”

He signals to the other guard to lift the blockade. “You can go.”

“Thank you, sir. We’ll be on our way,” Alix says.

She shifts the bakkie into gear and begins to move — slowly, carefully.

Then the walkie crackles again.

No… not now…

“Yes?” the guard says.

“This is Lieutenant Alexandre Durand.”

A chill runs down my spine. Alix catches my eye in the rearview mirror — she’s just as terrified.

“How can I help, Lieutenant?” the guard replies, trying to sound neutral.

“Have my siblings, Alix and Lucian, passed through the eastern gate?”

No. No, no, no. They’ve found Ella. They’ve picked up our trail.

“Wait! Stop! You two — stop the bakkie!” the guard yells.

But before I can even speak, Alix slams the accelerator.

The bakkie surges forward. I’m thrown back in my seat.

I glance behind us — the guards are shouting, one of them already in pursuit.

“Buckle up, Lucian. They’re coming,” Alix says, eyes locked on the road.

I fumble with my seatbelt, heart hammering.

This is real. This is happening.

“Do you think we’ll make it?” I ask.

“I don’t think now’s the best time for that question, Lucian,” Alix says, eyes locked on the road.

“Yeah… fair point,” I mutter. “Are we heading straight for the Zulu Kingdom?”

She doesn’t answer right away. Her jaw tightens.
“We just need to get out of Rose first. They’ll send someone after us. Let’s pray it’s not Alexandre.”

Worst case scenario. If it’s him, how could we possibly outrun him?

The walkie on the dash crackles. My stomach drops.

“Should we answer it? Maybe it’s Sophie,” I suggest.

Alix shakes her head. “No. She said she’d cut contact after the gate. Just ignore it.”

The radio crackles again.

“I know you can hear me.”

That voice. Alexandre.

Alix’s knuckles whiten on the wheel, but she says nothing.

“I hope you’re ready for the consequences of betraying the family,” Alexandre’s voice growls through the static. “Say your prayers. I’ll be seeing you real soon.”

The line goes dead.

Shit. Fear slams into me harder than the bakkie bouncing over the gravel.

Without a word, Alix flips open the glovebox and pulls out a heavy .44 magnum revolver.

“You’re actually going to use that?” I ask, staring at the weapon.

She doesn’t answer — just slips it into a custom holster on the dash within easy reach.

“Listen, Lucian.” Her voice is steady now, all business. “You heard him. They won’t hold back just because we share blood. Neither can we.”

She’s right. I can’t afford hesitation.

“So we’re really gunning it for the Zulu Kingdom? You know it’s far, right?” I ask.

She shoots me a sideways glance. “You think I skipped geography?”

“Just making sure, sis,” I mutter, turning in my seat to check the road behind us. Nothing. Still, the roar of the bakkie and the crunch of gravel make it hard to listen for pursuit.

We blaze through the farming district. Farmers stop their work to glare as we speed past. A few guards stand watch nearby, but none of them move to stop us.

“Why aren’t they chasing us?” I ask, uneasy. “The clan must’ve radioed ahead.”

“Yeah,” Alix says, voice low and tense. “I don’t like it either. Something’s off.”

How do you think Father will react to this?” I ask quietly.

Alix doesn’t answer right away.
“Honestly? I don’t know,” she finally says. “I can’t even tell what’s going through his head anymore. One day he just… changed. Became distant. He’s never been the same since.”

She catches my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Right now, our biggest problem is Alexandre.”

“You think Gabriel would let him hurt us?” I ask, voicing the thought I’ve been dreading.

“Gabriel’s drowning in bigger problems,” Alix says firmly. “He’s too busy trying to keep the clans in line. And with the fallen angels at Rose’s doorstep, all his focus will be there.”

I nod. “Wouldn’t want to be in his position right now.”

My gaze drifts down to Lucy, still asleep in the pod. Nothing’s changed.

Then pain slams through my head like a spike. I squeeze my eyes shut.

A vision flashes before me — a dark figure, sprinting at an inhuman speed. The landscape… familiar. Rose’s outskirts?

Cold fear spreads through my chest. This isn’t random. Something’s coming.

The vision vanishes, and the pain dulls. I force myself to focus, blocking out the roar of the bakkie and crunch of gravel.

Focus, Lucian.

The world narrows to silence. Then—there. Footsteps. Distant but moving fast. Faster than anything human.

Another jolt of pain tears through my skull. The vision seizes me again — the same shadowy figure, sprinting through Rose’s landscape.

And then, Alexandre’s voice, low and venomous, whispers in my mind:
“I’ll be seeing you real soon.”

A shock ripples through me.

“Alix—he’s coming!” I shout, snapping out of the vision.

“Shit, Lucian, don’t do that!” she yells, though I hear the fear in her voice.

“I don’t know how, but it’s him! I heard him. He’s chasing us!”

Alix glances at me, uncertainty in her eyes. But then she seems to believe me. Her foot slams harder on the accelerator.

I reach out with my hearing again. This time, the sound is deafening. Footsteps. Close. Too close.

I whip my head to the left window—

Something blurs past.

Before I can blink, it vaults clean over the bakkie and lands on the right side.

I turn—and see him.

Alexandre.

He hasn’t fully turned yet.
For a split second our eyes lock—his are brimming with hatred and wrath.

Alexandre lunges toward us.

I flinch, bracing for impact, when a gunshot cracks the air.
Alexandre stumbles backward, hitting the dirt in the distance.

I whip my head toward Alix. She’s already sliding her magnum revolver back into its holster.
What just happened?

“That won’t put him down. He’ll be back,” she says, her voice shaking as she realizes what she’s done.

Before I can respond, pain sears through my skull. Another vision.
The shadowy figure again—Alexandre. Only now, his movements are different, more feral. He’s running on all fours.

We’ve pissed him off.

I snap my eyes open, gasping, and glance through the rear window.

“He’s coming,” I tell Alix, heart hammering. “I think he’s fully turned.”

“Would surprise me if he didn’t—after being shot in the face by his own blood.”

She doesn’t need me to explain. If Alexandre has turned into a lycan, a magnum won’t be enough to stop him. What the hell are we supposed to do?

A violent roar tears through the bakkie, shaking me to my core.

I turn and see him—Alexandre in full lycan form, a nightmare given flesh. Shivers crawl down my spine.

“Shit! The bakkie’s already going as fast as it can!” Alix snaps, frustration cutting her voice. She yanks the magnum free again, ready.

Alexandre is gaining.

I turn back toward her—only to find myself somewhere else. The futuristic city. The rooftop. The sunset.

The sight steadies me. The girl is there too, sitting beside me just like before. Her face is still hidden in shadow.

Who are you?

She extends her hand.
Hesitant, I reach for it. The moment our fingers touch, warmth floods through me, wrapping me in safety.

“Lucian, are you listening to me?!”

I jolt back to reality as Alix shakes me hard.

“Lucian! He’s right behind us!”

I spin toward the rear window—Alexandre is only meters away; his menacing eyes locked onto us.

He roars, the sound vibrating through my chest, dripping with rage.

Then I notice it—a faint blue glow. It’s coming from below, from where Lucy lies beneath the blanket.

I pull the blanket back. The moment my hand touches the pod, my vision blurs again.

The girl from the rooftop.
The pod. Two glowing blue dots.

And then—Alexandre screams in agony. His body twists, convulses, and he collapses onto the dirt behind us.

Alix looks back, eyes wide. “What the hell just happened?”

“It was Lucy,” I whisper, still shaken.

The visions… it was her all along. A baby yet somehow warning us. Protecting us.

“Lucian, are you okay?” Alix asks, stealing a glance at me in the mirror. “What did you just say about Lucy?”

I sink back into my seat, my mind spinning.

“I need to tell you something, Alix.”