Meeting 04

Lidi looked up, somewhat bewildered.

She knew that her anger couldn't possibly cause such a commotion. But this kind of situation had never happened here before. Even the magic lamps on the walls, which never went out, were swaying violently, casting flickering shadows that stretched and shrank the shadows of the cell bars, as if they were living monsters.

"What's going on?" Hemi muttered. She had been joking earlier, of course—if Lidi could make the earth tremble just by getting angry, the two of them wouldn't be locked up in a place like this together.

A series of chaotic footsteps echoed from the corridor outside, the shouts of the guards mingling with hurried footfalls, all heading toward the stairs above. Someone tripped over a bucket at the end of the hallway, and water seeped along the cracks in the stone, flowing all the way to the front of Lidi and Hemi's cell.

"I don't know..." Lidi shook her head. "But something big must be happening."

"Maybe we can use this chance to escape?" Hemi's eyes glimmered slightly, a mix of fear and anticipation stirring in her chest.

"But how do we get out of here?" Lidi pointed at the iron door in front of them. The bolt was secured from the outside—a simple mechanism: lift it and slide it aside to open the door, but there was no way for anyone inside to open it.

Although the door had a small barred window, only five fingers could fit through it, and if you were unlucky, they'd get stuck. Hemi tried anyway, her slender fingers probing fruitlessly against the cold iron bars, nowhere near reaching the bolt.

Even a grown man couldn't break down an iron door like this, let alone two underage girls. The harsh reality lay before them, like a bucket of cold water dousing the flame of hope that had just flickered to life. Even if this place were to collapse the very next second, all they could do was sit here and wait to die.

"Well, let's just stay here and wait quietly." Hemi sighed, slumping back onto the mattress and burying her face between her knees.

Boom—

Another terrible crash came from above, as if the entire dungeon were groaning in agony, dust falling like snowflakes. But after the first tremors, there was much less dust this time—probably most of the loose debris had already shaken loose from the initial shockwaves.

Lidi and Hemi huddled together, pulling what might have been someone's blanket over their heads. No one wanted to suddenly become filthy, and it also gave them a small sense of security—if the ceiling bricks fell, at least there'd be some cushion.

Boom—

The tremors came one after another, as if some colossal creature was locked in fierce combat right above their heads. Every shake made their hearts tremble along with it.

"I'm scared, Lidi..." Hemi murmured, her voice muffled under the blanket. "What kind of terrifying thing could cause such a ruckus?"

"I'm scared too..." Lidi shrunk closer, pressing herself tighter against Hemi. On a normal day, Hemi would have been thrilled, but in this unknown situation, she had no heart to let out a mischievous giggle and tease her cute companion. They were like two frightened little animals, huddling together through the storm.

Boom—

With one final thunderous crash, things above finally quieted down. The tremors ceased, and there was no sound for a long while. This sudden silence was more unsettling than all the previous noise, as if the entire world were holding its breath.

Clear footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, each one landing on everyone's hearts.

Lidi and Hemi squeezed together at the small barred window, trying to see what was happening outside. Their cheeks were almost touching, and they could feel each other's rapid breathing.

Across the way, they met two pairs of eyes peering out from the opposite cell window—clearly, most of the people imprisoned here were in the same situation.

Then, they saw him. The newcomer was a vampire...

And not just any vampire—a noble pureblood, completely unlike the half-blood guards here. He had silver hair that flowed like moonlight, deep crimson eyes, and unmatched beauty. Every gesture was steeped in elegance.

A chill ran through Lidi and Hemi. They didn't know... what a pureblood vampire coming here meant... Was it a deeper disaster, or an unexpected turning point?

"Is this the third level?" Aina's gaze slowly swept across the surroundings.

On the surface it was a brewery, but there were three full floors underground. Quite the elaborate operation.

"Creak—"

At every cell door, the bolts were devoured by an invisible force of spatial magic, leaving round holes the size of a bowl. The iron doors creaked open, the sound piercing through the deathly silent dungeon.

But no one came out.

Fear and unease still gripped these young prisoners. No one knew what would happen if they left their cells without permission.

From behind came two more sets of footsteps—one steady and composed, the other impatient and urgent.

"Lidi! Are you in here? Lidi!"

The moment La Di arrived, he ignored everything else, glancing around frantically and shouting at the top of his voice.

"Has anyone seen my daughter? Her name is Lidi! She's fifteen years old—she should be here!"

La Di searched wildly, peering into cell after cell.

"He knows you?" Hemi's eyes widened in surprise, nudging Lidi with her elbow. "Who is he?"

When Hemi looked at Lidi, she found her standing frozen in place, tears streaming down her face.

"Father!"

Finally, a cry laced with sobs broke through the blockage in her throat. Lidi ran out and threw herself into the man's arms.

La Di stood there stunned, his body trembling slightly. He looked at his daughter in his arms, as if he couldn't believe it was real. Carefully, he reached out a hand—afraid this was just a fragile dream—then suddenly pulled her into a fierce embrace. The tears he'd been holding back finally broke free, rolling down his weathered cheeks and dripping onto Lidi's hair.

"Lidi... I finally found you..." His voice choked, every word heavy with months of anguish and searching. His fingers gently stroked her hair, feeling the realness of her, as if to confirm this wasn't another heartbreaking dream.

Aina stood off to the side with a cold expression, seeming uncomfortable with such a sentimental scene. Xia Lun patted her on the shoulder.

"Everyone, come out. We're here to rescue you."

Xia Lun spoke to the people in the surrounding cells.

Only then did people begin to file out of their rooms one by one.

They clearly all recognized Lidi—though none knew her well—but the father-daughter reunion had stirred something in their hearts.

"Head upstairs. Those guards have already been dealt with," Xia Lun said calmly. "There are people from the Wings of Dawn up top to receive you. Whoever wants to go home can go home... You're all free now."

Most people still wore a somewhat dazed look in their eyes. They had been here for far too long, and as for what was happening right now... they all felt a hint of numbness.

But some had already started running toward the outside, and the others, catching sight of this, followed along in droves like a school of fish.

Hemi watched the surging mass of people scrambling out, pressed her lips together, and her expression carried no joy—but her gaze was, if anything, a little complicated.

"How wonderful it all is..."