The three of them immediately stopped moving and pressed themselves against the wall as several Devourers swam past them.
"We even locked up and tortured the other red-haired prince to make him tell us where he hid his brother," one of the guards said with a cruel laugh. "But then his brother came right to our doorstep instead."
Another Devourer snorted. "Stubborn fool. He could have saved himself if he’d just told us."
Roxanna froze the moment she heard those words.
The man with the red hair? Wasn’t that Mera?
[Mera is still alive?!] she screamed in her mind. [I thought he was already dead!]
But when she thought about it more carefully, she realized that even in Azul’s memories, he had never actually seen Mera die with his own eyes. If that was the case, then there was still a good chance that Mera had survived.
"But I once heard that the blue-haired prince has something we need," one of the Devourers said.
"What is it?" another one asked.
"I’m not sure." He shrugged. "But Princess Sybill always said it would let her take control of the entire ocean."
Roxanna’s hands slowly tightened into fists when she heard Sybill’s name. Even now, she still couldn’t believe that the kind and gentle woman had secretly betrayed both her family and her kingdom.
"We’ll find out soon enough once that prince gives in and agrees to work with us."
A few moments later, the Devourers finally walked past them, allowing Roxanna and the others to let out quiet sighs of relief.
"We’ll find him before anything bad happens to him," Zeir said softly, trying to reassure her.
Roxanna gave a small nod and let Orion lead them toward the tower.
However, several Devourers were standing guard at the bottom of the stairs. Even though Roxanna’s group was hidden beneath the camouflage net, they would still be noticed the moment they tried to move through the crowd.
After all, every movement would create bubbles in the water. On top of that, it would be strange if the smell of seaweed suddenly drifted through the area.
"See? That’s why I said the seaweed wasn’t a very good idea," Roxanna said through telepathy.
"I’m sorry, Your Highness, but we didn’t have any other choice," Orion replied.
"Is there really no other way to reach the upper floor of the tower?" Zeir asked.
He carefully studied the staircase before looking around the area, hoping to find another path.
"Unfortunately, this is the only way up," Orion answered through telepathy. "The tower doesn’t even have any windows, so there’s no way for us to enter from the outside."
The only other option was to break through the tower itself, but that would immediately alert the Devourers and send them chasing after everyone.
"The stairs only go one way," Orion suddenly said. "All you have to do is keep climbing without stopping."
For some reason, Roxanna didn’t like the way he said those words. A bad feeling settled in her chest. It sounded as though he had already decided to sacrifice himself.
"Sir Orion... what are you planning to do?" Roxanna asked, narrowing her eyes.
Orion turned to her with a gentle smile.
"As a soldier, it is my duty to protect this kingdom and the royal family. So... please allow me to fulfill that duty one last time, Your Highness."
Roxanna’s eyes widened. "What are you saying?! Helga is still waiting for you outside! Are you planning to die before you even get to marry her?"
[His duty, my ass! I don’t want to sacrifice someone’s lover just so I can get my husband back!] Roxanna shouted in her mind.
However, Orion didn’t waver. "It’s not that I want to die today, Your Highness." He smiled faintly. "I believe in your abilities. I know you’ll be able to save me. That’s why... I’m placing my future in your hands."
Roxanna twitched at the corner of her eye because she didn’t like the idea of holding someone’s life in her hands.
She was about to stop Orion, but he had already rushed out from beneath the camouflage net. Since they had been hiding behind a massive pillar, it wasn’t strange for him to suddenly appear from that direction.
"Hey! You monsters!"
Orion pulled several small red balls from his pouch and threw them toward the Devourers. The moment they struck the hard stone floor, they exploded with a deafening blast.
[Those things are bombs?!] Roxanna shouted inwardly.
The explosion echoed through the palace, sending pieces of stone flying in every direction. A thick cloud of dust quickly spread through the water, making it difficult to see.
"What was that?!"
"An intruder!"
"Catch him!"
The Devourers immediately turned their attention to Orion. Without wasting a second, they rushed toward him with their weapons drawn.
Orion clicked his tongue before pulling out another bomb. "Come and get me, you ugly bastards!"
He threw it straight at the group charging toward him.
Boom!
Another explosion shook the tower, forcing several Devourers to stumble backward.
"Now!" Orion shouted through telepathy. "Go!"
Roxanna bit her lip so hard it almost bled. "Oh, I don’t like this..." she whispered.
Even so, she quickly swam toward the stairs with Zeir. He even scooped her into his arms so they could move much faster through the water.
Now that she had seen just how fast Zeir could swim, Roxanna became even more convinced that he had really been thrown into a river as a baby and forced to grow up in a place where he was never meant to be.
Behind them, the sounds of explosions continued to echo throughout the tower.
Each blast made Roxanna’s heart tighten.
She wanted to look back and she wanted to make sure Orion was still alive, but she couldn’t.
If she stopped now, Orion’s sacrifice would be meaningless, so she gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep moving, silently praying that they would reach Azul before it was too late.
After what seemed like forever, Roxanna finally reached the top floor with Zeir. He gently set her down before everyone cautiously stepped into the room.
The moment Roxanna looked up, her heart sank because the entire floor had been turned into a prison.
Rows of thick iron bars filled the room, creating several small cells. Some of them were empty, while others held prisoners who looked weak and exhausted.
After looking around, her eyes finally landed on someone familiar.
"Azul..." Her voice came out as nothing more than a whisper.
Inside one of the cells, Azul was sitting against the cold stone wall with his head lowered. His long blue hair was stained with blood, and fresh bruises covered almost every part of his body. One of his eyes was swollen shut, while dried blood trailed down the corner of his lips.
His breathing was slow and uneven, as though every breath caused him pain.
Not far from him, another familiar figure was locked inside a different cell.
"Mera..."
The red-haired prince looked no better. Chains bound both his wrists to the wall behind him, making it impossible for him to move freely. His clothes were torn, and countless cuts covered his arms and shoulders. Even so, he remained awake, his sharp eyes constantly watching the entrance.
But unlike Azul, who looked like he had only been imprisoned for a short while, Mera looked like he truly belonged behind those bars. There was no longer any light left in his eyes.
"Ro...xanna?" Azul’s voice echoed through their telepathic bond the moment he heard her voice in his mind.
He slowly raised his head and looked straight at her, his blue eyes filling with emotion. But the moment he remembered where they were, worry quickly replaced the joy on his face.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "This place is dangerous."
Without thinking twice, Roxanna rushed to his cell. She grabbed the cold iron bars with both hands and held them tightly.
"Azul, I’m here to save you," she said, her voice trembling. "Please... just hold on."
Azul lowered his gaze. "I can’t leave..." he admitted in a low voice.
Roxanna’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even Zeir, who had been about to break the lock on the cell door, stopped in his tracks and stared at him.
"What are you talking about?" Zeir asked with a frown. "It’s not like this is a comfortable place for you to stay."
Azul let out a soft chuckle, but immediately hissed as pain shot through the wound in his stomach.
"Sybill placed a tracking spell on me," he explained softly. "The Devourers will always know where I am. If I leave with all of you... then you’ll all be in danger."
Roxanna immediately shook her head. "As if I’d leave you behind!" she shouted. "I will never abandon you. Let’s get out of here first, and then we’ll figure out how to remove the spell. I’m sure Zeir will find a way to break it."
She pointed toward the nearby cell. "And we can bring Mera with us too!"
"Mera?" The moment Azul heard his brother’s name, the light in his eyes faded again. "I don’t think we can save him anymore, not in his current state."