heartgear

Desperate Escape

Added 2025-07-18 16:00:21 +0000 UTC

"No time, lolly." Neith grabs Lyra bodily around her back and thighs, ignoring the nymph’s hissed objections. "Fetch the other one, Ian, we have to GO!"

Ian pulls himself to his feet, staggering. The world’s starting to tilt, sloshing like water in a bowl. "... what have we done..." Ian whispers, lifting Lloyd into his arms and joining the rush for the exit.

"W-what about Madeline! Hedrick! Try-" Lloyd bites the name off, shakes his head. "We can't just leave them!"

Something whispers up from the depths of the caverns, a sound like wind moving in reverse. Panicked shapes rush toward them, shopkeepers and vendors, fleeing the darkening shadows for the light of the hotel.

"This was the King’s realm! It’s all coming apart without her!" Neith yells, "You want to be trapped with them? MOVE, Ian!"

The cavern is collapsing in on itself, folding away into sheets of darkness, like a curtain coming down over the entire Market. The wind whips around them as they flee. It's made of voices. Horrified shouts dwindling down to whispers. Lloyd thinks he can recognise some of them. Cadogan's bellow. Madeline's scream.

He's almost grateful when the sound is drowned out by Lyra's heartbroken shriek.

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Excerpt from Imago Ch26: Crossing the River .
Monday we post the final Imago illustration T^T