The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 215: Empty Cabinet

She moved forward in disbelief, her breath caught in her throat. Her ears picked up on the slightest bit of sound, followed by a trickle of warmth.

Soleia’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as her instincts told her to turn. She pivoted on her heel just in time to see a rush of flames, and she raised her hands to shield her face on pure reflex. The fire in the air quickly died out, absorbed into the palm of her hand in a curl of smoke.

Once the flames had disappeared, Soleia didn’t even have the luxury of time to relax and have a look at who her attacker was. A pair of hands wrapped around her neck, and Soleia let out a strangled sound as her back knocked against the edge of the desk.

She squeezed her eyes shut as a bolt of pain shot through her lower back, causing her to grunt under her breath before she cracked open her eyes to look at her attacker.

The man who stood before her was one of the prisoners― Evander, if she remembered his name correctly, a teenager plucked off the streets of Reaweth. According to Prince Raziel, he was brought in with Anastasia, and the two seemed to be good friends.

Soleia hadn’t personally interacted with him before. The last few visits, Evander had been too weak despite Raziel’s healing magic. As such, he was left alone most of the time.

"How did you―" Soleia started to say, but Evander merely squeezed even tighter. His shirt pocket began to glow a subtle red color, and recognition flitted into Soleia’s eyes.

He had stolen a crystal.

"I’ve wanted to do this ever since you killed her," Evander growled.

He was lanky and thin, made of nothing more than skin and bones due to his malnutrition. Raziel made sure to feed them enough to keep them alive, but trapped in such a small space with no proper sunlight and nutrients, like the plants used to decorate the walls, they would soon wilt away.

Yet, with anger and hatred fueling his adrenaline, the strength he possessed easily overpowered Soleia physically. His fingers curled and tightened around her neck with the intention to kill, and Soleia immediately latched on, trying to pry his hands away but to no avail.

"She wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for you," Evander continued to say. His eyes were red, filled with bloodlust as he gritted his teeth. "If it weren’t for you..."

His words trailed off as the red glow of the stolen gemstone in his pocket began to turn brighter. Soleia widened her eyes with alarm as she tightened her grip on Evander’s hands. She clutched with as much force as she could, her nails digging into the palm of his hands and eventually drawing blood, but she cared not.

Slowly but surely, she felt his hands and fingers heating up, her tender neck quickly turning red as heat prickled against her skin. But at the same time, her earrings began to glow as well, and the heat of Evander’s hands quickly returned to normal.

"You―" Evander said, staring at her in shock. "So it’s true," he said. "You are a nullifier after all."

Soleia said nothing. She merely clenched her teeth and drew her head back. Then, with great force, she brought her head forward. Her forehead collided against that of Evander’s, and the boy automatically dropped his hold on her. Expletives fell from his lips as he let go to clutch his forehead, cradling the new bruise as Soleia fell to the floor.

She coughed a few times to regain her breath, her hand clutching her tender throat. Then, without wasting more time, she quickly crawled onto her feet and darted straight for the door again.

However, the prisoners who had their backs turned against her just now had their eyes on her now. She hadn’t noticed previously, but the locks on their gates had long since come undone. They were simply sitting in there, biding their time for her to walk further in.

Now that Evander had made the first move, they stood to their feet as well, rushing out of their cages to block the exit.

Soleia stopped in her tracks, her breath shaky as more and more people started to crowd around her. They seemed more like ghouls than proper humans, here to ferry her to the land of the undead for all the crimes she had done against them.

In their hands and pockets were crystals of various colors. It seemed like Raziel’s entire research collection had ended up in their hands some way or another.

"You have the crystals," Soleia said, trying to keep her voice firm. "Why don’t you escape?"

"Escape?" someone said. "Now, why would we do that when we can kill you?"

"There is no escape," Evander added. He walked forward, and the crowd parted slightly for him to pass through. "There is only revenge."

Soleia didn’t even have the time to protest that by all technicality, she hadn’t done anything to harm them. However, there was no reasoning with a mob, not when there were twenty of them and only one of her.

Bolts of magic shot towards her― ice crystals, flames, and some even moved the metal bars of the cages. Soleia could only hold out her hands to deflect. Magic flowed from that of the practitioners and into her body, filling her with warmth, and unbeknownst to her, the ring in her pocket started to heat up as well.

As if realizing that magic wouldn’t work on her, the prisoners resorted to physical violence instead. Someone yanked the metal bars free, reshaping them into swords, and it was quickly handed out to the prisoners one by one. With their weapons in their hands, they charged towards Soleia.

Time seemed to slow down, and Soleia felt her heart get caught in her throat. She reached her hand into her pocket to grab the ring, slipping it onto her finger. It wasn’t her intention to use the unfinished product right here and now, but if she didn’t, it could be the end for her.

However, before Soleia could even summon the magic that she had stolen, there came a flash of green, followed by the yells of several prisoners as they shot out of the way. They crashed into the walls, flew back into their cages, and some even snapped into two upon impact.

Blood splattered everywhere, and Soleia winced in fear before her eyes landed on a head of red hair and a pair of blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dim lighting of the dungeon. Her breath stilled; she couldn’t believe her eyes.

"Orion!" free𝑤ebnovel.com