"This is the harbor where the transport ships dock. On the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month, a supply vessel arrives at Shattered Lake Prison, carrying both provisions and death row inmates. The ship is dium-sized and will be escorted by at least one squad of Bloodrage Hunters tasked with prisoner transport. Their average strength ranges from One-Winged to Two-Winged level. Unless the prisoners are particularly important, a Three-Winged hunter captain usually won't be present."
Ashe glanced at the prison guard smoking a pipe a short distance away and couldn't help asking, "Shouldn't we stand a bit farther away while talking?"
Iger shot him a quick look. "No one will suspect you. This is my business."
"Business?"
Standing just outside the yellow line along the shore, Ronna said, "When you first t Iger, didn't he invite you to escape with him?"
He gazed at the calm lake, its surface reflecting the clear blue sky. Every now and then, silvery flashes darted across the water. They were Finger Sharks, creatures that could chew through bones like potato chips, but to an untrained eye, it all looked like a peaceful, natural scene.
Ashe said, "He did. Wasn't that just a line to trick newcors?"
Iger replied flatly, "I appreciate your attention to detail, but don't insult my professional integrity. I never lie. Check the Club Registry in the library. You'll find the organization I founded listed on page two, line thirteen: the Prison Break Research Club."
The naive Ashe's mind raced with questions. "How does the prison even allow sothing like that? Clubs? And why create a club like that in the first place?"
Iger explained, "A skilled hunter often appears as prey. When I first t you, didn't I seem overly enthusiastic, like soone eager to recruit new companions? Most new death row inmates, regardless of how cautious they are, are drawn in by the information I share. And I don't just talk. I genuinely study prison breaks and scout locations.
"By the ti they realize I'm obsessed with escaping, they've already let their guard down. Step by step, they're lured into a point of no return. I am the trap, and the club is my bait."
Ashe raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like an innocent-looking girl with a rotten core deliberately luring sleazy old n..."
Iger responded nonchalantly, "I'm beginning to question the chip's ability to regulate your speech. No matter how you look at it, what you just said borders on obscene. Don't worry about the guards. I've sent people to scout this place dozens of tis."
Ashe blinked. "So this is your sche? You pretend to obsess over escaping every day, using prison breaks as bait. Then, when you actually plan to escape, no one will believe you're serious."
Iger looked at him with so surprise, then smiled gently. "Ashe, to think you see as so complex and sinister. It really hurts."
"Save it," Ashe muttered.
After finishing their inspection of the harbor, the four of them headed back inside.
One thing worth noting was that although they had reached the edge of Shattered Lake Prison, they had never truly been "outside." The prison covered the entire island. Apart from a few glass skylights that occasionally let in sunlight, death row inmates saw nothing but the ceiling above. Even the Seaview Terrace had a dod canopy overhead. Not a single patch of land on the island could be called "outside."
It couldn't be proven yet, but the chips' overwhelming control over the prisoners' necks was likely tied to that ever-present ceiling.
"The place we're heading to next is the greatest result of my investigation into Shattered Lake Prison. I've never brought anyone else here. You're the first lucky ones to see this secret."
Before Ashe could feel moved, Ronna replied indifferently, "Do you say that to every victim? And let guess. Next, you're going to tell us, 'So you must swear to keep all my secrets'?"
Iger looked surprised. "Gourt, how do you know that line? Anyone who's heard it should be bound by my Contract spirit and be forced to keep my secrets. They shouldn't be able to share it with anyone."
"Walls have ears, Iger. Unfortunately for you, I happen to be a physical cultivator with exceptionally sharp hearing."
Iger said, "I see. Next ti I handle dirty work, I'll be more careful and discreet, if I'm even still alive in this prison, that is."
Ashe glanced at Ronald. He seed unusually quiet today and let Ronna lead him around without saying a word.
After yesterday's discussion, Ronald and Ronna had engaged in another Death Match. The fight was brutal, like tearing a roast chicken apart by hand, and the outco was clear. If yesterday's Ronald had still appeared as a servant reluctantly bound to Ronna, today, he had almost beco his accessory. He wasn't happy, but he no longer resisted.
The part of him that belonged to himself was shrinking, while the part claid by Ronna continued to grow. One day, when he erged from the treatnt room again, every regenerated part of his body would bear Ronna's mark.
Perhaps Iger was right. Ronald had sunk too deep to escape. He thought commanding Ronna through love was his victory, never realizing it was also Ronna's fatal counterattack.
Love was a terrifying force. You could wield it, but it would wield you in return. You watched it, and it watched you back. You thought you could master it, but soon enough, you would beco its slave. Once the seed of love took root, everything would eventually serve as its host.
Still, Ronald retained a sliver of survival instinct. He was determined to escape, and fortunately, Ronna's ritual couldn't be perford too often. Otherwise, he would have been reduced to scraps in a matter of days.
According to Iger's investigation, the shortest any of Ronna's "friends" had survived was a month. That ant Ronald should be able to hold out until the second Blood Moon Tribunal. That was enough. Ashe only needed a temporary teammate. Whether Ronald could resist Ronna after escaping would co down entirely to his own luck.
"But I never lie," Iger said with a smile. "This place is the key to our escape. I can even say it's as important as Ashe's Miracle. We've arrived. This is it."
Ashe's heart raced. Just as important as my Slash- Miracle? Could it be a secret passage out of Shattered Lake Prison? An armory? Or sothing else entirely?
He looked up in anticipation, only to see a clear green sign above the room ahead.
[n's Restroom]
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