Alex sprinted through the narrow corridors of the Archive, his pulse pounding in sync with the alarm that blared throughout the ancient halls. The enforcers were closing in, their heavy boots echoing like war drums against the cold stone floor.
He clutched the data cube tightly, its surface still warm from the crypt's activation. Every piece of information inside could change the course of history, but only if he made it out alive.
A sharp turn led him into a dimly lit passage, the walls lined with shelves of forgotten knowledge. Dust swirled in the air as he forced himself to focus. He needed an escape—fast.
Suddenly, a mana surge spiked behind him. Instinct screamed at him to move. He threw himself to the side just as a bolt of searing blue energy slammed into the wall where he'd stood moments before, reducing centuries-old tomes to ash.
"Alex Valerius," a cold voice called out. "Surrender now, and we may be merciful."
Alex gritted his teeth and turned to face his pursuers. Three enforcers in dark armor, their insignias marking them as elite hunters of the imperial order. The leader, a tall Saint with silver hair and piercing violet eyes, radiated a suffocating aura of authority.
"You're wasting your breath," Alex spat, mana crackling at his fingertips. "I'm not surrendering."
The silver-haired enforcer sighed. "Then you leave us no choice."
He raised his hand, and the air warped as chains of condensed mana erupted toward Alex. With a quick burst of wind magic, Alex vaulted backward, barely evading the restraint spell. He countered with a rapid combination of fire and earth magic, sending molten shards cascading toward his foes.
The enforcers reacted instantly. One conjured a barrier, the molten rock splashing harmlessly against its shimmering surface. Another dashed forward, a blade of pure energy forming in his grip.
Alex cursed. He was outnumbered and outmatched in raw strength. He needed to change the battlefield.
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a surge of water magic, flooding the passageway. The sudden torrent forced his attackers to falter, buying him a crucial second. Using the momentum, he leaped onto a high ledge, then bolted down an overhead walkway.
"Seal the exits!" the silver-haired enforcer barked. "He won't escape!"
Alex didn't look back. He could feel the walls closing in, the enforcers cutting off his routes. But they underestimated him.
Mana flared around him as he activated his father's secret technique, a dangerous move, but one he had no choice but to risk. The suppression field wavered, and for a fleeting moment, raw power coursed through his veins.
A single jump carried him over the barricades. The enforcers shouted in alarm, scrambling to react, but it was too late. He landed, rolled, and sprinted toward the emergency exit hidden behind an old tapestry.
With one last surge of magic, he blasted the door open and vanished into the night.
For now, he had escaped. But the hunt was far from over.