Like Liam and Kreyn, Groza and Azura woke up at the same moment during the night. Their situation was much better, because their day began just like that of the other prisoners, except that they went to work in the kitchen.
Naturally, for Groza, who was the leader of her world, this was humiliating. Only thanks to her patience and the fact that Azura was by her side did she not lash out at the guards.
'Shit, I need to get out of here fast and find Liam and Kreyn. I'm sure they're in the same shitty situation as us!' Groza exclaimed internally as she placed the pot on the stove.
She wanted to find a free moment to start thinking about a plan, but she didn't know that the plan was already in motion, just not hers.
"Grab them all, every last one!" Kreyn's voice rang out.
The cooks and prisoners froze in disbelief.
The prisoners were quicker to understand what was happening, and with sly grins, they pounced on the cooks. Ordinary people didn't stand a chance against the criminals, and the women quickly tied everyone up. The cooks offered little resistance, realizing that they had become the first hostages in the riot.
Step. Step. Step.
The formidable woman with short obsidian hair whom Groza had encountered earlier headed straight for Kreyn.
"Who are you? You're not a guard, are you?" She asked, wary.
"It depends," Kreyn smirked. "The other guards believed I was one of them, even though I was on death row last night. My name is Kreyn, what about you?"
"Valyra."
Kreyn glanced at the others. "I take it you're the leader here, right?"
She nodded.
"Good, very good. I'm sure you know quite a lot about this prison, right?"
Valyra frowned. "Agh? Are you not?"
"Hah, I was kidnapped outside the prison, and when I opened my eyes, I saw a skeleton next to me. So far, I've been acting blindly."
Then, Kreyn turned to the others.
"Hey! I need two volunteers. I'm forming a team, anyone want to be captains with us?"
Immediately, more than ten women raised their hands. They didn't know who Kreyn was or what was going on here, but it would be foolish to turn down such an opportunity.
Of course, Kreyn already knew who he would choose.
"You two." He pointed to Groza and Azura. "You look reliable, come here."
Groza glanced at Kreyn, but she didn't say anything. She understood what game he was playing, and she wanted to take part too, because it could lead her to victory.
"Tsk. Whatever." Valyra growled. "Do you have a plan? You knocked out the guards, captured the cooks, but what next?"
Kreyn looked around.
"What about the armory? The gunpowder store? Is there anything like that here?"
A slight smile appeared on Valyra's face.
"Hah, you're a funny one, aren't you?"
"Hmm?"
"Oh boy, we're south of Frost Ridge, and to our right are the damn swamps. Do you think anyone would deliver large quantities of gunpowder to this hole?" Valyra rolled her eyes. "Although... I know the warden has a real gun. Hah, greedy, fat bastard."
Kreyn scratched his chin. "If not gunpowder, then what about dynamite?"
"Dynamite...?" Valyra's eyes widened. "They really threw you into the darkest hole, right? Yeah, the warehouse is full of dynamite. I mean, even with prisoners with pickaxes, sometimes you need the help of an explosion to speed up ore mining."
That answer was enough to bring a smirk to Kreyn's face.
"Then what are you waiting for? Take me there, right now!"
Getting to the warehouse wasn't easy, Valyra knew that, just as she knew that stopping Kreyn would be the worst decision of her life.
When else would she have the opportunity to escape from prison?
"S-Sure, just don't do anything crazy on the way."
They were about to leave when a stumped voice rang out from the side:
"Hey! What should we do with them?" The blue-haired girl pointed at the bound cooks.
Kreyn waved his hand. "Leave them alone, they're our captives, almost like currency. If anyone harms them, kill them. Any guard who comes here — kill them. Do everything quietly. I won't come back if I see any problems in the kitchen."
The door closed as the prisoners were left alone, shocked but with a clear plan and instructions. More importantly, they had hope. If Kreyn succeeded, they would be able to take part in it too.
All they had to do was play their part.
Step. Step. Step.
The blue-haired girl approached the stunned guard.
"You could be killed, but... You're one of the officers. You're more valuable alive, at least for now, right?"
...
Even though Kreyn acted very quickly, especially considering that he knew nothing about this prison and the world when he woke up, his riot could not remain unnoticed for long.
"Agh?" The guard raised an eyebrow as he looked at the blood flowing from under the door. "What the hell is this?"
Crash.
The door opened with a creak, revealing a dead guard and a muscular prisoner. He was particularly important for maintaining order.
"S-Shit!" The guard ripped a wooden box with a crystal inside from his belt.
In a hurry, he shouted into the grid.
"Alert! We have an escape!"
At the same moment, his message was sent to the spire that covered the entire prison area.
Immediately, each guard received a message on their box with instructions on how to act during a riot.
"W-What? Someone escaped and killed a prisoner along with a guard?" The guard's face turned pale.
The junior standing next to him shuddered.
"Who dared…? Even if they escape from prison, the Wurhen Family won't let them go. It's… suicide!"
"Tsk, we'd better think about where that psycho might have gone. I'm not going to die on the job—!"
Thump!
The guard collapsed to the ground as the young man's eyes slowly lowered to see the blade in his partner's head.
"Ek!" The young man flinched, about to run away, when a shadow appeared behind him.
"You have nowhere to run, boy."
Crunch.
Two hands grabbed his chin and head as, with a loud crunch, Valyra snapped his neck.
Step. Step. Step.
Kreyn walked over and picked up his dagger, wiping the blood off the dead guard's uniform.
"So you're one of those who isn't afraid to kill? Good. I need people like that."
"Pffft!" Valyra snorted. "I don't even want to hear that from you. You're skin and bones, but your gaze gives me the creeps."
In response, he shrugged and looked at the heavy iron door in front of them, where all the prison's dynamite was stored.
"You don't even know what awaits you and this prison ahead. But one thing I can promise for sure."
A gleam ran through his eyes.
"You'll be pleasantly surprised."