Just across the darkness, Darren
Karl heard a lock click shut.
It wasn't an ordinary cylinder lock,
nor was it a lever lock. It wasn't even digitally locked, and Darren had known
this from the start. No, Darren’s escape was held from him not by any ordinary
lock and key. It was held from him by an intricate series of complex magical
systems, which Darren had been studying closely by ear and by sense as the
weeks passed beside him.
Every time the cell was opened to
deliver food and drink, for his captors would not have him starve, Darren would
listen intently to every click and snap in the system, while retaining the
apathetic expression on his face, so as not to give away his actions. Though
they probably knew he was working on escape. All the more reason to work quickly, he thought to himself.
And when the cell remained locked,
he would sit around the door and let his mind reach out to the systems, studying
each imaginary spring, shaft and tumbler, slowly picking apart the code that
confined him. Now, finally, Darren understood exactly how the lock systems
work, and while such a structure shouldn't be caved in without the same
specialist adept ability that set them, he also knew that the boundaries of
magic can be stretched, and his ability lay just on the borderline. All he had
to do was push.
Through the darkness, another click struck.
Darren’s breath caught.
He pushed again.
Click.
Whether it was his imagination or
not, he wasn't certain, but Darren thought he could see the dark lift just a
little with each level he reached, as the scarf of locks unravelled before him.
Thunk.
Darren’s heart hammered against his
ribcage. He set his palm on the door handle, twisted and glanced around, though
he knew he didn't need to. The guard would be halfway down the next corridor by
now, as far away as his patrol led, and none of the other captives could see
him through their cells.
The passage was empty.
Darren kicked off from the concrete, and ran.
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