Chapter 266: Chains of Flesh II
Rafael had heard the commotion a little too late. By the time the first portion of the palace collapsed, he was already a good distance away, sent by his father to do his bidding. The second collapse happened when Rafael was already on the palace grounds, but he still wasn’t quick enough.
Dread flooded his veins when he felt the rush of panic through his ring, followed by a slow and steady stream of weakness. His body felt fine in itself, but his left hand, where his wedding ring was, felt so much weaker that there could only be one explanation for it.
Soleia.
His face quickly turned ashen as he rushed into the palace despite the stream of servants running in the opposite direction for their lives.
The coppery stench of blood reeked through the air, and on any other day, Rafael would’ve been thankful for the free resource he could use in battle. But this time, he didn’t know if this pool of blood contained that of Soleia, and judging by the amount that dyed the floors of the palace, pouring out of the debris as though it was a man-made waterfall, Rafael could only fear the worst.
"Shit," he cursed under his breath, panting as he sprinted straight for where Soleia felt the strongest.
His guess was that she was held in the throne room, and true enough, the closer he came to his destination, the stronger the connection he felt with Soleia.
However, even then, that connection wasn’t very strong. It was as though she was desperately clinging to the last sliver of life.
With a slam, Rafael pushed open the door that was still barely hanging onto its hinges. It slammed into the wall with a bang, revealing a sight that Rafael never thought he would ever witness.