Chapter 66: An unexpected Twist IV.

Chapter 66: An unexpected Twist IV.

In a moment of desperation, Zeke came up with a dangerous plan. It came to him as he lay hidden beneath the pile of blankets in the back of the carriage. He knew that attempting to execute it could cost him his life. But in his current situation, the danger was even greater if he did nothing at all.

With his [Perfect Spatial Awareness], Zeke focused on his surroundings. He took in the random crates that filled the carriage and the blankets that covered him. He surmised that his kidnappers had tossed the blankets over him in an attempt to conceal him from view should the carriage be inspected.

Zeke had long since detected that one of the men, Ed, had an insignia of the Feuerkranz family in his pocket. He realized that this was probably intended as a means of getting out of trouble should they be stopped by the guards for any reason.

Zeke had abandoned his previous plans of making a ruckus at the guard's checkpoint for this reason. That course of action would give away the only advantage he had in his current situation: the element of surprise. He couldn't be sure that the guards would even come to his aid, not with the emblem of one of the great families in the hands of his kidnappers. He would have to tread carefully and bide his time. There would only be a single chance to get this right, so he needed to wait for the proper moment to make his move. Zeke hardened his resolve, it was time to prepare for his very first teleportation!

A bead of cold sweat traveled down his forehead as Zeke began his task. He had learned that successful teleportation depended primarily on the membrane that surrounded the entity. While channeling his mana, a scowl gradually made its way onto Zeke's face. Memories of his failed experiments flooded back to him. He remembered the trials he had done on his gloves and the horrid condition they had ended up in after being teleported by him. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but wonder if that was how he would end up as well.

Zeke tried his best to push those dark thoughts away. He focused on what he knew about teleportation instead. Through hours of practice, he had learned that the membrane had to be just right; not too thick, not too thin, consistent, and uniform.

But as he tried to focus his tired mind on the task at hand, he was struggling more than usual. It was already late at night by now, and Zeke had a long day behind him. The headache from whatever tool the two kidnappers had used to knock him out wasn't helping either. Nevertheless, he reminded himself that he had to push through if he wanted to make it out alive. The boy bit down on his bottom lip with such force that he drew blood. The stinging pain brought a momentary spike of clarity back to his tired mind.

Zeke worked for a couple of minutes, his heart pounding in his chest as he listened to the kidnappers' conversation with half an ear. He was certain that his chance to escape would come soon, and he had to be ready. After what felt like an eternity to Zeke, he finished his construct of spatial magic. The magical cocoon surrounded his entire body. It was not his best work, but the spell had honestly turned out better than he had expected under the circumstances. He held the spell in place and focused on his surroundings, ready to act at a moment's notice.

Finally, Zeke heard one of the men say, "If you go left before the next street, we can avoid the marketplace." Despite his exhaustion and strain, Zeke couldn't help but smile after hearing those words. This was his chance!

The moment the carriage started its turn, Zeke began the last step of his spell. He steeled his mind for what was to come, focusing all his attention on a point below him, just above the street. He conjured his spatial anchor, the action coming to him as natural as breathing. Now, it was time for the moment of truth.

To finish his spell, he connected his cocoon to the anchor. The tunnel didn't go in a straight line, he couldn't even explain how it worked. It felt to Zeke like it only existed outside the material world. Once again, the step felt as if he had always been able to do it.

In an instant, Zeke disappeared from the carriage, but instead of appearing on the street as he had hoped, he found himself in a strange and terrifying place.

He was surrounded by a whirlwind of chaotic energies. The only thing that separated him from the deadly phenomena was the thin bubble of Mana that surrounded him. In these few moments, Zeke had understood more about teleportation than in his hours of practice before.

He noticed that time seemed to be flowing at a different speed in this place. His face grew pale as he remembered reading that a lot of time passing during teleportation was a sign of flaws in the spell. And as he looked closer, he could see that the chaotic energies surrounding him had found numerous weak spots in his protective layer.

As he reached the doorstep, Zeke collapsed, his body wracked with pain. But he had made it. He had escaped his kidnappers and returned home. Now, all that was left was to heal and recover. Before he lost consciousness, Zeke force one last word out of his throat: "..help."

The boy awoke to the sight of a figure standing over him, and for a moment, he panicked. He didn't recognize the man, and his first instinct was to fight for his life. But just as he was about to act, he heard a familiar voice from behind the stranger: "Calm down, Zeke. This is Mark, a healer and an old friend of mine. He's the reason you're already back in one piece."

At the sound of Maximilian's voice, Zeke immediately relaxed. He used his [Perfect Body Control] to assess his condition, and to his surprise, he found that his body was in peak condition. Not only were all of his wounds healed, but he didn't even feel tired anymore. Mark must have replaced the blood he had lost as well.

Zeke looked at Mark with a new sense of respect and nodded. "Thank you, mister Healer," he said. The grumpy man dismissed the gratitude with a casual wave of his arm as he turned and left the room without a word.

After the stranger left the room, Zeke fell back into the mattress he had been lying on earlier. He solely enjoyed the feeling of being alive and safe for a moment.

Maximilian gave Zeke a moment to collect himself before speaking. "What happened to you, my boy?" he asked, his voice grave with concern.

Zeke took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts, before narrating the events of the past few hours. He started off by telling Maximilian how he had left Sophia's place. He talked about how he had woken up in the carriage. About how he had overheard the kidnappers' plans to kill him outside the city. He spoke of risking teleportation, even though he knew he wasn't ready for the spell. Finally, he spoke of how he had dragged his wounded body through the streets, unsure if he could trust the guards.

While Zeke told his tale, Maximilian's expression grew darker, anger and fury simmering beneath the surface. But by the time Zeke finished his tale, Maximilian's face was once again calm and collected. Only the occasional flicker in his eyes revealed the turmoil brewing within.

For a moment, Maximilian was silent, deep in thought. Then, without warning, he turned to Zeke. "Do you think you are well enough to walk, my boy?"

Zeke nodded, he felt refreshed and rejuvenated. Maximilian motioned for him to rise and follow, and Zeke did so. He was unsure of what his mentor had planned, but he was eager to find out.

The moment Zeke stepped out of the room, he realized that he had been brought to Maximilian's chamber, which was attached to his study. As Zeke entered the study from the bedroom, he could see many people he recognized. He saw the butler, as well as some of the maids and servants he had seen around the house. But for all that Zeke recognized their faces, they did not seem like the people he had come to know.

David, the butler of the mansion, was a middle-aged man with a strict but friendly face. He was always willing to help Zeke out when he needed anything. Right now, though, David's face seemed carved from ice. He seemed to Zeke like a veteran returning from the front, instead of the affable man he had known him to be.

Zeke looked around at the serious faces of the people surrounding him. He could tell that something was going to happen, and it seemed like he was the only one there who was unaware of what that was. The tension in the room was palpable, and Zeke couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He turned to Maximilian, who stood at the head of the room, his expression inscrutable.

"What are you going to do now?" Zeke asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The old man cast a sidelong glance at Zeke before addressing the room in a commanding voice. "Now," he began, his words echoing through the entire mansion. "We will remind the fucking Feuerkranz family of what happens when they think they can play their games with Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim."