This is not what Zitao pictured their escape back to Límíng would be like. Lu Han had told him that after they escaped from Fei's village, they would come to Graevir, hitch a ride on a wagon, and return home to safety. They would send for Yixing and Liyin when it was safe, of course.

All their plans were thrown out the window when Zitao woke up to no Lu Han beside him and a screaming mob outside the inn.

Zitao shot out of bed and frantically pulled on his clothes, not even bothering to tuck in his shirt as he shoved his feet into his boots. "Ge!" he called. "Lu-ge, where are you?!" he practically threw the door open and flew down the stairs. Sungyeol caught him by the middle and pulled him away from the exit of the inn.

“Mr. Huang, you need to get to the stables!” he wheezed, trying to drag the younger away from the doors. “Lord Nam has ordered someone from this town to be executed and there’ll be soldiers everywhere!”

“But where’s Lu-ge?!” Zitao pulled at Sungyeol’s hands around his waist, struggling to break free. “Lu-ge!”

With a mighty heft, Sungyeol threw Zitao away from the exit and shoved him towards the back doors leading to the stables. “Mr. Lu said for you to go to the stables!” he shouted. “The carriage is ready for you, you need to leave!”

“But where is he?!”

Sungyeol didn’t say a word and kept tugging Zitao towards the stables. Eventually, Zitao allowed himself to be led out the door. When they reached the stables, Sungyeol practically shoved him into the carriage. Zitao stuck his head out the window and watched as Sungyeol talked with the driver in hushed voices. He could have sworn that he saw money exchange hands, but he could’ve been seeing things.

“I’m here, but where’s Lu Han?” Zitao pleaded with Sungyeol. “Please tell me! I can’t go home without him!”

The other man sorrowfully shook his head and closed the door after Zitao. “Mr. Huang, when you get to the border, someone will be waiting for you to take you safer into Límíng.” he took a deep breath and gripped the ends of his long sleeves. “Mr. Huang, this’ll be hard to hear, but you need to leave without Mr. Lu.”

“No!” Zitao snapped. “I’m not leaving without him! Where is he?!”

Sungyeol briefly glanced back at the town square, where everyone was surrounding the guillotine and Zitao screamed. “Ge, no!” Zitao lunged halfway out the window, crying out for the older, but Sungyeol shoved him back in, a fierce glint in his eyes.

“Mr. Huang, you have to leave if you want to make it out of the country!” he exclaimed.

“Not without him! I’m not losing him too!” Zitao cried.

With a grunt, Sungyeol grabbed the sides of the carriage and lifted himself up, giving Zitao a glare. “Now you listen here.” he snapped. “You’re going to take this carriage to the border and someone will be waiting to take you to safety, because Mr. Lu told you to do it.”

Zitao looked like he was close to tears and Sungyeol’s eyes softened. “He warned me that you would protest, and told me to convince you.” he murmured. “He said, as your ge, you have to listen to him and you have to leave him behind.”

“It was his last wish before he was taken away.” Sungyeol felt hot tears threatening to spill over as memories of the man staring at him with pleading eyes as the guards dragged him to the guillotine.

That just about did it for Zitao and he tearfully nodded, choking back a sob as he curled into the corner of the carriage. Sungyeol smiled weakly and leaned back to nod to the carriage driver. With a snap of the reins, the vehicle surged forward and was out of sight within minutes. Zitao wrapped his cloak around him tightly and cried as he left behind the only family he had left with him.

Lu Han wondered if this was how Yifan had felt when he was being led to his death. He closed his eyes and thought back to the unfortunate series of events that led to now. Lu Han had woken up well before Zitao did, and he went to talk to Sungyeol and Sunggyu to procure a means of leaving to Límíng. While walking with Sungyeol after Sunggyu left for his duties, he was suddenly apprehended and taken away to a holding cell.

He screamed for Sungyeol to get Zitao out of the town, and he could only pray that his friend was getting to safety. He sat in the corner of his temporary holding cell, staring longingly out the window. His eyes widened and his head snapped around to look at the soldier opening the door to his cell.

The soldier jerked his head. “Out you go.” Lu Han felt his heart sink to his stomach. The soldier glared at him and stalked forward. He grabbed Lu Han by the chains shackling his wrists and yanked him up, shoving him in the direction of the outside.

Lu Han blinked as he stepped outside the jail, the early dawn light blinding him momentarily. Immediately, he heard loud cries of protest and a b