The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: From Prison to Freedom

Ares returned to the underground section of the palace.

The deeper he went, the quieter the corridors became, until even the sounds of the palace above were barely noticeable. The air was cold and stale, and the only light came from the dim magical lamps attached to the stone walls.

He continued forward until he reached another section of the underground prison.

There were several cells arranged along both sides of the corridor.

Ares stopped.

Eight women were being held inside the first cell.

They were all young, although their current condition made it difficult to determine their exact ages. Their clothes were torn and filthy, their hair was disheveled, and bruises covered portions of their faces and arms. Some were sitting against the walls while others remained curled up in the corners of the cell, barely reacting to the sound of footsteps approaching.

They looked exhausted.

Not merely physically.

There was a hopelessness in their eyes that suggested they had already stopped believing that anyone would come to save them.

Ares’ expression became slightly colder.

He moved his gaze toward the neighboring cell.

There were only two people inside.

A young man and a young woman.

Twins.

Both possessed dark crimson hair and matching crimson eyes, making their relationship immediately obvious even beneath their injuries.

But their condition was considerably worse than that of the others.

The boy was lying motionless on the stone floor, his body covered in bruises and dried blood. His breathing was shallow, and several injuries were visible across his arms and face.

Beside him, the girl sat against the wall.

She was silently crying.

Her tears continued falling despite her obvious exhaustion, yet she made no sound, as though she had already learned that crying loudly would only bring more suffering.

Ares stared at the two for several seconds.

So that’s why they were separated.

His gaze moved between the cells.

They’ve been deliberately divided according to their abilities and potential.

He could feel it.

The moment he activated True Sight, the information became clear.

The eight women possessed extraordinary magical potential.

All of them possessed talent comparable to what the Seven Crowns had once possessed when they were still ordinary members.

The twins were even more remarkable.

These two...

Ares’ eyes narrowed.

Their potential is comparable to Vhan and Vince.

The comparison wasn’t about their current strength.

The Seven Crowns had long since surpassed their original limits after receiving Ares’ power, and the abilities they possessed now were on an entirely different level.

What Ares was seeing here was something much simpler.

Potential.

Raw potential that had never been properly developed.

If they had been given proper training instead of being treated like this...

Ares sighed internally.

What a waste.

He stepped closer to the cells.

The women immediately noticed him.

Several of them flinched.

One moved farther into the corner.

Another raised her arms instinctively to protect her face.

The twins also looked toward him.

The crimson-haired girl stopped crying for a moment.

The boy slowly lifted his head.

Ares stood in front of the cells, his expression calm.

"You’re all still alive."

The eight women stared at him.

None answered.

Ares looked toward them.

"Do you want to live?"

The question seemed to confuse them.

One of the women slowly raised her head.

"Y-Yes..."

Her voice was barely audible.

Ares continued.

"Then I’ll give you that opportunity."

The woman’s eyes widened.

"You... you’re going to save us?"

"I can."

Ares’ gaze moved across the entire group.

"But nothing comes without a price."

The women immediately became tense.

"What... what do you want?"

"Your loyalty."

Ares’ voice remained calm.

"If I give you a new life, heal your bodies, and grant you enough power to ensure that no one will ever treat you like this again, then in return, you will serve me."

The women exchanged uncertain glances.

"You will follow my orders, protect those under my protection, and use the strength I give you for the sake of the organization."

Ares paused.

"If you accept, you will never have to return to this place."

His gaze became slightly colder.

"But if you refuse..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He didn’t need to.

The women understood.

Their lives were already hanging by a thread.

One of them immediately dropped to her knees.

"Please!"

She pressed her hands against the bars.

"Please save us!"

Another woman followed.

"I’ll do anything!"

"I’ll serve you!"

"Please, just don’t leave us here!"

"We don’t want to die!"

Their voices overlapped as desperation finally broke through the numbness that had settled over them.

Ares remained silent.

The woman nearest the bars lowered her head until her forehead touched the floor.

"I’ll swear my life to you."

Another followed.

"I’ll obey anything you command."

"We’ll serve you for the rest of our lives."

"Please..."

The twins watched from the neighboring cell.

The crimson-haired girl looked toward Ares.

Her eyes were filled with fear.

But beneath that fear was something else.

Hope.

Ares looked at the two of them.

"And you?"

The boy struggled to move.

His sister immediately placed one hand against his shoulder.

"Don’t..."

Her voice trembled.

The boy looked at her.

Then toward Ares.

He slowly lowered his head.

"We’ll serve you."

His voice was weak.

"But please..."

He glanced toward his sister.

"Save her first."

The girl immediately shook her head.

"No."

She grabbed his arm.

"Save him."

Her voice broke.

"Please. He’s the only family I have left."

The boy tightened his grip around her hand.

"No... you’re my sister."

Their voices became increasingly unsteady.

Ares watched them for a moment.

Then he spoke.

"I’ll save both of you."

The twins froze.

Ares raised one hand.

"You don’t need to choose."

A faint Eclipse aura began spreading from his body.

The darkness surrounding the corridor changed immediately.

The magical lamps flickered.

The shadows beneath Ares’ feet stretched outward.

A deep pressure filled the underground prison.

The prisoners stared at him.

None of them understood what they were witnessing.

Ares looked toward the eight women.

"If you’re willing to abandon the lives you’ve been forced to live and begin again, then take my hand."

His Eclipse energy spread through the bars.

"From this moment forward, you will no longer be prisoners."

The first cell began to tremble.

CRACK.

A line appeared across the metal bars.

Then another.

The entire cell door shattered.

BOOM!

The women flinched.

The broken metal fell harmlessly to the floor.

Ares walked forward.

"Stand."

The women slowly rose.

One after another, they stepped outside the cell.

None of them could believe what they were seeing.

The crimson-haired twins stared as Ares approached their cell.

He raised his hand again.

CRACK.

The bars shattered.

The boy slowly pushed himself upright.

His legs trembled.

His sister immediately supported him.

Ares looked at both of them.

"Can you stand?"

The boy nodded weakly.

"Yes."

"Good."

Ares extended his hand.

A warm Eclipse light spread across the corridor.

The wounds covering their bodies began disappearing.

Bruises faded.

Cuts closed.

Broken bones returned to their proper positions.

The pain that had dominated their lives for so long simply vanished.

The eight women stared at their own hands.

One touched her face.

Another looked at her arms.

Their injuries were gone.

The twins were no different.

The boy slowly moved his fingers.

Then his arms.

He stood upright for the first time in what seemed like a very long time.

His sister stared at him.

"Brother..."

"I’m fine."

The boy looked at her.

For a moment, neither said anything.

Then she threw her arms around him.

He froze before embracing her in return.

Both began crying.

This time, there was no fear in their tears.

Only relief.

Ares quietly watched them.

At least they can cry without having to be afraid now.

He raised his hand again.

Eight streams of Eclipse energy appeared.

Each one entered the body of a different woman.

The women gasped as the power spread through them.

Their eyes widened.

Their bodies trembled.

They could feel something changing.

Their mana pathways expanded.

Their physical strength increased.

Their souls became more stable.

And beneath everything else, a new power took root.

The power of Eclipse.

Ares turned toward the twins.

Two more streams of Eclipse energy entered their bodies.

The boy clenched his fists.

The girl took a sharp breath.

Their crimson eyes began glowing faintly.

Ares looked at all of them.

"The power I’ve given you is not something to waste."

His voice remained calm.

"You’ve been given a second life."

He paused.

"Use it well."

The women lowered their heads.

"We understand."

The twins followed.

"We understand, Master."

Ares nodded.

"Good."

He raised one hand.

Space began distorting around them.

The prisoners instinctively looked at one another.

Before anyone could say anything, the world disappeared.

---

The next instant, the ten appeared inside the main headquarters of the Eclipse Order.

The transition was so sudden that several of them stumbled as their feet touched the polished floor. They instinctively looked around, their expressions filled with confusion as they tried to understand where they had been brought.

The underground prison was gone.

There were no stone walls.

No iron bars.

No cold floors.

Instead, they found themselves standing inside a vast, beautifully maintained hall illuminated by soft magical lights. The air was warm, the floors were spotless, and the atmosphere was so different from the place they had just escaped that several of them could only stare in silence.

Then they noticed the people standing farther ahead.

The children.

Dozens of them.

The group Ares had rescued earlier was already gathered inside the headquarters, surrounded by members of the Eclipse Order who were quietly looking after them.

The moment the newcomers recognized one another, their expressions changed.

"You’re..."

One of the women covered her mouth.

Her eyes widened as she recognized a familiar face among the rescued children.

Another woman immediately stepped forward.

"You survived..."

The young woman she was looking at began crying.

"I thought you were dead."

The two rushed toward each other and embraced.

More of the newcomers began recognizing people they had known from the palace, former prisoners who had been separated and placed in different sections of the underground facility.

The hall slowly filled with quiet cries, relieved voices, and embraces.

Some simply stood frozen because they couldn’t believe that people they had assumed were already lost were standing alive in front of them.

The crimson-haired girl looked around desperately.

Then her eyes stopped.

Her brother was standing beside her.

She immediately grabbed his hand.

He looked at her.

For the first time since leaving the prison, the two of them smiled.

They were no longer alone.

They were no longer trapped.

And they were no longer surrounded by people who wanted to hurt them.

Ares stood quietly at the front of the hall, watching the reunion take place.

After allowing them a few moments, he finally spoke.

"You’ve all been given a second chance."

The hall gradually became quiet.

Ares looked at the entire group.

"The power I’ve given you is not a reward."

His voice remained calm.

"It is a responsibility."

The newcomers listened carefully.

"You have experienced what it means to have your freedom taken from you."

His gaze hardened.

"So don’t become people who would take that freedom away from someone else."

He paused.

"Use your strength to protect the people who cannot protect themselves."

The group slowly lowered their heads.

"We understand, Master."

Ares nodded.

"Good."

He turned toward Lydia.

"Lydia."

She immediately stepped forward.

"Great Eclipse."

"I’ll leave them to you."

Ares glanced toward the ten newcomers.

"I’ve already given them the power of Eclipse, and their bodies have been healed, but their physical condition is still poor from everything they’ve endured."

His gaze moved toward the group.

"Most of them possess considerable potential. The Eight women and the twins in particular are exceptionally talented."

Lydia’s expression became serious.

"Understood."

Ares looked at the rescued children who had already been brought to the headquarters.

"Make sure all of them are taken care of."

Lydia placed her fist against her chest.

"Yes, Great Eclipse."

Ares nodded.

Then he disappeared.

The newcomers stared at the empty space where he had been standing.

For several seconds, none of them spoke.

The man who had appeared in their prison, destroyed their chains, healed their wounds, and given them a future had vanished as quietly as he had arrived.

Lydia turned toward them.

"Come with me."

Her voice was gentle but firm.

"You’ve been through enough for one day."

The group followed her.

The first thing Lydia arranged was proper rooms.

There would be no crowded cells and no locked doors.

Each person would have a clean bed, fresh clothing, and a safe place where they could sleep without worrying about someone entering during the night.

Food was prepared as well, although Lydia made certain that their portions were increased gradually rather than immediately giving them large meals.

Their bodies had been deprived for too long.

Giving them everything at once would only place unnecessary strain on them.

Medical examinations were arranged afterward to ensure that Ares’ healing had removed their injuries completely and that there were no remaining problems caused by their prolonged imprisonment.

Only after all of that had been completed would training begin.

Lydia stood outside one of the newly prepared rooms and looked through the doorway.

The newcomers were sitting quietly inside, some staring at their clean clothes while others were simply holding bowls of food as though they still couldn’t believe they were allowed to eat without permission.

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