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 Spacial 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 watched in horror, tongues of the strange substance seemed to penetrate the membrane and lick at his body. Although he could not feel any pain from the contact, he could see how much damage it was doing to him. The points where the energy touched his skin simply disintegrated.

Zeke was horrified by the discovery. He had no idea how long he had been in this place, or how he would ever find his way back to the world he had come from. All he could do was cling to the hope that he would survive this terrifying experience and find a way to escape.

And then, just as fast as the experience had started, it ended all of a sudden. Zeke emerged from his strange journey above the cobblestone street. This was the exact place he had intended for his teleportation to lead to. The moment of reintegration into the world was accompanied by an agonizing pain that almost made Zeke cry out loud.

The boy landed on the tattered remains of the blanket pile he had teleported with him. He had planned for them to act as a cushion for his fall, and this, at least, seemed to work out as expected. The only noise that could be heard was a relatively silent, dull thud.

In order not to cry out, he clamped both of his hands over his mouth with all his strength. He pressed his eyes shut, blinking away the tears that ran down his cheeks. As fast as he could, he turned off the pain receptors all over his body. Zeke held his breath as he lay on the ground, bleeding from an uncountable number of wounds all over. He didn't dare to make the slightest of noises in order not to alarm the kidnappers.

Zeke didn't move a muscle, staying completely still and praying that he would not be discovered. After what felt like an eternity, he could hear the chatter of his two kidnappers fading around a corner. Finally, he dared to open his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the starry night sky. For a moment, he just lay there and gazed up at the celestial tapestry. He did nothing but bathe in the feeling of euphoria that his successful escape had instilled in him. But the moment was fleeting, and Zeke quickly focused on the task at hand.

Zeke could feel his body getting colder as blood flowed from his wounds. This horrifying experience didn't slow down Zeke in the slightest. He was long since accustomed to this sensation from his training with Blood Magic. He used [Perfect Body Control] to stop the bleeding and began healing his body as he got up.

Zeke started to feel a little lightheaded, but pushed on. He needed to get to work. He picked up the bundle of blankets and tossed all but one in a dark corner. He tried to ensure that the exact point of his escape would remain hidden for as long as possible.

The last blanket he used to cover his hair and body. The boy didn't want his bloodied clothing or noticeable crimson hair to be seen at the moment.

As he made his way in the opposite direction the carriage had traveled, the only thought on his mind was getting home in one piece. He still needed to be cautious, but the thrill of freedom and the danger of his situation propelled him forward. He was determined to make it home, no matter the cost.

Zeke had trouble lifting his feet. The wounds he had sustained during his escape were far more severe than he had initially realized. It was no problem for him to stop the wounds from bleeding, but there were entire chunks of flesh missing from his body.

The worst wounds were fortunately and unfortunately on his hip and legs. It was fortunate because there were no life-sustaining organs hit, but unfortunate because it made the task of walking a hellish ordeal. Zeke had turned on his pain receptors again, he needed the stimulus to stay awake and moving. Despite his ever-darkening vision, Zeke knew he couldn't afford to pass out now. He pushed on, determined to reach his destination.

For what must have been an hour, Zeke trudged through the streets, his body aching with every step. He often wanted to simply turn off his pain receptors again, to make the experience more bearable. But even with his dimming consciousness, he was still aware that the pain was the only thing keeping him awake and moving forward.

Finally, the gates to the academic district came into view. The gates were open at all hours of the day, and the guards recognized him immediately as he unveiled his hair and face. Though he didn't know if he could trust the guards here, Zeke didn't want to take any risks on the last leg of his journey. He used all the remaining strength in his body to make his way toward his mentor's home.

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."