Bruno knew only one route leading to the basement of the estate, the one he always used. Although he was well aware that other entrances existed, the fact that noises reaching his ears, made by the maids rushing from both directions of the corridor, was proof of that.

Without hesitation, he went to confront the servants running from the staircase he was familiar with. Multiple footsteps indicated that there had to be at least a few of them. After a short sprint, his thesis was confirmed.

Four young women, armed with whatever they could grab on their way, blocked his path. He recognized three of them, while the fourth was a complete stranger. One held a broken broomstick, another a small stool, and the remaining two were armed with kitchen knives.

The two armed with knives stayed in the backline, while the others attacked. This told him that they desperately wanted to keep him alive, which was a huge advantage for him.

Bruno assumed a defensive stance and intercepted the broomstick, swiftly redirecting it to the side to interrupt the movement of the charging stool holder. Then he lunged forward, delivering a powerful punch to one of the women's faces. The unexpected strike surprised all four of them, creating an opportunity for him to swiftly jam his elbow into the face of another.

As the second woman stumbled backward, clutching her face in pain, the two with knives launched themselves at him, slashing from above. With limited space to maneuver, he quickly stepped back and bent his torso, narrowly evading the blades. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed both of their wrists, pulling them off balance and causing them to fall forward. He followed up by forcefully ramming one of them into the wall, incapacitating her momentarily.

Without waiting for the remaining maid's reaction, he sprinted ahead. She pursued him relentlessly, disregarding her fallen comrades. However, Bruno's agility and conditioning over the past year allowed him to outpace her easily.

Navigating the familiar corridors with his perfect memory, he reached the staircase in no time. Without slowing down, he ascended the stairs and burst through the door into the massive, dimly lit hallway. The absence of light from the tall windows shrouded the place in darkness. He slid across the marble floor, nearly losing his balance, but managed to recover at the last moment, stumbling forward a few steps.

The sound of many footsteps echoed in the distance. He noticed a faint glow emanating from farther parts of the estate. Time was of the essence. Drawing upon his memories and the limited visibility, he swiftly maneuvered through the space, reaching the nearest pieces of furniture. He retrieved the bottle of flammable liquid and smashed it against one of the objects. With the tools he carried, he struck sparks that ignited the wet patches, causing the liquid to erupt into flames.

His ears caught a few loud shouts, but he ignored them, taking advantage of the newly created source of light as he rushed towards the mansion's entrance. He grabbed the handle and pressed it, but the door was locked.

"Fuck!" he barked in frustration.

Without wasting any time, he retrieved a set of lockpicks from his pocket and began working on the lock. The footsteps and yelling grew louder, but the distractions didn't deter him. With ease, he skillfully manipulated the mechanism and finally felt the coolness of the outside air.

Feeling the breeze from the sea on his skin was exhilarating, causing an unexpected burst of laughter to escape from his mouth. However, the momentary joy was cut short, as he knew there were still numerous obstacles he needed to overcome to truly regain his freedom.

He had a limited window of time before the streets of Mashek would be swarming with people searching for him—guards and opportunists hoping for a generous reward for capturing him and returning him to the archmage's clutches.

Fortunately, a hideout had been prepared and was waiting for him, but he needed to reach it without attracting any attention due to his distinctive appearance. Disguising himself was essential before getting anywhere near the safe haven; otherwise, his conspicuousness would give him away among the local population.

As he sprinted through the wealthy district, his eyes scanned for any opportunity to blend in. In a matter of minutes, he covered a considerable distance, but the situation grew tenser as more and more light sources illuminated the once-dark city. It was only a matter of time before the majority of the inhabitants became his enemies.

Thankfully, Mamadou had chosen a spot not too far from the estate. Bruno began to recognize the landmarks that would guide him to the right location. He navigated through the entire district, traversing multiple streets and using the darkest alleys to finally enter the poorer areas.

High up on a rope between buildings, he spotted some clothes hanging. It was a bit out of reach, but with some effort, he was able to climb a wall and retrieve enough garments to change his appearance. From his elevated position, he also observed the orange glow above the wealthy district, a clear sign that Mamun's mansion was engulfed in flames.

"All according to plan," he whispered with a sly smirk. Landing gracefully, he hastened towards the closest shadows and swiftly changed into his new attire, then even smeared dirt on his face to further disguise himself in the night's darkness. Now incognito, he continued his journey to the hideout.

Soon after, the first shouts reached his ears, signaling the beginning of the hunt. It was slightly earlier than he had anticipated, making his situation even more perilous, as he still had a significant distance to cover. However, the architecture of the less affluent parts of the city worked in his favor, providing plenty of dark and narrow streets to evade prying eyes.

Combining his experience from living in the slums of Blackrock with his current surroundings, he had a solid chance of evading capture, despite the growing number of pursuers.

Following Mamadou's instructions, he carefully chose landmarks illuminated by the faint light above, skillfully utilizing the shadows to his advantage. He finally arrived at the designated location—an utterly ruined house unfit for habitation. Yet, within its remains lay a well-hidden basement entrance, the perfect spot to hide.

All he needed to do was crawl inside and wait, concealed from the world above.