The Alpha Forbidden heir

EPISODE 15 : THROUGH THE COLLAPSING TUNNELS

The moment Asher stepped into the underground passage, darkness swallowed the sounds of battle above.

Only the distant rumble of clashing steel reached him now, muffled by layers of stone.

Behind him, Vivian hurried the frightened civilians deeper into the mountain.

"Stay together!" she shouted. "Don't panic! Keep moving!"

Children clung to their mothers while elderly servants leaned on the younger guards. The narrow tunnel quickly became crowded as more survivors poured in from different entrances.

A violent tremor shook the ground.

Dust drifted from the ceiling.

One little girl screamed.

Asher instinctively steadied the stone wall beside him.

"Was that another explosion?" he asked.

A guard shook his head.

"No... that came from the mountain itself."

Another tremor followed, stronger this time.

Cracks spread across the ceiling.

Cedric's warning echoed through Asher's mind.

"They're trying to bury everyone alive."

Suddenly, a scout rushed into the tunnel, his breathing uneven.

"My Lady!"

Vivian turned immediately.

"The western passage has collapsed!"

"How many people were inside?"

"Dozens."

Without another word, Vivian grabbed her medical bag and ran toward the damaged tunnel.

"Asher, stay with the civilians!"

He nodded, though his eyes followed her disappearing figure.

Moments later, another guard stumbled into the chamber.

His armor was stained with blood.

"The enemy broke through the eastern courtyard," he reported.

"They're searching every building."

Asher's heart sank.

"What about Lucas?"

"No one knows."

The answer left a heavy silence.

Above them, another crash echoed through the mountain.

This time the tunnel shook so violently that several lanterns fell from the walls, plunging part of the passage into darkness.

Panic spread instantly.

"The ceiling is falling!"

"Run!"

People began pushing past one another, desperate to escape.

"No!" Asher shouted.

His voice cut through the chaos.

"If we panic now, we'll crush each other before the mountain does."

The frightened crowd slowly stopped.

Asher took a deep breath.

"We leave together."

He pointed toward several guards.

"You two help the elderly."

Then toward another group.

"Carry the children."

Finally, he looked at the strongest warriors.

"Search every side tunnel. No one gets left behind."

The guards hesitated for only a moment before obeying.

Vivian returned several minutes later, supporting an injured servant whose leg had been pinned beneath fallen rocks.

"We managed to pull everyone out," she said between breaths.

"But the western tunnel is completely sealed."

Before anyone could respond, a faint cry echoed from somewhere beyond the collapsed wall.

"Help..."

Everyone fell silent.

It came again.

"We're trapped..."

Vivian's expression changed.

"There are still people inside."

The guards rushed toward the pile of broken stone, trying to lift the largest rocks.

Nothing moved.

"It's impossible," one of them said.

"The collapse is too deep."

Asher stepped closer.

He placed his hand against the cold stone.

The cries on the other side grew weaker.

"They're running out of air."

He closed his eyes.

For the first time, he stopped thinking about himself.

Not about being a prince.

Not about the throne.

Only about the lives waiting beyond the wall.

Something warm spread through the silver mark on his wrist.

A faint glow appeared beneath his sleeve.

Vivian noticed it first.

"Asher..."

The light slowly spread across his hand like flowing silver.

The rocks beneath his palm trembled.

The guards stepped back in shock.

"What is happening?"

Asher opened his eyes.

"I... I don't know."

The glow intensified.

Then, with a deep rumble, several of the largest boulders shifted on their own.

A narrow opening appeared between them.

Fresh air rushed through.

The trapped survivors stumbled into the tunnel, coughing but alive.

A mother embraced her children, tears streaming down her face.

Several guards stared at Asher as though seeing him for the first time.

"You moved the rocks..."

"I didn't," Asher replied honestly.

"I only wanted to save them."

Before anyone could say another word, hurried footsteps echoed through the tunnel.

A wounded messenger arrived, barely able to remain standing.

"My Lady..."

Vivian caught him before he collapsed.

"What happened?"

"The fighting..."

He swallowed painfully.

"The enemy has withdrawn."

Relief swept through the civilians.

But the messenger's face remained grim.

"They didn't leave empty-handed."

Asher felt his stomach tighten.

"What do you mean?"

"The royal archives..."

His voice cracked.

"They set them on fire."

Silence fell over the tunnel.

Every record...

Every document proving the royal family's history...

Gone.

Then came the second blow.

"They also captured Captain Rowan."

The messenger lowered his head.

"He was defending the archives."

Asher clenched his fists.

This attack had never been about winning the battle.

It had been about destroying the past... and stealing someone who knew the kingdom's deepest secrets.

Far above, the sound of a lone battle horn echoed across the mountains.

The enemy was retreating.

But Asher knew this war had only just begun.