I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 212: Sanity Breach

Alicia is hiding.

She’s crouching low behind a concrete wall, knees pulled to her chest, fingers digging into her sleeves. She’s hiding from her chaser. From Alexander.

Fear presses down on her chest until it’s hard to breathe. She’s praying. Something she never does. She prays now anyway, desperate, frantic, hoping with everything she has that he won’t find her.

"Little Ali, where are you?"

Alex’s sing-song voice echoes through the corridor.

Fear crashes over her like a wave.

Her body starts shaking uncontrollably, teeth chattering despite her effort to stay quiet.

"Please... please... please... please..." she whispers, the word tumbling out like a broken mantra.

"Little Aliiiiiii... where are youuuuuuu?"

Her eyes burn. Tears gather, but she refuses to let them fall. She clamps a hand over her mouth, sobbing silently, chest jerking with each shallow breath.

Then, suddenly, silence.

No footsteps.

No voice.

Alicia swallows hard, throat dry, ears straining for any sound. Anything.

Nothing.

Her heart pounds so loud she’s sure it will give her away.

Slowly, trembling, she peeks out from behind the wall. Just a little.

"BOO!"

Alexander’s face fills her vision.

Bloody. Grinning. Too close.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Alicia screams as she falls backward, scrambling on the floor, hands slipping as she tries to crawl away.

"Hahahahaha..."

Alexander’s manic laughter echoes after her, sharp and cruel.

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"Enough!" Arthur bellows.

His voice cuts through the chaos like a blade.

Captain Chambers halts mid-step, as do the other officers who were moving forward. The shift in Arthur’s posture is immediate and unmistakable. He stands tall, shoulders squared, every inch of him radiating danger.

"You watch your mouth, Captain Chambers," Arthur says coldly.

The silence that follows is heavy.

"Thea is my little sister. She deserves your respect." His eyes burn as they lock onto the Captain. "Sacrificing her? Is that what you’re implying? That she’s the weakest because she’s the youngest? Because she looks the most delicate?"

His voice drops, turning sharp and lethal.

"I don’t give a shit if you insult me." Arthur takes a step forward. "But do not insult my sister. She is far stronger than you can ever imagine."

The air tightens.

Arthur lifts his head and addresses the surrounding officers, his gaze sweeping across them one by one.

"Any further comment about Thea Montrose," he says evenly, "about my sister, had better be made with the respect she deserves."

No one speaks.

With that, Arthur turns sharply and strides toward an empty tent. Liam follows immediately, jaw tight. Julian and Maeve trail behind without hesitation.

Captain Chambers remains frozen in place, throat working as he swallows hard.

Arthur’s aura still presses down on the site, thick and suffocating. No one can move.

Only when Arthur disappears into the tent does the pressure finally lift.

Breaths are released all at once.

Sighs of relief echo across the site, quiet and shaken.

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The rest of the Rhaenas try to concentrate on learning how to detect the green mist, following Maeve’s experience as best as they can. But Light magic is far more difficult for those with normal resonance.

And the fact that Theo has not returned, even after being gone for a full hour, does not help at all.

Rhaenas are finding it harder and harder to focus. Their attention keeps drifting to the gate. To the time. Back to the gate again.

Another ten minutes pass.

Maeve suddenly frowns.

She can feel it.

There is no more green mist leaking from the dungeon. Not even the faintest trace.

A moment later, the other three detect it as well, though they are slower than Maeve.

Without saying anything, Maeve steps out of the tent and walks toward the gate.

Arthur, Liam, and Julian follow immediately behind her.

Captain Chambers, who has been deliberately keeping his distance from them, notices the movement. He rises and follows from a safe distance.

Other officers do the same, curiosity pulling them closer. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Less than ten minutes later, the gate pulses.

Captain Chambers and the officers freeze.

This is the first time the gate has pulsed since they arrived.

A pulsing gate usually means it is opening, allowing entry or exit. But this is a mutated gate. People can enter at any time. No one knows what a pulsing gate means in this case.

Rhaenas do.

It means someone is forcing their way out.

Everyone watches the gate intently as it begins to pulse faster and faster.

And suddenly—

Three people stumble out and immediately collapse onto the ground.

Rhaenas rush forward, instinctively reaching out, thinking one of them is Thea.

But they are not.

They are Captain Thierry and two officers.

Captain Chambers’ breath catches.

"Walter!" he shouts.

Other officers cry out as well.

"Captain Thierry!"

"Lieutenant Hash!"

"Lieutenant Mayweather!"

Captain Chambers and the rest surge forward, while Arthur, Julian, and Liam lift the unconscious officers and pull them away from the gate.

Only Maeve remains standing directly in front of it.

She is waiting.

Arthur, Liam, and Julian pass the three officers to their comrades just as the gate begins to pulse again.

Faster.

Harder.

Then, a few seconds later, Theo emerges, supporting another officer.

Captain Chambers’ eyes widen.

"Lieutenant Cole!"

He rushes forward and helps take her weight.

Theo passes Lt. Cole into Captain Chambers’ arms, and the Captain instinctively princess carries her away.

The moment Theo is no longer supporting anyone, his body sways.

"Whoa," Liam says, catching him just in time.

"You okay?" he asks, not even trying to hide his concern.

Theo nods once.

His face is pale, but his eyes are sharp, burning with determination.

Arthur steps closer, immediately assessing him.

"Thea, you need rest," he says firmly. "Let’s go rest."

Theo shakes his head.

"I can’t."

He looks at his teammates, voice low but urgent.

"We need to get all of them out. They can’t stay in there any longer."

His jaw tightens.

"They’ll lose their sanity permanently."

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Deep inside the dungeon, Chief Lutherford is crying openly. Tears stream down her face. She is no longer hiding.

She stands out in the open, one hand clamped over her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs, but it is painfully clear that she is failing.

"I’m sorry," she cries. "I’m really sorry, Alex. I’m sorry I killed you. I did what I had to do. It was my fault. It was my fault. I’m sorry."

Her voice breaks completely.

She keeps crying. Keeps apologizing to her dead brother, who is standing in front of her, slowly walking toward her with his arms open.

"Will you forgive me, Alex?" she sobs. "Will you? I’m really sorry."

Chief Lutherford repeats the same words again and again, her guilt pouring out unchecked.

"Of course I will, Little Ali," Alexander Lutherford says gently. "Of course I will."

He keeps approaching her.

If Chief Lutherford could see what that Alexander truly looks like, she would bolt out of there instantly.

It is not Alexander Lutherford walking toward her.

It is an eight-legged spider haelion that’s closing in.

A massive, grotesque creature. A giant spider whose head alone is as tall as Chief Lutherford, its body nearly three times her length. Its legs are thick and jointed, plated with hard, armadillo-like scales.

Its many eyes glow a vivid, unnatural orange.

Its mouth resembles that of a praying mantis, opening and snapping rhythmically as it advances, each click sharp and wet, inches closer to Chief Lutherford.

And she waiting for it, arms trembling, ready to embrace her brother.