MLTO C2, P13

This is the thirteenth Part of "MLIV:TO" 's second Chapter.
It was released on 16.11.2022.
== Plot ==
Thinking that they messed up because of Kaiden's uncontrollable rage, Geralt and his allies return to the crash site where they find the Governor's daughter about to be abused by her enraged mistress. 
Little did they know of Maxwell's plan that Kaiden unknowingly foiled and how much worse it would have gotten for the poor girl...
Geralt's reinforcements arrive in time and manage to surround the mansion, killing many of Alais Keymoira's lackeys. But the dark mistress herself remains, angered by both the slave riots going outside and the fact that her own slave girl might be plotting something alongside them... even though Aurelia has gotten so docile in the past few years that she wouldn't even dare to hurt a fly.
The final battle between the enforcers of the law and those who attempt to get past it is about to commence. Much is at stake and the result is still quite uncertain. Sometimes, it almost feels like there is no end in sight.
How will this fateful journey end?
== Story ==
As Geralt is about to open the door, Emela stops him.
"Wait, dear."- She says to him- "Perhaps it's best if we don't go alone."
Geralt looks at her.
"We still have each other."- He says- "Isn't that sufficient?"
Emela sighs.
"That's not what I meant."
She stares at something in the darkness ahead.
"Remember when you said something about reinforcements? United forces of Avernum and Goznor?"- She asks- "Did you tell us the truth back then? Or were you just trying to feed us with false hopes?"
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Do you really want to find it out?"
Emela nods.
"You bet!"
Geralt nods back.
"In that case, I am sure that you will be quite surprised once we enter the household."- He says- "Just keep your voice down, for now. Once we plunge ourselves deeper into this chaos, I shall spring the trap I deliberately left for those fools back when we talked to Mrs. Keymoira for the first time."
Aaron gasps.
"A trap?"- He asks- "But you didn't tell us anything about that!"
Geralt sighs.
"Well, let's just say that it will be... worse than the ceiling trap that we encountered in the mansion."
Now, both Aaron and Emela gasp. What could be worse than a dangerous, unexpected ceiling trap that is guaranteed to bury you alive?"
Jared is quite surprised to hear what Geralt and his allies willingly got themselves into.
"A trap, caused by a falling ceiling."- He says- "So that's what I heard when I was getting close to town. I sure am glad that it wasn't my imagination."
Geralt looks at him.
"What have you been up to, grandpa?"
Jared shakes his head.
"Oh, it's always been the same. Like you and Kaiden, I also suffered from progressing depression following Kiara's demise."- He says- "But I think that I've taken it lighter than either of you. I managed to get over the worst of it in weeks and the rest was just a blank file, filled with the rusty memories of an old hero. I guess that some things are best left where they belong, but they're still secrets to me. So, whenever I heard the sounds of battle from that moment onward, I saw that the balance of the world was in danger. Even the slightest provocation could bring it all down upon us. It's truly terrifying."
Aaron raises his eyebrow as he looks at Geralt.
"Wow."- He says- "Your gramps is quite the talker."
Geralt chuckles.
"He has always been like this."- He says- "Since he is one of those whom they call the "old heroes", he is like a library of old memories. And yet, he always strides forward with his head held high. He always has a tint of light-hearted behavior in his speech and is fun to listen to."
He smiles.
"You should try striking up a conversation with him sometime in the future."- He adds- "I am sure that he would love it."
Aaron smiles.
"I will!"
Emela looks at Geralt.
"Umm, dears? The screams, they're getting louder!"- She says- "Shouldn't we, like, try to save the girl. at long last?!"
Geralt gasps.
"Oh my!"- He exclaims- "I nearly forgot that we have an epic mission on our minds!"
He draws his weapon and fearlessly steps through the door.
"Don't worry, Aurelia!"- He yells- "We shall rescue you... somehow!"
As Geralt and his allies carefully step through the eerily quiet hallway, a small sound emerges from nearby. Not plainly noticable, but just at the edge of perception. The rest of our heroes are unable to notice it, but Geralt knows better than to proceed. He willingly freezes in place and scans the horizon for intruders- or rather, natives.
"Something smells fishy in here."- He mutters- "And I am sure that it is not the fish in the supply crate to the left of me."
As the shadow assailants get closer to their prey, Geralt listens for the tiniest of sounds that emerge from them. Unbeknownst to his confused allies, he has actually dealt with such ambushes in the past and, much to the dismay of those who tried to get him killed, survived relatively unharmed.
And then, a single floorboard creaks. That's when he knows when the enemy is about to strike.
Four huge and burly mercenaries emerge from their hiding spots, startling the entire team. Geralt himself is annoyed that it took them so long.
"Go!"- He yells- "To the right!"
As the entire team listens to his instructions, Geralt ducks just as his four enemies leap forward to apprehend him. Now that they're standing unnervingly close to him, the young hero performs a sharp, spinning kick, knocking all for of them back.
Unfortunately, this move proves to be fatal for all of the assailants. As soon as they land on their backs, they trigger a single vicious tripwire. All of them have half of their heads sliced in half by a giant axe that emerges from the ceiling above and drops right on them, killing them in a fairly messy kind of way.
"Ouch!"- Emela exclaims- "That's gonna leave a scar!"
Aaron shivers.
"Many scars!"
Geralt sighs.
"The worst thing is that none of them shall feel the scorns of this humiliating defeat."- He says and shakes his head- "But, if it makes you feel any better, the coast is clear. Their ambush did not manage to kill us."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"So, this is good news and bad news at the same time?"
Geralt shrugs.
"Something like that, I suppose."
He peers at the doorknob and gets closer, listening to the sounds coming from behind the door to the slave owner/trader's office. Apparently, there is a very heated conversation and Alais is close to shooting all of her slaves down, including poor Aurelia. If she actually succeeds, this could cause widespread havoc and her father- Marlon- would blame more than just Alais for all of his troubles.
"That thing's not budging. And I can't magic it away, either- it's magicproof."- Emela says while staring at the doorknob- "How are we going to handle this?"
Geralt sighs and shakes his head.
"As far as I know, we cannot bash it down either. The wood that was used to create it is virtually impervious to blows and it would hurt too much to try, anyway."- He says- "So, the only way to get in and confront that spawn of evil... is to uncover the secret password."
Emela stares at him.
"Okay, now you're just making things up."- She says to him, unconvinced- "How is there supposed to be a secret password? For a door inside the house?"
Geralt smiles.
"Your confusion is understandable, Miss Emela. But worry not, as I already know the answer."- He says- "And I think that the man we found earlier shall be the key. Not in the literal sense, but in the metaphorical one."
Emela raises her eyebrow,
"Man? What man?"- She asks- "We didn't meet no men earlier!"
Aaron gasps.
"Oh! I know what you're talking about!"- He exclaims- "So old Dennis's letter's actually going to be of use to us, huh?"
Emela looks at him,
"Dennis?"- She asks- "You mean the creep at the bar who was always looking for "prestigious opportunitites" and was eager to prove whatever masters inhabited the Known World? That freak?"
Aaron shrugs.
"Can you blame him?"- He asks- "He was just working for money, even though he was really incompetent at it."
Emela rolls her eyes.
"Well, I'm just glad that he's gone."- She says- "He looked like really bad news, that I could tell."
Geralt glares at the two of them.
"Can I get a moment of peace, please?!"- He hisses, holding Dennis' letter in his hands.
Emela and Aaron turn around and nod.
"Of course, dearest."- Emela says- "Sorry for bothering you."
Geralt sighs and turns back to the open letter.
"Dennis,
As per the agreement placed on your contract, you must hunt down the one who is named "Geralt Kaos." But don't think it's an easy task.
Remember to always stay wary- even the slightest sigh of wildlife creeped you out in training and we're getting worried that you might not be fit for the job.
Kareful with who you anger. We don't want to make more enemies than those that we already have."
Emela sighs and shakes her head.
"Wow."- She says- "Whoever wrote this thing, he or she had to get some spelling classes placed on their schedule."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"And how is that supposed to be important?"
Emela shrugs.
"I mean, look at it!"- She exclaims- "Kareful? Come on! Even a first grade student will be able to realize that this is not how you spell it!"
Geralt blinks a few times.
"But we do not have any first graders here, do we?"
Aaron smiles.
"Well, I still remember the things that we did when we were studying during the first year at school."- He says- "Does that count?"
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"I... suppose?"
He sighs.
"Anyway, I am sure that you already know that this simple-looking message includes the code that shall give us access to this mysterious door."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"So that jumble of letters is actually gonna come in handy for us?"
Geralt smiles.
"You know it!"
Geralt stares at the thicker letters and enters them into a small, secret keyboard and monitor combo to the right of the door until it spells DARK on the screen. Much to the surprise of everyone else, the defense of Mrs. Keymoira is easily breached, breaking the last wall between them and her.
"I suppose that I just got proven wrong."- Emela says and shrugs- "Oh well. It's time to get back to being my old, supportive self again."
Aaron sighs.
"And to think that he had a way to get in here without alering the security system."- He says aloud- "It seems like Redmark has a bigger role in the villain hierarchy that I thought when I was forced to join him."
Geralt looks at him.
"Have Redmark's henchmen always been so... careless?"
Aaron nods.
"Indeed, they have."- He says- "Sometimes, I wonder how many times they've humiliated the emperor with their own mistakes. I can't even count them myself."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Then this is a good sign for us."- He says- "I cannot say the same for them, though."
He sighs and pushes the heavy door open, with the help of his grandfather.
"But there is no time to waste. In fact, time is of the essence and every second could save the poor damsel in distress."- He says- "Let's keep moving and hope that we have not arrived too late."
As the four of them step in, they notice that most of the slaves are already dead. Alais shot them all down, but never hurt their heads, as if she wanted to preserve their future selves to attack any potential intruders that might try to sneak up on her.
"Mistress, I said it! Again and again! I have been loyal to you for as long as I can remember! You're like... like my second mother!"- She exclaims- "And I'd never abandon you!"
Alais Keymoira glares at her.
"Your second mother?!"- She yells- "Girl, I'm your only mother! And you have just disobeyed my orders, so I must dispose of you!"
Aurelia innocently stares at her.
"But aren't the parents the only ones who can always forgive you for what you've done? Aren't they the ones who would never harm you?"- She asks- "I'm your daughter, mistress! And, as much as I hate speaking against you, you can't just treat me, my brothers and my sisters like this!"
Geralt stares around in horror, left speechless before the grisly sight that was presented upon his very eyes.
"Alais Keymoira... "- He says to himself- "What kind of a monster are you?"
Alais shakily aims her gun at the young girl.
"Argh! That's it!"- She yells- "I'm tired of listening to your nonsense! Begone from my sight, forever!"
Just as Alais is about to shoot Aurelia in the stomach, Geralt heroically leaps forward.
"Leave that pure soul alone, you sinner!"
Alais looks at Geralt and barely has time to react as he grabs her and throws her against a wall, seemingly hurting her spine in the process.
"Argh. My old bones."- She says- "Why, if I find the person who did this, I will-- "
And then, she sees the face of her attacker. She starts to shiver in fear, for a reason unknown to Geralt himself.
"You! You're real!"- She yells- "But Marc assured me that you're just an illusion of justice! That can't be!"
Geralt sighs.
"Well, some things are supposed to be figments of your minds. Others are meant to be solid nightmares that haunt you for a long time."- He says- "As it is, I am quite real."
Alais takes a step back.
"And you brought all of your friends!"- She yells- "How could I allow myself to be so belligerent?!"
Geralt shugs.
"I guess that you are the only one who knows just how careless you are."- He continues- "I am just an enemy of yours. I cannot change your destiny, nor your life."
Alais starts to respond, but soon hears the faint growls of the newly reanimated slaves that she disposed of earlier.
"Hold it, you fools! Stop that!"- She exclaims- "This is not it! This is not the right time!"
The undead ignore the elven woman's pleas and rise up. They stare at her in such a menacing way that it is as if they are starring daggers on her back. It doesn't take long for them to know what they must do- avenge their fallen selves by making their former master pay for her crimes.
Alais is surrounded by her enemies, both the living and the dead. Desperate to continue her illegal business unscathed, she makes one desperate move to escape elsewhere.
"You'll never take me alive!"
Then, she hits a small button behind her desk, triggering an alarm that gets the attention of the mercenaries that are hiding in the nearby room. Coincidentally, a small fire is set on the next floor, making the situation even worse than it already is.
"So, this is my first Monday as an actual hero."- Aaron sighs and shakes his head- "Well, it could have been worse than this. I suppose."
As Alais attempts to escape her burning household, Geralt gives chase. However, Jared grabs his arm and shakes his head.
"It's too late for that, my boy."- He says to him- "Besides, she can't run far. If we make it out alive, I'm sure that we'll run into her again."
Geralt sighs.
"I have to trust my instincts, grandpa."- He says- "And they tell me that this woman is dangerous. Very dangerous."
Jared nods.
"I don't say that we won't try to hunt her down. It's just that, well, we're not in the condition to begin such a thing."- He says- "As a young and promising hero, I used to think like you. I always had a positive view when I looked toward the future and the people who had faith in me. The warm stars in the sky always welcomed me in their astral home. I always believed in justice and justice always believed in me. It was almost as if I had nothing better to do than to hunt down rowdy vill-- "
Everyone turns to him.
"Grandpa!"- They yell.
Jared gasps.
"But the rumble here is still as much a menace as anything else that I've ever faced!"- He hurries to say- "Now, let's get ready to feel the lightning and the thunder!"
As the four of them continue to fight with a combination of both living and undead enemies, Alais sneaks through the mess and makes it out of the burning household.
Two of the mercenaries attempt to apprehend Emela. They think that they have her in their hands, but soon come to the realization that she is very close to slipping her way out.
"I appreciate your show of strength, dear warriors."- She says- "But you'll have to try harder than that if you want to get your hands on me."
Suddenly, Emela's entire body turns into a vague humanoid form that's made of water. It suddenly splashes its way down as the real Emela easily makes her way past the two attackers.
Just as they wonder where she went, the two mercenaries receive a very unpleasant surprise. Apparently, the water that was once Emela turns out to be boiling water. Their hands start to hiss as they start to melt, under the pressure of this extremely high temperature.
The two of them barely emit two small screams before they are disintergrated into ashes. Emela watches this happen from afar and smiles.
"Looks like the ashes of their very existence were the ones who brought everything they once had into ruins."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"You are starting to rable again, Miss Emela.
Emela shrugs.
"I know."- She says- "Get used to it."
The fight continues as both the living and the dead struggle with the missions they've got in mind. 
"Is everything looking good out here?"- Geralt asks his grandfather.
Jared nods as he pierces one of the undead with his holy sword.
"We're holding our ground fairly well."- He says- "However, it seems like our damsel in distress picked up her metaphorical tail and ditched. I can't hear her pleads to be saved anymore and I'm pretty sure I saw a girl running toward the hallway."
Geralt shakes his head.
"I must get to her."- He says- "She might hurt herself in this confusion."
As he runs to the hallway himself, he turns back.
"Wait."- He says- "But... what about you?"
Emela smiles.
"Oh, we'll be fine."- She reassures him- "Once we take care of those goons, we shall make our way outside. I have a teleportation spell saved for this special occasion."
"I put my trust in your abilities, Miss Emela."- He says to her- "Save the others while I go ahead and save Emela. Then, we shall meet outside and finish what we have started."
Emela nods.
"And I know that you'll do very well."- She says- "Go, my dear. Fight for the lives of the innocent, just like your father once did."
As Geralt smiles and runs away, Jared turns to look at Emela and nods.
"You're keeping my boy's legacy alive."- He says- "That's such a wonderful sight to see."
Emela smiles.
"I'm only doing my part, Mr. Kaos."
Geralt descends further into the hallway. However, a pillar of flame blocks his way to the rest of it, so he is forced to detour and stumble into the kitchen. 
Inside, he finds two undead chefs who attack him on sight. Apparently, Alais was very displeased by her chefs' behavior and had them executed, but left their heads intact for later use. Fortunately, Geralt remembers a neat trick that he watched on TV when he was younger. He lunges at one of the creatures, stomps his foot, trips him and delivers a sharp blow to its head mid- air. And it is no surprise that he uses the same technique on the second one.
"Well, my friends."- Geralt says and smiles- "Bon appetit."
Then, he runs and dashes his way through the back door as the flames get closer to him.
Once again, he finds himself in the hallways. And from the looks of it, not much closer to his goal than he was before. He listens for the muffled screams of the innocent victim, but fails to hear anything other than the crackling of the raging flames all around him. Besides, it's pretty hard to listen for clues when the sounds of battle can be heard from everywhere.
But then, he hears a tiny scrap of a familiar sound. A girl's cry for help, just at the edge of his perception. That's when he knows that he founds his target. 
Making his way past undead servants and maddened mercenaries, the young hero finally reaches the maiden known as Aurelia. However, it turns out that she's gotten herself in a lot of trouble, having attracted the attention of a powerful creature that was created by the essence of the flames.
"Oh no!"- Geralt exclaims- "This is a Flame Titan! She... she is doomed!"
The mighty titan of fire roars as it lunges at Aurelia.
"Please!"- Aurelia screams- "Help me!"
Despite the fact that he may not win this fight, Geralt rushes into the battle, weapon drawn.
"Aurelia!"- He exclaims- "Don't worry! I'm here! I'll save you!"
And then, the titan raises his fist, attempting to crush them both. It seems as if everything is about to end in just a few moments...
But then, another miracle saves their lives. A large greatsword, infused with the power of water, dashes its way through the flames, slicing the titan's left arm off. As the creature roars and slowly regrows it, Geralt and Aurelia look back, curious to see who would be mad enough to join them in this impossible fight.
Thus, it is quite a surprise when they see that it is Kaiden.
"Kai! You... you made it back!"- Geralt exclaims- "But does this mean that... that you... "
Kaiden sighs.
"No, Geralt. I can never forgive myself for what I've done."- He says- "But I can still protect those who are dear to me. It's the least that I'm capable of."
He stands next to the two younglings and picks up his greatsword, which luckily landed a few feet away from them.
"And even a literal titan like this one can't stop me from saving what's truly important to me!"
Geralt's eyes fill with tears.
"Kai... "- He mutters- "I... I'm sorry for treating you like I did."
Kaiden looks back and smiles.
"You shouldn't be. I know that you were under pressure. We all were."- He says- "But it's all over now. From now on, we fight for the future together. And nothing can separate us anymore."
Aurelia suddenly remembers something. A long line of memories that return inside of her empty mind.
"I... I remember what my father said. When I was young."- She mutters- "He and mama always spoke in the same way. And he, he tried to teach me to be like him. It's a shame that he's probably forgotten about me... "
Geralt and Kaiden look back.
"Forgotten?"- Kaiden asks- "But Aurelia! Your father is alive, and he still thinks about you! I saw the man with my own eyes!"
Aurelia's eyes light up.
"You met my father?"- She asks- "What about mama? Am I still on her mind?"
Geralt and Kaiden stare at each other. It is clear that they have no certain response to the girl's question and they wouldn't be able to make a guess, either.
"I am afraid that she wasn't there. Only your father made it through."- Geralt says- "But I am sure that she is still alright. Still thinking about you. You should use whatever strength you have left to return to her. I am sure that she would love to have you back."
Aurelia's eyes light up again.
"Yes! My parents are still alive!"- She exclaims- "But what about that... thing?"
Kaiden looks back at the flame titan and sighs.
"Oh... that."- He says- "Don't worry. I'm sure that those things shall get settled soon."
He brandishes his mighty greatsword.
"Did you hear that, soul of fire?!"- He yells- "We are the holy water that shall extinguish your rage! We are the ones who are pure enough to make it out alive!"
He charges.
"So, bring it on!"
The flame titan roars again and rushes toward Kaiden, his burning eyes filled with malice and the vile intent to erase all that they once were... and set it all ablaze!
Geralt follows his brother's example. He draws his weapon and raises it in the air.
"For the light!"
And then, the two siblings charge as one, easily pushing their way through this creature as malice. As its fists of burning fury attempt to cut through them, they get even more determined and keep on striking, cutting the mighty one down. Piece by piece. Fragment by fragment. Soon, the darkness within the flame titan shall be torn apart and there will be nothing to save it from imminent destruction.
But, in the last moment, the titan reforms. It roars in total, unrestrained fury and slams both of its fists into the ground, creating a small network of blazing pillars. And then, it swings its punch with all of its might. Directing it all at the nearly-defenseless Geralt.
Fortunately, Kaiden manages to get in the way of the blow. As the heat slowly turns his skin red hot, he lets out a cry of defiance, continuing to fight back with all of the strength that he has left. The titan itself is no pushover, either. It keeps on forcing its way through the young hero's seemingly impenetrable defense, attempting to strike all three rabbits down with one as stone, as they say.
And then, something breaks. But it is not the titan. It is Kaiden's greatsword. Pushed to its limits by the intense heat and huge pressure that the titan's massive glow is forcing down on it, the weapon snaps in two and falls to the ground, allowing the fierce beast to finish its attack,severely burning Kaiden's eyes as he screams in pain.
"Kai!"- Geralt screams- "No!"
Geralt manages to push his brother out of the way of the blow, barely escaping the attack himself. However, it seems like he was too late. The damage has already been done.
Kaiden looks up at Geralt, but his eyes are closed. It seems like something in the titan's punch caused him to receive a tremendous injury.
"Geralt."- He says, utterly shocked- "I... I can't see! I can't see!"
Geralt is equally shocked by this sudden event. His brother just went completely blind and there was nothing he could have done. This outcome was inevitable and he is forced to accept it, just like he accepted what happened to their family four years ago.
But the fight for Kaiden's life is still not over yet. Kaiden himself is still alive and Geralt still has the chance to save him.
"I will not abandon you, Kai!"- Geralt yells- "Stay strong, my brother! I'll get you out of here!"
Kaiden looks at him. Or tries to. His eyes can't focus anymore and the only way he knows that he is in Geralt's arms is the fact that he is being guided by his voice.
"My strength is exhausted. My heart is pushed toward its limit."- He mutters- 'Oh, Kia. If only you could see how much we suffer."
Enraged by his dear brother's current condition, Geralt draws his weapon and lets out a fierce scream. Without any fear in his heart, he jumps in the air and delivers a sharp blow, cutting the flame titan in half.
And then, he does it again, cutting it into even smaller pieces, just like a butcher cuts the meat he has in stock.
Without a doubt, he does it again, smashing the once-mighty beast into small fragments of pure hatred as its roars fade away into the sunset.
Just as Aurelia and Kaiden wonder if there shall be more, Geralt discovers the core of the mighty titan. A beating heart. He lets out one last cry of defiance and swings his way past the final defense of the one who nearly got his brother killed. And then, the core shatters into pieces, exploding as Geralt roles away and keeps both Aurelia and Kaiden safe from the incoming explosion.
"I've never seen anything like that!"- Aurelia exclaims- "What was it? Some kind of a deranged soul? Some kind of a construct, brought to life to kill us all? Or... or... "
Geralt grabs her shoulders and shakes his head.
"Aurelia, focus!"- He exclaims- "My brother is in danger! He is on the verge of breaking down! We must drag him out before it's too late!"
Aurelia gasps.
"Wait! It's all coming back to me! Friendship, family! They've all been so dear in the past!"- She continues- "Alright then! Your brother must be saved! Let's get on with it!"
As the three of them stumble toward the exit, they see that it is blocked by another pillar of flame. Geralt opts to blow through it with his newfound water magic, but Aurelia shakes her head.
"No. It's best to conserve that energy while you still have it."- She says- "We might need that to fight whatever's between us and our second route."
Geralt looks at her.
"But what if this is the only route?!"
Aurelia shakes her head.
"I... I don't know!"- She exclaims- "I'm not made to think that much, okay?!"
Kaiden sighs.
"It's probably best if you do the job yourself. The girl's clearly gotten the worst of it."- He says- "You've always wanted it, little bro. Perhaps now you can be the hero everyone has been expecting."
Geralt nods.
"And I will not stop."- He says- "I will find an exit for us, even if it costs me everything."
The three of them search for a way out through the windows. However, they are magically held shut by mystical barriers, placed by Alais Keymoira and her servants to keep her slaves and servants locked inside the building.
And yet, one of the barriers starts to waver. Weakened by the pressure caused by the magical flames around it, the magical creation starts to melt down, revealing the window that it once hid from our heroes.
"It's a start, but it's not good enough!"- Kaiden exclaims while touching the barrier with his hand- "We need more power!"
Geralt takes a step forward.
"Oh, I shall give it more power!"
Then, without a warning, he uses his magical powers to make the flames' pressure even stronger. Soon, the feeble barrier is shattered and the window is finally revealed.
But the fight is far from over. As soon as Geralt tries to open it, he realizes that it is jammed.
"Oh no!"- He exclaims- "The window is stuck!"
He turns to Aurelia.
"I need your help to open it!"- He says to her- "You are the only other person here that I can trust."
Aurelia shakes her head.
"But I'm a girl!"
Geralt rolls his eyes.
"Sometimes, we boys cannot handle everything ourselves!"- He retorts- "We need a reassuring, female presence! And right now, I need you!"
Aurelia looks back at the flames, then back at Geralt. Seeing how close they're getting, it is no surprise that she joins Geralt in lifting the window open.
"That is the spirit!"- Geralt exclaims- "Now, heave-ho! Let's push this obstacle away from us!"
Using whatever strength they have left, the two youths manage to lift the jammed window a little bit. Then, they focus even further, pushing it all the way to the top.
"We did it!"- Aurelia says and hugs Geralt- "We will live!"
She notices that she's hugging Geralt and takes a step back, blushing as she looks down.
"Heh. Umm... sorry about that."- She apologizes- "I guess that I got a little bit too excited."
Geralt smiles.
"Well, you should be happy, my dear maiden."- He says to her- "We are almost out of this nightmare!"
Aurelia smiles back and nods.
"I know."
She looks down.
"But... how are we going to make it.
Geralt joins her and notices that his allies are standing just below them.
"Is anyone alive in there?!"- Jared yells- "Geralt?! Kaiden?!"
Geralt nods.
"We made it, grandpa!"- He yells back- "We are on our way!"
Jared smiles.
"Good!"- He exclaims- "One moment! We'll create a trampoline for you!"
He and Emela work on creating a small trampoline out of magical energy. It takes a few seconds, but it's done.
"Here!"- She yells- "It's safe to jump now!"
Geralt looks back at Kaiden.
"Brother, I feel like you should be the first one to feel the sweet taste of salvation."- He says- "You are the most injured out of the three of us and I suspect that it must hurt to be in here."
Kaiden looks at Geralt.
"But what about you?"
Geralt nods.
"It's alright. We will be safe."- He says- "Just make your way down. We shall join you."
Kaiden sighs.
"Al-alright."
Feeling his way to the window, Kaiden climbs up and jumps down. He makes it safely downstairs where everyone else discovers what happened to him,
"It's nothing to worry about. Not now."- He says- "Geralt is still in danger! Go help him out!"
Jared looks up.
"Come on, kiddo!"- He yells- "The rope of salvation is still strong!"
Just as Geralt prepares to jump, he trips on a piece of flaming wood, falling to the ground and dropping the item that Marlon Moonglow gave him earlier.
"My mother's brooch!"- Aurelia yells- "It... it can't be!"
She turns to Geralt as the flames get closer and closer.
"You must get it back!"- She yells- "It's what I've got left of her!"
Geralt seems surprised that Aurelia cares about this item so much.
"But I... "
And then, his eyes lock on a desk that's filled with papers. Even from this distance, he could tell that they could serve as evidence to expose Alais Keymoira and punish her for her crimes. And yet, if he tried getting gathering them up, Aurelia's precious bracelet would be burned in the fire. And maybe even Aurelia herself.
Forced to choose between justice and duty, our hero takes full responsibility. Instead of taking the evidence that could get the slave trader to join, he instead risks his own life to jump into the raging fire and recover the bracelet.
When he returns, shaken but nut injured, to Aurelia, she hugs him again. Apparently, the girl seems to have taken a liking to the young hero, and it is clear that she is eternally grateful for what he just did for her.
"Oh, thank you Geralt! Thank you so much!"- She exclaims- "I'll never forget this! I promise!"
Geralt smiles.
"I'm glad that this worked out for both of us."
He looks down and notices that the magical trampoline is starting to waver. Apparently, its magic is starting to wear off.
"Oh no! Oh no!"- Aurelia says- "It'll be gone soon!"
And then, poof! It vanishes from existence!
"Oh... "- Emela says- "Dear."
She looks up.
"Umm! Sorry, kids!"- She yells- "The safety rope's down!"
Aurelia stares in disbelief.
"Wh-what?!"
Jared shakes his head.
"No. It... it's too late."- He says- "They're doomed."
Aaron looks up.
"There must be a way!"- He exclaims- "Come on! We need to save them!"
Emela shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes.
"We expended all of our magic to create this trampoline. And now, it's... gone."- She says- "I'm sorry, dear. We tried our best."
Aurelia starts to shiver. The thought that she is doomed is traumatizing for her.
"I... I'm scared!"- She exclaims- "I can't do it! I can't do it!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"Aurelia, I need you to focus!"- He yells- "If we both fall apart, then there will be nothing left of what we try to build!"
Aurelia looks down.
"But it's so high!"- She exclaims- "Even if we had the chance to jump down, we'll still die on impact!"
Geralt slowly takes her in his arms and stares at her.
"Look. I know that you're afraid. And let me be honest- I feel the same way."- He says, in his most reassuring tone- "I once thought that the entire world was scary. I was scared of going outside my house, because I knew that the monsters were out to get me. Even the least creepy sounds made me afraid. But then, I remembered something that I had forgotten since my sister died- I have a purpose. That purpose is to help others and risk everything for them. Such a small obstacle wouldn't have stopped me, and neither would the flames of chaos. So, I grabbed my sword and bravely ventured into the woods, becoming the person Kiki always wanted me to be."
He smiles.
"So, remember that we are in this together. And it's not just you and me. You have your family by your side. My family is here to help you, too. And together, I know that we can make this world a better place."- He says- "And I will always protect you, no matter what kind of evil tries to separate us. Because that's what true friends do. And all of us are friends. We're like a big family. So, stand up and be a part of it, because you will always be one of us."
Aurelia's eyes fill with tears. Geralt's speech has truly insired her to keep on living.
"I... I will! I will!"- She exclaims- "Thank you, Geralt! You have such a big heart!"
Geralt nods.
"Now, are you ready?"
Aurelia nods.
"You bet!"- She exclaims- "We came in. And now, we go out!"
She looks down at the bottom of the mansion.
"But... how are we going to... "
Suddenly, Geralt leans forward and grabs Aurelia by the waist.
"Aaah!"
Geralt smiles.
"Get ready, my dear!"- He exclaims- "This is going to be a wild ride!"
Having said that, he jumps out of the window just as the flames reach his feet.
"Oh my god! Geralt!"- Emela exclaims- "Have you gone mad?!"
Jared looks up, barely believing what he is seeing.
"He is doing it!"- He exclaims- "The leap of faith!"
Even though he is unable to see, Kaiden is still able to feel his brother's presence.
"Geralt... "
While falling down with Aurelia in his arms, Geralt smiles.
"And now, it is time for the final act!"- He exclaims- "I hope that you are not scared of heights, Aurelia, because we're about to crash down like a meteor!"
And then, he channels a large part of his energy to descend much faster. As Aurelia screams, he successfully lands on his feet, creating a small crater where he landed. 
Having survived and rescued the damsel in distress, Geralt Kaos looks back at the burning building and salutes it as it is fully engulfed by the house fire, indicating that it served its purpose in this story... whatever it might have been.
"Geralt! That was unbelievable!"- Emela exclaims- "How did you do that?!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"We don't have time for this!"- He yells- "My brother is going blind! Take him to a hospital and make sure that he stays alive! He needs your help more than I do!"
Emela nods and carries Kaiden back to Goznor along with Aaron while Jared remains behind.
"I shall stick around with you, just in case."
Geralt nods.
"Good."- He says- "I want you to stay with Aurelia while I find her former master and bring her to justice."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Without evidence?"- He asks- "That's not a good idea!"
Geralt sighs.
"I am sure that I will find a way."
Leaving Aurelia in his care, he waves at them as he starts to chase Alais Keymoira. They wave back at him.
"Alais Keymoira. You committed many crimes, each one more heinous than the other."- He mutters- "But now, the pleas of those that you hurt will be answered. And I shall be the hand of justice that takes you down!"
== Trivia ==
* The sentence that Jared says during the section where he and the others fight Alaris Keymoira and her people ("Now, let's get ready to feel the lightning and the thunder!") is a reference to the lyrics of a popular song by the group known as Imagine Dragons, known as "Thunder".