The interior of the room was exactly as Aldrus had glimpsed. On the surface, it looked like a small, abandoned library. Medium-sized bookshelves lined the wooden walls, each cluttered with a handful of dusty books.

The fact that something inside was blocking Aldrus’s [Visione] from working properly was already strange. However, even more jarring was that everything within the space looked as though it hadn’t seen a human soul in ages. The musty stench of rotting floorboards hung thick in the air, a silent testament to the lack of footsteps.

"Aldrus... Something’s wrong," Alice said, picking up on the same eerie stillness. "We better hurry. Where was that trapdoor again?"

Aldrus glanced behind a fallen bookshelf, and trusting the future he had foreseen, he shoved the heavy wood out of the way.

The trio pushed through the scattered books, reaching a hidden area lined with an elegant crimson carpet. As Aldrus scanned the floor, searching for the exact spot of the door, he suddenly flinched and shouted a warning. "Ah, Alice, watch your st—"

*Crash*

"Ah... There it is."

It was too late to stop her from tripping, but at least they had found what they were looking for. Caught on the ankle of Alice’s stockings was a single, rusty flush ring, propped up and fixed in place.

The trapdoor...

The three of them fell silent, hesitating over their next move. There wasn’t much to deliberate, really. If Aiden was down there, their only choice was to help him, though the thought didn’t make the place any less terrifying.

"Hey... I-I don’t think we should stay here any longer," Cedric muttered. "Let’s just get down there. If we die, we die."

Aldrus looked at the blonde girl, waiting for her input, to which she offered a single, hesitant nod.

Is there really not another way? Aldrus felt overly uneasy about going down. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared of dying for whatever reason, but more than that, he feared he’d lead his friends into danger again.

The uncertainty of his team’s condition kept eating him from inside. Everything was so unsettling and quiet that he couldn’t help but think about the jailer’s words, and whether he was telling the truth or not.

How could he face his family again, knowing he was the reason other sons and daughters were killed?

Aghh, stop, stop!

As he scratched one of his hands with the other, Aldrus shook his head, trying to drift his thoughts away. However, before he succeeded on his own, the blond boy spoke again. "Hey! Aldrus, are you okay? Did you see something else?"

"Ah... No, that’s not it. It’s okay, we don’t have time. Go ahead." Aldrus said, steeling his resolve.

With that, Cedric clenched and tried pulling from the ring. "Ugggh! Dammit, what?!" To their surprise, the trapdoor wouldn’t budge. It was completely sealed.

What the hell...?

It made no sense. If Aiden was down there getting ’VIP treatment,’ there was no reason for the cloaked man to seal the entrance, especially since he would have to return at least twice a day.

"Hey, just... Maybe just kick it down, yeah?" Aldrus suggested, feeling his guts squirm.

Not only was the trapdoor sealed, but the room itself bore the marks of total abandonment. It looked as if no one had ever set foot inside. Or, at the very least, that was the illusion someone wanted to create.

Cedric frowned, noticeably annoyed. Using [Motion], he soon shattered the metal with a single, devastating strike.

"Let’s go, quickly," Alice whispered, disappearing down a flight of wooden stairs that mirrored the ones from their own underground cell.

Aldrus sighed and followed, with Cedric bringing up the rear.

The damp, stagnant stench of the hut grew heavier with every step they descended, making them question their decision. However, they couldn’t turn back now; too many signs pointed to the reality of Aiden being underground.

A moment later, a dull thud echoed through the darkness—Alice had reached the bottom. The two boys quickly joined her and began to look around.

Although the area was supposed to be isolated from their previous location, the architecture was disturbingly similar, somewhat resembling an interconnected sewer system. The only differences were the temperature and the smell.

It was noticeably colder, and more depressing. Even to their blinded eyes, the surroundings almost looked as if the underground itself was another prisoner.

Aldrus considered using [Visione] again, but thought better of it. He had already been blocked once; who knew what would happen if he stubbornly tried now, so close to the source?

"Smart move, Aldrus," Cedric said suddenly, breaking into his thoughts.

"Was it that obvious?"

"It was written all over your face. Has anyone ever told you you’re terrible at hiding things?" The blonde boy smirked.

Sigh... Aldrus smiled softly at those words. It somehow reminded him of his mother.

Just wait for me, Mom. I’ll be back soon.

Keeping a steady pace, the trio soon spotted a faint blue gleam in the distance, swallowing the surrounding darkness.

"T-That’s!" Alice stiffened, a hint of recognition in her eyes.

Cedric also stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening at the sight of the mysterious light. Without a word of explanation, both of them bolted toward the source, leaving Aldrus standing in confusion.

What...? He parted his lips in astonishment, then shook his head and rushed after them. There was no time for any questions.

Fortunately, he wouldn’t have to wait long for answers.

Catching up to them, he gasped for air, bracing a hand against Cedric’s shoulder. "H-Hey! Ufff... Wha-What’s going on?"

But the blond boy didn’t answer. He stood frozen alongside Alice, both staring in absolute shock at the scene before them.

Damn, let me see!

Aldrus squeezed past them, searching for whatever had paralyzed his friends.

!!!

In the blink of an eye, his expression lightened. He felt his throat grow heavy as his fingers tightly gripped the chest of his clothes.

"A-Aiden!"

Not a single thought came to mind as his feet moved on their own toward a tiny, rusty cell. Inside, a silver-haired boy sat against one of its walls.

"Ughh... N-No... A-Aldrus?" He glanced up, blinking multiple times in denial. "No! B-But... H-He told me! You’re dead! You’re dead! He—"

"Hey, what are you talking about, Den?" A pair of milky eyes met the sobbing boy; their warm spark cut through the void like the sword of a knight. "We’re here, idiot. Stand up. We’re heading out."