The cultists turned just in time to see the monster pounce on them. The leader, the one with the thicker, darker aura, extended his arm as if trying to control the chimera, but to no avail. The beast roared directly at him, its voice full of rage, of confusion, in an instant three whirlwinds of dark energy formed around the chimera that no longer responded to human orders.

The man could only watch us go as he tried to contain it.

I did not wait to see the result.

We ran without looking back.

The enarming chimera beast and the demonic cultists were left behind fighting in complete chaos. From where we were there was only the flash of leaking energy and the muffled screams echoing behind us. Finally, after several corridors, the sound was buried and we were able to come to a steel door covered in mithril that was partially open. Without hesitation we slipped inside, closing it behind us as best we could. A tense silence reigned for a moment.

"Phew... we were barely saved," Erwing gasped, leaning his weight back against the wall with a relieved smile.

I stared at him silently, somewhat incredulous. That smile... it wasn't just relief. It was satisfaction.

"Why are you smiling like that?" I asked, noticing the gleam in his eyes.

He shrugged, still smiling.

"I don't know, don't you find it ironic? The beast I wanted to use to destroy... ended up throwing them at me. It's almost poetic."

I continued to stare at him, unable to share his enthusiasm. Something about that scene unsettled me, as if we'd seen only a part of a larger plan beyond our understanding. And that cultist's gaze... made me feel uneasy.

"What's wrong?" Erwing asked, noticing my expression.

"...Nothing," I lied, looking away. "But we shouldn't stay here. We have to find Cyan."

Aziel, who had remained silent, nodded seriously.

"Yes. If this place is connected to the cult, he could be in danger."

And without another word, we continued moving further and further along the path, delving deeper into the bowels of that cursed place, certain that the worst was yet to come.

Until now, the chaos of flight and combat hadn't allowed us to properly observe our surroundings. But now, with the Chimera temporarily out of the picture, the silence gave us space to perceive the true magnitude of the place.

The corridor we were walking through opened into an even vaster, vaulted gallery, with black basalt columns supporting a ceiling covered in strange symbols. I put on my glasses, and only then did some of them become recognizable. Everything was arranged with a disturbing symmetry. This wasn't simply a clandestine refuge: it was a complex built for a purpose, and that purpose couldn't be anything good. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Around us rose observation chambers, mithril-reinforced doors, and laboratories peering through glass. The interiors were filled with alchemical apparatus, half-erased summoning circles, flasks of impossible-colored fluids, and cages... too many cages. Some empty. Others, with shadows moving slowly within.

The air had a metallic smell, but also a more rancid, deeper one, like withered meat mixed with incense. Every step we took revealed a detail of this entire place. The floor was covered in a subtle pattern of runes that seemed to absorb energy, as if the floor itself were part of a larger trap, spread throughout the complex.

As I absorbed these details, a sound broke the tense calm.

Footsteps.

Light at first, but not hesitant. They were determined, methodical footsteps, coming from one of the forks in the corridor. My body reacted before I could think about it: I turned quickly into a corner in the darkness and dragged Erwing and Aziel with me.

We pressed up against the wall, just behind a storage structure covered by a dusty tarp. We held our breath. From our position, we could barely see the reflection of the intruders as they passed through a dark glass pane.

They were two figures.

One wore black ceremonial armor with scarlet accents. The other, thinner, wore a violet robe dotted with burns and purple spots. Both spoke softly, but clearly enough to catch a few words.

-...high priest the specimen is reacting to the energy of the lower barrier...if it continues to do so, we may attempt a partial synchronization.

-What about the test subject? Will he resist?

-It doesn't need to resist. Only that he lives long enough to synchronize his core.

My muscles tensed. "Test subject." That term always meant one thing: someone was being used. What if it was Cyan?

We watched them move forward until they rounded a hallway and their voices were lost in the distance. Only when silence returned did Aziel mutter:

-This is worse than I thought. They're not just experimenting... they're building something.

Erwing frowned as he muttered:

-We have to find Cyan. I wish we had a clue

As if his prayers had been heard by the gods - a beep vibrated in my ears. My glasses, which had picked up no sign of Cyan since he arrived here, suddenly regained power. A familiar screen pulsed in the corner of my vision: Cyan's marker.

-Let's go... fast..." I muttered as the frame's lenses tightened.

Almost immediately in front of my eyes, lines of light began to materialize, direction indicators, like small arrows suspended in the air, floating as they advanced through the corridors. They glided smoothly, glowing in a reddish hue, precisely marking a route through the shadows of that subway complex.

My chest heaved with an incredible force, it seemed that my heartbeat accelerated for a few moments. Instantly I broke away from the wall I had no time to hide because I was still hearing in my head the fragments of that conversation, fearing that the sacrifice was Cyan.

-Amelia? What is it? -Erwing asked, following me as he noticed my sudden impulse.

-I found her! -I exclaimed without slowing my pace, as I accelerated. The tracking marker on my glasses activated again. Cyan... it's close. Let's go!