The black iron pieces of their armor quietly shifted with each step they took. Tucker held onto his obsidian dagger as they made their way to the bottom of the stone steps. He focused the emerald aura into his eyes, improving his vision in the gripping darkness. The finer details of the corridor came into view, and the more he saw, the more confusing the situation became.

It was as if someone—no, something—had clawed into the very ground, digging into the depths of the earth in a search of desperation. The irregular marks tunneled to the lower levels, and the rigid steps were nothing they had ever seen before. Even Alex, the one with the most composure, was at a loss for words.

"What the hell could have done this?" Ray asked.

"Perhaps a magical creature of sorts," Alex said. "Most have been pushed back to the outer reaches of the continent, but some habitats remain."

"Except this isn't exactly feral." Tucker ran his fingertips along the claw marks. "It's like they domesticated something down here."

"You think the Empire managed to tame a creature that could dig these tunnels?" Ray scoffed. "Magical creatures aren't like those stone golems we saw at the bastion. They have intelligence. They have a will."

"And they can feel pain." Tucker watched as Alex took his last step onto the cold stone floor. "With enough pain, you could tame any common beast."

"The same applies to humans and demi-humans alike." Alex scanned the open space that could hardly be called a chamber. "Seems like whatever dug this tunnel went further in."

"Guys, it's not too late to back out," Ray said. "We don't exactly have a reason to explore this area."

"We do." Tucker followed closely behind Alex. "This area used to be one of our hideouts, and for a cavern like this to be excavated… someone with power had to do it. We just need to find out why."

Ray slowly released a breath. There were two things in his life he was afraid of. One was his mother, and the other was dark places hidden far beneath the surface. The fact that the three of them were venturing into such an eerie, bone-rattling cavern was less than ideal. But nonetheless, he swallowed his instinctive sense to retreat and trailed after the two.

Alex stood still and glanced around the opening, noting the broken wooden crates and torn rags on the floor. "Did any of you pick up the torch?"

"You mean the one you threw down? Didn't that burn out?" Ray asked.

Tucker furrowed his brows when Alex shook his head. He carefully spread out his spirit essence into fine threads, searching every nook and cranny of the open space. Yet, no living soul except for them existed in that very confined space.

"Could someone have picked it up when we weren't looking?" Ray asked.

"Or something," Tucker added.

Ray slightly paled before muttering under his breath. "Fuck…"

"There doesn't seem to be anything ahead of us," Alex said. "We'll have to go further in to see if we can find any leads."

Tucker glanced behind him at Ray. His comrade was on high alert, constantly watching their backs for any signs of life. The three of them made their way through the clearing. Their footsteps slowed as the tunnel space began to narrow toward a single point. Each breath they took was like inhaling fog. The damp sea air clung to their shimmering armor like a figure that didn't exist, refusing to let go.

It didn't make any sense. How could such a cave sculpted from a beast leave such walls that were smooth and slick with moisture? The further they went, the more it funneled them toward what seemed to be a dead end—or what should have been one. Instead, a faint metallic shape emerged from the darkness along with a groan that echoed from the front to where they came.

Alex's aura flared, enveloping his body in a crimson light. All of the old man's senses were heightened to the max as they drew closer. At first, it looked like part of the rock itself, but the watchmen knew better. It was nothing more than a shadow pretending to be stone. As they stood before it, the truth became clear.

It was a door.

A metal door that had seen better days.

Rust clung to its surface in a series of thick and flaking sheets, eating away at the surface like a long-festering wound that had been left untreated for too long. Tucker stared at the veins of corrosion that crawled across the door like a spiderweb, branching off into unusual patterns as the hinges sagged under years or maybe centuries of disuse.

"I don't like this," Tucker said. "We're calling it here."

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"Agreed." Alex nodded, but once he took a single step back, the metal seemed to groan softly, almost as if it had exhaled. All three of them tightly held onto their weapons and locked eyes on the rusted door. Yet it didn't show any signs of movement.

"Alright… let's slowly go back," Ray said, scratching the wall with his dagger. "I'll lead; you guys keep your eyes on that thing in case it moves."

Alex and Tucker both nodded. Together, the three retraced their steps, through the narrow tunnel and back in the direction of the open space. Their metal boots crunched over the stone floor as they made their way down the tunnel they had just come through. Their path twisted and turned, exactly like when they first entered the open space. But as they moved further and further, the narrowing sensation returned as if calling out their names.

Each step guided them to a destination that seemed all too familiar. The sound of their footsteps echoed in ways that they had just heard moments before. Even the chilly air from the previous path returned, clinging to their skin. Until finally, in the tunnel that narrowed toward a single point, they halted. In the same damp sea air that rooted them in place, the three were staring at a single rust-eaten metal object welcoming them into its embrace.

The very same door they had tried running from.

"Fuck." Ray stared at the worn-out door as chills crawled down his spine. He couldn't tell what was worse, being the last one behind, where something could rip him from the group in a snap of someone's fingers. Or being at the very front, where they had to face the danger head-on. "On God, we should have brought a priest."

Tucker glanced over at Alex, their eyes meeting for a moment. "Why did you want to go back?"

"You can call it an old man's instinct, what about you?"

"The rust on the door… it seemed old, far too old for something that had been here for only a decade."

"So… you're saying that it's been here before we used the warehouse above as a hideout?" Alex shook his head. "Impossible; if that's the case, then my friend would have known about this hatch and passage. Hell, he would have called for help to clear it."

"That's why it doesn't make sense. I just can't wrap my head around why this door is here."

"Well, it's not like this thing is gonna let us go either," Ray said. "We can't retrace our steps without this fucker following us."

"What if I stayed behind?" Alex turned to Tucker and Ray. "We could find out if this entire mess loops back here or if this thing only needs one of us."

"Would you be all right with that, Alex?" Tucker asked.

"I would—"

Before Alex could finish his sentence, Ray cut him off. "I'm against it." He pointed at the X he carved into the wall before they left. "I don't usually want to protest against orders, but just to be safe, I marked that spot because I was worried that something like this would happen."

"How could you tell that something was wrong?" Alex asked.

"Paranoia mostly," he replied. "But let's say we do split up, and you're no longer around once we get back here. Then what? We'd be even more fucked than before."

"He does have a point," Tucker said.

Alex calmly nodded. "Then… what do you suggest?"

Ray took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. His eyes drifted to the metal door. "I'm going in first; cover me in case something tries to kill me."

"Leave it to me." Tucker stayed close beside Ray, giving him plenty of room to maneuver. He glanced at the owl engraving that was hovering below a crown on his shoulder pad. The Order's sigil, a symbol of their rank. They were one of the best soldiers in the Kingdom, and they had nothing to fear.

Yet… the unease that Tucker couldn't shake off gripped onto him. There was no handle on the rusted door—just a hollow hole where the ocean's air barely seeped out of. Alex was covering their flank, and Ray took off his black leather glove, bringing two fingers to his lips. There was no point in stopping Ray; whatever was on the other side of the door had to have known they were there. Otherwise, they wouldn't be trapped in this loop.

Ray pressed his middle and index fingers together while drawing in a breath. Slowly, he blew, releasing a soft whistle like it was some sort of command, and in a heartbeat, a burst of flames emerged beside him.

"Rover… breach," Ray gave the command, and in an instant, a blazing greyhound tore through the flames and lunged at the rusty door. A heavy shudder echoed under the force of the canine as the metallic barrier cracked open, sending the hound tumbling into the room.

The three watchmen rushed in after as Rover's nostrils flared, sniffing the air for its target. Its claws scraped against the floor in the chamber, echoing through the space as it advanced. The faint embers from its body rose, illuminating the area, but once the adrenaline died down in their bodies. A putrid smell of decay slammed into them. Tucker immediately scanned the area. His spirit essence rushed forth like a gust of wind, scouring the open brick chamber in one fell swoop.

But nothing came up.

Not a single ounce of life besides them resided in the room. Not even a rodent. Only the three watchmen and Ray's companion were in the chamber. His eyes flickered to Ray and Alex, their backs toward one another, searching for any foes lingering in the shadows. The crimson aura in their daggers glowed with each step they took, but Tucker knew they were just as confused as he was.

How was this possible?

Tucker asked himself that question several times while taking in his surroundings. The moss-covered floors and the grooved pathways that led to the center meant that this room served a purpose. A reason for the Empire to keep it hidden from the public eye.

Then, he heard it. The subtle sound of something dripping from above their heads. Tucker glanced at his mentor, their eyes locking for an instant. Alex gathered his spirit essence within his fingertips, forming a small yet powerful ball of ember. With a simple flick of his wrist, he sent the clump of flames toward the ceiling. They watched for seconds as it slowly travelled several meters in the air. Countless shadows stretched beyond the walls as the flame rose, with none of them daring to say a word. And then, with a soft crackle, it exploded, releasing fragments of bright embers through the air.

The chamber filled with light from the soft glow of flames spreading outward. Yet the moment everything was revealed, their hearts sank. Never in Tucker's life did he expect to see such a grueling sight. Suspended by chains tied to their ankles were hundreds of dead bodies hanging like slaughtered cattle. The sheer disbelief that squeezed his heart wanted every corpse he saw to be an illusion.

But he knew that wasn't the case.

Ray ripped off his helm before leaning over and vomiting a mouthful of bile, while Alex's pained gaze shifted across the bodies one after another. It wasn't just one category, one type of person. No, the victims were men, women, and children of all ages.

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