“How did you get into this chamber?” Arkanis asked cautiously as he entered the torture room, his gaze narrowing as he spotted Victor standing amidst the equipment.
Victor merely shrugged, replying, “I have my own ways of getting in where I’m needed…” He casually picked up a sharp piece of equipment, examining it with mild interest. “So… tell me, what are you doing down here?”
Arkanis frowned, “I asked you a qu—”
“Did you…” Victor interrupted, his voice calm and unsettling, “…. torture Aether?” His fingers traced the edge of a long, tapered cutter as he studied Arkanis.
Arkanis met Victor’s gaze, “So what if I did?” he retorted, stepping forward, “It’s not as if you have any right to judge after betraying your own friend, do you?”
Victor sighed, setting the instrument down and nodding slowly, “True… after all, I’m nothing but a traitor to a friend I once swore loyalty to…” He gave a faint, humourless smile before fixing Arkanis with a sharper look, “But even so, where is he? What did you do with him?”
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Arkanis scowled, the reluctance clear in his expression. As much as he detested relying on Victor, he knew he couldn’t manage this alone, “He’s… gone,” he admitted, frustration tightening his features.
Victor raised an eyebrow, “Gone? What, did you kill him?”
Arkanis shook his head quickly, “No. He went missing somehow,” he said, then clenched his jaw, swallowing his pride before continuing. “I need your help.”
Victor’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and he raised an eyebrow, “You need my help, do you? After failing miserably? And what if he’s already with the Principal? In that case, we’re both in trouble, aren’t we?”
Arkanis’s face twisted with anger as he replied, “No! I didn’t fail! This isn’t my fault!” He looked away for a moment, composing himself before adding, “It must be something Aether pulled off… he may have awakened his bloodline and used it to escape from here. That’s the only explanation.”
Victor chuckled softly, shaking his head as if amused by Arkanis’s deflections, “So quick to dodge responsibility… it’s almost childish.” He paused as he saw Arkanis barely holding his anger.
Victor grinned seeing this and his tone turning serious. “But I’ve already checked around. My dear Snowflake assures me Aether never left this place.” He stroked the white snake coiled around his arm.
Arkanis eyed the snake sceptically, “You’re saying you used that reptile to track his scent and locate this place?” He sounded both sceptical and impressed. This room was designed to mask any trace of scent or sound. Just how keen was that creature’s sense of smell?
Victor offered no real answer, merely smiling, “Snowflake tracked his scent to this very room. Which means he either hid here…” He made a sweeping gesture around the room, “But no one here that leaves only one option—he somehow vanished from this very spot.”
Arkanis’s frown deepened, “Vanished? That’s impossible, there’s no way he could’ve…” His voice trailed off as if a thought had struck him.
Victor’s grin widened, sensing the dawning comprehension on Arkanis’s face, “Ah, so something does come to mind?” he prompted, crossing his arms and waiting expectantly.
Arkanis’s expression shifted as he grappled with the revelation, ‘Why didn’t I think of this before?’ he thought, cursing himself inwardly.
He was always hanged on the thought of Aether awakening his bloodline that’s why Aether escaped but now after thinking through this… Arkanis finally found his answers finally, ‘Aether had not contacted others for help till now… so that means he was still here…. Trapped!’ as he grinned.
“Hello? Pyra to Arkanis?” Victor drawled, snapping his fingers to bring him back to the present.
Arkanis straightened as she stared at Victor another thought entertained his mind, ‘Should I put him there too?’, an almost smug grin spreading across his face, “I might have an idea,” he replied, his voice holding a new confidence, “I may know exactly where he is.” With that, he gestured for Victor to follow him.
Victor frowned his eyes narrowing thoughtfully, but then he followed Arkanis, who led him to his private chamber.
The room was a display of excess and wealth—gold, jewels, and treasures piled high, all crafted from the finest materials. The space could only be described as opulent, every detail reflecting Arkanis’s taste for luxury.
‘That’s Emperor for you…’ Victor thought amused.
Without a word, Arkanis walked to an ornate bookshelf and selected a specific book. Suddenly—
Thud!
The bookshelf split apart, revealing a staircase that descended into darkness.
Victor smirked, ‘An old-school trick, huh?’ he thought as he followed Arkanis. As they descended, the walls were illuminated… not by torches or candles, but by a faint, ghostly glow from the walls themselves, casting just enough light to navigate.
As they walked down the dim corridor, Arkanis spoke, “This castle holds countless secrets… things even my father never discovered.”
Victor raised an eyebrow, “Is that so?”
“Yes,” Arkanis replied, a hint of nostalgia in his tone, “I stumbled upon this hidden path when I was much younger. This castle… it’s ancient.” He trailed off, lost in thought, until they reached the bottom, standing before…. a plain, unmarked door.
Victor’s curiosity piqued as he watched Arkanis approach the door. Suddenly, a thin, red beam flickered to life, scanning Arkanis’s eyes. Victor frowned as the beam changed from red to green with a faint click, and another holographic interface materialized.
Victor had a amused thoughts, he remembering… Resident Evil scene where some lasers about to pop up because this situation so similar to that!
Arkanis caught Victor’s bemused expression and smirked inwardly. ‘Poor country bumpkin,’ he thought, amused. Out loud, he said, “Turn around. I need to enter my password.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed. “A password?”
Arkanis chuckled with a smug look. “That’s right. Not something you’d understand. Now, turn around, or I won’t enter it.”
With a shrug, Victor turned his back.
Satisfied, Arkanis quickly focused on the hologram, just about to enter the password, he immediately turned back… only to see Victor looking opposite, he sighed turning back and once again glancing over his shoulder to ensure Victor hadn’t moved. Seeing him obedient, Arkanis exhaled and started entering the password.
However… He forgot something… or someone—Snowflake, who slithered silently along the ceiling, watching as Arkanis typed the code into the glowing panel.
After a few seconds, Arkanis finally spoke. “All done. You can turn back now,” he announced, watching as Victor turned around and Snowflake quietly slipped down to rest on his shoulder.
Thud!
The door unlocked, and Arkanis stepped inside, motioning for Victor to follow. The room lights flickered uncertainly before brightening fully.
[Welcome, the Great and Only Dragon Emperor!]
Announced a mechanical voice, echoing through the chamber.
Victor couldn’t hide his distaste, wrinkling his nose, ‘The Great and only…’ he thought, trying not to roll his eyes. But as he stepped inside, something else quickly claimed his attention.
“What the hell…” Victor’s voice dropped as he took in the scene.
What did Victor see?
Nothing…. just children!
But not just any children or rather….. Dead bodies of children!!
The room was filled with cages—row after row of them—lining the walls like grotesque storage shelves. Inside, he saw what looked like the remains of children.
The sickening smell of decay wafted through the room.
“What… happened here?” Victor whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief. He moved closer, horrified as he inspected the bodies.
These weren’t just children—they bore strange, mutated features: huge horns, leathery weird wings, and scales overgrown…. everything grown unnatural…. “Wait… are these even children?” His horror grew as he realized how grotesquely altered these small bodies were as if they’d been… experimented on.
He turned to confront Arkanis, only to find him grinning beneath a gas mask he had somehow donned without Victor noticing.
A warning blared through the room:
[Warning! Intruder detected!]
[Activating Poison Gas!]
Victor’s eyes widened as he spotted a white gas starting to flood the room, swirling up from vents in the floor. His vision began to blur, his head growing heavy and disoriented as the gas seeped into the air around him. He staggered, clutching his head, trying to force himself to stay alert, “W-What…?” as he wobbled.
Arkanis’s grin widened as he took a step back, his voice gleeful and mocking, “Die, you motherfucker!” he shouted before revealing a hidden sword from behind his back and, with a gleaming arc, lunged forward—
Chuckkk!