August turned toward the spider nearby. "Raine, can you hear me?"
The spider simply remained where it was, watching the ants as they lined up along the edge of the wall.
Several seconds passed.
August glanced toward Adeline. "Communication established."
The woman stared at him. "Communi—how? How are you communicating with them?"
August paused, apparently trying to figure out the simplest way to explain it.
Instead, he turned around and showed her the glowing mark on the back of his neck.
The woman's eyes widened. "What—what is that?"
"A Realm Gift," August said casually. "Nothing for you to worry about. Just continue navigating and guiding them."
The woman stared at the mark for another moment before slowly nodding. "Right..." She turned her attention back to the monitor.
On the screen, the security cameras showed Raine and the other Sirens moving carefully through the maze of underground tunnels. They checked every corner before proceeding, watching for guards or anyone else who might pose a threat.
The woman studied the camera feeds. "There are a few guards up ahead on their left," she said. "How are they going to get past them?"
August looked toward the spider.
A few seconds passed.
Then he glanced toward the ants gathered along the wall. His expression changed slightly. "They know."
The woman frowned. "They know what?"
August didn't answer.
On the monitor, Raine suddenly stopped. She looked toward the wall.
A line of ants crawled along the corner toward her.
Raine crouched and watched them for a moment before quietly muttering something.
Several seconds later, August nodded. "Okay. Just don't make any loud sounds. Prevent them from radioing anyone or firing their weapons."
The woman looked at him. "Why not just use... uh, walkie-talkies?"
August glanced toward her. "We don't trust your communication system. It's better this way."
"But..." She looked between August and the tiny line of ants on the monitor. "It's kind of inefficient."
Adeline, who had been resting her head against the table with her eyes closed, finally spoke. "We can't use your radios. We don't know if the signal is encrypted."
The woman blinked while slowly turning back to the monitor.
She woman remained focused on the monitor for a while, watching the camera feeds as Raine and the others continued making their way through the tunnels.
After several minutes of silence, she finally glanced toward August. "Are you guys... like—I don't know—uhm... aliens?"
August looked at her. He thought about it for a moment. "Hmmm..." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If that's what you want to believe, then sure. We're aliens."
Adeline scoffed and chuckled quietly.
The woman stared at them for a few seconds, apparently unsure whether he was joking.
She eventually turned back toward the monitor.
For the next several minutes, the room fell quiet again.
Every so often, the woman would point out another guard or obstacle on the security feeds, and August would relay the information through their strange network of ants and spiders. On the monitors, Raine and the others continued moving carefully through the underground tunnels.
Eventually, Adeline let out a long yawn. She rested her cheek against one hand. "What's your name?"
The woman looked over. "Uhmm... I'm Eve." She hesitated. "Eve Williams."
Adeline nodded. "Interesting. We have a friend named Yve. Celestia Yve Virellis."
Eve blinked. "Oh..." She glanced between them. "Is she... an alien too?"
Adeline's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Careful saying that around the other Sirens."
Eve raised an eyebrow.
"Especially not around Ysa." Adeline's smirk widened. "She bites."
Eve stared at her.
Then slowly turned back toward the monitor. "Sirens..." she muttered.
A few seconds passed.
"Okay." She leaned back in the chair, staring blankly at the screen. "This is a fairly nice dream, huh..."
Adeline gave a quiet chuckle.
Neither of them said anything after that.
After a while, Adeline yawned again.
August glanced at her. "You gonna be alright?"
Adeline rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Yeah. I'll be fine... I think." She glanced toward the controlled guards. "The longer I keep these bastards under, the more tired I get."
August frowned. "You can't fall asleep."
Adeline looked at him.
"Because if you do, I'm gonna have to kill them."
Adeline sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll stay awake."
Eve glanced between them. "So... you're controlling their minds, right?"
August looked toward Adeline. "Addy is controlling their minds. Not me. I don't know how to do that."
Eve's eyebrows lifted. "Some kind of hypnosis?"
She hesitated.
"Wait." Her eyes widened. "Are you guys hypnotizing me too?"
August slowly turned toward her.
Eve's breathing quickened slightly. "Is this some kind of illusion? Am I actually still chained up somewhere? Am I still in that corner?"
August sighed. "Woman, you ask a lot of questions..."
"Sorry." Eve looked back at the monitor, her voice quieter. "It's just that..." She swallowed. "I-I'm really having a hard time believing any of this is real."
Adeline gave her a tired smile. "Don't worry. Once we get out of here and you touch Earth again, you'll believe."
Eve stared at her for a moment.
Then she let out a quiet sigh and turned back toward the monitor. "Right..." She continued navigating the system.
The conversations in the security room continued for quite some time.
Somehow, between navigating the facility and keeping watch over the monitors, the three of them had actually begun getting to know one another.
Adeline hummed quietly to herself to pass the time, occasionally rocking back and forth in her chair. August remained focused on relaying Eve's information to the others. Eve, meanwhile, had slowly become less tense, continuing to guide the Sirens through the facility from the security monitors.
For a while, everything felt almost... normal.
Then Adeline leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Man... I miss Reefville."
August's faint smile disappeared.
The room went quiet.
Eve noticed the sudden change in atmosphere but wisely said nothing.
After a moment, August spoke. "I miss it too..."
Adeline stared at the monitor. "I miss the ocean."
August looked down for a moment. "I miss crab snacks..."
Adeline chuckled. "Of course. It's always food with you, huh?"
August nodded seriously. "Uh... yes. Food is good."
Adeline shook her head, smiling faintly. "Well, I miss my brothers and sisters."
August's expression softened. "Do you think we could still get back home?"
Adeline was quiet for a moment.
"I'm pretty sure we will." She looked toward the monitor. "Still pretty dangerous, though."
August didn't answer.
Adeline's smile slowly faded. "I don't know..." She rubbed her hands together. "It's just... when we got attacked by that... whatever that thing was..."
She paused.
"Did you sense its sentience? Like... is it an animal? Or something else?"
August looked down.
For several seconds, he said nothing, seemingly trying to reconstruct the memory in his head. "I remember the screams." His voice became quieter. "I did try to read it. Gauge its aura." He frowned. "But I don't think it's sapient. Or sentient."
Adeline looked at him.
"It's... neither."
Adeline slowly nodded. "Yeah." She looked back toward the monitor. "Raine said the same thing."
Silence settled over the room again.
Adeline leaned back in her chair and stared at nothing in particular. "I miss home..."
August sighed heavily, the sound carrying enough weight that even Eve could feel the exhaustion behind it. He turned toward Adeline, about to say something, but stopped when he noticed her eyes had closed. Her head had begun to tilt to one side as she slowly drifted off.
August's eyes widened.
He immediately looked toward the guards.
They were still standing where they had been, motionless and obedient, but the moment Adeline lost consciousness, he couldn't know what would happen.
"Addy!"
He quickly grabbed her shoulder and shook her.
Adeline jerked awake, her hand immediately flying to her neck as she blinked rapidly. "Sorry... sorry."
August released a long breath, relieved. Then he looked toward the guards again. "I'm just gonna kill them."
Adeline's eyes widened. "Wait. Don't." She rubbed her face, trying to clear the sleep from her head. "I-I won't fall asleep again. We could still use them."
"Better to be safe than sorry, Addy."
"Just—just go back to what you're doing."
August hesitated, but eventually turned back toward the monitor.
Adeline remained standing for a moment, clearly determined not to let herself sit down again. She stretched her arms, rolled her shoulders, then suddenly began doing jumping jacks beside the table.
Eve slowly looked over at her.
Adeline kept going.
After several repetitions, she transitioned into a series of quick movements that looked suspiciously like some form of Siren martial arts. She threw a few punches into the air, followed by a sharp kick, then spun around and dropped into a defensive stance before continuing with another combination.
August glanced at her.
Adeline didn't stop.
"This is ridiculous," August muttered.
"It works," Adeline replied between movements.
Eve stared at her for several seconds before slowly turning back toward the monitor.
She had long since stopped trying to understand these people.
Adeline continued throwing punches into the air, punctuating each movement with an occasional quiet, "Hiya!" as she tried to keep herself awake.
Eve continued monitoring the security feeds, her eyes moving between the different camera angles. "Your other friends are in the interrogation room," she said after a moment. "Dan isn't there yet, so you've got time to get them out."
August immediately turned toward the spider.
A few seconds passed as he relayed the information through their strange network.
Then he glanced toward Adeline. He turned back toward the spider and listened for a moment before speaking again. "Alright, then. Try to wake Lysander first before we escape. Tell him the people we're looking for are apparently dead."
Another pause followed.
August nodded faintly. "Alright. Keep your head up."
Eve looked toward one of the monitors. "That door leads to the observation room. There are a few people inside."
She quickly pulled up the corresponding camera feed.
"I'll tamper with the camera."
Her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard. After a few seconds, the live feed on the monitor flickered before switching to a recording of the same room in a loop.
Eve leaned back slightly and watched the footage.
The people inside the observation room continued moving around without reacting. None of them seemed to notice that the feed had been replaced.
"There," Eve said quietly. "They won't see anything."
August nodded. "Good."
Adeline stopped her punches for a moment and wiped her forehead. "See? I'm still awake."
Meanwhile, inside the interrogation room, Lysander sat chained to the chair, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Raine approached quietly, but before she could say anything, his voice broke the silence. "What are you doing here, Raine?"
Raine startled. "God, you were awake?"
"Yes." Lysander slowly opened his eyes and looked toward her. "What are you doing here?"
"Change of plans." Raine stepped closer. "Emily and the people we're supposed to rescue are dead. Let's just get out of here."
Lysander's expression immediately hardened. "What do you mean, dead? Did you see their bodies?"
"No. There's this chip they use to monitor people's heartbeats." Raine hesitated, trying to explain everything as quickly as possible. "We rescued a woman who works here. She's been helping us navigate the facility. She found their files, and their status is labeled deceased."
Lysander clenched his fists.
The chains rattled against the chair.
After a moment, he nodded slowly. "What about their bodies? We have to get them back."
Raine stared at him. "Is that really necessary?"
Lysander simply raised an eyebrow.
Raine sighed. "Fine. Fine. We'll go to their last active location." She looked toward the chains. "Now let's get you out of there."
"Don't."
Raine frowned. "What do you mean, don't?"
"I've got unfinished business with Dan."
"What unfinished business?"
Lysander's gaze hardened. "There's this Genesis fella. I want to meet him."
Raine blinked. "What? Wh—why?"
"It's been a long time since I've faced a formidable opponent." Lysander glanced toward the door. "And the surface is a terrain I haven't explored much. Hearing there's someone like him up here..." A faint smile appeared on his face. "I'd like to see what he's capable of."
Raine sighed heavily. "You and your Velaric ass." She shook her head. "You sure about this?"
"Yes."
Raine stared at him for a moment before finally giving in. "Fine. I'll get the others. We'll leave you with one Pegacampus in the forest. I'll make sure it's hidden."
Lysander nodded. "Get out of here. Take the others. I'll catch up with you guys later."
Raine sighed. "Fine."
She turned toward the cell behind the table where the other Sirens were being held. Most of them were still asleep. "Any of you awake?"
One of them stirred.
"Yeah..." Warren's voice came from inside the cell.
Raine looked toward him. "Well, what the hell are you guys waiting for? Get out!"
Warren glanced at the locked gate. "But the cell is locked."
Raine rolled her eyes. "As if that's ever a problem."
Warren chuckled. "Right, right."
Kair suddenly stood.
Before anyone could say anything else, he drove his foot into the cell gate.
The metal frame buckled violently and collapsed with a loud crash.
Kair stepped over the fallen gate and looked toward Lysander. "You sure we're gonna leave Sander here alone?"
Lysander leaned his head back and closed his eyes again, pretending to be asleep. "I said I'll be fine. Just get out."
Kair hesitated. "Kinda want to stay."
Raine looked at him. "Why?"
Kair glanced toward Lysander. "Well..." He scratched the back of his neck. "Hearing what Sander wants to do... I-I wanna do it too."
Raine stared at him in disbelief. "Oh, for heaven's sake." She waved them toward the exit. "Come with us or stay. I don't care. Let's go."
The Sirens began filing out of the room.
Kair lingered for another moment, glancing back at Lysander.
Lysander didn't move.
Finally, Kair turned and followed the others out, leaving Lysander alone in the interrogation room.
They continued through the facility as usual, the Sirens making their way toward another corner of the labyrinth of tunnels under August and Eve's guidance.
~~~
Back in the security room, Eve watched the camera feed as the other Sirens disappeared farther into the tunnels. Her attention eventually shifted to the interrogation room, where Lysander remained behind. "Wait, wait. Why are they leaving that one guy behind?"
August looked toward the monitor.
He studied the scene for a moment, watching as Kair's earlier kick had brought down the cell gate before shifting his attention to Lysander, who was still sitting there with his head lowered. "Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."
Eve looked at him in disbelief. "What? How? You're leaving him? Isn't he your friend?"
"He's not one for you to be concerned about." August glanced back at the screen. "He's probably excited about something for him to choose to stay behind. Either way, don't worry about him. He's fine."
Eve stared at the monitor for another moment, clearly unconvinced, but eventually turned her attention back toward the security system. "Alright..." She studied the network of tunnels displayed across the screens.
"So where are they supposed to go now?"
She said mumbling to herself as she traced their route with her finger, examining the different corridors and intersections before figuring out which path would lead them toward an exit.
August listened carefully as she explained the route.
A moment later, he turned toward the spider."Raine, take the next corridor on your left. There's another passage ahead that'll lead you toward an elevator towards the surface."
He paused, listening.
"Yeah. That one. Keep going."
Eve continued monitoring the cameras, occasionally pointing out another turn or warning him about guards ahead. August relayed each piece of information through the spider and ant network, guiding Raine and the others through the maze.
Once he was satisfied that they had the route figured out, August looked down at the tiny ants still lined along the walls and the table and the spider waiting nearby.
"Good job, guys." He waved his hand toward them. "Now go home. Go, go, go."
He shooed them away like someone dismissing a group of pets.
The line of ants immediately scattered, disappearing into the cracks and corners of the facility, while the spider turned and scurried away.
Eve watched them disappear. She blinked. "...Did you just tell them to go home?"
August looked at her. "Yes."
She stared at him for another second before turning back toward the monitor. "Right."
Before leaving, Eve made sure they wouldn't be leaving the facility's systems intact.
She moved from one terminal to another, shutting down the security feeds and cutting off whatever access she could. She disabled the cameras, wiped the local surveillance records, and disconnected the storage drives that contained the facility's security data.
She then moved on to the communications system, making a few adjustments before interfering with the radio network and disrupting the signals throughout the facility.
One by one, the monitors flickered and went dark.
The security system began collapsing around them as Eve worked, camera feeds disappearing from the screens and access panels shutting down.
She finally stepped away from the last terminal and looked over the room. "That should buy us some time..." she muttered. "Hopefully, they won't be able to use any of this properly anymore."
August glanced toward the controlled guards still standing in the entrance. "What about them?"
Adeline looked at the guards, then at the open doorway. Her expression shifted slightly. "We can't leave them wandering around."
August nodded.
Together, they moved the guards back inside the security room. Once all of them were inside, Eve stepped out and pulled the door shut behind them before securing it.
"Good enough," Adeline said.
"Let's go," August replied.
The three of them took off down the corridor.
Eve led the way, following the facility's internal layout and pointing them toward the nearest elevator that would take them closer to the surface. Adeline stayed close behind her while August brought up the rear, constantly checking the tunnels behind them.
They hadn't gone far when voices echoed through the corridor.
"Guards!"
Several figures appeared around the next corner.
August immediately stepped forward. "Keep going."
He charged toward them before they could properly react.
The first guard raised his weapon, but August knocked it aside and drove him into the wall. Another rushed forward, only for August to catch him and throw him hard onto the floor.
"Go!"
Adeline grabbed Eve by the arm and pulled her farther down the tunnel.
August followed after dealing with the remaining guards, quickly catching up with them as they raced toward the elevator.
The distant sound of alarms began echoing through the facility.
Eve looked ahead. "There!"
At the end of the corridor stood the elevator.
They sprinted toward it.
Eventually, they reached the elevator and managed to force their way inside. The doors closed behind them, cutting off the chaos still unfolding throughout the facility.
As the elevator climbed, the distant sounds of alarms and shouting slowly faded beneath them.
The elevator doors opened.
Several guards were already waiting outside.
For half a second, nobody moved.
Then one of the guards raised his weapon. "Shit!"
Adeline reacted first.
She lunged forward and slammed his arm aside just as he fired. The shot cracked through the corridor, the muzzle flash briefly lighting up the elevator behind them.
August grabbed another guard by the vest and drove him into the wall hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. "Move!"
Eve stumbled out of the elevator, ducking instinctively as another shot tore past her.
Adeline caught the barrel of the weapon before the guard could fire again. She twisted his wrist violently, forcing him to drop it, then shoved him backward into the others.
One of them charged at her.
She sidestepped.
The guard nearly crashed into Eve before Adeline caught him by the back of his shirt and hurled him aside.
August was already dealing with another.
A guard swung at him.
August ducked beneath the punch, caught the man's arm, and twisted hard.
A sharp crack followed.
The guard screamed.
August shoved him aside and looked toward Eve. "Run!"
Eve didn't need to be told twice. She sprinted down the corridor with Adeline close behind her.
August followed a second later, kicking the weapon of the last fallen guard away before catching up with them.
They rushed out of the building and into the open air.
Adeline stopped.
This wasn't the same building they had entered.
The structure behind them was smaller and more isolated, with several other low buildings scattered around the surrounding area. The darkness of night was beginning to fade, the first hints of sunlight appearing along the horizon.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Eve finally saw the sky.
She stood there silently, staring at it.
August looked around the unfamiliar area. "I'll look around and see where our—"
A sudden flapping sound interrupted him.
All three looked up.
Several enormous winged creatures descended from the sky.
Eve's mouth fell open and her knees nearly gave out beneath her.
They looked like something straight out of a myth—massive horses with powerful wings, carrying the Sirens as they descended toward the ground.
The first Pegacampus landed with a heavy thud, its hooves striking the ground hard enough to send a small cloud of dust outward.
Raine looked down at them.
She stared at Eve for a moment.
Then she raised an eyebrow. "We having a staring contest or what?"
Eve blinked.
Raine gestured toward the Pegacampus. "Hop on!"
Eve looked at August. Then at the enormous creature.
Then back at August.
She slowly approached.
August extended a hand toward her. "Come on."
Eve hesitated before finally reaching out.
August grabbed her hand and effortlessly pulled her up onto the Pegacampus.
Eve settled in front of him, gripping the creature nervously as she tried to comprehend the fact that she was apparently about to ride a giant winged horse.
August took his place behind her.
A few of the other Sirens glanced toward Eve.
"Who is that?" one of them muttered.
Raine looked around at the others. "We've got one last stop before we head back to Havenwall."
The Sirens exchanged glances but didn't question her.
Eve looked toward the horizon as the Pegacampi began spreading their wings.
Then, with a powerful beat of their wings, they lifted from the ground.
The cluster of buildings grew smaller beneath them as they rose into the morning sky.
For the first time since she'd been captured, Eve was finally free.
~~~
Alarms blared throughout the facility, their red warning lights washing over Dan's face as he stood in the tunnel with his radio pressed to his ear.
He listened as one of his men answered. "Boss...countless of our men are dead. I'm entering the security room now."
Static crackled through the radio.
Then came a strange choking sound.
Dan's expression tightened.
Back inside the security room, one of the guards had just entered when another guard suddenly grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
The man's eyes widened. "What the—"
The guard holding him remained completely still.
Then his face began to change.
The skin around his mouth and cheeks slowly sagged and melted away, black ichor spilling down his neck as the human disguise began to collapse. His fingers tightened around the man's throat as his nails elongated into dark, sharpened claws.
The other guard struggled helplessly.
The Skindrifter dragged one claw across his neck.
Blood spilled and the guard went limp.
The creature let the body fall before its own features began shifting again. Its face twisted, reshaped, and gradually settled into the exact appearance of the guard it had just killed.
It picked up the fallen radio.
"Genesis will not tolerate your failure to maintain this facility."
Dan's voice crackled through the speaker. "You keep killing my men."
The disguised Skindrifter looked down at the corpse. "I have vital information regarding these people..."
A pause.
Its borrowed face formed a faint smile.
"Or should I say... Sirens?"