The night had swallowed the world whole. Above, the sky was buried beneath layers of black clouds so thick that not even a single star could pierce through. No moonlight touched the earth. Only darkness stretched endlessly, broken now and then by distant flashes of lightning hidden somewhere beyond the horizon.
A cold wind drifted through the trees, carrying the scent of wet soil, moss, and something rotten enough to make the skin crawl. Leaves trembled in uneasy whispers. Twisted branches scraped together like dry bones. Every shadow between the trees looked alive, as if unseen eyes watched from the dark.
It was the kind of night where ordinary people locked their doors early and prayed for sunrise.
Yet three figures moved through that darkness without fear.
Skye walked in front, her black coat swaying behind her with each step. Twin pistols rested at her sides, hidden beneath the coat but never far from reach. Her silver eyes stayed calm and sharp, studying every inch of the forest ahead. She moved like someone who trusted nothing.
Behind her came Leo and Ray.
Leo walked silently, one hand resting near the sheath strapped at his waist. The hilt of his katana caught a faint glimmer whenever stray light touched it. His expression was calm, but his instincts were screaming that something was wrong tonight.
Ray walked with his usual lazy grin, hands in his pockets, though faint sparks danced around his fingers for a second before fading.
"So," Ray said, stepping over a thick root, "still calling this a normal investigation?"
"If it was normal," Skye said coldly, "I wouldn't bring you two."
Leo smirked faintly. "That almost sounded like trust."
"It wasn't."
Ray laughed. "She really has one mood."
The three continued deeper through the jungle. Thick vines hung from ancient trees like ropes. Strange blue insects glowed from the bushes, blinking in eerie rhythm. Somewhere far away, something large moved through the undergrowth… then went silent.
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Then suddenly, the forest ended.
Before them stood a town glowing with life.
Golden lanterns hung across every street, filling the roads with warm amber light. Colorful banners danced overhead in the wind. Music drifted from the central plaza where musicians played lively tunes. Children ran laughing through the roads while merchants shouted cheerfully from open stalls. The scent of roasted meat, baked bread, and sweet spices floated everywhere.
After the darkness of the jungle, it looked unreal.
Ray blinked twice. "Yeah… this is suspicious."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "Too bright. Too happy."
Skye nodded once. "Exactly."
Carved into the stone gate above the entrance was the town's name: Velmora.
They entered with the crowd. Travelers passed by without a second glance. But Skye's eyes never stopped moving. She watched rooftops, alleyways, windows, reflections.
She led them away from the busy streets into a narrow lane behind an old bakery. Here the laughter became distant noise. A broken lamp flickered weakly overhead. Flour sacks sat stacked against damp walls.
A cloaked figure stood waiting in the shadows.
Their face was fully covered. Gloves hid their hands. Even the way they stood looked stiff, unnatural.
Without speaking, the figure stepped forward and handed Skye a folded piece of paper.
Skye opened it and read quickly. Her eyes hardened.
"Confirmed," she said.
Ray crossed his arms. "What?"
"Location of the cult's underground base."
Leo studied the stranger. "Your captain's spy?"
The figure gave a weak nod. Their breathing sounded rough… trembling.
Something dark dripped from beneath one sleeve onto the stones. Blood.
Before Leo could react, the cloaked figure stepped backward into the darkness and vanished.
Ray frowned. "That guy was definitely dying."
Skye folded the paper. "Move."
The hidden entrance lay beyond the town walls beneath the ruins of an abandoned chapel.
Broken statues of forgotten gods lay shattered across the ground, their faces smashed away. Rusted chains hung from dead trees nearby, clinking softly in the wind. Far behind them, Velmora still glowed warmly like another world.
Here, only darkness remained.
Skye pushed aside broken stone near the altar, revealing iron stairs leading underground.
The smell rising from below was enough to twist the stomach.
Blood. Smoke. Decay.
They descended in silence.
The tunnels below were carved from black stone slick with moisture. Red candles burned along the walls, their flames bending sideways despite no wind. Symbols painted in dried blood covered every surface—circles, eyes, jagged runes that seemed to shift when stared at too long.
Whispers echoed through the halls.
Leo gripped his katana's hilt. "Tell me those aren't real voices."
"They aren't," Skye replied. "That's worse."
They entered a massive central chamber.
And stopped.
The cloaked spy hung upside down from the ceiling by chains wrapped around both ankles. His hood had fallen away.
The lower half of his face was torn open. One eye dangled uselessly. Deep cuts across his chest formed ritual symbols carved down to the bone. Several fingers had been removed and nailed to the wall behind him in a neat pattern.
Below him burned a pit of fire.
Blood dripped slowly into the flames with a hiss.
Ray's grin disappeared. "...Yeah, I'm killing somebody."
Then applause echoed through the chamber. Slow. Mocking.
Three figures stepped from the shadows.
All wore black robes and cloth masks. Their bodies looked thin, almost starved, yet every movement carried terrifying control. Black tattoos spiraled from their necks down both arms like living veins. Their fingers were long, nails sharpened like claws.
One had iron rings pierced through both wrists.One dragged chains behind him.One carried nothing at all… and felt the most dangerous.
"The hunter walks into the trap," the center figure said.
Skye's coat moved aside as both pistols appeared in her hands. "Then let's see if the trap survives."
The room exploded into chaos.
Skye fired first.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots tore through the dark with blinding flashes. The clawed cultist twisted sideways unnaturally, dodging two bullets while the third ripped across his shoulder. Black blood splashed the wall.
He lunged anyway.
Skye slid backward, firing again mid-movement. Her bullets struck stone where he had stood a second earlier. He was fast. Too fast.
Ray grinned wildly. "My turn."
Blue lightning burst around his arms. He grabbed the incoming chains with bare hands. Electricity raced through the metal instantly, surging straight into the chain-wielding cultist.
The masked man convulsed violently, smoke rising from his body.
Ray yanked hard, pulling him forward, then drove a lightning-covered punch into his chest.
The impact blasted the cultist across the chamber into a pillar.
Leo had already drawn his katana.
The blade flashed silver as the unarmed cultist appeared before him.
Leo slashed horizontally.
The enemy bent backward at an impossible angle, avoiding the blade by inches. Leo spun instantly and cut upward. This time the robe tore open across the chest, exposing tattooed skin beneath.
The cultist didn't flinch.
Instead, a pale hand shot forward and grabbed Leo's throat.
He slammed Leo into the wall hard enough to crack stone. Dust rained down.
Leo gritted his teeth and drove the katana handle into the enemy's wrist, forcing free space. He kicked off the wall and landed low, blade ready.
The masked figure tilted his head and stepped closer. No sound. No wasted movement.
Then he leaned near Leo's ear and whispered—
"I know what sleeps inside you."
Leo's eyes widened.
The candles across the chamber suddenly went out at once.
Darkness swallowed everything.