The corridor was deep underground—a massive stone tunnel that felt endless, its ceiling lost in total darkness. Water slowly dripped from old, cracked stones, making the walls wet and shiny under the light of dancing torches. Giant, scary shadows moved along the stone like monsters.
The floor was ruined. Wild weeds, thorny bushes, and small green plants grew out of broken stone slabs like a mini jungle, while wet vines hung from above. The air was freezing, heavy, and smelled strongly of damp earth.
Down this straight path, a single person walked in a heavy, pitch-black robe. A cloth mask completely hid his face. His heavy boots crunched against the weeds with steady steps. In his right hand, he held a big burning candle. The hot wax melted fast in the cold, leaving a trail of white drops on the ground.
Finally, the tunnel ended at a massive steel door covered in rust spots. The robed person turned the cold handle with a loud click, pushed it open with his body weight, and stepped inside.
He entered a room so large it looked like a hidden hall. In the middle stood a giant, scary statue made of dark stone, its head almost touching the ceiling. Green moss and weeds covered the floor like a thick carpet.
On the other side of the room, a man sat in a wooden rocking chair facing the wall. He wore a similar dark robe, but his hood was down, revealing very pale skin and a calm, peaceful face. His eyes were closed.
The cultist stopped behind the chair and spoke in a deep, serious voice:
"The night of the full moon is coming. We must break the seal right now. If we fail, Demon Lord Null will kill us all without mercy."
The man in the chair slowly opened his eyes, which glowed with a scary red light. This was Marcus Reed. He replied smoothly:
"I know how to make Demon Lord Null happy. My demon master gave me the instructions for the sacrifice ritual. All preparations are ready. We are only waiting for the woman who will have the blessed child soon. Once the child falls into our hands, the 9th seal will break."
Marcus watched a hanging vine sway gently from the ceiling.
The cultist shifted nervously. "But Master, three people are finding out too much information about us. They are getting closer." He pulled three photographs from his black robe and threw them onto the weeds.
Marcus looked down. He instantly recognized two faces and smiled coldly. "My students... they just won't leave me alone. Leo Black and Ray Moir." He then tilted his head, looking at the third photo. "But I do not recognize this third person at all. Who is this?"
"We do not know either, Master," the cultist replied.
"Send our men to attack them immediately," Marcus ordered sharply.
The cultist hesitated. "But Master, is a direct attack needed? Our members are watching them from the shadows. I also ordered them to kill themselves instantly if they get caught so they won't reveal our secrets."
Suddenly, Marcus stood up. The heavy chair rocked back violently with a loud creak. Marcus rushed forward, grabbed the cultist tightly by the throat, and lifted him. His red eyes stared fiercely.
"I never told you that you could question my orders," Marcus whispered coldly.
The terrified cultist froze, his hand shaking so much that hot wax poured from his candle like a small waterfall. Marcus snatched the candle away and let go of his neck.
"You will do exactly what I tell you to do," Marcus stated, walking out of the room. The frightened cultist quickly followed him.
Marcus walked out into a large open area where two big corridors met. From the right tunnel, another cultist came skipping and hopping like a happy child. Horrifyingly, he held a freshly chopped-off human head by its hair, blood splashing onto the stone floor.
Seeing Marcus, the skipping cultist stopped. "Oh! Master Marcus! I am so sorry, I didn't see you!" He carelessly threw the bleeding head backward into the dark tunnel like trash and laughed. "Please forgive me!"
Marcus looked at him calmly. "I heard you killed the highest number of people in the 6th Division and enjoyed the slaughter very much."
The crazy cultist pressed his bloody hands against his chest, staining his robe. He grinned widely. "Please forgive me! The little child inside me suddenly woke up and he was terribly hungry! But he didn't want milk... he was hungry for fresh blood!" He giggled.
Marcus remained serious. "I need you to kill three more people." He showed him the photos of Leo, Chris, and Ray.
The cultist's eyes lit up. He snatched the photos and started spinning around in circles, laughing loudly. "Yes! I have been waiting for new people to play with!"
"Kill them tonight," Marcus added.
The crazy cultist stopped spinning instantly, filled with pure joy. "Tonight?! Oh, thank you, Master Marcus, for not making me wait!" He turned and went jumping happily down the dark corridor.
Marcus watched him leave with disgust. "What an absolute idiot. He doesn't even know how to show proper respect."
The first cultist bowed low. "Master Marcus, should I leave now?"
Marcus didn't answer. He turned back, opened the steel door slightly, and threw the three photographs inside at the feet of the giant statue. "Just wait a little longer. I am coming soon," he whispered.
Then, he threw the half-burnt candle onto the photos. A massive magical fire instantly exploded, catching the dry weeds and turning the room into a raging furnace. Marcus calmly pulled the heavy steel door shut, locking the fire inside, and walked away into the dark.
Far away from the tunnels, the sun was setting over 34th Street, the most luxurious and rich area in the city. The wide street was paved with perfect, clean cobblestones. The air smelled of expensive perfumes and fresh leather. Beautiful royal carriages made of polished wood and gold decorations drove by, pulled by strong, majestic horses.
Walking along the wide stone sidewalk were Chris, Leo, Ray, and Helen. Wearing simple traveler clothes, they looked completely out of place. Leo looked around in surprise. "Wow. This entire street belongs only to the super-rich. Look at how fancy everything is."
Helen nodded. "Yes, rich people live in a completely different world. They don't care about normal struggles."
Chris scanned the buildings on the other side of the street. Suddenly, he stopped. He saw a mansion built of clean white stones that looked like a royal palace. In front of it was a black iron gate with no guards outside. Next to the gate, a smooth stone wall had an inscription carved into it: Anthony Ward.
Helen pointed across the street. "Look over there. That is the exact house you guys have been looking for." Chris crossed the wide cobblestone street, with the others following close behind.
They arrived in front of the locked iron gate. Chris looked inside. "The gate is locked, and there are no guards. How are we supposed to get inside?"
The moment he spoke, Chris's body went stiff as his martial arts instincts kicked in. He felt a sharp, powerful human presence rushing toward them from the right at incredible speed. A split second later, Leo and Ray sensed it too and instantly moved into a fighting stance.
Out of the shadows of the stone wall, a man appeared like a ghost materializing out of thin air, stopping perfectly right in front of the gate. He was a middle-aged butler wearing a neat black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a tie. His dark hair was combed back perfectly, and his face was completely blank. He looked at the group with sharp, intelligent eyes.
"Good evening. May I ask what business you have at the Ward mansion?" the butler asked in a polite but cold voice.
Chris quickly regained his calm. "Hello. We are here to meet Felix Ward." He pointed to Leo and Ray. "My friends here used to study with Felix at the academy. We were passing through, so we decided to visit him."
The butler stood perfectly still, checking their faces to see if they were dangerous. After a moment, he gave a formal nod. "I see. You are friends of the young master. I will go inside to inform Young Master Felix. In the meantime, please come inside."
The butler raised his hands and made a single, sharp clap.
At the sound of the clap, the heavy iron gates made a soft metal sound and swung open inward all by themselves. "Follow me," the butler said.
They followed him inside onto a huge lawn covered in neat green grass. Two beautiful carriages were parked nearby, and a few expensive horses were tied to a wooden fence. The butler stopped on the path. "Please wait here. I will return shortly."
Before anyone could reply, the butler's body blurred and vanished from the spot instantly with a soft sound of wind.
Helen's eyes went wide in shock. "Oh my gods... that man is terrifyingly fast! Is everyone who lives in this mansion a monster?" Chris, Leo, and Ray looked at each other, surprised by his speed but ready to defend themselves if a fight broke out.
A moment later, the grand double doors of the mansion swung wide open, casting a warm golden light onto the lawn. A young man stepped out onto the porch. It was Felix Ward. He was dressed well but looked as cheerful and friendly as he did back at the academy.
As soon as Felix saw Leo and Ray, a huge smile broke across his face. He raised both hands high in the air, waving them excitedly as he ran toward the edge of the porch, calling out loudly:
"Leo! Ray! I can't believe it! How have you two been?!"