The masked man stood in front of her, silently, for what seemed like eons. Then, in a distorted metallic voice, he said:
- "Finally... You are where you belong."
Erica clenched her fists and whispered:
- "Who are you and why am I here?"
He didn't answer her.
He moved closer, bowed slightly, and then said:
- "What you know... is bigger than you think. And what you hide... is more precious than you realize."
She wanted to respond, but his voice beat her to it:
- "Your friends... Ryuichi and Sigma... won't get to you in time."
He then turned and slowly walked out, leaving the door slamming shut behind him. Silence returned, except for the sound of Erica's breathing, quickening, then slowing... until she whispered to herself:
- "They will come... I'm sure they will."
On the other side, a heavy silence fell over the medical lab downstairs, not the usual silence that accompanies data analysis or mana scans, but a silence imbued with fear, tension, and a deep sense of danger that had yet to be revealed.
Ryuichi stood near the wall, his hands shaking lightly, not from fatigue but from that heavy feeling of helplessness. Ryoko was standing next to him, eyebrows knitted, watching the hologram screen on which Sigma was displaying the latest coordinates of Erica's phone.
Sigma said over the call:
- "The last location... "It was near an old industrial area, about five kilometers outside the university boundary."
Takeru, who was linking the call tracking data to his AI system, said seriously:
- "But this neighborhood has been abandoned for years. No one passes through there... That means whoever took her must have planned it well."
Jihan, who had been silent, finally spoke in a strained but firm voice:
- "No time for doubt. If there's any chance of finding her, we have to move now."
Ryuichi turned to her, his eyes reflecting a mixture of concern and determination:
- "I won't wait another moment."
The team moved quickly, simple equipment, mana trackers, secure communication devices. Ryoko insisted on leading the group, being the most experienced in dangerous trails, while Takeru monitored the systems remotely, and Jihan tracked the energy fluctuations with her field device.
In the car, silence was the order of the day. Only the sound of the engine, and the rapid beating of hearts, accompanied them into the unknown.
Staring out the window, Ryuichi muttered:
- "I feel like there's something we don't understand yet... this isn't just a kidnapping."
Ryoko replied, adjusting the frequency device:
- "And what we don't understand... is often the most dangerous."
On their way towards the abandoned industrial area - midnight
The car glides silently through the darkened roads. There are few lampposts, and the sky is overcast, as if the city has decided to hold its breath.
Jihan looked at Ryuichi sitting by the window and asked in a hushed voice:
- "Ryuichi... Who is Erica really to you? I mean, I've seen you worried, but not just for her safety... There's something deeper, isn't there?"
He didn't turn to her, still staring into the darkness behind the glass, before answering:
- "I don't know... sometimes I feel like I know her so well, and sometimes I feel like she's hiding a whole world from me."
Ryoko chuckled, trying to ease the tension, and said:
- "So you did date her... and I thought you were exaggerating when you denied it."
Takeru interjected in a more serious tone:
- "What worries me is the timing. Her disappearance at this particular time... after everything that's happened recently. Do you think someone wanted to hurt her to get to one of us?"
Everyone fell silent. That possibility was very much on the table.
Suddenly, inside Ryuichi's mind, a familiar tone rose... It was Aura, speaking in a sarcastic voice that held a hint of anger:
> "Wow... 24 hours has not gone by without trouble, and now we are once again embroiled in a new tragedy because of one of your feelings."
Ryuichi replied to her in his own, dull voice:
- "Those aren't my feelings... it's different with Erica."
> - "Different? Let me guess... Because she does things you can't explain? Because she makes you doubt even yourself?"
He was silent for a moment, then continued:
- "It's because it makes me feel like I'm not alone."
> - "And now? Now she doesn't exist, and yet you're leading everyone into danger from which no one may return... for a girl who never opened her heart to you."
He tilted his head, breathing deeply, and answered inwardly:
- "That's why... I can't let her go."
Silence fell again. Only the noise of tires on the road completed the unspoken conversation.
Jihan, who was watching everyone's faces, muttered:
- "We have to be prepared for anything... whether Erica is a victim, or... something else."
The car stopped with a faint braking sound in front of the rusty metal gate. The place was completely deserted, shrouded in dark shadows and surrounded by a cool breeze that smelled of old metal and dampness. In front of them, concrete buildings rose like silent ghosts, hiding secrets that no one wanted to reveal... except them.
Inside the car, there was a heavy silence... only their breathing could be heard.
Ryuichi reached out to open the door, but Takeru suddenly raised his hand to interrupt the moment.
- "Wait, before we get out..." He said in a cautious tone, then looked directly at Ryuichi, "From what Ryoko told me about your condition... it would be wise not to engage anyone inside this place. Any fight could result in... a serious setback to your mana center."
Ryuichi's hand froze on the door handle.
Ryoko nodded seriously:
- "I completely agree, any physical clash - even a minor one - could accelerate the collapse of the mana structure within you. Your position is unstable enough, and we're not here for exhibition tournaments."
Jihan, her features looking more serious than usual, added:
- "Even you, Ryuichi... you have to admit that your body can't handle a current battle. This is not an arena, this is a rescue mission."
An internal voice suddenly escalated... it was Aura, this time in a stern but tense tone:
> - "I'm with everyone... Please don't force me to consume defensive energy if I collapse. I've seen what happened before... and I'm not ready to see it again."
Ryuichi felt a constriction in his chest. His heart was pounding... not only was he worried about Erica, but those around him as well.
Taking a deep breath, he replied calmly:
- "Understood... I will be careful. I won't allow myself to weaken the team."
Takeru nodded respectfully:
- "That's all we need from you."
Ryoko smiled, albeit with tension in his eyes:
- "So... Let's go down. Let's end this mystery."
The sound of the car doors opening echoed faintly in the quiet space... and with the first step outside, the darkness began to engulf them one by one, as if the place itself was waiting for them.
The main corridor inside the abandoned site - 12:34 p.m.
The four feet crept through the rickety gate, the sound of their footsteps on the cracked cement floor the only echo in the place. The flashlights in their hands opened a fragile path through the darkness. Torn papers, rusty tools, wires hanging from the ceilings... Everything in this place looked like it had died a long time ago, and yet... A strange feeling pulsed through its walls.
Ryuichi was walking in the center, his eyes darting between the darkness and the sound of his friends' feet. Suddenly, he said:
- "Does... "Does the air feel different in here? Too heavy."
Jihan replied, looking at the scratched wall:
- "It's not just the air... This place is like a carefully laid trap. Every corner here is trying to tell us something... but in a language we don't understand."
Ryoko, who was walking in front, half-turned his face and said sarcastically:
- "Nice, this is exactly what we need... Midnight Philosophy."
Jihan laughed softly, trying to ease the tension.
Takeru, from behind, said as he gestured toward a dilapidated side room:
- "At least we're not alone... It's better than facing this place in silence. I guess what makes the darkness scarier is being swallowed by it alone."
Ryuichi paused for a moment, then looked at them all and said:
- "Thank you... for being here."
There was a moment of silence, but it was quickly broken by Ryoko, removing a worn plastic curtain that was blocking the passage:
- "Enough feelings. Let's explore this room..."
They entered the room, which was most likely an old laboratory. Tables were overturned, bottles were empty, and a chalkboard still bore faded, barely legible symbols.
Jihan stood in front of the wall panel and said:
- "Look at this... there were experiments here. Neurons... mana paths... there's a center map!"
Takeru approached cautiously:
- "Do you think Erica was looking for something here? Or... that she was brought here because of something specific?"
Ryuichi replied in a low tone:
- "Erica didn't like restrictive places... if she was here of her own volition, she wouldn't have stayed."
Suddenly, inside Ryuichi, Aura's voice:
> - "Ryuichi... Sensing a faint fluctuation in the mana spectrum from the east. It may be small... but it's not normal."
Ryuichi told them what she said, and immediately everyone got ready to move.
Ryoko said as he tugged his handheld weapon into his belt:
- "Okay, let's go. But remember: we don't engage."
They moved quietly, anxiety and uncertainty working their way through them like shadows... But amidst the uncertainty, the connections between the hearts were becoming clearer and clearer. They weren't just looking for Erica... They were looking for answers to every question that had remained unanswered since that night.
Eastern section of the abandoned site - 12:47 p.m.
Breath was heavy, and each step on the crumbling floor made a shaky echo as if the walls were breathing with them. The four advanced through a narrow corridor that smelled of mold and burnt metal, until Ryuichi said in a hushed voice:
- "Ura, what is it?"
For a moment he seemed to be talking to himself, but his eyes were glinting with something internal... unseen.
> Aura within his mind, in a sharp tone:
- "Mana energy... It's rising very quickly from the front, 20 meters away. This energy is unstable, like mana mixed with pulses of anger or... panic."
Ryuichi's face paled, then looked at his companions:
- "Stop immediately... We have dangerous, volatile mana energy... Perhaps an ambush, or... something else."
Everyone exchanged glances, but Takeru stared long at Ryuichi, his sharp eyes almost piercing him.
Then he said softly, as if talking to himself without being interrupted:
- "How... How were you able to sense it so accurately?"
Ryuichi didn't answer, just looked at him, then turned his head toward the source.
Noticing Takeru's gaze, Jihan said cautiously:
- "I think we should focus on what's in front of us... The danger is not waiting for us to finish our questions."
Ryoko put his hand on Takeru's shoulder and joked:
- "Believe me, if Ryuichi is hiding a secret... it will most likely be something exciting, as usual. Let's survive first, then question it later."
They laughed softly, but the tension remained in their eyes.
They continued toward the source... As they got closer, the ground shook as if something was breathing beneath them.
Ryuichi muttered to himself:
- "Aura... what are we feeling?"
> Aura:
- "This place... retains memories of mana... as if a violent event was repeated here... over and over again."
They were steps away from a room closed by a huge, old, metal door. On the nearby walls, nail marks were etched into the metal... as if someone had tried to escape.
Takeru grabbed the doorknob and looked at them:
- "Are you ready?"
Ryoko replied with a quiet smile:
- "I'm never ready... but who said that was a requirement to enter hell?"
Inside the Metal Room - Point Zero
Takeru slowly pushed the metal door open, and the sound of metal on metal filled the corridor like an extended, chilling scream. Dim light filtered through a cracked ceiling, passing through the fabric of dust suspended in the air like a gray curtain obscuring the truth.
Jihan was the first to step forward, scanning the floor nervously:
- "The room... Looks empty."
Ryuichi entered slowly, his eyes roaming the ceiling, the walls, even the air vents sealed with old sheets.
Suddenly, there was a faint metallic click... followed by a loud creak in the floor.
- "Look out!" Ryuichi shouted, but it was too late.
The floor cracked under Jihan's feet, and she screamed as she plummeted into the darkness!
- "Jihan!!!"
In an instant, all that could be seen was a dark blue flash, Ryoko had disappeared... and a small air blast was heard below the opening.
At supersonic speed, Ryoko landed like an air-torn meteor, arms outstretched, catching Jihan in his arms, and spinning in the air as he turned his body to shield her from impact, before smashing through the side wall and settling into a darkened underpass.
Silence.
Then... the sound of falling stone and dust.
Takeru rushed toward the opening:
- "Ryoko! Jihan! Are you okay?"
But no sound.
Ryuichi quickly approached, looked at the opening, and then muttered:
- "This place... A complete engineering trick, whoever put it there... doesn't want us to come out unscathed."
Down below, amidst the dense fog, Ryoko opened his eyes, Jihan's body in his arms.
- "Are you... Are you okay?" He said, getting up with some fatigue.
Jihan gasped slightly:
- "Yes... Thanks... I almost died if it wasn't for you."
Ryoko smiled as he wiped the dust from her face:
- "You owe me a fancy dinner after this."
But before she could respond, a strange sound rang out in the hallway: Like something waking up... or slowly being dragged away.
Ryoko said, his smile gone:
- "This isn't the time for jokes yet... we're separated from them... and we're going to face something here."
At the top, Ryuichi turned to Takeru:
- "We have to find another way down... we can't leave them alone."
Takeru, though concerned, said in an observant tone:
- "Strange... how did Ryoko manage to move so fast? It's as if the air wasn't an obstacle."
He looked at Ryuichi and added to himself:
- "And you... how did you know about the trap? There are too many secrets between us."
The corridors of the abandoned facility seemed like a living puzzle, its concrete walls breathing moisture and mold, the sound of dripping drops creating a tense rhythm that accompanied Ryuichi and Takeru's footsteps as they slowly advanced.
The lights of their flashlights pierce the darkness, drawing faint circles of light on the rust-stained walls, while branching corridors seem to crisscross in front of them, as if they were walking in the stomach of a giant creature that swallowed this place centuries ago.
Looking exhausted, Ryuichi muttered:
- "There must be an underground entrance somewhere... The hole from which Jihan fell is neither natural nor random."
Takeru, clutching an electronic map of the facility obtained from previous data, pointed to one of the corridors:
- "This direction... It's supposed to lead to the underground maintenance room. Maybe our way to them is through there."
Ryuichi nodded silently, but inside he heard a familiar whisper.
> Aura (in a low but sharp voice):
- "Ryuichi... Be careful of this boy. He's watching you closely, and his mind works at a speed you wouldn't expect."
He pauses for a second, as if he has heard an echo of the unsaid.
> Ryuichi (whispering inside):
- "Takeru? But he's my friend... It may not always seem like it, but he's nice."
> Aura:
- "Nice doesn't cancel out smart. I didn't say he's your enemy, I said be careful. His mind connects things quickly... your secrets won't stay safe if he keeps watching like this."
Ryuichi smiled with a slight inner sarcasm.
> "My secrets aren't important right now, it's only important that we rescue Jihan and understand what's going on."
He turned to Takeru and said:
- "Do you trust that this road is safe?"
Takeru looked at him with a steady gaze, then said:
- "I don't trust anything in this place... but if we don't take risks, we won't get anywhere. And right now we don't have the luxury of waiting."
He paused for a moment and then continued, in a lighter tone:
- "By the way... That power you displayed in the lab, before your fall, wasn't normal. Have you been practicing lately?"
Ryuichi avoided looking directly at him, and muttered:
- "Not really... It's just an involuntary reaction."
Takeru nodded, but kept the questions to himself.
They passed through a narrow corridor, where the air felt heavier, and the lights began to flicker unnaturally.
Takeru said quietly:
- "By the way, do you believe that people change when their true powers are revealed?"
Ryuichi paused, then said:
- "No... I believe they are exposed. Power doesn't change anyone... it just exposes what was hidden."
There was an awkward silence between them for a moment, as if they were contemplating each other.
Takeru then said as he restarted the electronic map:
- "Come on... we're getting close."
> Ura (inside Ryuichi):
- "Careful... He's testing you."
As Ryuichi and Takeru made their way deeper into the facility, the bright lights behind one wall revealed an open space with abandoned equipment and wires hanging from the ceiling like dead limbs looking for life.
There, Ryoko stood, having just landed at lightning speed, holding Jihan in his arms, gently placing her on the ground after saving her from a sudden fall.
Jihan shuddered slightly, breathing heavily as she quickly checked herself.
- "Am I... Am I okay?" she whispered, a trace of shock in her voice.
Ryoko smiled gently at her as he squatted down next to her.
- "Yes, fine, at least physically. But if you had fallen from that height without me, we'd be having a funeral ritual, not a conversation."
Jehan gave him a grateful look, then lightly tapped him on the arm.
- "You could have said something less scary, you idiot."
Ryoko laughed, a pure laugh:
- "I'm just telling the truth. The truth is that I used to save you, even in our early days at the academy."
Jihan paused for a moment, then looked at him with a sincere look of thanks:
- "You're always there... even when I don't ask. Sometimes I feel like I'm a burden to you."
Ryoko pointed to his heart with his hand, then said with artificial seriousness:
- "I am the Knight of Shadows, Ms. Jihan. Saving girls from falling is part of my sacred oath."
Jihan smiled despite her nervousness:
- "You're more of a mess than a knight."
He sat down next to her, leaned his back against a metal wall, exhaled deeply and said:
- "I was worried about you... I don't like to see you in pain, and I can't imagine arriving late."
Jihan was silent for a moment, then muttered:
- "I'm sorry... If I had been more careful, I wouldn't have fallen."
Ryoko responded calmly:
- "Don't blame yourself. This place is full of traps. If I were you, I might have been the one who fell."
He then turned to her and, in a sincerely brotherly tone, said:
- "But listen to me carefully... We are a team. That means you are never a burden. We protect each other, and I won't let anyone touch a hair on your head, do you understand?"
Jihan gave him a grateful look, with a hint of warmth in her eyes.
- "I see, Chaos Knight."
They both smiled, and in that moment they felt that the friendship they had shared from the beginning had not changed, but had deepened in the darkness, as if it were the rope that bound them to the light.
Suddenly, a faint sound echoed in the adjacent corridor, and Ryoko immediately stood up, holding out his hand for Jihan to get up.
- "Break time is over. Let's find the others."
- "Okay... Let's make sure we don't fall into another trap."
They walked together down the corridor, their shadows fading into the darkness, but their steps were confident, like an unbreakable brotherly bond.
As Ryoko and Jihan cautiously made their way through the dark metal corridor, a huge door opened in front of them, rusty and worn, as if it hadn't been opened in decades. Ryoko pushed it slowly, and a dim light filtered through the opening, revealing an unbelievable sight.
The hall they entered resembled a huge battlefield...
A cracked stone floor, towering pillars stretching up to an unseen ceiling, and walls corroded by time, adorned with ancient battle scars like a shrine to forgotten wars. The air was thick with dust and raw mana. In the center, a small pool of dark energy slowly fluctuated, humming faintly as if pulsing with life.
Ryoko stopped, stunned, staring around.
- "This... Impossible. How can an arena of this size exist underground without anyone realizing it?"
Jihan lifted her head up, her eyes widening:
- "The place is... It's bigger than any underground facility I've ever seen... Who built this, and why?"
Before they could get an answer, the sound came.
Footsteps... Slow, rhythmic, pounding the ground like distant war drums.
The air around them shook with invisible dread. Ryoko suddenly turned toward the source of the sound, reaching out a hand to stop Jihan.
- "Get ready, someone's coming..."
From the shadows cast by one of the darkened arches, the enemy appeared.
He was tall, more than two feet tall, his body covered in black organic armor that resembled a mountain horn, fused with mechanical limbs that flashed with a faint red light. On its back, four insect-like limbs stretched out, moving in terrifying coordination. Its face was covered by a smooth mask, no eyes, no mouth, just a red crack that stretched horizontally like a dead smile.
When he got close enough, the crack in his face split open, and a low, metallic voice came out:
- "Finally... Other guests. It's been a long time since anyone has entered the Plaza of Shadows."
Ryoko took a step forward, his fist clenched.
- "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
- "I am the guardian... of what's left of the Black Dynasty Project. Your presence here... is not allowed."
Jehan whispered:
- "Black Strain? Was this part of the live weapons experiments?"
The guard answered, his voice turning into a cold purr:
- "I am the result of failure. The unburied shadow. But I am here... to complete the mission."
Suddenly, he extended one of his four hind limbs into the air, and a dark mana energy glowed, spreading across the arena like an invisible wave.
Ryoko immediately sensed it and stood in front of Jihan:
- "Move away from the center... This will be no ordinary opponent."
Jihan quickly drew her weapon from her bag, every muscle in her body tensed.
- "Shall we fight him?"
Ryoko half-smiled, then said:
- "We'll try not to die first."
And here... The lights around them suddenly dimmed, and the tension began to build as if the darkness itself was creeping towards them.
As Ryuichi and Takeru walked through the narrow stone corridors of the abandoned site, the voices around them fell silent, as if the place itself had held its breath.
Ryuichi spoke in a hesitant tone, avoiding Takeru's eyes:
- "I never thought I'd be here, looking for a girl who disappeared... and with you."
Takeru replied with a wry smile as he put his hands in his pockets:
- "Life is strange. But tell me... do you feel like we're being watched?"
Before Ryuichi could respond, Aura shouted into his mind, her voice stern:
- "Ryuichi, run away immediately! There is high-frequency mana energy moving rapidly toward you!"
But his body didn't respond quickly... his eyes widened, his limbs delayed in moving as if they were shackled with heavy handcuffs from within.
And suddenly...
A translucent mana hand, formed from intricate strands of living tissue, reached out, snatched Ryuichi from his spot with unseen speed, and slammed him** with devastating force into the stone wall...**
The wall shook, dust flew, and some of its rocks shattered as Ryuichi fell helplessly to the ground, unable to move, breathing heavily, Aura's cry echoing in his mind:
- "Focus! Concentrate! Your body won't move if you don't summon the mana inside you!"
At that moment...
An enemy stepped out of the shadows.
He was human, or so it seemed from afar, but his features suggested something else... an extraordinary mind.
Medium height, slender build, but his stance exuded a deadly confidence. His hair is short and black, and his eyes are a glassy gray, as if he were looking inside a cold-blooded thinking machine.
He wears a long, dark-colored jacket with faded logos indicating a military or scientific background, and on one shoulder he has microchips embedded in his skin, flashing with artificial mana signals.
In his right hand, a transparent glove shows his veins glowing a deep blue color, as if mana was flowing directly into his blood.
Standing in front of them without haste, he looked first at Takeru, then at Ryuichi lying on the ground, and said in a cold voice with a hint of sarcasm:
- "You are always slow... Humans with fragile centers should not play the game of observation."
Takeru raised his head steadily, his eyes lighting up with his analytical insight:
- "You're not like the others... Who are you?"
The stranger approached slowly, leaned slightly toward the exhausted Ryuichi, and said directly to him:
- "You're the one you've been looking for, aren't you... Erica?
The girl with the heart of mirrors and strange mana..."
And there was silence...
Ryuichi breathing heavily, Aura trying to regain control, Takeru concentrating, all his senses on high alert...