The industrial district of Kheris was the opposite of the residential area. The lilac sky was obscured by a haze of pollution, and the smell of oil and burning metal lingered in the air. Rusted metal buildings rose up around them, and the streets were filled with figures walking with hunched shoulders and suspicious eyes.
After a tense walk, they found it. A neon sign flickering, with half the letters burned out, read: "T e L s t Ch n e." Low, distorted music leaked through the door, mixed with guttural laughter.
"Okay, team," Ling said, stopping the group at a safe distance. "Remember, we're here to gather information, not start a war. We go in, observe, and I'll try to talk. Be ready to fight, but don't engage unless it's the last resort. Understood?"
Everyone nodded, but Victor's eyes were already shining with a dangerous light.
They pushed the door open and entered. The bar was dark, filthy, and packed. Mercenaries of various species—most of them scarred and openly armed—filled the tables. The smell of cheap alcohol and smoke was suffocating. Within seconds, all conversation stopped. Dozens of eyes turned toward the newcomers. Their presence here was a mistake, and everyone knew it.
Ling stepped forward, ready to begin his diplomatic approach. "Excuse me, we just wanted—"
"WHO WAS THE BASTARD WHO KIDNAPPED A CHILD?!" Victor's voice exploded through the bar, destroying any chance of subtlety.
"Victor, no!" Ling hissed, trying to pull him back, but it was too late.
A group of heavily built Kherians—larger than average, covered in gang tattoos—stood up from a corner table. Their leader, a brute with one broken horn, laughed.
"Look what we've got here. Don't know what species you are, but you look human. Or something close," he said as the others closed in, surrounding the group. "You've got a lot of courage coming in here shouting orders. Do you even know who you're dealing with?"
"We just want to know where they took the girl," Zugiy said, his calm voice contrasting with the tension in the room.
The gang leader spat on the floor. "The little girl? Ah, that's what happens when you don't pay what you owe to Boss Crismon." He cracked his four-fingered hand. "Now you're going to learn what happens to people who mess with our gang."
"Zugiy, stay behind me—" Ling began, reaching for his sword.
But before he could finish, Zugiy raised his hand.
An invisible, crushing force struck the mercenaries. The gang leader was ripped off the ground and slammed onto the ceiling with a dull thud. The others were thrown against walls or pinned in place, unable to move. Chaos erupted.
"What kind of tech is that?!" one of them shouted, struggling to break free.
Zugiy didn't respond. With a flick of his wrist, he lifted them again, making them float and slam gently into the ceiling and then the floor repeatedly in a disorienting, terrifying rhythm. Cups and bottles rose into the air, spinning.
"Zugiy, that's enough! Stop!" Ling shouted, seeing the panic in the eyes of the other bar patrons.
Zugiy stopped. The mercenaries dropped to the floor in a tangled heap, dazed and groaning. The entire bar fell silent, staring at the quiet young man with a mix of fear and disbelief.
Seizing the moment, Melissa stepped forward. With a gesture, the earth beneath the floor responded, forming a tendril that grabbed the gang leader and dragged him toward her.
She knelt down, bringing her face close to his. Her voice was low, cold, and carried a threat that even made Victor shiver.
"Listen here, you piece of trash. You're going to tell me exactly where your boss Crismon hides the things he steals. And you're going to tell me now. Or I'll use the metal from your teeth to write the answer on your forehead. Am I clear?"
The Kherian, terrified, shook uncontrollably. "Ca-caves! Underground! Near the illegal district! That's where he is! That's his hideout! Please!"
Melissa smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you."
She released him, and the earth tendril dissolved into dust. The gang leader curled up on the floor, sobbing.
The group stood there for a moment, the consequences of their actions echoing in the stunned silence of the bar. Ling looked from Zugiy to Melissa, impressed—and slightly afraid—of his companions' brutal efficiency. Victor only stared at Melissa with a new expression of respect and, perhaps, a little fear.
The mission had just taken a much darker turn.