Isabel froze. Her gaze followed his, beyond the fog, a guard stood watch, rifle in hand.
Her heartbeat quickened. She leaned closer to Raphael, whispering in panic, "What if we call the police?"
Raphael glanced at her, his face stern. "The police won't help. We'll be the ones arrested, for carrying weapons."
Bitterness stung her chest. They were on their own.
Moving low, Raphael drew his combat knife. The silver edge caught the moonlight.
He crept toward the guard, silent as a shadow. One step closer, then he lunged. His left hand clamped over the man's mouth, the right sliced clean and fast. Blood sprayed, and the guard collapsed without a sound.
From a distance, Isabel froze. Her body stiffened; her trembling hand covered her mouth. She had never witnessed death so closely, so real, so quiet. Her voice cracked as she stammered, "Y-you… k-killed h-him?"
Raphael turned, his gaze steady but cold. "What did you expect? That I'd talk to them and ask politely to release our friends?" he said, his tone edged with bitter irony. The words hung heavy between them, a cruel reminder that ideals meant nothing in a world like this.
Isabel bit her lip, trying to swallow the wave of fear rising inside her. She tore her gaze away from the corpse and forced her thoughts to stay focused. Her voice was steady, though quiet. "What if we get caught?"
Raphael exhaled, pulling Isabel behind the rubble. "Exactly. That's why we need to move fast. They'll notice their guard is missing any minute now."
Meanwhile, deep underground, the air was damp and metallic, the chill biting through the skin. The dim glow of an old bulb cast long shadows across moss-streaked brick walls.
Zinnia slowly stirred. Pain pulsed through her head, her mind still shrouded in fog. When her eyes finally adjusted, she realized she wasn't alone.
A faint sob echoed from the corner, a cry heavy with sorrow and despair. Zinnia turned toward the sound and found Thivi, trembling on the cold floor. Her eyes were swollen, cheeks streaked with tears, lips trembling as she whispered a single name over and over.
"Kaivan... Kaivan... please... where are you?" Her voice cracked, weighed down by fear.
Zinnia swallowed hard, forcing her stiff body to move. Her hands were bound by rough iron chains. With the last of her strength, she lifted her head, scanning the dim and lifeless room.
"Thivi..." she called softly, her voice raspy. "Where are we?"
Thivi didn't respond. Her sobs continued, echoing against the walls like a fragile heartbeat.
Zinnia clenched her jaw. She couldn't just sit still.
She turned her head again, desperate for any sign of hope. In the far corner, she spotted Felicia, her body wrapped in heavy iron chains like a serpent refusing to release its prey.
"Felicia..." Zinnia called again, her tone a bit firmer this time. "What happened? Who captured us?"
Felicia slowly opened her eyes. Her usually calm face looked drained, traces of bruises painting her pale skin. She tried to move, but the clinking of chains against the rough stone floor made every effort sound futile. She drew in a shaky breath, gathering strength just to answer.
"I don't know..." she murmured at last, her voice hoarse. "It feels like we were kidnapped... but I still have no idea who did it."
A shiver ran down Zinnia's spine. The uncertainty only deepened the dread closing in around them. Thivi's quiet sobs filled the air, weaving with the creak of metal and the dripping of water into a suffocating silence.
The three girls were trapped in that dark, stifling space, no clue who had taken them, or what awaited them next. Exhaustion began to seep into their limbs, but the terror that outweighed it kept their eyes open.
Elsewhere, the underground corridor grew darker and narrower. Raphael and Isabel pressed on, stepping through the damp air that reeked of wet earth and rusted iron. The flickering lamps above threw jagged shadows on the walls, turning the hallway into a maze that seemed to swallow them whole.
Raphael led the way, his body low, every movement cautious. His eyes swept every dark corner, alert for danger. Isabel followed close behind, her fingers gripping the handgun tightly. Cold sweat slicked her palms, despite the chill.
"Remember the left passage, from that book?" Isabel whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the corridor.
Raphael didn't answer right away. He raised a hand, signaling her to stop. Silence. Only the drip of water from a cracked ceiling. Isabel's heartbeat pounded in her chest.
"Something's ahead," Raphael whispered at last, eyes fixed on the narrowing passage.
Isabel swallowed. "Something? You mean, "