The air was cold and damp, a heavy blanket that settled deep in Nijika's bones. Her eyes, still wide with the terror of the train, struggled to adjust. Flickering lights hung high above, casting long, distorted shadows that danced with every slight movement. Ryo was beside her, her face unusually pale, a stark contrast to her usual calm.
Ryo looks scared too.
Around them, a crowd of bodies huddled together, the other passengers from the train. Their faces mirrored Nijika's own fear, their whispers swallowed by the vast, echoing space. Silent, red-eyed Ninders stood guard, their matte black forms barely visible in the gloom. The metallic smell in the air was thick, like old blood and rust.
This can't be real. It's like a movie.
Her heart beat a frantic rhythm against her ribs. This was no prank. This was real. They were trapped. She looked around, trying to make sense of the huge, rusted machinery that pierced the darkness. Thick, grimy concrete pillars rose from the floor, disappearing into the shadows above. It felt like a giant, forgotten cave beneath the city, somewhere no normal person would ever find. The Ninders were just… things. Emotionless. Terrifying. She swallowed hard, the dryness in her throat a constant reminder of her fear.
Nijika looked at Ryo, her hand still gripping her friend's arm tightly.
What are we going to do?
Her voice came out as a desperate whisper.
"Ryo, what should we do?"
Ryo shook her head slowly, her blue hair swaying with the movement.
She looks so lost.
"I have no ideas," Ryo replied, her voice flat, devoid of its usual dry humor.
Nijika felt a chill, colder than the damp air. Ryo, the one who always had some strange plan or logical explanation, had nothing. That scared Nijika more than the Ninders. Ryo's usual calm was gone, replaced by a deep quiet.
This is bad. Really bad.
Nijika looked around the dimly lit cavern. There had to be something. She always found a way. Her vermillion eyes scanned the rusted machinery, the thick pillars. There was no clear way out, no door, just a vast, enclosed space with the silent, black figures standing guard.
"You know, this place has a strange acoustic quality."
Nijika stared, not believing what she heard.
"Perfect for experimenting with bass feedback, if I only had my instrument."
"Ryo, are you serious?" Nijika's voice came out in a shocked whisper. "No one is thinking about music right now."
How can she be so calm?
"Creative inspiration can strike anywhere," Ryo said, her gaze drifting upward to the shadowy ceiling. "Even in a crypt like this."
Nijika rolled her eyes, but a small, involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. Ryo's absurdity was a strange comfort. It was their usual rhythm, even here. It was a small, familiar piece of home in this terrifying place.
It's just like her to find the weirdest thing to focus on.
The sound of her own laughter, thin and fragile, cut through the tension. It was quickly swallowed by the cavern's silence, but for a moment, the fear loosened its grip just a bit. Ryo's presence, annoying as it could be, was a grounding force. She was still here, still Ryo.
"You're ridiculous."
Ryo only offered a small, almost imperceptible smile in return, her yellow eyes still distant.
The Ninders continued their silent watch, red eyes like tiny coals. Nijika glanced at them, then back at Ryo.
They're so still.
She leaned closer to Ryo, her voice a hushed whisper.
"That hero… the red and black one. He tried to save us."
A small, sad smile touched her lips.
"He was incredible. Like something out of a manga."
Ryo's yellow eyes, usually so flat, held a deep sadness. She shook her head slowly, a heavy finality in the movement.
"He probably didn't make it."
The words hit Nijika like a physical blow.
No. He can't be gone.
The thought of the powerful figure, leaping and fighting, now just… gone, made her chest ache. She remembered the determination in his masked face, the way he stood against all those Ninders. That powerful stance, his quick movements—it all seemed too strong to just vanish. The hope she hadn't even realized she was holding onto slipped away, leaving behind a cold, empty feeling.
A chilling conversation drifted through the cavernous space. Nijika could only make out pieces of the conversation, but the words were enough to freeze her blood. She heard Amazoness's smooth, metallic voice.
"The Professor will be pleased."
Amazoness's voice cut through the cavern, echoing off the cold, damp walls.
"These new specimens… will serve his purpose well."
Specimens? Is that what we are to them?
A deeper, rumbling voice followed. Silvermane.
"The transfer will commence swiftly."
Transfer? Where are they taking us?
Nijika gripped Ryo's hand tighter. Ryo's fingers were cold. The Ninders shifted, their movements synchronized.
"Once moved," Amazoness continued, her voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. "They will be beyond any hope of rescue."
Beyond hope.
The words echoed in Nijika's mind, cold and absolute. She imagined being dragged away, deeper into this alien world, never to see the sun again. Never to hear music. Never to see Takuya again. A cold wave of terror washed over her.
This is it, then. We're going to disappear.
She looked at Ryo, whose eyes were wide, fixed on the distant figures of Amazoness and Silvermane. A silent understanding passed between them. Their time was running out.
We have to do something.
Nijika's vermilion eyes darted around the cold, dark substation, searching for any possible escape.
There has to be a way out.
But there was nothing. Just rusted machinery, concrete, and the unmoving Ninders. The air grew heavy, pressing down on her lungs. Each breath felt shallow, catching in her throat. Her heart pounded, a frantic drum against the silence.
Ryo's grip on Nijika's hand tightened, a silent acknowledgment of their shared predicament. It was a firm, reassuring squeeze, yet it also spoke of Ryo's own fear. Nijika felt a frantic desperation build within her.
We can't just wait here.
She knew they had to do something, anything, before they were taken to some unknown, permanent prison. Her eyes scanned the gloom, darting from shadow to shadow, but found no cracks in the iron wall of their captivity.
The Ninders remained vigilant, their red visors fixed on the terrified captives. Their lack of expression made them even more terrifying. There was no reasoning with them, no pleading. They were just machines, programmed for one purpose.
They look like they're just waiting for orders.
Nijika felt a knot twist in her stomach. They were cattle, waiting for slaughter. She squeezed Ryo's hand back, a desperate plea, a silent promise. She would not go quietly. She could not. Not with Ryo here, not with everyone else.
This is bad. This is really bad.
The thought of being experimented on made her shudder. They would become mere specimens, just like Amazoness said. The cavern seemed to shrink around them, the air growing colder, heavier.
***
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