Eliana’s voice trembled with disbelief.

  “How did you do that? You can’t use Vitalis.”

  Valerius exhaled, watching the fallen door vanish into the abyss below.

  “Privilege of my blood,” he said simply. His eyes traced the endless depth. “Damn… that’s really deep.”

  Yelleen’s calm voice echoed through his mind.

  “Do the same to climb. Slowly press your fingers into the wall. You’ll have to ascend manually.”

  Valerius frowned. “What? That’ll take forever.”

  “You are 3.9 kilometers below the surface,” Yelleen replied. “It will take twenty-six minutes.”

  He sighed, muttering under his breath, “Twenty-six minutes of rock climbing in hell. Perfect.”

  Then he stepped out.

  His fingers dug slowly into the Hecko wall—stone that absorbed shock but yielded to pressure. Every movement was deliberate, silent, patient. Muscles flexed like coiled steel as he began the ascent.

  “Now up we go,” he murmured.

  Minutes passed. The air thickened. The abyss below was a blur of mist and light, each breath tasting faintly of iron and Calethrin.

  He stopped, glancing across the pit. The opposite wall shimmered faintly through the haze.

  He squinted. “I could make that jump.”

  Eliana, gripping his back tightly, lifted her head. “What? You can’t use Bravo.”

  “I can make it,” he said, his tone steady, his gaze locked across the gulf.

  She frowned. “Lerius, that’s several kilometers away—”

  “I would not recommend it,” Yelleen’s voice interrupted, calm but firm.

  Valerius rolled his eyes slightly. “Why not, Yelleen? Enlighten me.”

  Her tone was measured.

  “The opposite wall is eighteen kilometers away. To reach it, you would need to move at four hundred twenty meters per second—Mach 1.2—and leap at a forty-five-degree angle.”

  Valerius smirked. “I have no doubt I can make it.”

  “Yes,” Yelleen said. “You can. But can she survive it? With that suppression band on her wrist, Eliana is no more durable than an ordinary elf. Continue climbing.”

  Valerius’s grin faded. He looked over his shoulder at Eliana’s face, pale in the dim glow.

  He turned back toward the wall. “...Fine. I’ve changed my mind. We’ll climb.”

  Eliana exhaled, relief mixing with exhaustion. “Did she tell you something?”

  “Yeah,” Valerius said, his voice low. “She said if I jumped, you wouldn’t survive.”

  Eliana went quiet. She held him tighter as he climbed.

  Time stretched. The weight of the abyss pressed around them. The air grew hotter, heavier, as they moved higher through the humid mist.

  Then Yelleen’s voice came again, softer this time.

  “You need not worry. Your siblings are safe—and fully healed.”

  Valerius paused, his breath catching for a moment.

  “Thank God,” he murmured, a faint smile forming as he continued upward.

  ---

  Above the abyss, high atop Pentagon’s Hole, a dark-winged figure crouched on the edge of the rim.

  The wind hissed against his armor.

  A voice crackled through his comm-link.

  “Don’t kill them. The Boss hates it when we waste beautiful women. And the Supreme Boss wants the Elvhein alive.”

  The Hysor grunted. “Understood.”

  He spread his wings — black and metallic, feathered with shards of energy — and stepped off the edge.

  His form vanished into the mist below, descending through the abyss like a shadow of judgment.

  ---

  Valerius froze.

  From above, a shadow tore through the mist — wings folded, armor glinting.

  A Hysor was diving straight for him.

  The world slowed.

  Shit.

  If he hits me, Eliana won’t survive.

  His thoughts raced in split-seconds.

  If I dodge, I lose my grip. If we fall, she dies.

  Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!

  Every path he imagined ended in the same outcome — Eliana’s death.

  The Hysor drew closer, a streak of black slicing through the haze.

  Then, instinct took over.

  Valerius inhaled.

  A deep, thunderous breath — his lungs expanding like twin furnaces, air compressing into pure force.

  And then, he exhaled.

  The blast roared outward like a cannon.

  The air rippled — a shockwave of compressed wind slammed into the Hysor.

  The creature’s eyes widened. It twisted mid-air, barely dodging.

  “What—? Doesn’t he have a band on?!”

  Eliana blinked, her hair whipping from the backlash. “What was that?!”

  Valerius grinned faintly. “I’ve got good lungs.”

  They locked eyes across the gulf — predator and prey, separated by a storm of mist.

  The Hysor lifted a rifle-like weapon and fired.

  A small metal canister whistled through the air.

  Valerius snatched it effortlessly — and it burst in his hand.

  A hiss of purple vapor spread outward. Calethrin gas.

  Eliana covered her mouth. “What are we going to do, Lerius?!”

  Valerius closed his eyes for a heartbeat. “He’s scared,” he said calmly. “His heart’s racing.”

  The Hysor vanished, reappearing behind them at Mach 6 — aiming straight for Eliana’s back.

  Valerius turned his head, exhaled again — and a hurricane erupted from his lungs.

  The blast struck the Hysor full-force, sending him hurtling into the wall like a ragdoll.

  He didn’t look back.

  He just kept climbing.

  Minutes passed. Stone cracked under his fingers as he ascended toward the rim of the abyss.

  When he finally reached the top, the dim light broke into a harsh glow.

  Valerius pulled himself over the edge — and froze.

  Twenty armed men stood in formation, rifles leveled, red targeting lights painting his chest.

  He smirked. “Well, I’ll be damned… they have snipers here too.”

  One of them shouted, “Surrender!”

  Valerius tilted his head. “Not really my type.”

  He hurled Eliana upward — just high enough to clear the crossfire — and blurred forward.

  In a heartbeat, every guard was gone, flung over the edge, their screams fading into the pit below.

  He caught Eliana as she came down, setting her gently on his back again.

  She groaned, then leaned over the rim and vomited.

  Valerius sighed. “Sorry about that.”

  Eliana wiped her mouth, glaring weakly. “That’s the second time you’ve done that.”

  He chuckled, setting her on her feet. “Guess I need better landings.”

  They stood on the rim — nothing around them but the vast expanse of water.

  Waves crashed against the metallic cliffs far below, echoing like distant thunder.

  “Uh… crap,” Valerius muttered. He looked around, hands on his hips. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we are, would you?”

  Eliana shook her head slowly.

  ---

  Somewhere deep within a surveillance chamber, dozens of screens flickered.

  On one of them — Valerius and Eliana stood side by side.

  A gloved hand pressed a button.

  “Go.”

  A hidden hatch in the floor opened.

  Guards poured out by the hundreds — armored, armed, relentless.

  One of them fired a dart straight at Eliana’s chest.

  Valerius moved faster than sight.

  His fingers caught the dart mid-air, inches from her heart.

  He examined it. “Darts, huh? Guess they don’t want us dead.”

  Then, a voice boomed: “FIRE!”

  A thousand guns went off at once.

  A storm of tranquilizer darts and bullets filled the air.

  Valerius blurred — a streak of motion splitting into two afterimages, one in front of Eliana, one behind her.

  Every dart, every bullet was deflected by his hands, his speed forming a barrier of pure motion.

  The air thundered. Shells ricocheted harmlessly to the ground.

  Then, in an instant, the storm stopped.

  Every soldier hit the floor — unconscious.

  Valerius stood among them, his breathing steady.

  He glanced at Eliana. “You okay?”

  She nodded faintly, her eyes wide.

  He turned toward the ocean. “Now how the hell do we get out of here…”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Yelleen,” he said aloud. “You can track us, right? Which way to Zitry?”

  “To your right,” Yelleen’s voice replied. “But how will you reach it? You’re surrounded by water.”

  Valerius smirked. “How fast do I need to go to run on it? I don’t want to hurt Eliana.”

  “Taking both your weights into account,” Yelleen answered, “forty-five meters per second should suffice. Accelerate gradually. I’ll monitor your speed.”

  Valerius crouched slightly and looked at Eliana.

  “Hold on. We’re going to tread the waters.”

  She blinked. “We’re going to what—”

  He launched forward.

  The edge blurred beneath his feet as he sprinted along the rim, faster, faster.

  “Twenty… thirty…” Yelleen’s voice counted in his mind. “Forty-five Maintain this speed.”

  The next step struck the ocean — and held.

  He was running on water.

  Spray burst around them like shattered glass as he crossed the waves, Eliana gripping his shoulders tight.

  “Yelleen,” he said between breaths, “show me the map.”

  A holographic display appeared in his vision — a glowing blue arrow marking his position, two red dots pulsing close together ahead: Ziraiah and Eryndor.

  But before he could adjust his course, a portal tore open before him.

  A surge of light swallowed them whole.

  Valerius blinked — and found himself back inside the abyss.

  The same walls. The same mist.

  But this time, it was different.

  The cells and walkways were gone.

  He stood alone in the heart of a city built inside the inner wall itself.

  He frowned, scanning the silence.

  “What the hell…”

  His voice echoed — but no one answered.

  ---

  A voice thundered through the silence.

  “LET THY STEPS BE HALTED.”

  Valerius froze. Then came a sickening crack.

  His right leg bent sideways. Bone snapped. Pain tore through his body like lightning.

  He fell hard to the ground, Eliana tumbling beside him.

  “Lerius!” she cried.

  Valerius gritted his teeth. “My leg… it broke.”

  From the shadows ahead came the sound of footsteps—slow, deliberate, echoing like a judge descending the gallows.

  A figure emerged from the mist.

  Poliandrew.

  He walked with unhurried composure, folding his arms as he stopped before them. His blue eyes looked down with calm indifference.

  Valerius forced himself upright on one knee, breath ragged.

  “Who are you?” he demanded. “What do you want?”

  Poliandrew tilted his head slightly. “What I want,” he said in a quiet, measured tone, “is for you to stay here.”

  Eliana rose to her knees. “What do you want with us?”

  “Nothing,” Poliandrew replied simply. “But my superiors… they want you.”

  His gaze lingered on Eliana. “It’s obvious why the Boss wants you.”

  Then his eyes turned to Valerius.

  “But you,” he said softly, almost curious, “the Supreme Boss wants you. Perhaps it’s because of that miraculous recovery of yours.”

  A portal shimmered open behind him— swirling in a circular tear.

  From within came laughter. Cold, cruel, familiar.

  Koby-Ann stepped through.

  “The Supreme Boss was right,” he said, voice dripping with mockery. “Barely thirty minutes, and you’re already healed.”

  He grinned, walking toward them like a man inspecting broken toys. “You can’t use your Seed. You can’t use your Bravo. You’re filled with Calethrin, chained by suppression bands—”

  He crouched slightly, smirking. “And yet you still managed to break out. Impressive.”

  He circled them like a predator.

  Valerius’s glare followed him. “What do you want with me?”

  Koby-Ann’s smile widened. “To make sure you don’t escape again.”

  He kept pacing, his words smooth, casual, but laced with venom.

  “I’m starting to understand it now… why he planned all this. Why he created that competition just to lure you in—only to let you run.”

  He stopped, laughing quietly. “It all makes sense now. Why he had Jeriana freed.”

  He turned, his grin sharpening like a blade. “Because Pungence was there. It’s a shame he only told Dreados the full plan. I would’ve loved to know.”

  Valerius’s fists clenched.

  Koby-Ann pulled out a small curved dagger—the blade no longer than his hand, but glinting with eerie blue runes.

  “This,” he said, tapping the flat edge against his chin, “was made specifically for you.”

  He crouched in front of Valerius, eyes glinting with sadistic amusement.

  “I wondered for a long time—why make a weapon meant to kill a nobody? Someone supposedly not that strong?”

  Valerius’s breathing quickened, rage flaring beneath his calm exterior.

  Then Yelleen’s voice whispered in his mind.

  “Don’t. Eliana is here. You can’t fight him—not now. Even if you tried, you wouldn’t win.”

  Her tone sharpened. “You may not be able to sense presence, but the Gauge System still works.”

  Valerius focused.

  And then he saw it.

  Three skulls hovered above Koby-Ann’s head.

  His heart sank. Three skulls.

  "Even at full power—with your Spirit abilities stacked, you're two skulls.

  Koby-Ann turned toward Eliana and smiled faintly.

  He crouched, cupped her face with one hand, and licked her cheek. “Such soft skin.”

  Valerius’s jaw tightened. “Don’t touch her.”

  Koby-Ann ignored him.

  Valerius lunged—

  But Poliandrew’s voice cut through the air.

  “Halt.”

  Valerius froze mid-motion.

  His body refused to obey him. He strained, muscles trembling, but nothing moved.

  Poliandrew raised two fingers. Valerius’s body lifted off the ground, suspended like a puppet on invisible strings.

  Koby-Ann’s eyes gleamed. “Ohh… I see.”

  He stepped closer, grinning wide. “Bring him lower.”

  Valerius was dragged down until their faces were inches apart.

  Koby-Ann leaned close, his breath cold against Valerius’s ear.

  “She’s mine now,” he whispered. “I’m going to enjoy every moment while she screams my name… Koby… Ann.”

  He fortified Eliana, then drove the dagger toward Valerius’s chest.

  But Valerius caught his wrist mid-strike, his muscles straining. A shockwave rippling outward.

  The blade trembled between them, inching closer despite his resistance.

  Eliana screamed, “Stop! You’ll kill him!”

  Valerius’s teeth clenched. He groaned through the agony, veins bulging against his skin.

  Koby-Ann smiled faintly, his voice smooth and cruel.

  “Please,” he murmured, almost kindly, “don’t waste your strength.”

  The dagger pushed closer—closer—until it pierced flesh.

  Valerius screamed — a sound that tore through the chamber, raw and inhuman.

  Eliana’s cry followed, desperate and broken. “Nooo!”

  Koby-Ann let go of the dagger, watching with cold amusement as Valerius clutched the hilt.

  His fingers trembled, his muscles convulsed, but the weapon kept sinking — inch by inch — until the blade vanished completely into his chest.

  Valerius’s eyes widened. His mouth hung open, breathless, as if the pain itself had stolen his voice.

  Then his body gave out.

  He collapsed to the ground, the impact echoing like a verdict.

  Tears slipped from his eyes — silent, helpless, unrestrained.

  Koby-Ann stood over him, tilting his head slightly. A faint smirk curved his lips.

  “He’s crying,” he said softly, almost amused. “That must really hurt.”

  He turned his gaze toward the camera embedded in the wall and spoke with chilling nonchalance.

  “Put him in a cell.”

  Then he seized Eliana by the arm. She struggled, eyes wide with fury and fear.

  “You’re coming with me,” Koby-Ann said, his tone smooth as poison.

  A portal opened. Without another word, he dragged her through.

  The light folded in on itself and vanished, leaving Valerius alone — blood pooling beneath him, tears streaking his face, and silence closing in like a grave.

  To Be Continued...