Karyan and Reverie found themselves in a grand hall, where the walls bled into each other crimson and gold colors.
A massive throne commanded the space and their attention.
'This fool still thinks he's a king,' Karyan thought silently.
Demons fluttered about, their forms looked like black, shapeless shadows that twisted and turned, defying the laws of nature.
Off to one side, Nedeira was bound in chains, her body bruised and battered, the old dry blood was seen coming from her nose, ears, lips.
Nearby, Sin lay motionless, his body was sprawled across the cold floor.
Reverie's eyes widened at the sight of Sin, her heart skipping a beat. "It wasn't Sin who took her," she realized aloud. "They're both prisoners."
Karyan's gaze swept the room slowly, searching for any trace of the sorcerer.
Nothing. Every so often, his eyes darted to the stationary demon, which seemed content to watch.
The manager, seizing his chance, darted towards an exit. "You fools, you are all dead!" he cackled.
Karyan's attention snapped to the fleeing figure. "We can't let him get away," he said, but made no move to chase, understanding the risks of splitting their focus.
Reverie knelt by Sin, pressing her fingers to his neck.
"He's not a human, you will not feel anything coming out from him," Karyan stated.
"He's alive," she still confirmed, looking up at Karyan. "We need to act fast."
"Help him," Karyan commanded with a calm tone, "I'll deal with the sorcerer once he shows up."
As Karyan approached Nedeira, he spoke softly, "Can you walk?"
She tried to move, winced, and shook her head. "Free Sin," she breathed out. "Free him ans run as fast as you can…"
"Sera, venom!" He commanded and Sera came out from his sleeve and cut the chains in two, freeing Nedeira.
"I'm afraid no one is going to do that. Where is he?"
"Yo-you don't understand; he will kill us all!" Nedeira raised her tone, hoping Karyan would understand her.
But he showed no signs of fear, to her it looked like he was looking forward to their reconnection.
"Please, Karyan, listen to me…" she begged, but Karyan just carefully lifted her in his arms and sat her on the throne.
"Nothing will scare me about the king who's a coward to see the truth, Nedeira. I know he did horrible things to you and Sin, and I will need you to tell me what exactly, so I could perform the same tricks on him."
"No, Karyan, you don't understand-" Nedeira collapsed before finishing her sentence.
"Nedeira?" Karyan furrowed an eyebrow.
"Is she asleep?" Reverie asked when she dragged Sin's body near the throne.
"It seems so, or her body is too exhausted to the point where it shut itself down to save energy."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"No…"
"Then what is the plan, Karyan?"
"Since it's only two of us here left, I need you to tell me how much I can trust you now?"
"I will not betray you, if that's what you're asking me?" Reverie rolled her eyes, almost offended by Karyan's bold question.
"Then answer me, what is exactly your element?"
"Blood manipulation."
A cold silence went through the room like a wind in the freezing winter.
"Are you good at it?"
"Kinda."
"Then could you catch the manager and bring him back here? I need him to see what's going to happen to the sorcerer."
"And you will be doing what? Having all the fun with these demons here?" Reverie pointed her head at them.
"And yes and no…" Karyan let out a long sigh, "these little creatures don't scare me, but the only one that does is the silent one, who keeps watching us and not doing anything."
"Are you going to fight him then?"
"I'm not dumb enough to fight a demon without understanding its strength."
"So then what?"
"I will tease and annoy him, hoping to trigger it…"
"That's not even a plan," Reverie frowned.
"I know, but I didn't know what else I should do?"
"And Nedeira? She needs a doctor, as for Sin…I'm going to miss that demon."
"Reverie, once you find the manager, bring him here and take Nedeira to a safe place, please…"
Reverie stepped back, "do you have any feelings for her, Karyan?"
"No."
"Then why are you so obsessed with her?"
"Because she's a friend now, and I used her to get here. I'm just repaying her."
"I will do what you say, but this will come in handy for me later. If you know what I mean?"
"Yes. I will repay my debts, don't worry."
Reverie laughed, "I hope you repay them the same way you get your revenge. I will be looking forward to them."
And with that, she walked out of the weird-looking hall.
Reverie followed the scent of burnt skin and blood, her senses sharpened as she tracked the manager through the dimly lit corridor. The air was heavy with the metallic tang, leading her closer to her prey.
As she entered the dark and silent hall, a shiver ran down her spine. The oppressive stillness made her uneasy, like unseen eyes were watching her every move.
She could almost hear the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in the empty space.
Reverie whispered to herself, "Keep calm, stay focused. He can't hide forever." Her voice was barely above a breath, she cautiously scanned the shadows, searching for any sign of him.
The manager's footsteps echoed faintly ahead, urging her to quicken her pace. Each step felt heavier than the last as she moved deeper into the eerie hall.
The silence was broken only by the distant sound of dripping water, adding to the sense of foreboding that hung in the air.
"This son of a bitch, the minute I find him…I'm going to kill him."
Reverie pressed on, determined to confront the manager and bring him back.
The darkness seemed to press in around her, but she refused to let fear take hold.
Finally, a faint flicker of light ahead caught her attention.
Drawing a deep breath, Reverie steeled herself and pushed forward, ready to face whatever awaited her there.