The memories finally ended.
Solomon stood frozen, his breath shallow. His eyes locked onto the cold, lifeless wall before him. Slowly, he approached it, his fingers brushing against the rough surface as if scanning for something unseen. He closed his eyes—and then everything flooded in.
The blueprint. The layout. Every twisted corridor and hidden passage seared itself into his mind. And beyond that—he felt the presence. The writhing tentacles. Kaia.
He snapped his eyes open, shock flashing across his face. His hand rose to his chin, fingers tapping thoughtfully. "I couldn't find Zareth and Yona… Where are they?"
The tension spiked. Without warning, Solomon slammed his arm into the wall with a crack, his frustration boiling over. "Vorr'kael!" his voice thundered, sharp and commanding. "Bring that girl here!"
***
The tentacle had already dragged Kaia far from where Yona was — not that Kaia had the luxury of worrying about that right now. She gritted her teeth nervously, sweat trickling down her temple.
"Damn, I hope that triggered her," she muttered, anxiety crawling up her spine. "That was so dumb of me to gamble on that!" Frustrated, she slammed her palm against her forehead.
[Blonde Lady: Don't worry — your plan worked.]
Kaia blinked. "Oh, it did?" Her eyes narrowed. "And how are you so sure?"
[Blonde Lady: Urgh… Some things are better off not told.]
Kaia scowled. "Damn these secrets you keep hiding from me."
[Mysterious Guy: Maybe you could find all the secrets yourself, young woman.]
Kaia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms like she wasn't currently being dragged through a nightmare by an inhuman, grotesque tentacle creature.
[Mysterious Guy: How long are you gonna let it drag you, anyway? Don't tell me you've finally given up. Tired of the secrets? The orders? The lack of explanations?]
[Blonde Lady: Why do I feel like you're giving me side-eye, gramps?]
[Mysterious Guy: And what if I am, hag?]
"Oh, for the love of—" Kaia groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Can you two shut up even for a second!?"
The sound of her sword scraping against the tentacle made a soft clack — and Kaia froze, her eyes darting down.
Oh right… I forgot I had this.
Without a second's hesitation, she slashed through the tentacle, severing it clean. The creature shrieked somewhere behind her as Kaia bolted down the corridor, turning left at the first corner. The wet slap of tentacles on stone followed close behind, gaining on her.
But the moment they rounded the corner — Kaia was gone.
The tentacles writhed in confusion, scanning the empty space before slithering away.
Seconds later, part of the wall shifted with a faint grinding sound, and Kaia's head popped out cautiously. "Safe…" she whispered, her eyes darting back and forth, still not trusting the quiet. "Who knew there was a secret passage like this?"
[Mysterious Guy: Your luck's on an absurd level.]
"Hehe… Is that so?" Kaia smirked, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
She ducked fully into the passage and closed the wall behind her, taking a shaky breath. The space was narrow and dim, the air thick and musty. A single corridor stretched ahead into darkness.
"Wanna see what's at the end of this? Oh right — you guys see everything, don't you?"
[Mysterious Guy: Not everything. The hollow can't see into places shielded by mana — so neither can I.]
Kaia's eyes widened. "That explains why the hollow didn't find the rabbit… and why he didn't know about the explosions."
[Mysterious Guy: It all happened too fast. By the time the information reached the interrogation room, it was too late. And even if it hadn't been… Meryt wouldn't have let your sister live anyway.]
Kaia's jaw tightened. With a sharp breath, she slammed her fist against the wall, frustration and fury bleeding through her composure. "Why?" she hissed. "Why was she so desperate to kill her? They didn't even know each other! What the hell was the reason behind all this!?"
[Blonde Lady: Worry about that later. Right now, your only priority is getting out of here alive — and taking the young lady with you.]
Kaia sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "Yeah, yeah… sure, sure…" she grumbled, flicking at her ear like she couldn't be bothered — but the tension in her shoulders told a different story.
A trail of red torches burst to life on their own as Kaia stepped forward, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. Strange pictures lined the surface—not childish doodles, but intricate symbols and cryptic texts, like ancient scripture whispering secrets through time.
Curious, Kaia ran her fingers over the markings. The language was completely unfamiliar. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures.
[Blonde Lady: You are wasting time.]
Kaia smirked. "Or maybe... you just don't want me to find out something?"
[Blonde Lady: Kaia, focus.]
Irritation laced her voice.
The corridor took a sharp turn, and as she rounded it, Kaia stopped in her tracks. A vast room stretched before her, lined with towering bookshelves—books crammed into every inch, yet dozens more hovered in midair, gently rotating like they were caught in an invisible current.
Reaching into her pocket to put her phone away, Kaia froze. Her fingers brushed against something that hadn't been there before.
Slowly, she pulled out two small objects. Dice. Suspicious-looking ones.
Her brow furrowed. "...Do you two know anything about this?"
[Mysterious Guy: I can't even see what you're holding. The mana around it is blocking my vision.]
Kaia clicked her tongue. "Useless."
[Mysterious Guy: Hey! You—ugh! If we ever meet in person, I swear I'll teach you a lesson.]
[Blonde Lady: It was teleported into your pocket. I don't know who sent it. I can only see things within the feather's range.]
Kaia narrowed her eyes. "Then how did you know about Yona?"
Silence.
[Blonde Lady: ...]
[Blonde Lady: I-I... can't tell you that. Not yet.]
Kaia sighed. "Seriously..."
[Mysterious Guy: Oww, man! Damn.]
Kaia rubbed her temples. "Why are you more stressed about this than I am?"
[Blonde Lady: Thanks to you two, my connection is nearly out. Recovery will take ten days, unless you find another feather—]
Her voice cut off.
[Mysterious Guy: Finally, the troublemaker is gone.]
Kaia barely acknowledged him—her gaze had locked onto something else. A black mist slithered behind one of the larger bookshelves.
She approached cautiously, stepping around floating books until she found the source: a black tome, bound in chains that snaked through the air, their ends disappearing into nothingness. The cover was textured, almost pulsing, and from its surface, a twisted, screaming face jutted out. Above the face sat a single, unblinking eye, with scattered black feathers resting near its grotesque form.
The book exuded a heavy, malevolent aura, its presence alone making her skin prickle.
The moment Kaia extended a hand, a violent shockwave erupted. She staggered back, hissing as a sharp burn seared her palm.
Behind the book, she spotted a door.
"How do I even get to the damn thing?"
[Mysterious Guy: You don't. Not with your current skills.]
Kaia ran a hand through her hair, frustration bubbling inside her. Then, she glanced at the dice still clutched in her other hand.
After a hesitant gulp, she tossed them onto the floor.
For a moment, nothing happened. Kaia's nerves tensed. "Were they just—"
Before she could finish, a sudden ripple spread from the dice. A translucent veil erupted, wrapping around the book and its chains like a snake constricting its prey. In the blink of an eye, the veil shrank—dragging everything into the dice—before vanishing completely.
Kaia blinked. The dice were gone. The book was gone.
"Did I just... mess something up?"
[Mysterious Guy: Who knows.]
Shaking off the unease, she turned her attention to the door. Slowly, she pushed it open—just enough to peek inside.
A grin stretched across her face.
There it was. The core.
Massive, pulsating, and wrapped in writhing tentacles that slithered through portals, extending to different rooms and sections like a parasite feeding on the space itself.
"Found it."