Raine crouched at one corner of the tunnel, her attention drawn to a mound of disturbed earth along the wall.
She lowered herself closer.
The dirt had been carved through from beneath, leaving a network of tiny openings that disappeared into the structure around it. Raine hovered her hands over the mound without touching it.
Then she felt it.
A vibration.
Faint at first.
Then another.
And another.
The sensation traveled through her fingertips and up her arms, spreading through her body in pulses. Her breathing slowed as she focused on it, allowing the vibrations to resolve into something more distinct.
Movement. Thousands upon thousands of tiny bodies crawled through the earth.
Ants.
They moved beneath the tunnel, through the dirt and into the walls of the structure, their countless legs tapping against buried surfaces in a living network that seemed to stretch far beyond what the eye could see.
Raine's eyes narrowed. "Hmmm..." Her voice was barely audible, almost as though she were speaking to herself. "It's that big, huh."
Adeline glanced back. "Raine?"
Raine slowly withdrew her hands and stood, brushing the dirt from her palms. "The security room is somewhere near..." she murmured.
Adeline raised an eyebrow. "Is that what the humans call it?"
Raine looked at her. "What else would they call it if not the security room?"
Adeline gave a small shrug. "Fair enough."
They continued down the tunnel.
Their footsteps echoed softly through the concrete passage as the controlled men marched ahead of them. The underground complex seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction, branching into passages that disappeared around corners and descending staircases that vanished into darkness.
Adeline stopped.
Something about the tunnel ahead had caught her attention. She slowly turned, studying the walls, the corners, the branching passages.
She had seen this place before. Not with her own eyes, but in someone else's memories.
Adeline looked around, studying the maze of tunnels with increasing recognition. Her gaze moved from one passage to another until she noticed something partially concealed around a bend.
A door. Or at least what appeared to be one.
She approached it and looked beyond.
A staircase descended up and down into the darkness.
Adeline turned toward the men. "Where does this staircase lead?"
The men stopped. For several seconds, none of them moved. Their faces remained blank.
Then one of them answered in the same flat, neutral voice. "Another building."
Adeline's eyes narrowed. She looked back toward the staircase, then toward the other Sirens. "Might be worth checking."
Raine shook her head slightly. "It'll be difficult to navigate if we don't take over the security room first."
Adeline considered that.
The maze surrounding them was already difficult enough to follow. If the complex was connected to multiple structures, losing their bearings could make returning nearly impossible.
Dahlia stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I agree with Raine. Security room first."
Adeline took a second before nodding. She turned toward the controlled men. "Lead us to the security room."
The men immediately began moving.
Their bodies turned in near-perfect synchronization before they marched deeper into the complex, their footsteps falling into the same measured rhythm.
The Sirens followed.
Through corridor after corridor.
The tunnels twisted into an increasingly complicated maze, each section appearing almost identical to the last.
The men continued leading them through the maze.
Then, somewhere in the distance, a muffled bang echoed through the tunnels.
Everyone stopped.
Another followed.
BANG.
Then another.
And another.
The sound was distant, distorted by the concrete corridors until it was impossible to determine where it was coming from. The echoes seemed to bounce through the maze from every direction.
August looked around uneasily. "That's a gunshot, right?"
Raine listened for another. "I think so."
Another faint report echoed somewhere far beyond them.
August glanced toward the controlled men ahead. "Do you think they're alright?"
Raine continued walking. "They're fine. Don't worry about it."
August hesitated before following.
The gunfire continued for another minute.
Then another.
Until, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.
Silence returned to the tunnels.
The Sirens continued after the men, their footsteps once again becoming the only sound accompanying them.
Then one of the radios crackled.
Everyone's attention shifted toward the soldier wearing it.
Static hissed for a moment before a familiar voice came through.
"E Team. This is Dan. Report to me now." The man's pace never changed. "Bring those people over with you. Do not let them escape. I repeat, do not let them escape. Over."
The transmission broke into static.
But before it completely died, something else could be heard beneath it.
A faint mechanical rumble.
Metal grinding against metal.
Then—
clack-clack-clack-clack...
The unmistakable rattle of a minecart traveling somewhere beyond the tunnels.
Adeline turned toward Raine. "Seems like they've figured it out."
Raine continued walking, her expression hardening. "Let them." She glanced toward the tunnels behind them. "Once we find who we're looking for, I'm going to burn this place down."
Dahlia looked at her. "What about the prisoners?"
Raine's expression didn't change. "It's not our obligation to save every human. They've brought this upon themselves."
Adeline studied her for a moment. "Perhaps." She glanced toward the endless rows of tunnels surrounding them. "But then how are we any different from the humans who bring harm upon their own kind?"
Raine looked at her.
"Maybe we could at least free them."
Raine stopped. "You just fought hundreds of shriekers." Her voice hardened. "Even if we free them all, they're probably just going to die. Torn apart by the undead." She shook her head. "How is that any better?"
Dahlia remained quiet for a moment. "Perhaps it isn't." Her gaze lowered. "But leaving them here to starve to death gives them no chance at all."
Raine sighed and looked away. "I feel like I'm the bad guy here."
Adeline's expression softened slightly. "One sign of maturity is recognizing when your own fears begin to shape your judgment."
Raine looked back at her.
"I understand. You're still young, Raine. Don't let what you've experienced dictate your moral compass."
Raine scoffed. "So what are we supposed to do, then?" She gestured toward the tunnels around them. "We can't just adopt all these humans. There could be thousands of them." Her voice grew more frustrated. "And besides, do you really think they'd want to live alongside something like us?"
She paused.
"Something like—"
Her body suddenly changed.
Scales rippled across her skin, spreading over her face and along her limbs. Her features sharpened as her teeth lengthened into predatory points. Her fingernails elongated into dangerous claws, while fins unfurled along her arms and wrists.
The transformation was sudden enough that August instinctively took a step back.
Raine looked toward Adeline, her monstrous features illuminated beneath the harsh tunnel lights. "They will slaughter us." Her voice remained unmistakably hers. "And throw us away."
She slowly bared her teeth. "That's what humans are capable of." The anger in her voice deepened. "We could bring harm to our own kind. We could expose ourselves and break the Accord."
For a moment, the predatory form remained.
Then Raine's breathing slowed.
Them the scales gradually receded, her claws shortened, the fins folded back against her arms. Her features softened until she once again appeared almost entirely human.
She looked at Adeline. "So tell me."
A pause.
"What are we supposed to do?"
Adeline nodded toward the tunnel ahead. "The humans at Havenwall know best. It's their own kind, after all. Perhaps after this, we can discuss some plans with their leader, Lucas."
Raine considered it for a moment before giving a small nod. "Alright. Fair."
The guards suddenly stopped.
A burst of static crackled from the radio attached to one of their vests.
"Is that E-Team right there? You're on the wrong level, E-Team. The cleaning room is on Level Three, west wing. Over."
Dahlia looked around. Her eyes eventually settled on a small device mounted high on the wall.
A camera.
She turned toward the men. "Is that device how they see us?"
One of the men answered in his usual flat voice. "It's called a CCTV camera." He pointed toward a large metal door farther down the corridor. "That room is the security control room."
Raine's expression tightened. "Don't do anything that might alert them, Dahlia."
Dahlia looked at her, then at Adeline.
Adeline simply nodded.
She stepped closer to one of the controlled men and leaned toward him. Her hands settled gently against the back of his neck then she whispered something into his ear.
The man's expression remained vacant.
He stepped forward.
The radio crackled again. "E-Team, why aren't you answering? Is something wrong? Over?"
The man walked toward the metal door. He stopped in front of the access panel and raised his key card.
Beep.
The lock released with a sharp hiss and the door slid open.
Inside, several men were scattered throughout the security room. Banks of monitors covered one wall, each displaying a different section of the underground facility.
One screen showed the very hallway they had just been standing in.
And at the far corner, a man sat behind a console with a radio pressed against his mouth.
He looked toward the opening door. "E-Team?" He frowned. "You alright?"
The controlled man stepped through the doorway.
For a moment, nothing seemed unusual. One of the guards glanced toward the others before returning his attention to the monitor.
The man behind the console said. "E-Team? You alright?"
No answer.
His eyes slowly lifted toward the soldier standing in the doorway.
Something in the silence felt wrong.
The soldier raised his rifle.
The guard's expression changed.
BANG!
The first shot tore through the room.
The security personnel barely had time to reach for their weapons before the controlled men opened fire.
One reached for his weapon while another ducked behind the console.
Neither made it.
Gunfire thundered through the enclosed room, drowning out the alarms and shattering the silence as bullets tore through the handful of guards before any of them could properly react.
Within seconds, it was over.
The controlled man lowered his rifle, smoke drifting faintly from the barrel.
Behind him, the others entered the security room.
Then Adeline suddenly swayed.
The room seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself, but the dizziness intensified. Then her concentration slipped.
One of the guards jerked violently.
The sensation was almost like waking from a dream of falling—a sudden, instinctive jolt that sent his entire body snapping upright.
He blinked. His gaze moving across the room.
The bodies. The blood. Then the other guards standing motionless around him.
His breathing quickened as he raised his rifle. "Wha—what just happened?" His eyes darted from one face to another. "Who are you? What did you do? Where am I?"
Adeline's knees weakened.
Raine immediately caught her by the arm and steadied her. "Addy?"
Adeline blinked several times before managing a faint smile. "Oops."
The awakened guard's finger tightened around the trigger.
Dahlia was already moving and she kicked the barrel sideways.
The rifle discharged.
BANG!
The bullet tore into one of the monitors, sending sparks across the console.
Dahlia seized the opening. She stepped inside the guard's reach, struck his wrist, and wrenched the rifle from his hands before driving him against the console.
The guard struggled.
Adeline immediately crossed the room and her hand closed around the back of his head.
His resistance disappeared, his muscles slackened. Until he stood motionless once again.
Raine glanced between him and Adeline. "What happened, Addy?"
Adeline exhaled slowly. "Just draining..." She rubbed her temple. "I think I'll stay here with these guards. I'll guide you from here."
"You sure?" Raine's expression remained concerned. "How long until you can't hold them anymore? Maybe we should just tie them up."
"No, no. I'm fine." Adeline leaned against the console for support. "I just can't keep moving for long. I'll just be a burden and make you guys vulnerable."
Raine frowned. "One of us will stay with you." She looked around the room until her eyes eventually settled on something crawling along the far corner of the ceiling.
A spider.
Raine pointed toward it. "August."
August followed her gaze.
He walked over to the corner, reached upward, and carefully caught the spider between his fingers. He brought it down toward Raine. "Communication…"
Raine nodded. "Alright." She looked toward the others. "Protect each other. We've got to keep moving." She turned back toward Adeline. "There has to be something here. Prisoner records. Names. If we can find one, we could locate Emily, David, and the others much faster."
Adeline looked toward one of the controlled guards. "Is there a list?"
The man's expression remained vacant. "I have no knowledge of that. That job belongs to the security personnel."
Adeline slowly looked toward the bodies scattered across the room.
Then the answer sank in.
Raine followed her gaze sighing heavily. "Damn." Her eyes moved across the bloodied security room. "We should've left one alive."
Meanwhile, Alastair wandered toward the far side of the room, his attention drawn to a tall shelf that had been placed neatly on the far side of the room.
He stepped around it.
Then stopped.
Someone was hiding behind it.
A woman sat crumpled in the corner, dressed in a filthy red nightgown, her entire body trembled. Chains were fastened around her ankles and neck, their metal links resting against the floor. She had both hands clamped tightly over her mouth, desperately suppressing every sound that threatened to escape.
Alastair stared at her for a moment. "Uh... guys."
Raine looked over.
"There's another one left."
She immediately walked toward him.
As she leaned around the opposite side of the shelf, her eyes fell upon the woman.
Raine gasped. She slowly lowered herself, making herself smaller. "Alastair, get out of her sight."
Alastair immediately stepped away.
"Addy, come here." Raine added.
Adeline joined her.
The woman saw them approaching and instinctively tried to retreat farther into the corner but there was nowhere left to go. Her back pressed against the wall as she stared at Raine, her hands still covering her mouth.
Raine raised both of hers. "Hey..." She kept her voice low. "Shhh. I won't hurt you."
The woman didn't answer.
She couldn't seem to.
She simply trembled, every muscle in her body rigid with fear. Her eyes darted between the Sirens as though she were waiting for one of them to strike.
Raine's gaze slowly moved around the cramped space.
There was a filthy pillow shoved against the wall.
A torn blanket lay crumpled beside it.
The mattress beneath the woman was stained and discolored, the air around it carrying a foul, lingering odor. Blood had dried into the fabric in several places. Other bodily stains marked the bedding—evidence of things Raine understood almost immediately and wished she hadn't.
Her expression changed.
She looked back at the woman.
The way she covered her own mouth as though even making a sound might bring something terrible upon her.
Then she lowered herself a little farther, keeping her distance. "It's alright."
The woman continued shaking.
Raine's eyes softened. "We're not going to hurt you."
The woman still didn't speak.
There were no tears left in her eyes. Her lips were dry and cracked, and her entire body continued to tremble beneath the filthy red nightgown.
Raine remained crouched several feet away. "I'm going to take these chains off you," she said slowly. "I don't want you to get startled. Alright?"
The woman only stared at her.
Raine waited a moment before glancing over her shoulder. "Alastair. Get my sword."
"Where is it?"
"On the table."
Alastair crossed the room and found the weapon leaning against the table. He picked it up and carried it back.
The moment the woman saw the sword, her entire body seized.
A scream tore from her throat.
She scrambled backward, dragging her chains across the floor as she desperately tried to find somewhere else to hide.
"Hey, hey..." Raine immediately lowered the blade. "I'm not going to hurt you."
The woman continued retreating.
"I'm only using this to remove the chains." Raine kept her voice as calm as she could. "Don't move, alright? You could get cut."
But the woman didn't seem to hear her. She just kept backing away, trying to squeeze herself into the little corner of the wall.
Raine slowly raised the sword.
The woman flinched.
Raine brought the hilt down against one of the chain's weakest links.
CRACK!
The metal shattered.
The woman stared at the broken chain around her ankle.
Raine struck the other one.
Another sharp crack echoed through the room and the chains fell apart.
She loosened her will's grip on the sword and the blade immediately began to liquefy, its solid form collapsing into clear water that slipped through her fingers and splashed onto the floor.
The woman stared at it and for the first time, her expression changed. Fear mixed with confusion.
Slowly, she pushed herself upright, her legs shaking beneath her.
She took one unsteady step.
Then another.
Her body had barely remembered how to stand until her knees suddenly gave out.
Raine caught her before she hit the floor. "Easy." She lowered the woman gently onto the mattress.
Adeline knelt beside them and placed both hands against the woman's head.
The woman's trembling gradually began to subside.
After several seconds, Adeline withdrew her hands. "She'll sleep deeply."
Raine looked down at the unconscious woman. Then her gaze drifted toward the corpses scattered throughout the security room.
She was silent for a moment.
"Well..." Her expression hardened slightly. "I was starting to feel guilty for killing them." She looked back at the woman.
Then at the bodies.
"...Interesting."