The tunnel stretched dark and silent behind them, carved from rough stone that seemed to drink the light from their torches. Maitara, Geth, and Dale had pushed deeper than anyone had in decades – past collapsed passages and forgotten chambers, until they reached a heavy iron door set into the tunnel wall. It looked ancient, covered in faded runes that pulsed with a faint, cold glow.
"This was the farthest I could go," Maitara said, running her fingers over the door's surface. "Every time I tried to use magic to open it, the runes flared up and pushed me back."
Dale knelt to examine the carvings more closely, pulling out a small lens to study the symbols. "You're right – these are anti-magic seals, old ones. They'd block any spell we throw at it." He pressed his palm flat against the metal, closing his eyes for a moment. "But… I don't feel any wards against physical force. Geth…"
He called out without turning, and Geth – who'd been standing guard at the tunnel mouth – stepped forward immediately, a knowing look on his face.
"Roger that," Geth rumbled, cracking his knuckles. He approached the door, first pressing his fists against it to gauge its thickness and weight. Then, planting his feet wide, he drew back one arm and struck with all his strength. The punch landed with a deafening CRACK – iron splintered, bolts snapped, and the door swung inward with a groan of metal and stone, revealing a dark chamber beyond.
Maitara grinned, already reaching for her communication crystal. "Nice work, Geth."
"Update Hythesion and the others," Dale said, peering cautiously into the new space. "Tell them we've broken through – and that whatever they're hiding down here, it's big enough to need seals this strong."
"Yes, right away," Maitara replied, her fingers in her head ready to do a Mind Speak. Her voice clear despite the wind whipping through the tunnel entrance behind her. "Sir Hythesion, we opened the door – Geth broke through the anti-magic seal with brute force. The chamber beyond is dark, but we're preparing to investigate carefully."
Hythesion's voice came through steady and calm, though there was an undercurrent of tension in his words. "Well done, all of you. But I'll be unable to answer your calls for a while – the next match is about to start. You'll need to reach out and update Arkar about everything you find. Remember our plan: do not engage if you encounter anything unexpected. Fall back immediately and send word to Arkar first."
"Yes, sir – we won't take any unnecessary risks," Maitara assured him. She paused for a moment, then added, "How was the first match? We've been thinking about you all up here."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Hythesion spoke again. "Ethan fought well –But the White Order took the win. Next round is mine… I have to even the score."
"Good luck, sir Hyth," Maitara said warmly. "We'll be rooting for you while we look into what's behind this door."
"You too – stay safe down there," Hythesion replied, and the crystal dimmed as the connection cut off.
BACK AT THE ORDEAL GAMES ARENA
The crowd was still buzzing from the first match as the announcer stepped forward, raising his voice to fill the massive arena. "What a phenomenal first match we witnessed earlier – a battle of wills as much as power! Now we proceed to the second match – will our visitors tie things up and push us to a decisive final round, or will the White Order Elites seal their victory here and now? Let's all welcome to the fighting grounds – from Arkar's team… Hythesiom EVERGREEN!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as Hythesion strode out onto the stone floor, his green cloak flowing behind him, his staff of living wood held loosely in one hand. Arkar gave him a firm nod from the sidelines. "Good luck out there – watch yourself. We need you in one piece."
Akmenos clapped him on the shoulder as he passed. "I know you'll win, sir Hyth. Show them what we're made of."
"Thanks, guys," Hythesion said with a small smile. "I've got this."
He took his place at the center of the arena, his eyes scanning the opposite entrance. The announcer's voice boomed out once more: "And her opponent – from the White Order's elite guard, wielding the power of the storm itself… ANNIEBE INCOY!"
The crowd went absolutely wild – stomping feet and shouts shaking the very stands. Suddenly, a brilliant bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the ground across from Hythesion. The flash made most onlookers flinch and shield their eyes – but Hythesion stood perfectly still, his gaze fixed on the spot where the lightning had hit.
As the light faded, a figure stood there – Anniebe Incoy, a dragonborn with scales the color of storm clouds, crackling with faint electric energy. In each hand, she wielded a long, curved blade that hummed and sparked with raw lightning power. Her golden eyes locked onto Hythesion, and a low growl rumbled in her chest.
Anniebe Incoy's scales crackled as electricity surged around her, forming a shimmering blue aura. "Sir Louie said I must be wary of you… I thought you'd be something impressive, but seeing you up close – maybe I worried for nothing." She twirled her lightning blades, the metal singing as it cut through the air. "Don't worry – I'll make this quick."
Hythesion let out a quiet sigh, his gaze steady on hers. "I was surprised by the match order. I'd expected Sir Louie to face me himself, but instead he fought my friend – and won, that much is undeniable. Now here I am, fighting you instead. You understand the math in that, don't you?"
Anniebe tilted her head, her golden eyes narrowing. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I didn't think you would," Hythesion said, his voice growing sharp. A bright green aura began to flare around him, pulsing with powerful energy, "So let me put it in words you'll understand…"
His expression hardened into one of absolute focus, every trace of his earlier calm vanishing. "–Don't worry… I'll make this quick!"
BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND TUNNEL
Maitara slipped the communication crystal back into her pouch, her shoulders slumping slightly. Geth turned to her immediately. "So how was it? Did we take the first point?"
Maitara spoke in a low, sad voice. "Sir Ethan lost the first round… but he fought hard, from what Sir Hythesion said."
Dale's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
Geth slammed a fist against the stone wall beside them, leaving a deep indent. "Damn it – what was that bard doing out there? We needed that win!"
"Sir Hythesion is up next," Maitara added quickly, trying to lift their spirits.
"I hope he pulls through – he has to," Geth muttered, flexing his hand as the stone dust fell from his knuckles.
Dale let out a heavy sigh, then straightened up, his expression growing serious. "If Hythesion's next… then it's an automatic win."
Maitara and Geth looked at him in confusion, speaking in unison: "Automatic win?"
"Never underestimate Hythesion Evergreen – especially when he gets serious," Dale said, turning and heading toward the open door into the dark chamber. "I've seen what he can do when the stakes are high. But we can't just rely on their victory up there. We have our own mission to see through."
Geth nodded firmly, while Maitara squared her shoulders. "Yes sir," they said together, following close behind him into the shadows beyond the door.
As Maitara, Dale, and Geth stepped through the broken door, they found themselves in a vast cave stretching endlessly ahead. The walls were hewn from rough, gray-brown stone, marked with deep gouges and ancient tool marks that spoke of construction centuries past. Thick iron brackets jutted from the rock at regular intervals, each designed to hold a torch – but every single one was dark, their blackened, wax-stained ends cold to the touch. Only the flickering flame from Maitara's wooden torch cut through the heavy darkness, casting dancing shadows that made the cave's depths seem to shift and breathe.
The ground beneath their feet was packed dirt mixed with small pebbles and scattered fragments of rusted metal. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, the plink-plink-plink echoing off the stone like a slow, steady drumbeat.
Geth paused, his head tilted as he drew in deep breaths through his nose. "Maitara was right about this place," he rumbled, his nostrils flaring. "I can smell it – corroded iron, like old prison cells. The scent's strong, getting stronger the further we go." He sniffed again, more carefully this time. "I'm sure of it – there's metal down here, lots of it."
Dale ran his hand along the cave wall, feeling the rough texture of the stone. "Then we must be getting close to the dungeons they were hiding. Why else seal off a place with anti-magic wards?"
Just as he finished speaking, a soft click echoed through the cave – and one by one, every torch along the walls burst into flame. Golden light flooded the space, revealing the full scale of the tunnel stretching straight ahead, lined with those now-lit torches as far as the eye could see.
All three tensed instantly – Maitara raised her torch higher, her free hand glowing into purple magic, Geth planted his feet wide, hands on his swords, Dale spun in a slow circle, scanning every shadow for movement. But a full minute passed, and nothing stirred. No sounds of footsteps, no signs of life, no traps sprung.
"False alarm?" Maitara asked, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. The sudden light had made her heart race.
"Nothing happened," Dale confirmed, though he kept his hand near his own weapon. "No enemies, no spells triggered."
Geth sniffed the air once more, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Can't pick up any scents of other creatures nearby – just stone, iron, and damp earth."
"Then it must be automatic lighting," Dale said, starting forward again. "Torches that activate when they sense movement or body heat. Clever, but not dangerous… at least not yet."
"That was still scary," Maitara muttered, falling into step beside him, her torch now just one small flame among hundreds.
"Stay sharp," Dale warned, his eyes fixed on the tunnel ahead. "Let's keep going – but don't let your guards down for a second."
The endless cave stretched on, the torchlight casting warm gold across the rough stone as they walked. To break the heavy silence, Geth turned to Dale, his voice rumbling through the tunnel. "Sir Dale, if you don't mind me asking… I was told you used to be an assassin."
Dale nodded, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. "That's right – I was one of the best in the Silverlake Mercenaries back in the day. But I don't do that kind of work anymore."
Maitara glanced over at him, a small smile on her face. "You look more like a regular guard captain than an assassin – not what I pictured at all."
"Looks can be deceiving," Dale said with a slight grin. "I still have all my shadow skills locked away – but I only pull them out when I have to. Now that I'm leading Silverlake's guard, I'd rather solve problems without slipping in the dark and disappearing people."
As he spoke, both Dale and Maitara noticed Geth had come to a complete stop a few steps behind them. His head was tilted, nostrils flaring as he took in deep, careful breaths.
"Geth – what's wrong?" Maitara asked, her hand moving back to her dagger.
Geth's jaw was tight, his eyes focused on something ahead. "Someone's here… I can smell them. A lot of them – more than I can count."
Before either could respond, Geth turned and rushed forward, following the scent. Dale and Maitara exchanged a worried look, then broke into a run after him, their footsteps echoing loudly against the stone.
They burst into a massive, cavernous space – a dungeon unlike anything they'd imagined. Rows upon rows of iron prison cells lined the walls, their bars rusted and bent. But what froze them in place was the sight above: hundreds of bodies hanging from thick iron chains suspended from the cave's high ceiling, swaying slightly in the still air. Beneath them yawned a gigantic pit, so deep and dark that even the torches couldn't reach its bottom – it looked like a mouth leading straight into the earth.
All three stood speechless, staring at the horrifying scene. Maitara's voice was barely a whisper as she asked, "Are they… are they dead?"
Geth moved forward slowly, sniffing the air again, his expression grim. "No… I can smell life in them."
Dale stepped closer, squinting to get a better look at the hanging figures. Their clothes were tattered, their skin pale and gaunt – but none of them moved, not even to breathe. "Then why aren't they moving?"
Dale's eyes scanned the sea of hanging bodies, then suddenly locked onto one figure near the center – her familiar face pale and still, her hair hanging loose around her shoulders.
"JANNA!" he shouted, his voice cracking with shock and fury. He immediately began searching the dungeon walls, looking for ladders, ropes, or anything he could use to reach her and the others.
Maitara ready to use Mind Speak, her hands in her head, shaking slightly. "Should I tell Arkar right now?"
"No time," Dale snapped, still scanning the area. "They're all focused on the Games above – We have to save Janna and the others ourselves, right here, right now."
He took a step forward, reaching for a loose iron bracket on the wall to hoist himself up – but the moment his foot touched the dungeon floor, the stone beneath him began to glow red-hot. A low rumble shook the ground, and Dale felt intense heat rising from below.
"GET BACK!" he roared, grabbing Maitara and Geth by their shoulders and yanking them backward just as the floor exploded in a fountain of molten lava and burning rock. They stumbled back into the tunnel entrance as the lava cooled and hardened, reshaping itself into a massive, humanoid form.
Standing before them was a lizardman warrior – easily seven feet tall, with scales the color of smoldering embers and black volcanic rock. He wielded a huge double-headed axe, its blade glowing with residual heat. His yellow eyes fixed on the three intruders, and a low hiss escaped his throat.
"I cannot let you interfere," the lizardman said, his voice like grinding stone. ",These prisoners are part of a great work – you will not disrupt it."
"Great work? What the hell are you talking about?!" Dale snarled, his hand moving to the weapon at his waist as heat still radiated from the lava-stained ground.
Before the lizardman could respond, Geth – already back on his feet – drew his twin swords and charged forward with a roar. But just as his blades were about to strike, a flash of silver and red cut through the air. A single slash from a massive blade knocked Geth back, sending him stumbling to the ground, his swords skittering across the stone.
A new figure emerged from the shadows at the dungeon's edge – a human with long silver-white hair tied high in a ponytail, his gaze sharp as a blade. His torso was bare, revealing rippling muscle, while elaborate armor with dark gold and red accents covered his limbs, layered over flowing robes of white, red, and deep black. Multiple swords hung at his waist, and his right arm was sheathed in crimson energy that glowed with molten light. In his hand, he held a great blade with a red hilt and pristine white blade – red mist curled around him like smoke, crackling with raw power.
"GETH!" Maitara cried out, rushing forward to help him. Dale was already moving too, and together they pulled the large warrior to his feet, his chest heaving from the impact.
But Maitara's senses were screaming – she could taste the magic in the air, thick and bitter like death itself. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, raising her hands as purple light began to coalesce around them. "Seri Feurel!" she chanted, and a shimmering purple shield snapped into place, wrapping around all three of them like a dome of solid energy.
The moment the shield formed, a barrage of glowing green spirit skulls came hurtling toward them – dozens of them, their hollow eyes burning with malevolence. They slammed into the barrier with a sound like cracking ice. The shield held firm, but the force of the impact sent all three stumbling backward, their feet scraping against the stone floor until they hit the tunnel wall.
"Oh? You blocked it… No one has ever blocked that spell before," a cold, raspy voice echoed through the dungeon. Maitara followed the sound with her eyes and saw a third figure standing atop a raised platform near the pit – a skeletal being with a visible skull face, cloaked in a long dark purple robe trimmed with thin gold lines. A faint green glow pulsed from its chest, and from its outstretched hands poured more of the swirling green energy – tendrils and orbs that writhed in the air like living things. The sickly green light cast eerie shadows across the hanging prisoners, making their still forms look even more haunting.
"What a terrible turn of events… I love a terrible turn of events!" The skull-faced figure cackled, green energy spiraling faster around its outstretched hands. "This is exactly the kind of chaos that makes our work worthwhile!"
Maitara dropped back to one knee, her muscles screaming as she tried to push herself fully upright. Her hand scraped against the stone floor as she steadied herself, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "Who are they? How could there be three of them guarding this place?"
Dale forced himself to stand tall beside Geth, though his legs trembled slightly under him. As he took in the silver-haired swordsman, the lizardman warrior, and the skeletal mage all at once, his expression shifted to pure shock.
"I know them…" he said, his voice tight with dread. "They are the famous Death Executioners!"