Xin noticed something peculiar about the four files he had gathered. At first glance, they seemed like ordinary documents, but upon closer inspection, he realized that all four contained an unusual pattern—each one had exactly 28 letters from the human Slyvaic language arranged in a way that felt oddly deliberate, almost as if they were coded messages. He mulled over the implications of this as he paced back and forth, his mind racing with possibilities.
Determined to uncover the secret, he expanded the diameter of his sound barrier, stretching it farther and farther until it reached Belial's location. With a sharp, concentrated thought, he called for his ally. Within moments, Belial arrived, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Xin quickly explained his discovery and his hunch that the files contained some sort of code. Belial nodded, his dark eyes narrowing as he examined them himself. The two stood in silence for a moment before Xin decided to take action. He carefully input the coded sequence, aligning each letter in the exact order it was meant to be placed. Belial, following Xin's lead, synchronized his own input at the same time. For a brief second, nothing happened—then, a soft, metallic clink echoed through the chamber, signaling that they had triggered something.
Excitement surged through them as they turned to face the massive wheel in the center of the room. Without hesitation, they began rotating it, the mechanism groaning in protest as it resisted their efforts. The two strained, putting all their strength into the task. Even with Belial's attempts to use Shadow Trigger—his best strengthening ability—it was proving difficult.
His ether had been restricted, making him significantly weaker despite his ranking as a C-class combatant. Xin, who relied even more heavily on ether than physical strength, struggled even harder. The strain on their muscles was excruciating, their arms and backs screaming in protest as they pushed themselves to the limit.
Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, but at last, the wheel gave way. A final, deafening _thud_ resonated through the chamber as the entrance creaked open. Xin and Belial stumbled forward, their breathing heavy, their bodies trembling from exertion. The room before them was not particularly large—perhaps fifteen meters in length and ten meters in width. The dim lighting cast eerie shadows across the walls, making the space feel more sinister than it should have.
As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they took in the contents of the room. Display cases lined the walls, their glass reflecting the dim light. Inside these cases lay various objects—armor pieces, old weapons, strange artifacts that looked both ancient and futuristic. In the center of the room, however, sat the most unsettling sight of all: a coffin.
Its presence sent an involuntary shiver down their spines. Something about it felt wrong. It wasn't just the idea of a coffin itself—it was the fact that it was here, locked away in a secret chamber, as if something inside it needed to be hidden from the world.
"This place gives me the creeps," Belial muttered, his voice low.
Xin nodded in agreement, but his focus quickly shifted to a file that rested on a nearby podium. The cover was old, slightly tattered, but the title was clear enough to read: Project Grounded Angels.
His heart clenched at the sight of the name. He had heard of this project before, but seeing it here, in this hidden chamber, confirmed his worst suspicions. He flipped the file open, his eyes scanning the pages, and then his breath caught in his throat. There it was—the name of the project's manager.
A name he knew all too well.
A name he despised.
Belial, noticing Xin's reaction, leaned over to see what had shaken him so badly. "Xin, what is it?"
Xin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "It's him," he muttered through gritted teeth. "The bastard behind all of this."
Belial blinked, momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that—hadn't even thought Xin was capable of saying something like that. Out of the two of them, He was the one with the foul mouth, the one who let expletives fly without a second thought.
Yet here Xin was, spitting out words so sharp they could cut through steel.
For a moment, all Belial could do was stare. Then, a slow grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
Well, well… looks like I'm rubbing off on Xin.
The scent of aged parchment and candle wax clung to the air as Xin and Belial carefully navigated the dimly lit archive. The vault door groaned shut behind them, sealing away the ancient relics they had risked everything to retrieve. Just as they steadied their breath, a sound shattered the silence—the unmistakable echo of approaching footsteps.
A knight strode into the chamber, his gleaming armor clinking softly with each deliberate step. The dim torchlight reflected off the polished steel, casting long shadows along the towering bookshelves. Xin and Belial exchanged a tense glance before slipping out of the vault and ducking behind a nearby row of ancient tomes.
The knight paused, his gaze sweeping the room, keen eyes narrowing. "I know someone's in here," he announced, his voice rich with authority. His fingers curled around the hilt of his sword as he took slow, measured steps between the aisles, each movement precise and calculated.
Belial's pulse pounded in his ears. If they didn't move fast, they would be caught. He turned to Xin, voice barely above a whisper. "Stay hidden. I'll create a distraction."
Xin opened his mouth to protest, but Belial was already stepping away from cover. He emerged from the shadows, drawing the knight's sharp gaze immediately. The knight's expression hardened as he reached for his weapon.
"Stop right there!"
Before Belial could react, the knight called for reinforcements. Within moments, two more guards appeared, blocking off any possible escape route. The passageway felt smaller, closing in like a vice. Belial's mind raced, the Oracle's warning surfacing in his thoughts—
"Oracle, can we take them?" Xin whispered from his hiding spot, his voice laced with fear and defiance.
[Negative,] Oracle's voice responded calmly in his mind. [The holy order knights are formidable adversaries, their ranks ranging from Aetherion to Balancer. Engaging in direct combat would result in failure. Retreat is the recommended course of action.]
Belial gritted his teeth. He had to buy Xin time to escape. He lifted a hand, calling upon the swirling darkness within him. Shadows coalesced at his fingertips before erupting outward, forming a solid wall between him and the advancing knights. The force of the magic sent them stumbling back, momentarily stunned, but he knew it wouldn't hold them for long.
"Run, Xin!" he shouted, his voice urgent.
Xin hesitated, his eyes glistening. "But—"
"Go!" Belial insisted. "I'll be fine!"
With a reluctant nod, Xin turned and sprinted toward an opening in the crumbling wall, his footsteps muffled against the worn stone. Belial watched his friend disappear into the shadows, a mix of relief and sorrow twisting in his chest. He turned back just as the knights regained their footing, their faces set with grim determination.
Summoning the last reserves of his energy, Belial unleashed another surge of darkness, the impact fracturing the stone wall beside him. Dust and debris rained down, momentarily obscuring his vision. The knights pressed forward, their blades slicing through the thick haze. He could feel his strength waning, his limbs growing heavy. His vision blurred, the edges of his consciousness beginning to fray.
In the distance, he saw Xin slip through the breach in the wall, safe for now. Relief flickered through him. But the moment was fleeting. A searing pain erupted at the base of his skull as a knight's pommel struck him hard. His body crumpled, darkness consuming him.
The last thing he heard before the world faded was the rhythmic clang of metal boots against stone, echoing through the archives like a mournful dirge.
Xin ran through the dark streets, his heart pounding in his chest. The adrenaline from his escape was beginning to wear off, leaving him feeling exhausted and shaken. By the time he reached the entrance of the guild, it was still the dead of night, and the doors were firmly shut.
He had no choice but to wait.
He slumped down against the wall, pulling his knees to his chest and trying to stay warm in the cool night air. Despite his efforts, sleep eventually overtook him.
The next morning, Leah approached the guild, noticing Xin huddled on the ground. She hurried over and gently shook him awake. "Hey, wake up! What happened? are you okay?"
Xin's eyes fluttered open, and he panicked for a moment before recognizing Leah. "I need to see Mr. Cole," he said urgently, struggling to stand.
Leah helped him up and led him inside. She found Cole in his office, rubbing his temples as he sorted through paperwork. "Cole, Xin needs to talk to you. It's urgent!"
Cole looked up, concern flashing in his eyes as he saw Xin's disheveled state. "What's going on?"
Xin took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "It's Bel. He got caught by the knights while we were investigating the Holy Church. He… he surrendered so I could escape."
Cole pinched the bridge of his nose, a sigh escaping his lips. "This is why I'm not having kids.." he muttered under his breath. He looked at Xin with a mixture of frustration and determination. "Alright, we'll figure this out. The kids tough. We'll get him back."