The trio barely spoke as they slipped back into town, their movements careful, their bodies tense. The weight of the tunnel's secrets hung over them, pressing into their minds like an unspoken warning.
Keiran, Vael, and Selara reached Keiran's apartment without drawing attention. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few patrolling guards, their torches flickering against the night's cold air.
Inside, the door shut with a quiet click.
They had made it.
But the feeling of being watched hadn't left.
Keiran let out a slow breath and leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples. Selara set the stolen blueprint down on the small wooden table, flattening it with both hands. Vael crossed his arms, his gaze flickering between them.
"That wasn't abandoned," he finally said.
Selara nodded. "Someone's been using it. Maybe even living down there."
Keiran pulled off his coat and sat down, eyes narrowing at the blueprint. "And they know we were there."
Selara traced the faded lines on the map, her voice quiet. "The tunnel splits into multiple paths. Some lead away from the factory, but this one—" she pointed at a section marked with strange symbols, "—it goes somewhere deeper. Underground."
Vael scoffed. "As if this place wasn't hellish enough."
Keiran exhaled, his fingers tapping against the table. "There was something odd about the vehicles, too. The dust was thick, but the dashboards were clean. Like someone wiped them down recently."
"They've been using them," Selara murmured. "Someone—maybe more than one person—is still active in that tunnel."
Vael leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "And what if they weren't guards?"
Keiran looked up.
Selara frowned. "What do you mean?"
Vael's gaze darkened. "If the tunnel's been used for years… what if some of the old spies survived?"
The words settled like a stone in their stomachs.
Keiran clenched his jaw. Armon had always been ruthless—executing spies the moment they were discovered. But what if some hadn't been caught?
What if they had never left?
Before they could speculate further, a sound reached them.
A soft, deliberate knock.
The three of them went completely still.
It wasn't urgent. Not the pounding of guards breaking down a door.
It was… calculated. Slow.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Selara swallowed. Vael tensed. Keiran's eyes flicked toward the only weapon in the room—a rusted iron tool he had stashed under the bed.
Another knock.
Then—
A voice. Smooth. Amused.
"Keiran."
Keiran's heart stopped.
It was him.
Asheron.
Keiran stood, forcing himself to breathe. His hand hovered near the hidden tool.
Selara and Vael were motionless, waiting.
A pause. Then—
"Open the door," Asheron's voice came again, carrying through the wood like silk wrapping around steel. "Or don't. But I wouldn't leave me waiting, Keiran."
Keiran exchanged a glance with Vael and Selara.
They knew it was a risk.
But they also knew Asheron never spoke without reason.
Keiran stepped forward, fingers hesitating at the handle. Then, with a slow breath—
He opened the door.
And Asheron stood there, his golden eyes gleaming like a predator in the night.
He smiled.
"Let's talk."
The room held its breath.
Asheron stepped inside without waiting for permission, his half-cloak sweeping behind him like a shadow given form. The faint scent of smoke and cold steel clung to him. His golden eyes flickered across the room, taking in Selara and Vael with a casual glance before settling back on Keiran.
"Cozy," he murmured. "For now."
Keiran shut the door. His fingers tightened around the handle for a second longer than necessary before he turned to face him. "You don't visit without a reason," he said evenly. "So what do you want?"
Asheron smiled, the kind that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Straight to the point. Good."
He took another step forward, hands resting lightly at his sides—too relaxed, too unreadable.
"You found the tunnel."
The silence in the room turned sharp.
Selara's breath hitched. Vael's muscles tensed.
Keiran's heart pounded, but his face remained unreadable. "What tunnel?"
Asheron chuckled. "Ah, Keiran." He tilted his head slightly. "Do you think you can lie to me?"
Keiran didn't respond.
Asheron let the silence stretch before exhaling through his nose, amused. "I knew you'd get curious. I just didn't expect you to act so soon." His eyes gleamed. "Interesting."
Selara finally spoke. "Are you here to turn us in?"
Asheron turned to her, studying her like a puzzle. "If I was, do you think you'd still be breathing?"
Selara didn't flinch.
Vael scoffed. "If not that, then what? You clearly know more than you let on. You've always known."
Asheron smiled again, slow and deliberate. "You're not wrong."
Keiran's fingers twitched at his sides. "Then tell us."
A pause. Then—
Asheron's expression darkened, his amusement fading into something more unreadable.
"I could." He tapped his fingers against his arm. "But the real question is… do you want to know?"
Keiran's stomach twisted.
Something in Asheron's tone made it clear—this wasn't just about information.
This was a warning.
Selara and Vael glanced at each other. Keiran held Asheron's gaze, jaw tight.
"Say it."
Asheron exhaled slowly. Then, he leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper.
"You think you're walking toward freedom." His lips curled. "But you're just stepping into the next cage."
Silence.
The words slithered into Keiran's mind like a blade sliding between ribs.
Selara narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Asheron straightened, stepping away from them as if he had already given them everything they needed to know.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Keiran's hands clenched into fists. "Enough with the riddles."
Asheron's smirk returned. "Then let me put it simply."
He stepped backward.
Toward the window.
Keiran's eyes widened slightly. "What are you—"
Asheron didn't stop.
He reached the edge, resting his back lightly against the frame. Moonlight spilled over him, illuminating the sharp angles of his face, the half-smile playing on his lips.
His golden eyes locked onto Keiran's.
"You can run," he murmured, his voice almost playful. "But the question is… will you like where you end up?"
Then—he fell.
Vael shot up from his chair, rushing to the window. His hands gripped the frame as he peered down.
Nothing.
No body.
No trace.
Just the empty, silent streets below.
Vael's breath was unsteady. "What the hell…?"
Selara stared, then turned to Keiran.
Keiran, however, remained still. His gaze lingered on the spot where Asheron had disappeared.
Because deep down, he already knew.
Asheron was never someone who could be caught.