Shaan pulled the lever, and the soft screech of tal wheels grinding against the rails rang clearly in his ears. The cart began to move, rolling slowly along the dark railway stretching out before them.
’I just wonder... where does this rail even lead?’
Deep down, doubt crept into Shaan’s heart. He didn’t fully trust this cart. It might not lead them outside at all. It could just as easily carry them deeper into the cave and trap them there. Still... he had no better option. At least this choice felt safer than walking back through the sa route, where the Blue Lizards likely waited for them.
"... Elsie, tell ." Nalira broke the silence. "Who exactly are you chasing?"
"Uhm... That mysterious figure... turns out he’s...he’s my father."
"Your father?"
Chelsie nodded quickly. "Yes, Lira. I—I never expected it either. My intuition was right all along. My father is still alive, and I’m really grateful."
"...That’s good to hear," Nalira replied calmly. "I’m glad."
Shaan frowned slightly. "But... why do I feel like Chelsie’s father might have sothing to do with this chaos?"
"No. That’s impossible." Chelsie shook her head quickly. "My father isn’t a bad person."
"Then how do you explain what happened earlier?" Shaan pressed. "He attacked us without hesitation. He almost killed you, Chelsie."
"I’m sure soone put him under a spell or sothing." Chelsie shook her head again, refusing to accept any other possibility. "He would never do sothing like that. Never. Just believe , Shaan."
’I hope what Chelsie says is true.’
"This is all the resistance’s doing, not my father’s fault," Chelsie said confidently. "I’m sure of it."
"...Why are you so sure, Elsie?"
"B-because I overheard two Resistance mbers talking inside the cave."
"W-wait, what?" Shaan’s eyes widened instantly. "The resistance? Are they here? In this cave?"
Chelsie nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I heard them myself. They used so kind of mysterious potion. They injected it into one of the Blue Lizards to spread chaos throughout the cave."
"Oh my God... this—this can’t be." Shaan shook his head in disbelief. "B-but how? Security here should be extrely tight. They shouldn’t be able to enter this place so easily."
"Uhm... I have no idea." Chelsie shrugged her shoulders slowly. "They didn’t ntion anything about that."
"...Elsie, did you see their faces?" Nalira asked seriously. "And what about that potion you ntioned? Do you know what it looks like?"
"Not at all. I didn’t see their faces or the potions they used. Chelsie shook her head quickly. "It was very dark, and I couldn’t see everything clearly."
"...Alright. At least now we know the Resistance caused this."
"We have to get out of here and tell Dr. Marshall and the other faction leaders about this," said Shaan. "They need to know about—"
"...Shaan. Stop the cart."
"Huh? What—"
"Now!"
Hearing Nalira’s words, Shaan imdiately pulled the train lever, and the train stopped. At first, Shaan was confused as to why Nalira suddenly told him to pull the train lever at that mont. However, not long after, a hissing sound beca clearer and clearer in his ears.
"Oh God... th-that’s—"
"Elsie, lower your voice," Nalira whispered. "Even with the protection spell, it can still hear us."
Chelsie swallowed hard. "O-okay."
Shaan’s heart pounded violently against his ribs. His face stiffened when a mutated Blue Lizard stepped into view beside their cart. The creature stood so close that Shaan could see the purple sheen across its blue scales. Good thing he had stopped the cart in ti.
’I don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened if I hadn’t listened to Nalira,’ Shaan shook his head slightly. ’B-but how did she sense it?’
The mutated creature circled its cart slowly, its claws scraping against the rocky ground. It tilted its head as if it sensed sothing strange in the air. Yet it saw nothing. Nalira’s protective spell bent the light around them and masked their presence perfectly.
"... Let’s wait. Wait until this creature leaves." Nalira whispered calmly. "Stay calm and don’t make any unnecessary movents."
They all remained silent. Sitting motionless, watching the creature circle their carriage for the umpteenth ti. Unfortunately, the creature did not move from there at all and continued to stay around their carriage.
"Th-the creature isn’t going away," Chelsie whispered as the lizard crept closer to her side of the cart. "W-what do we do now?"
"Wait, I have an idea."
Shaan slowly reached down and grabbed a few loose crystal shards scattered inside the cart. He weighed them in his palm, then hurled them with all his strength toward an empty tal drum several ters away.
’Clang!’
The shards struck the drum and produced a sharp tallic echo that rang through the tunnel. The mutated Blue Lizard snapped its head toward the sound. With a guttural hiss, it darted away from the cart and rushed toward the source of the noise.
"Shaan, now’s our chance," Chelsie whispered urgently. "Quick! Before it cos back."
Without hesitation, Shaan pulled the lever. The cart jolted forward and rolled away from the terrifying creature. The wheels screeched against the rails as they sped down the dark tunnel. Good. At least they had escaped—for now.
"...Clear," Nalira narrowed her eyes and glanced back, checking the creature’s position. "It doesn’t look like it’s chasing us anymore."
"Yeah... thank goodness." Shaan let out a long breath. "That was way too close. I hope that thing doesn’t decide to follow us."
"...Let’s just hope we find a way out before anything else happens—"
"Hey, look!" Chelsie suddenly tapped both Shaan and Nalira on the shoulder and pointed ahead. "There—look at that sign!"
A wooden board with the word "EXIT" stood not far from their cart. When Shaan saw it, he let out a long breath. Thank goodness. They had chosen the right path, and only a little distance remained before they could leave this terrifying place.
"W-we did it," Chelsie said, her voice trembling with relief. "We’re getting out of here."
"...Now we just need to sit tight and wait," Nalira added calmly.
However, the mont their cart rolled out of the cave, Shaan’s expression stiffened. He saw no other participants outside. An uneasy silence filled the area. Even the guards who had stood watch at the cave entrance earlier had disappeared. Strange. What the hell was going on?
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