Selina looked calm, steady—not because she believed they’d survive, but because she’d already accepted the reality. The energy in her body wasn’t replenishing naturally. What remained was all she had left. Every second mattered now.
While she calculated ways to delay the inevitable, believing—perhaps stubbornly—that someone might still e, the silence broke.
"Sorry."
Selina turned. Evangeline sat with her knees pulled close, her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders trembled as quiet sobs escaped her. Her voice came out cracked and muffled.
"You came to help our city... And now... because of us, you’re trapped here."
Selina watched her quietly, then looked back at the clawed hand reaching for them again. She said nothing. But her silence spoke louder than any fort could.
Seconds dragged by. Selina, prepared to use her last energy to freeze the reaching hand and the gap itself, resigned herself to buying a little more time. Just as she was about to act, something changed.
At first, she saw it—the giant hand that had been tearing through stone now slowed... then stopped pletely.
And then she felt it.
A warmth. Subtle yet undeniable, washing over her body like a blanket over her frozen skin. Her tension faded slightly, a quiet stillness settling over her.
’’T-This... ’’ But while Selina felt warmth tempering her calm exterior, the reaction beside her was starkly different.
Evangeline, moments earlier weeping quietly in defeat, now looked worse. Her body shook violently, her arms clutching at her shoulders as if trying to hold herself together. Her eyes, wide and terrified, locked onto Selina’s face.
Selina turned toward her, not with concern, but with a faint, knowing smile—an expression that didn’t match the situation, yet felt strangely fitting.
She knew exactly what this presence meant.
Soon proving her guess, after a long, suffocating silence, a sudden metallic crash shook the entire cave, like a colossal hammer striking steel. The sound reverberated through the stone walls.
A second impact followed, heavier than the first.
The massive mutant blocking the entrance was abruptly flung aside, its armored body slamming against the wall like dead weight. Dust and loose stones cascaded from above as the narrow entrance cleared, revealing the dark tunnel beyond.
Selina’s breath stilled.
She kept her eyes on the now-open passage, illuminated only by the faint glow of her wrist device. Amidst the falling dust, steady footsteps echoed forward—slow, heavy, and unhurried.
Not rushing. Not concerned.
She knew who it was before even seeing.
When the silhouette finally emerged from the shadows, framed against the broken entrance, Selina’s small smile widened.
"Hey," she said softly, her tone even and posed. The smile stayed on her lips, unfazed by the torn fabric of her clothes, the stains of blood on her skin, or the weariness shadowing her face. Her quiet charm still shone through clearly.
Adyr offered a calm, reassuring smile, fitting the moment effortlessly. "Are you okay?"
Selina gave a silent nod, about to speak—only to be interrupted by an ugly, grating sound.
’’Ugh... hrrrk... ’’
It wasn’t the sound ing from mutants, but Evangeline on the ground puking her insides out.
Since she first sensed the Malice seeping into her soul, pure fear had gripped her. Now, seeing the face of the owner close by, the unbearable tension overwhelmed her—stress twisting in her gut, forcing her to vomit everything inside.
Adyr paused at the sight and let out an apologetic chuckle. "Sorry, sorry. My mistake, I guess." He then shifted his own emotions, suppressing the ominous presence and replacing it with a warm, friendly aura.
"You...." Evangeline, still shaken from the sudden turmoil moments ago—the invisible shadow choking her throat and twisting her stomach—was dumbfounded by the abrupt reversal. The oppressive dread was replaced by an undeniable sense of safety and calm that settled over her without question.
She steadied her trembling, fiery eyes, slowly regaining focus on the face before her. She was too shaken to speak.
All she could think was that this power was terrifying.
The fear it inspired was sharper than any blade she had known. Yet the sudden peace that followed brought a sense of safety no shield or city wall could provide—a feeling almost too absurd to believe.
"You must be a player from Shelter City 8, right? You have a strong character. I like that," Adyr said, his tone sincere.
It wasn’t an empty pliment. As he had studied the battle scars left along the way here, he recognized something rare in her—like Selina or Dalin, she had that strong, cunning side. When pushed, she could unleash a power that made her someone dependable.
Not a burden, like most people. Someone you could actually trust.
Evangeline froze at the sudden pliment, her mouth parting as if to respond, searching for the right words. But before she could say anything, the cavern echoed with harsh growls once again.
"Looks like these two have strong characters, too. Stay here. I’ll handle them," Adyr said calmly, shifting his focus back to the creatures he had already punched hard moments before.
Despite his Presence and Malice still lingering on the extraordinary mutants, strangely, unlike the others, these two seemed to resist the fear that gripped the rest. Slowly rising, they let out furious growls and began advancing toward Adyr, ready to attack.
"Why are you two different?" Adyr asked, raising a single brow.
A thought crossed his mind—like the Cannibal, these mutants might also harbor a parasitic type of Spark. But did they share the same kind? He wasn’t sure.
The only way to be certain was to look inside. With that in mind, he drew the black blade from his back, enveloping it in a swirling dark mist that sharpened its edge as he advanced.
A voice inside told him something was off. These two mutants weren’t the final bosses. It felt like something even more dangerous lurked deeper in the tunnels. Aware of this, he avoided carelessness and dashed forward, swinging his sword at the closest advanced mutant.
But when his blade clashed against the tough, metallic skin, a sudden thought struck him.
Something strange is going on here.
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