THUUUD!!
"OUGH!!"
"OUCH!!"
Mere seconds after they were sucked into the machine, Deathstalker and Bruno were flung as though by a giant slingshot, landing on a super hard floor. The drop felt like falling from a ten-story building, chest first.
Deathstalker slowly stirred, his chest still aching as if it had been crushed. He took a moment to assess his muscles and bones, ensuring everything was still intact and functioning.
"Are you okay?" he asked Bruno, who was still sprawled on top of the massive suitcase. The case was so large it completely covered Bruno's upper body.
"No..." Bruno groaned in pain but, after a few seconds, began to stir. "Where are we?" he asked as he sat up.
"Somewhere on the ship, I guess," Deathstalker replied without confidence, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
The space they were in was bright despite having no lamps on the ceiling or windows to let light in. The room was filled with large containers stacked in towering piles.
"Is there any way we can get out of here?" Bruno asked again.
"Not from where I'm standing," Deathstalker said as he stood and approached a nearby container. Climbing onto it, he jumped to another container stacked with smaller boxes, using them to climb higher.
"The ceiling is a door," Deathstalker called down to Bruno. He then jumped back to the floor with a loud boom.
"That's about it. I guess we'll have to leave the ship the same way these containers do," Deathstalker said, wiping sweat from his brow and catching his breath.
"Does marriage make you out of shape? How come you're out of breath just from jumping around?" Bruno teased.
"The gravity here is heavier," Deathstalker defended himself. "Try it yourself."
Bruno stood slowly and tested his movements. "Yeah… it is heavier here," he confirmed. "Why is that?"
Deathstalker shrugged. "I guess it's because we're closer to the Earth's core?" He sat back down on the floor.
The two men fell silent, each lost in his own thoughts. They barely noticed the tingling sensation in their buttocks from the static vibrations—likely caused by the ship's machinery.
"I hope she's fine," Bruno murmured, breaking the silence as he looked at Deathstalker.
"She is. Viper's clever, and don't forget she has her powers. They might not be lethal to the creatures here, but I'm sure they can harm them," Deathstalker reassured him.
"It's been more than three months. Her mission was only to find where the virus is being produced. She should've completed it in a week or two, right?" Bruno voiced his concerns.
For nearly a year, rumors had circulated within the organization that the North East Chapter was facing a coup. It began with the sudden resignation of Lord Wang, the previous chapter head, due to health issues. His successor, Tian Huang, was chosen by acclamation from the other chapter heads. Tian Huang had been Lord Wang's right-hand man for years and was widely regarded as the best candidate.
However, Wang Ji Shu, Lord Wang's eldest son, did not accept this decision. As the heir, he had expected to inherit the position.
Wang Ji Shu kept his objections secret, building his power behind the scenes and aligning with parties opposed to the chapter. His movements went unnoticed until six months ago, when news broke of Lord Wang's suspicious death.
Lord Wang's health issues were well-known, but he had been under intensive care in a sterile room. His death was attributed to a new virus brought in by a paramedic who had a mild fever at the time. The virus was harmless to healthy individuals but deadly for the elderly or those with underlying conditions.
The organization suspected foul play. They tried to investigate and trace the virus but were too slow. The virus spread rapidly, not just in the East region but worldwide.
While the world believed the virus to be a natural mutation, it was, in fact, engineered and deliberately released. Worse, it originated not from Earth but from beneath it. Wang Ji Shu had aligned himself with a faction from this hidden world.
Initially, Viper was sent to locate the virus's source and gather evidence implicating Wang Ji Shu. However, after three months with no results and worsening conditions on Earth, Deathstalker and Bruno were assigned to destroy the virus's source while Viper deactivated it.
"How long do you think it'll take to arrive?" Bruno asked after another stretch of silence.
"King said the trip should take about half an hour," Deathstalker replied, his eyes focused on a distant stack of containers.
"How long…" Bruno trailed off as Deathstalker suddenly stood. Bruno watched him carefully, resuming only when Deathstalker gestured for him to continue. "How long have we been here?"
"I don't know… maybe fifteen minutes?" Deathstalker replied, his voice deliberately louder as he moved toward a specific blue container across the room.
Bruno followed. "What do you think these containers are filled with?"
"I don't know. Maybe food," Deathstalker said distractedly, his attention fixed on a faint noise coming from within the blue container.
When they reached it, the noise became clearer: scratching and a child's whimpering.
"Jie… (Sis…)"
"Shei zai nàr? (Who's there?)" Deathstalker called out, his voice firm but calm. The noises ceased immediately.
"Wei…? (Hello?)" he tried again. Still, no response.
"You heard it too, right?" Deathstalker asked Bruno, who nodded.
"Is it a ghost?" Bruno whispered.
"More like a child. Maybe five or six years old," Deathstalker whispered back.
Signaling for Bruno to stay still, Deathstalker waited. A few minutes later, the noise resumed.
"Jie… wǒmen zài nǎlǐ? (Sis… where are we?)" the child whimpered.
"Wo yě bù zhīdào (I don't know). Psst… nǐ bù yào kū ā… (Don't cry)," a second voice replied, sounding older.
"Hey… wǒ kěyǐ tīngjiàn nǐ (I can hear you). Nǐmen hái hǎo ma? (Are you okay?)" Deathstalker called out again.
Before there was any response, the ship rocked violently, as though it had struck something.
"Aaaaaaaaaa!!!" Multiple voices screamed in unison.
Before Deathstalker and Bruno could react, the hum of an engine filled the room. Slowly but steadily, the ceiling—or perhaps a large hatch—began to open.