—Trigger Warning: This chapter contains graphic violence and detailed descriptions of gore. Read at your own risk.—
The dim light of the corridor flickered as the man in the black fedora stepped out of the door. Val's eyes narrowed as he recognized him, the same man from before. Hugo. The two guards, stationed at the doorway, stiffened to attention.
"Sir!" they greeted, bowing slightly.
Hugo gave a dismissive wave, instructing them to return to their posts. As they turned and walked away, Hugo strolled down the corridor, moving toward an unassuming door along the wall. He paused to unlock a small box affixed to the wall, pressing his thumb into a scanner hidden within. A dim glow washed over his features as a panel slid open, revealing a vast, cylindrical tank.
Bo and Val, hidden in the shadows, exchanged a quick glance and crept closer. Their silent footsteps brought them within view of the man who lay submerged in the tank.
The figure was disturbingly lifelike, suspended in a pale, bluish liquid, bare save for the thick tubes branching from his back, snaking up to the ceiling and down along the tank's sides.
His mouth was uncovered, frozen in a grimace that seemed eternal, as though he had been trapped mid-scream. Despite this grotesque display, it was clear the man wasn't simply preserved — he was somehow alive.
Hugo lifted his hand and placed it reverently against the glass, a smile flitting across his face. His voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"Father… you're still here. You're still with us."
Val felt a chill run down his spine as the man in the tank's eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing irises of a cold, calculating black. He scanned his surroundings before his gaze settled on Hugo. A thin smile formed, one that sent a shudder through Val's core.
"Hugo," the man croaked, his voice weak yet saturated with malevolence. "Good to see you still... useful."
Hugo's face darkened momentarily before he composed himself. "It's all as you planned. Everything is falling into place."
From within Val's mind, the voice of the shadow whispered, "This man should be long dead. He's something darker, brought back... revived."
Before Val could react, Bo gave him a silent signal to prepare. They waited, muscles tense, until Hugo stepped away from the tank and exited the room. Bo clenched his hand, summoning icy spears around his fist, hovering in wait. With a slight nod, the ice projectiles flew towards the tank, shattering the glass with a piercing shriek.
The man within the tank crumpled forward as the spears impaled him, one through the chest, the other lodged deep in his abdomen. His blood spilled across the room, mingling with the remnants of the containment liquid.
He writhed, mouth open in a silent scream as blood streamed down his chin. His eyes locked onto Val and Bo with a feral intensity. His lips formed faint words as life drained from him.
With his final strength, he focused his vision on Val, who raised his hand, summoning a small, dense black sphere. The man's eyes widened as he whispered, "The Void… still..."
The sphere expanded, engulfing his body in silence until there was nothing left but a thin mist that dispersed into the cold air. Silence hung thick in the room.
A crackling voice suddenly erupted from their Mind Link.
Where the hell are you guys? Ember's voice was edged with concern.
We're finishing up here, Bo replied, catching his breath, and continued, Did our intel mention anyone named Hugo?
Who? Ember's tone betrayed his confusion.
Bo sighed. A man in a black fedora and suit, called Hugo, was here. He might be involved more deeply than we thought.
After a pause, Ember responded. Finish up there. Let's meet back at the car and regroup.
Val's gaze drifted to the room's corners. "Before we go, let's check if there's anything useful here."
Bo agreed, and they began a quick but thorough search of the room. It was Bo who noticed a thick, leather-bound folder wedged between the filing drawers. Pulling it free, Bo opened it to reveal pages filled with photographs of children, some as young as eight, their faces frozen in haunting expressions. His stomach clenched as he flipped through the pages.
"Val," he called softly. "Look at this."
Val peered over his shoulder, his own expression mirroring Bo's horror. As he did, the shadow within Val stirred.
"The cult from Uryo," it whispered, anger lacing its voice. "It's them. They're still operating."
The realization hit Val hard, and he muttered under his breath, "This… this is their doing."
Bo looked at him sharply. "What did you say?"
Val faltered but quickly regained his composure. "Uh, nothing… this is just worse than we thought."
Suspicious, Bo gave him a scrutinizing look but let it slide, his attention drawn back to the folder. "This confirms it. Hugo's part of something bigger."
They sealed the folder and slipped out, blending back into the shadows as they made their way to the rendezvous point.
Ember and Riggs were already waiting, their postures tense. Ember's face darkened as he scanned the documents Bo handed over, his hands flipping the pages faster with each passing second.
"What in the hell is this?" Ember muttered.
Val shook his head. "Nothing in our intel said anything about connections to the previous mission."
Ember closed the folder with a snap, his expression grim. "We're going back to the hotel. We need to reassess. Whatever's behind this runs deeper than we thought."
They piled into the car, and as they sped away from the desolate facility, Val stole a glance out the window. The place felt darker, emptier, as if Hugo had taken with him any remnant of life.
When they reached the hotel, Ember wasted no time dialing General Luis. He barely waited for the assistant to announce him before speaking.
"This mission. Is it connected to the previous one?"
The General's response was cagey, surprised. "What's this about, Ember?"
Ember ignored the question. "We'll report in soon, but we'll need additional intel. Possibly a new lead tied to our last case."
With that, he hung up, leaving the General puzzled but pensive.
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On the other end, General Luis drummed his fingers on his desk. He would need to dig deeper into the Blovik Empire — if they were indeed involved, the scale of the operation could be beyond what he'd suspected. He summoned Colonel Hento, who entered shortly after.
"The team may have encountered the occult again," the General said, his tone serious. "Focus our intel search on the Blovik Empire."
Colonel Hento blinked, startled, but nodded. "Understood, sir."
After he left, General Luis sat back, deep in thought, his mind already calculating the potential consequences of Ember's report.
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Back at the hotel, Ember's phone buzzed with an incoming call from Exeo, their handler.
"General Luis briefed me," Exeo said without preamble. "Is it true?"
Ember exhaled heavily. "Possibly. Our target's dead, but there are leads we didn't account for."
After a pause, Exeo said, "Then I'm on my way. You all need to rest. I'll take over until we have clearer direction."
Ember gave a faint nod, even though Exeo couldn't see him. "Thanks, Exeo. See you soon."
A few hours later, Exeo joined them at the hotel. He scanned each of their faces, taking in their exhaustion.
"This Hugo," he said finally, glancing at Bo and Val. "You think he's their ringleader?"
Val answered, crossing his arms. "Not entirely sure, but he's in a position of control. The place he came from was secured, and he was speaking to someone… someone who was supposed to be dead."
Bo added, "And that folder… we found it in the same place."
Exeo nodded, deep in thought. "For now, rest up. But Bo, I need you to come with me for recon."
Bo shrugged. "If it gets us answers, I'm in."
With that, the team settled into uneasy rest. But the weight of the day lingered, a reminder of the dark road ahead.