The sound of their footsteps echoed through the vast, sterile hallways of the lab complex, the lights flickering overhead. Lyraeth bounced energetically, darting ahead, her bright eyes gleaming, while Isabella walked slightly behind, her posture tense and shoulders hunched. The corridor they traversed was lined with walls of sleek, cold metal, interspersed with cumbersome glass panels revealing figures in lab coats hurriedly moving about in distant laboratories.
"Come on, Isabella." Lyraeth exclaimed. She turned to her companion, her arms wide open, as if expecting an audience to celebrate her. "This place is practically begging for a showdown! Think about all the cool gadgets we could swipe on our way out!"
Isabella rolled her eyes, looking around nervously. She glanced over her shoulder, her voice flat, "I think it's begging for us to save those held here and leave quietly, you know, before we get caught. Sneaky, Lyraeth. We need to be sneaky."
"Oh, please." Lyraeth scoffed, a smirk creeping onto her lips as she leaned casually against the wall, striking a rather unhelpful pose. "Where's the fun in sneaky? Besides, if we bulldoze our way in and out, it'll be easier."
"We're more likely to merely end up as experiments if we are not careful," Isabella shot back, her eyes darting to a series of numbered doors along the corridor, each one featuring a small electronic panel. "We really should—"
Just then, Lyraeth's excitement exploded as she bolted toward the nearest door. "We should see what's inside! Maybe they have mad scientists! Come on, don't you want to find out?"
Isabella clutched her own forearms, anxiety prickling under her skin as she hurried after Lyraeth. "Wait! What if they have security measures? Drones? Guards? This is not just some wild field trip!" Her voice strained as she winced as Lyraeth's enthusiasm seemed to drown out her sensible warnings.
"We'll figure it out as we go!" Lyraeth shot over her shoulder, flinging the door open with a dramatic flourish. "Now, let's see..."
Isabella stepped closer as she peered nervously inside. "This isn't how missions are supposed to go..." she muttered under her breath, but she was already standing on the threshold. The room beyond was dark, filled with shadowy machines, blinking lights, and strange, vaguely humanoid silhouettes behind glass cages. With one last deep breath, Isabella stepped in.
As Isabella and Lyraeth stepped fully into the room, the artificial lighting flickered once more, painting their surroundings in a glow. Lyraeth's eyes sparkled with wonder as she swept her gaze across the electroluminescent control panels and bubbling tanks filled with mysterious substances, while Isabella felt her heart sink further into a pit of anxiety. "So… what do you think? Do you think they're growing something in these tanks? Or maybe it's just really advanced lime gelatin?" Lyraeth murmured, a grin widespread across her face as she leaned in closer to inspect the strange viscous liquid, unfazed.
Isabella, rubbing the bridge of her nose, tried to suppress the urge to roll her eyes once again. She prided herself on her kind nature, but Lyraeth was seriously stressing her out with her disregard: "I highly doubt it's lime gelatin. We should find the captives and get out." She took a tentative step deeper into the room.
Just then, a loud crash echoed from the hallway outside, drawing both girls to an immediate standstill. The vibrations of heavy, synchronized footsteps resonated through the floor, a foreboding sound. Lyraeth's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, did you hear that? This just got interesting!" she exclaimed.
Isabella furrowed her brow, her heart racing. "You think it's the security team? We should probably find a place to hide."
But Lyraeth was already peeking out the door, unable to resist the pull of action. "Hiding is boring! I'm ready to face whatever comes our way."
As the echoes of boots grew louder, two dozen soldiers appeared sprinting down the corridor, the pattering of their armored boots hammering like a drumbeat. The harsh voices of the guards echoed down the hall, simultaneously commanding and threatening, as the lead soldier stepped forward, his helmet reflecting the lab's light. "Stand down! You are surrounded. Surrender now, and you will not be harmed!"
Lyraeth's body tensed for action, a grin on her face. "Looks like they're ready to throw down. I think I should—"
"Lyraeth, for the love of all that's sensible, can you think for one second?" Isabella interrupted, exasperation etched across her features, her usually calm demeanor fracturing. "We've no time to waste on them. We have people that need our help." She urged.
Before Lyraeth could respond, the ground trembled slightly—a seismic shudder that sent ripples through the air. From behind the line of soldiers, three enormous magitech mechs strutted into view, each more intimidating than the last. The mechs, towering at least ten times the height of the soldiers, were a fusion of sleek metal and complex wiring.
The first mech was an imposing behemoth adorned with jagged spikes protruding from its shoulders and armed with dual cannons that glowed ominously on its arms. The second was more agile, with elegantly articulated joints that allowed for rapid movements, its surface lined with trickling crimson energy conduits. A third mech boasted a massive retractable shield, the surface shimmering as it generated energy fields.
Isabella sighed deeply, "So much for sneaking in and out. How did they even know we were here?" She muttered beneath her breath.
"Quite the entrance," Lyraeth whistled, impressed. "This is what I've been waiting for! We've got to put on a show!"
With the soldiers drawing closer, their orders repeated, and the magitech mechs looming behind them. Before chaos could erupt, she turned towards Lyraeth, "We have to think—"
Lyraeth, however, ignored her as she stepped forward, expanding her mana, drawing upon the raw mana coursing through her veins like molten fire. It was as if the air itself responded to her, igniting with a sudden intensity that made the temperature in the room soar, causing beads of sweat to form along Isabella's brow. Surrounding Lyraeth, a blazing aura flared to life, flickering like candle flames but radiating a deep, fiery orange that illuminated her.
"Time to kick Vel'ryr ass!" Lyraeth shouted. The heat emanating from her aura warped the air, creating a shimmering mirage. The Vel'ryr guards halted in their tracks, momentarily frozen by the unexpected spectacle.
In an instant, Lyraeth erupted into action, her body a blur as she propelled herself forward at a breathtaking speed. The reaction from the guards came swiftly; their disciplined training kicked in, and the first shots rang out—a flurry of bright plasma bolts slicing through the air, aimed unerringly at the glowing figure charging toward them.
Isabella ducked behind a nearby control panel; she doubted someone as strong as Lyraeth needed her support. The plasma bolts exploded against the walls, casting furious sparks and a shower of debris in every direction, but Lyraeth seemed to move through the onslaught, effortlessly weaving in and out of the bolts with grace. Each bolt of energy that narrowly missed her ignited the air with sizzling arcs of heat as she twirled, ducked, and darted, the flames around her swirling. She spun low, and with a swift motion of her hands, unleashed waves of intense fire that surged toward the soldiers. The flames washed over them, brilliant and consuming, forming barriers of scorching heat that sent the guards scrambling to evade her assault.
The remaining guards regrouped, and with a synchrony born from training, advanced as one unit, plasma rifles raised again. But Lyraeth leapt into the air, utilizing her momentum to gain distance, and as she soared, she conjured fiery pillars that erupted from the ground beneath her, illuminating the room in waves of orange and red. Each pillar burst forth with a force that rocked the ground, sending tremors through the air as they collided with the guards mid-formation, creating chaos in their formation.
With her feet safely planted on a higher platform—the lip of a control station—Lyraeth threw her head back, allowing her laughter to ring free. "You can't beat me like that!" she taunted, her voice echoing through the disruption. As her fiery mana swirled around her, she paused for a fleeting moment to gather her focus, turning her attention to the nearest mech.
In a fluid motion, Lyraeth extended her hands toward the armored behemoth, channeling more mana. Flames flickered and danced along her palm before erupting into a concentrated bolt of fire that launched through the air with a crackling hiss. It collided with the mech's surface, leaving a sizzling scorch mark across its plating. While the mech's systems flared in response, Lyraeth landed gracefully back onto the ground, thrusting herself towards the remaining guards.
She spun low to the ground, ducking under a hail of plasma fire, and then thrust up with her leg, delivering a powerful kick that sent one soldier flying back. Spinning with the momentum, she unleashed a wave of fire that engulfed two guards attempting to flank her, the flames licking at their armor as they desperately tried to extinguish the warmth consuming them. Their cries mingled while they struggled; Lyraeth pressed her advantage.
"Nobody said you could play!" she hollered, ignoring the shots that whizzed past her. She dashed in a spiral around her opponents, positioning herself for another maneuver. She extended her arm, releasing another fiery conflagration that splintered outward, striking one guard squarely in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap, armor blackened and sizzling.
With each wave of her hands, she summoned intense bursts of fire that arched gracefully around her. Suddenly, one of the Vel'ryr soldiers aimed a shot at her, their rifle charged and unstable, but Lyraeth ducked low, just as a bolt of plasma zipped over her head. In that moment of split-second clarity, she launched herself up and forward, using her own momentum to drive into the guard with a fervent shoulder charge that sent him crashing into a nearby control panel, scattering machinery across the floor.
With fire around her, Lyraeth surveyed the scene. The now few soldiers were recoiling, regrouping uneasily, while the strike of the magitech mechs approached. Lyraeth turned her eyes towards the towering magitech. The thought of destroying those massive constructs filled her with exhilaration, her fiery aura flaring even brighter. The guards beneath her were stammering in confusion, but she had no desire to waste her time on mere foot soldiers when the true challenge awaited her in the hulking giants nearby.
She dashed across the concrete floor, her feet barely touching the ground as she unleashed a wide arc of flame from her palm in one motion. The fire undulated like a snake, coiling through the air, wrapping around the first magitech mech's leg before exploding in a violent eruption. The shockwave reverberated throughout the hall, scattering the guards who had just begun to regain their composure as they were knocked back again by the force of the blast.
The mech staggered, steam hissing from its joints where molten metal had fused and cracked. Lyraeth seized the moment as she executed a flawless leap onto the alien metal structure. Perching atop the mechanical behemoth, she surveyed its towering form with a playful smirk.
She extended both arms toward the mech's core; the air around her shimmered again as she channeled mana into a massive fireball. It coalesced into a swirling orb of blazing heat, its glow pulsating. The magitech, sensing the impending threat, whirred to life, its sensors scanning frantically, but it was too late.
The fireball collided with the mech's core, detonating in a spectacular display of fire. Flames erupted outward, cascading into a rain of fiery shards that erupted across the room, engulfing the mech from all sides. Panels and circuitry sizzled, and bolts of energy flickered erratically as the colossal machine lost control, stumbling backward as flames consumed its insides. Just before it smashed into the far wall, it let out a hideous clatter, its components scattering.
Without waiting to gauge the damage, Lyraeth flipped gracefully off the wreckage, her boots hitting the ground as she dashed toward the second mech, embers swirling around her as she flowed. The second mech had activated its defenses. She approached swiftly, and as it charged its energy weapons to unleash upon her, she ducked, rolling gracefully beneath its aiming trajectory.
As she sprang back up, she swirled around the mech's legs, eyes sparkling. "What's wrong, big guy? Can't keep up?" She taunted, gathering her mana into her hands like boiling water ready to overflow. With a gesture, pillars of fire erupted from the ground, encircling the mech in a cyclone of blazing heat. The fire lit up the colonnades of the hallway.
The magitech mech attempted to retract and reposition itself, but Lyraeth was a step ahead. She darted forward, weaving through its defenses as the fire twisted and functioned like water around a rock. She aimed directly for the mech's vulnerable power systems located beneath the armor plating—a weak spot should not to be overlooked.
Just as she reached the core, she unleashed a torrential wave of fire that materialized into a fiery whip, lashing out at the mech's underbelly with a force that could cleave through steel. The whip of flames wrapped around the fragile circuits and set it ablaze. Lyraeth could hear the mechanical whines spiraling into panic; she pulled on the flames, channeling her strength into a decisive blow.
The fire exploded outward once more, and the second mech cracked apart with an ear-splitting roar, metal shards raining down like confetti. It collapsed inwards, defeated and lifeless. Lyraeth pivoted once again, visualizing the third magitech mech now cocking its massive cannons in her direction. "Guess you're next!" she called out, a gleefulness' in her voice as she bounded forward, her fiery aura illuminating the once-dark room.
As the third mech leveled its cannons toward her, Lyraeth responded with a bright explosion of flames that erupted soundlessly from her palms and arced skyward, forming a brilliant spiral of fire that cloaked her for an instant. The mech fired at what it perceived as a target; she dodged sideways with a fluid leap, twisting midair as the fiery explosion propelled her higher.
She landed squarely on the shoulder of the mech, the heat shifting the air around her into a mirage-like haze. With a flourish, she flung her arms backward, releasing a torrent of fire that swirled and expanded, engulfing the mech's sensors. The overwhelming heat melted the delicate mechanisms almost instantly, causing sparks to fly and components to catch fire. She unleashed a series of repetitive thrusts accompanied by spins, each attack synchronized perfectly with the rising of heat. The magitech attempted to stabilize, but Lyraeth's flames swarmed around it relentlessly, leaving no space to breathe.
She pressed both palms together in front of her. "Let's finish this, shall we?" She roared, and with a vigorous outward thrust, an enormous fire blast surged forth, engulfing the magitech mech entirely. The structure convulsed as if it were possessed, screeching under the heat as the flames engulfed every inch. Finally, with a thunderous explosion, it succumbed to her assault, metal bursting into rays of scattered remnants that flew through the hall.
"Honestly, was that really all you've got?" Lyraeth boasted; she struck a pose, hands on her hips, the flames around her flickering in sync with her.
Isabella cautiously stepped out from behind her makeshift cover, taking hesitant steps into the scorched expanse of the room where steel and flame had collided. "Lyraeth… was that not a tad too much?"
Turning at the sound of her voice, Lyraeth grinned widely. "What? Come on, I held back a ton so I wouldn't burn the place down." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, they could've fought better. I was hoping for at least a challenge. This was more like a warm-up than a fight!"
Isabella chuckled softly, shaking her head. "You make it look so easy, like a scene from a play or a dream."
"Is there any danger when you're armed with the power of the sun?" She winked, "But let's not linger with these weaklings. I'm itching for more excitement! Come on, Isabella! There are more hallways to explore."
Isabella fell in step beside her. Together, they moved deeper into the complex, passing through the glowing embers of the melted mechs that still crackled as they cooled.
The corridor ahead branched into multiple pathways, the high ceilings adorned with elaborate machinery that hummed softly. They stepped into the first corridor, the light from her flames spilling over the damp walls like. The corridor deepened, bending sharply to the left.
They paused briefly at a large viewport, the glass cracked but still intact, revealing what lay beyond. The shifting shadows of machinations painted a barely visible scene that poured into their eyes—a grand workshop filled with layers of gears, massive assembly lines, and tools sparking.
"Look at all that," Lyraeth breathed, awe tinting her voice as they stepped into the glowing expanse of the workshop. Surrounding them were several deactivated magitech mechs, their hulking forms looming in various states of disassembly.
Lyraeth's eyes sparkled with wonder as she darted forward, arms outstretched in sheer delight, "Look at this place! The things they've created here are amazing!" She twirled gleefully around the metallic giants that stood motionless, their frames adorned with wires and plates, some etched with runes. Some sorcerers were no doubt also involved; the runes suggested enchantments. A new series of magitech, no doubt. "Imagine what they could do with this kind of tech!"
"Dazzling, yes," Isabella replied, stepping cautiously beside her, her gaze shifting from one piece of machinery to another. She moved closer to a dismantled mech, inspecting the pieces as if deciphering a complex puzzle. "They may have left these machines here intentionally—perhaps they know how powerful they are."
"It's like we're standing in the future!" She leaned against a nearby mech, hands resting on its surface, a gleam of excitement lighting her features as she observed the design. "Just imagine firing up one of these!"
"Let's not," Isabella replied with a small smile, although still on guard, scanning their surroundings with a watchful gaze. "But first, we need to stay sharp. This area is too quiet—unnaturally so. Something feels off."
That seemed to be the cue.
Both their eyes widened as their bodies instinctively tensed for action. The atmosphere suddenly thickened and felt oppressive. Like a sudden threat was looming ahead, a powerful one. It was like the presence of a potent and powerful mana; Isabella recalled the Ancestor that attacked the capital back in Verdantis. Just as dangerous.
Only here no magic was involved; their instincts merely screamed at them...
Heavy but slow footsteps rang outside the room they were in; they grew more tense as the footsteps resounded louder and louder.
Their instincts spoke to them; it told them to run.