After walking down the corridor, they passed by Dr. Reyes, who was passed out in her room. All of them looked through the windows and laughed at the slumped doctor. While the others continued walking, Liam paused, staying behind.
Illyana turned around. "What are you doing, Liam?" she asked.
"I need to go back real quick for something I forgot. Keep going; I'll join you all later," he said.
"Okay," she shouted back from the end of the corridor before turning the corner.
Once they were gone, Liam forcefully broke the lock on Dr. Reyes' room. He slipped inside, looking around for what he had come to find.
Right beside Dr. Reyes' head was his sling ring. Next to it were multiple different purity tests and other devices, likely used to analyze what material the ring was made of.
"So that's what she was doing, huh," Liam thought as he looked at the tests. He picked up some of the completed results, each of which came back without results.
"Figured as much. I don't know exactly what it's made of either, but I know it isn't any common material found on Earth," he mused. "It might be a mix of materials that came from Earth, but even that I can't be sure about. All I know is that it has magic circuits that allows it to create portals."
Liam put the tests down, grabbed his sling ring, and walked out. He followed the path the others had taken and heard laughter echoing from a room ahead.
He entered and immediately saw Illyana walk up to him on his way in.
"You. Follow me," she whispered in his ear after walking up to him.
Despite the others staring at them, Liam turned and followed her. 'Great, time to talk about Limbo,' he thought as he followed after her.
Illyana led him along a familiar path to the old attic. Once there, she jumped into a chair, and Liam followed, sitting down in a chair close to her.
"So, what's up?" Liam asked.
"Are you from a different dimension?" Illyana asked. "And how did you end up in my Limbo?"
'That's a little straight forward.... I guess that's just how she is.' Liam thought. 'One of the few women that actually doesn't lie or make shit overcomplicated.'
"Like you guessed, I'm from a different dimension. As for how I got into your Limbo… that's a little complicated," Liam answered.
"Go on. Dr. Reyes will be sleeping for a while," Illyana said.
Since it didn't matter much if she knew, and to build trust before asking her about Limbo energy, Liam explained how his dimension was invaded by different dimensional and how one such event led to him diving through one. Although he didn't go into much detail.
Illyana nodded while pacing, eventually walking close to Liam. As she circled behind him, she dragged her fingers lightly across his back.
"Hmm, so now you're stranded here?" she asked, smirking as she leaned slightly down, her face close to his, locking eyes with him.
They stared at each other for a few moments before Illyana pulled away, continuing her pacing around Liam. "That didn't make you shy, did it?" she teased.
"No, it didn't," Liam replied, appearing unfazed. "And I'm not stranded here. I can open a portal back anytime I want."
"Then why haven't you?" she asked.
"I still need to talk to someone here about something," Liam replied.
"And who would that be?" Illyana asked.
"You," Liam said simply causing her to stop walking. "To clarify, I want to test something with your Limbo dim-."
Before they could continue, a loud scream echoed from downstairs. The voice was easily recognizable.
"That's Berto," Liam said.
Both of them went downstairs and arrived at the pool area, which was filled with steam.
"Damn, what happened here?" Illyana asked, seeing Dr. Reyes holding a metal rod.
Roberto, standing in the pool, stared at Illyana with anger.
He climbed out, grabbed a shirt, and walked up to Dr. Reyes, snatching her phone before rushing to one of the exits.
Dr. Reyes chased after him, followed by the others, while Illyana looked at Liam with a questioning gaze. "Why was he staring at me like that?" she asked.
"Maybe he just thinks you're pretty," Liam said, while walking after the others.
Still confused, Illyana followed.
As they arrived, the shouting between Dr. Reyes and Berto grew clearer.
"You're not in charge of anything!" Berto yelled. "Did you not see what happened? Illyana tried to kill me!"
"That wasn't me," Illyana said, stepping around the corner to stand right beside Liam.
"There was nobody in the pool but you," Dr. Reyes retorted.
"Quite the show, isn't it?" Liam whispered to Illyana. 'I really wonder if that Dani girl can summon my deepest secrets or darkest fears,' he mused internally.
"Do you know what's going on?" Illyana whispered back.
"No clue," he replied.
"You didn't see what I saw! We're trapped in here with psychos, and you want us to stay?" Berto shouted at Dr. Reyes. "I'm calling the cops and getting out of here."
"You're not going anywhere," Dr. Reyes said. Then she turned to Liam and Illyana.
Liam, who had been enjoying the drama despite usually not wanting to bother with drama, was surprised when Dr. Reyes suddenly addressed them.
"I know what both of you did," she said. "You'll return to your rooms, now."
"Why would we do that?" Illyana asked, stepping toward Dr. Reyes. Liam grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.
"Come, follow me. There's no point," he said. 'In a few minutes, she'll be after Dani anyway. One of my purposes here will be done then.'
Illyana struggled against his grip but stopped when they were out of sight. "Why did you do that?" she demanded.
"Trust me, you'll see," he said, watching Dr. Reyes take Dani to her office.
"What do you mean?" Illyana pressed.
"Stay close to me," Liam advised. "I have a feeling something's about to happen."
'Something is happening, I can feel it outside, something familiar but not quite.' He thought.
"I can protect myself," she replied sharply.
Minutes later, a strange sound came from a nearby room.
Illyana summoned her Soulsword, and armor formed over her right arm. Liam waited patiently. 'I really am curious now,' he thought. 'I don't really have a worst fear, as for my deepest secret? Yeah, I know I have one but what is it going to do? Reincarnate me again?'
Illyana opened the door, showing a chaotic vision: her younger self struggling in the Limbo, fighting off demonic beasts. When the beasts saw the open door, they turned and came charged through.
Enraged at what she saw behind the door, Illyana began cutting down the ones coming for her, slicing through them like butter one by one, hacking away at them even while they were already dead on the ground.
Liam pushed her aside as more creatures appeared from another room in the corridor, pouncing towards her which she didn't notice. Using the Bolts of Balthakk, he burned through all three of them at once.
"The caster fuels these things with their energy, while they also use energy from nature to regenerate slowly. They won't die permanently unless the caster is killed," Liam explained. "Stop raging, focus on the fight and start saving your energy."
Illyana nodded, slicing through the beasts. Together, they backed into the cafeteria corridor.
'I'll avoid summoning Incursio incase my feeling about the thing outside are right,' Liam thought while firing more Bolts of Balthakk to kill three beasts at a time.
At the end of the corridor, they found Roberto banging on a wall. Sam appeared from another corridor, crashing into a wall after failing to fully control his cannonball power.
"Hey, Berto," Sam said, pulling himself free and noticing the approaching beasts with Liam and Illyana.
Roberto stopped pounding and turned. "The bitch put forcefields on all exits!" he shouted.
"Is she trying to kill us?" Sam asked.
"No idea. Did she make those weird creatures?" Berto asked.
"Nope, they're Illyana's," Liam shouted. He was still blocking the last few beast capable of fighting while tens of beasts were spread over the floor, slowly regenerating.
"Of course they are," Roberto replied.
"Where are the others?" Sam asked.
"No clue," they all responded after each other.
"Then, are these things immortal?" Sam asked again.
"For now, yes," Liam replied.
"Alright, upstairs," Sam said, seeing the creatures begin to regenerate again.