Seeing the stairs swarming with creatures, Illyana summoned a blue rift in front of her and jumped through it, reappearing at the top of the stairs. She kicked off the ground, raising her soul sword and sliced straight through the five creatures blocking the steps.
The edges of her blade were super sharp and had an incredibly high temperature. It cut through the creatures and even the surrounding walls without encountering the slightest resistance.
The group hurried up the stairs, while hearing more noise coming from a room up ahead. Liam turned back and blasted the roof above the staircase. The rubble crashed down, blocking the creatures from following them.
"Nice," Sam said, nodding approvingly. Liam gave him a quick nod in return.
They ran through the corridor without encountering more creatures and approached the source of the noise. Turning a corner, they entered a room Liam immediately recognized. Inside were a dazed Dani and Rahne, the latter looking after the former with concern.
"What the hell is going on?" Roberto asked.
"Dr. Reyes tried to kill Dani," Rahne sniffled. "That test wasn't a test for her powers. She... she tried to kill her."
While Rahne spoke, Liam subtly gestured to Illyana, pointing towards a book tucked in the corner of Dr. Reyes' room. It contained all their files and he knew it.
"These creatures and nightmares all seem connected to us," Sam muttered, remembering the creatures that were after Illyana, Roberto and the nightmares he had.
Illyana opened the book and began flipping through its pages, distracting the others. "Test subject 03," she read aloud. "Her hatred for humans makes her a candidate for the program. Inclusion: a killer."
The others crowded around the book, reading in shock, while Liam stood back, silently observing. 'I doubt she has the power to summon whatever that silhouette was,' he thought. 'But if I can get Illyana to create a gate to Limbo, I'll have what I need.'
the feeling is getting stronger outside but i still dont have waht i need (limbo)
"She's prepping us to be killers," Sam said as he read through his own file. "And we can't leave because her barriers block us."
"Then let's kill her," Dani suggested. The others nodded in agreement.
'Teenagers... so dramatic,' Liam thought, rolling his eyes.
The group made their way downstairs via a different set of steps, relying on Rahne's sense of smell to track Dr. Reyes. With Dani regaining some control over her consciousness, the creatures on the bottom floor had vanished.
They entered the medical room, where Liam had spent the last two months recovering. Inside, they found a bloodied Dr. Reyes sitting on the floor, clutching her wounds and applying pressure to a large cut.
"I did all this to save you," she screamed, breathing heavy. "My superiors would have saved you."
"You kept us like slaves," Illyana snapped.
"No! I did this for you!" Dr. Reyes insisted, summoning small, glowing barriers around each of them. "I can let you all go—back to how it was. Except Dani. Her powers are too dangerous. I'm sure you've figured out what they are by now."
The others struggled against the barriers, trying to break free. Liam, however, remained calm, studying the energy enclosing him. 'Interesting,' he mused. 'This almost looks like a magic spell.'
"Her powers bring out your worst fear or your deepest secret," Dr. Reyes continued, her voice filled with a twisted conviction. "Even your most painful trauma's—until it kills you." She thinned the barrier around Dani, who fell unconscious as her powers began to spiral out of control.
Deciding he had seen enough, Liam summoned Incursio. As the armor enveloped him, a strange, familiar feeling came over him but he couldn't quite say where it was coming from. He summoned Neontote and slashed through the barrier, shattering it in one go. Without hesitation, he broke the others' barriers as well.
The group stared at him in shock. Liam was suddenly completely covered in a grey armor and held a red spear afterall. Unbeknownst to Liam, small amounts of white energy from Incursio were slowly flowing to the outside of the building.
"сексуальный," Illyana muttered under her breath, momentarily distracted by the sight.
"Damn," Roberto added, still gaping.
Dr. Reyes looked shocked and was about to say something, but before she could, a large demonic bear with glowing red eyes burst through the wall, roaring in anger. It lunged at her, biting down and tearing off her upper torso and head in one swift motion. Blood sprayed across the room as her legs fell down to the floor.
'That bear wasn't the familiar feeling,' Liam thought, puzzled.
"Another demon?" Illyana asked, her voice low as she stared at the bear and the leftover bodyparts from Dr Reyes.
The bear let out another loud roar, forcing everyone to cover their ears. Illyana quickly summoned her armor and Soul Sword, preparing to fight.
But before the bear could attack, it suddenly froze. It turned its head and roared again as two enormous claws grabbed it by the neck. Slowly, it was dragged back through the hole in the wall before being lifted into the air.
The group stared in stunned silence. The large hole in the wall revealed a massive blue creature with glowing red eyes. Its body was covered in fur, and bone-like structures came from its neck.
'Well... I did not expect that,' Liam thought as he stared at the Tyrant. 'Ermm... what do I do now?'
The Tyrant stood on its hind legs, towering over them all, revealing how tall it really was. 'Goddamn, that thing is easily as tall as a 20-story building.' Liam thought. He walked closer to the hole in the wall while observing the Tyrant.
A massive scar ran over the middle of its body, revealing red skin stitched back together. 'He's not supposed to have that. And from what I can remember, it's supposed to be even bigger than this.' Liam thought, remembering the dream he was in.
The Tyrant dangled the bear over its mouth, ignoring its struggles and roaring, the Tyrant opened its mouth and let go off it. It chewed a few times before locking its eyes onto Liam. The familiar feeling between the two of them attracted its full attention.
Illyana broke the silence. "What is that?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"This one's mine," Liam said. "You take the others and leave."
Seeing Illyana hesitate, Liam repeated. ''The others are too weak to fight this, you are the only one who can take them away.''
Illyana nodded. Seeing the others paralyzed with fear, she opened a portal and got the others to go through it.
'This is likely my only chance to ever see and study a Tyrant, I have to take this opportunity.' He thought. 'I also need to buy time somehow, Illyana can't open portals too far away. There's also a town nearby which I can't let it go to.'
"Now we're all alone," Liam shouted, stepping forward.
The Tyrant roared again, shaking the ground. The building behind Liam crumbled into rubble by the soundwaves as he leaped down to the grassy field below. A massive greatsword stuck out of the ground near him.
'My reincarnation with Incursio is my greatest secret,' Liam thought. 'That checks out, in a way. But why is there a sword here?'