Ren sat up, rubbing his temple as he took in the scene.
"What the hell was that?"
"Stay quiet, we don't have much time before someone notices he's missing."
"You almost took out my breath... and now I can't speak?"
Ren whispered, gasping for air. Shin's hand is clearly stronger than a man full of muscle.
He got to his feet, glancing between Shin and the unconscious bandit.
"What's the plan now?"
Shin didn't answer immediately. She grabbed the bandit's keys and tossed them to Ren.
"Let's find our bond stones and gear."
Ren caught the keys without a word, he glanced once more at the unconscious bandit sprawled on the cell floor, then at Shin, who was crouched over the man, efficiently searching his pockets for anything useful.
He unlocked the cell door and stepped cautiously into the dimly lit corridor. Shin followed close behind.
The flickering torchlight illuminated the rough, damp stone walls, and the faint sound of voices echoed from somewhere deeper in the fortress.
"Which way?"
She tilted her head, listening intently. After a moment, she pointed down the corridor to their right.
"There's less noise that way. If we're lucky, their storage room isn't far."
"If we're lucky..."
Every step felt agonizingly loud against the silence of the corridor.
As they passed a side passage, Ren heard the faint clinking of metal chains rattling. He froze, holding up a hand to stop Shin.
"Wait," he whispered. "Did you hear that?"
"Could be prisoners."
"We should check."
"We don't have time for detours. Every second we waste increases the chance they catch on to us."
Ren frowned but gestured toward the faint sound of rattling chains.
"If there are others trapped here, we can't just leave them."
"They'll be saved later. After I retrieve my belongings and send my message through my family's insignia. Without it, we're as good as dead in this labyrinth."
Ren paused, the weight of her words sinking in. Her focus was unshakable, and he realized that she wasn't being heartless, she was being practical.
Whatever her family's insignia represented, it clearly carried enough importance to prioritize over everything else.
Shin led the way, her every movement deliberate and silent.
They turned a corner and found themselves in front of a large wooden door, its edges worn but reinforced with iron bands.
"This looks like it..."
Shin said, testing the handle. Locked.
"Let me,"
Ren said, pulling out the keys and quickly sorting through them.
He found the right key and unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly to reveal a room lined with shelves and chests. Weapons, satchels, and other valuables were haphazardly stored inside.
Shin stepped in first, scanning the room with her eyes. She strode to a chest in the corner and opened it, letting out a breath of relief as she retrieved a small, intricately engraved medallion.
Her family's insignia.
Ren, meanwhile, began rifling through the shelves and crates, searching for his belongings. He quickly found his satchel tucked under a pile of worn leather armor. Throwing it open, relief briefly washed over him as he saw his gear except for the crucial items.
His bond stones were missing.
"Damn it," he muttered, digging deeper into the bag and inspecting every pocket. "Where are they?"
Shin, who had just tucked her family's insignia into her cloak, turned to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
"They're gone. My bond stones. They're not here."
Shin frowned, scanning the room. She checked another chest nearby and pulled out her weapon, an elegant rapier, but her expression quickly mirrored Ren's disappointment.
"Mine aren't here either."
Ren rubbed the back of his neck, his mind racing.
"Maybe they think they're valuable enough to lock up somewhere else?"
Shin's eyes narrowed as a realization dawned on her.
"...Or maybe they're using them."
"Oh no... don't tell me—"
Before Ren could finish his sentence, muffled voices echoed from behind the door they had just come through.
Shin's eyes widened, and she reacted instantly. With a quick shove, she pushed Ren toward a large crate in the corner of the room.
"Get down!"
Ren stumbled, landing awkwardly on the ground. Before he could protest, Shin dove on top of him, her back pressing against his chest as she positioned them both out of sight behind the crate.
The situation was far from comfortable. Ren lay sprawled on the cold stone floor, Shin's weight pressing him down.
"Shin—"
"Shh!"
The door creaked open, and the voices grew louder.
"You sure you locked it properly?"
"Of course I did. You think someone would actually try to break into the storage room?"
"Better safe than sorry. Boss won't let it slide if anything goes missing."
Ren held his breath, feeling Shin tense against him. She shifted slightly, just enough for him to catch a glimpse of the two men stepping inside.
One was tall and broad-shouldered, carrying a torch that illuminated his rough features. The other was shorter, fiddling nervously with a ring of keys at his side.
They scanned the room briefly, their gazes sweeping dangerously close to the crate.
Ren's heart pounded in his chest. He was acutely aware of how close they were to being discovered and how close Shin was to him. Her hair, loose from the frantic movements, tickled his cheek.
"Looks fine. Let's just grab that bottle of mead and get back to the pit before we miss the next match."
The shorter man nodded, shuffling toward a shelf near the far wall.
Shin barely moved, her breathing steady but shallow as she kept her focus on their movements. Ren, however, could feel the heat rising to his face from their awkward position.
The two bandits lingered for what felt like an eternity, rummaging through the shelves and muttering under their breath.
"Got it. Let's go. Don't want the boss thinking we're slacking off."
The shorter man nodded quickly, and they turned to leave, the door slamming shut behind them.
Shin waited a few extra seconds before rolling off Ren and crouching by the crate.
Ren sat up, his face flushed.
"Did you really have to lie on me like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Y-you know what I mean. We... we were in a really... awkward position."
"Stop whining and focus. We know where the stones are."
Ren blinked, confused.
"We do?"
"The pit! They're heading back there. If they're talking about matches, they're probably using the bond stones to control the beasts."