"What do you mean there's no way out?" Zen asked, walking alongside Zara.
Zara hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. "Even though you're not going to understand it, I'm going to explain it to you just once, so listen carefully."
Zen could understand her hesitation. What's the point of explaining some advanced type shit to someone who doesn't even know basics?
It wasn't like Zen didn't want power. Like everyone else, he also craved awakening powers, but to awaken them, he needed hundreds of creature cores. Even if he somehow managed to buy the cores, he still needed an ancestral bond artifact to channel the core's essence to finally awaken the powers. For someone like him from the slums, it was like a distant dream.
Zara continued "There is a seal placed on the whole city with four anchors using many bonds like soul bond, blood bond, and even elemental bond, so it's impossible to get out of this place without breaking the seal and to break the seal we have to destroy the anchors ,"
What's a seal? An anchor? And there are types of bonds? Zen thought, his face blank with confusion.
Seeing the lost look on his face, Nyra was the one to speak this time. "To put it simply, we need to search and destroy the four anchors to break the seal."
"So why are you guys not searching for the anchors? And what's even an anchor?" Zen asked.
It was clear they weren't saints on some noble mission to save a poor soul. If they really wanted to help, they'd be running, not casually walking and talking. As for Zen, he didn't feel much worry or guilt about the driver. Today alone, he'd already seen too many deaths. Adding one more stranger to that list didn't make a difference to him.
"We can't use our essence. Even that is sealed," Zara admitted, her tone flat.
'What?, they can't use their powers?' his brow furrowed.
"Do you know where the anchors are?" Zen pressed,
"No," Zara replied without hesitation.
Zen raised an eyebrow. "So, how are you planning to destroy something you can't even find?"
"We'll figure it out as we search," Zara said with a shrug.
No wonder they're going to the house. If they're searching for anchors, it only makes sense to start with the weirdest place around.
Zen had many questions on his mind, like "What are bonds? How did they manage to find this information if they can't use their powers? Was there a painting on the cathedral's wall?" But he kept his mouth shut, knowing his place for now. He hadn't expected to get any answers from them to begin with. He thought they would act high and mighty, looking down on him. To his surprise, they were strangely cooperative.
Perhaps it was because they couldn't use their powers. Even so, he didn't let that thought get to his head. He had seen the black-haired girl ruthlessly kill people with her fist and sword. Even without powers, she was still stronger than him.
Soon, the house came into view.
"There." Zen pointed toward the window.
Zara looked at him.
"What? Climb in." he stepped aside to let Zara and Nyra go first.
Nyra moved quickly, pulling herself through the window without a word. Zara followed, moving with the same ease.
Zen hesitated for a moment, looking at the empty street behind him. Being alone didn't seem like a great idea, so he climbed in too.
Nyra held out her hand.
Without thinking, Zen grabbed it.
Their eyes met.
He looked at her face.
She looked at him.
Huh? Why does she look annoyed ?
"Torch," she said flatly.
Zen looked down at his other hand and blinked. "Ah." He gave her an awkward laugh, quickly handing over the torch before pulling himself through the window.
The room looked just as he'd left it—papers scattered on the desk, clothes thrown across the floor, and that strange, round object sitting on the table.
Zara and Nyra began inspecting the room without a word, picking up items and looking around.
Are they seriously not going to check on the driver? Zen thought, then. He turned to the door and called out.
"Driver! Hey! Are you alive? Helloooooo?"
Is he already dead?
When Zen looked back, Zara and Nyra were both glaring at him.
"What?" he asked, shrugging. "Did I say something wrong?"
They didn't answer. Instead, Nyra turned her focus back to the door.
"Where did the sound come from last time?" she asked.
"Inside the door," Zen replied.
Leaving the table nyra moved cautiously toward the door, holding the torch in front of her. Grabbing the handle, she pushed it open.
The door creaked, revealing more of the house—a dimly lit dining room in the center and three smaller rooms branching off the sides.
Nyra stepped forward carefully, her eyes darting around. Zara and zen followed close behind, his heart pounding.
The house had no windows, just doors leading to the bedrooms and a dining area. Only the flickering light of a torch broke the darkness, casting shadows on the plain walls. A sturdy dining table sat at the center, surrounded by big chairs, and the creaky floors added to the stillness, giving the house a quiet, lived-in feel.
Looking around, there was no blood or any sign of struggle. The silence was broken only by their footsteps as they moved toward the first room.
The door was already open. Inside, a big bed, a lamp perched on a chair, and a cupboard greeted them. The room was tidy, showing no signs of disturbance.
"Hmmmmmmmmm…nnnnnnnn…" A muffled sound stopped them in their tracks.
"It's coming from the dining room," Zara said.
Without hesitation, Nyra headed toward the dining area. Zen followed, his brow furrowed as he glanced around. The dinning room was empty.
"Hnnnnnnnn…uhhhhhh…" The sound was louder now, coming from— below ?
"He is under the floor ? " Zen muttered as Nyra tapped it with her foot.
Tak tak
"There's a basement," Zara said softly.
Nyra crouched, pulled back the carpet, and revealed a trapdoor. She opened it, and a staircase leading down appeared.
Zara glanced at Nyra, who nodded in silent agreement before stepping onto the stairs.
'This is clearly a trap Even a pig could see that '
"Do we really have to go in there?" he asked.
Neither of them responded. Ignoring his question, they descended the stairs.
"At least give me my torch," he grumbled before following. They look confident. They must have some tricks up their sleeves.
He sighed as he climbed down, bracing himself for the worst. What's the worst that could happen? Someone trapping us down there, they using me as bait, or all of us dying to whatever's waiting below.
Pushing the thoughts aside, Zen took one careful step at a time, his heart pounding louder with every creak of the stairs.
Nyra moved her hand, shining the torch around the basement. It wasn't what Zen expected—it was clean.
'I just know the torch is definitely going to go out, and we'll end up getting lost, and yelling for each other' he thought.
"Hmmmm…hmmmm…hmmm."
The sound came again, making them all turn to the right.
Nyra pointed the torch in that direction. Two black eyes stared back at them. Long black hair, and a piece of cloth was tied over the mouth.
"The Fuck"
" A child ???"