As the elevator came to a stop with a deep, metallic groan, the doors creaked open. The cold air rushed in, sending a shiver through the group.
Olorun stepped out first, stretching his arms dramatically. "Ah, freedom at last!"
Kenji rolled his eyes as he followed. "Very funny, Olorun."
Eleo's eyes widened as he looked around. "Whoa… this place is actually kinda cool."
The underground cavern was vast, with walls of ice reflecting a strange, eerie glow. Massive chains still hung from the ceiling, remnants of the prison that once held the rock people. Frozen torches were mounted along the walls, their magical flames still flickering with a dull blue light. Old mining tools were scattered on the ground, covered in frost.
Tom walked ahead, his breath visible in the cold air. "Alright, now we walk… and hopefully, no monsters attack us right now."
As they moved through the cavern, Eleo kept glancing around, fascinated by the place. Meanwhile, Kenji and Olorun had already started bickering about something trivial, their voices growing louder.
Then, a noise.
A sharp, distant clank followed by muffled voices.
Tom's expression hardened instantly. "Shh! Get down."
They all ducked behind a cluster of frozen rocks, staying low.
Olorun whispered, "Wait… maybe it's the others?"
Kenji shook his head. "I don't think so. They don't sound like them."
Eleo perked up his ears, listening closely. "I hear what they're saying…"
Tom leaned in. "What are they saying?"
Eleo quietly repeated the conversation.
> "Damn it, I can't wait to get out of this place."
> "Yeah, I know, but you heard what the boss said. We need to find that crystal."
> "Why the hell do we have to? I mean, can he even control it?"
> "Probably. I mean, with his magic and those special eyes, he could become the strongest."
Eleo's ears shot up. "THE STRONGEST?!"
Kenji, Olorun, and Tom all whipped their heads toward him. "SHHHHHHHH!!"
Olorun furrowed his brow. "Wait… how do they know about the crystal?"
Tom sighed, rubbing his temples. "Because I told them about it a month ago…"
Kenji shot him a sharp look. "You what?"
Tom lowered his voice. "One of those guys over there attacked the golem. I told him to stop. He asked me why he should, and I told him about the crystal, thinking it'd make him back off. Instead, he said he'd be back with a partner. I don't know how they found the entrance to the rock slave prison camp."
Kenji's jaw tightened. "Why didn't you report this to the Supreme Council?"
Tom hesitated. "Well… none of them came here for some reason. Or maybe the Ice Queen scared them. She probably threatened them." His voice grew darker. "Because the reason we made the rock people into slaves… was for the Supreme Council. They knew how useful the rock people were."
A heavy silence hung over the group.
Eleo clenched his fists. "Wow… I can't believe those jerks would go that low."
Kenji exhaled sharply. "Alright, we need to see who we're dealing with."
They peeked from behind the rocks, getting a good look at the two men talking.
The first one was huge, built like a barrel with ridiculously long arms that dangled near his knees. He had a massive, fur-lined coat that barely fit his bulky frame, making him look like a walking boulder. His face was square-shaped with a permanent scowl, and his tiny, beady eyes darted around nervously. He held a giant pickaxe over his shoulder like it was a toothpick.
The second guy was the complete opposite—tall and lanky, with a sharp, almost bird-like nose. His neck was way too long, giving him the appearance of a nervous vulture. He wore an oversized hat that flopped over one side of his face, and his clothes were so baggy it looked like he was wearing hand-me-downs from a giant. He kept adjusting his hat dramatically like he was in a high-stakes poker game.
The big guy grumbled, scratching his chin. "Still don't get why we're the ones stuck doin' this. Boss could've sent anyone."
The lanky one adjusted his hat for the tenth time. "Yeah, well, if we don't find that crystal, we're dead. You know how the boss gets. I ain't endin' up like the last guy."
The big guy gulped. "Right… that guy."
The lanky one shivered. "I still hear his screams."
Olorun muttered, "These guys are not subtle."
Eleo cracked his knuckles. "Let's take 'em."
Kenji shook his head. "Not yet. Let's see what they do first."
The lanky one smirked, tilting his head slightly as if listening to something only he could hear. "You guys can come out." His voice was calm, confident.
Olorun's brows furrowed. "What the hell—how did they know?"
Kenji exhaled sharply, as if this was more annoying than alarming. "Guess we don't have a choice."
One by one, the group stepped out from behind the rocks, standing in the open against the two figures.
The larger man grinned, flexing his massive arms. "Look at this. A bunch of weaklings." His voice was deep, carrying an undeniable weight.
The lanky one let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "You're not wrong. And—hold on a second." He squinted, eyes locking onto Tom. "Ain't that the old man who told me about the crystal? What, you went and got yourself some new friends?" He scoffed. "Pathetic."
Tom folded his arms. "I had to. You took too long."
Eleo cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "And now, I'm gonna kick both of your asses."
The big guy laughed so hard his stomach shook. "Oh, that's rich. You? Beat us?"
The lanky man smirked. "Yeah, you can't beat January and February."
Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Your names are... the months?"
The big guy—February—rolled his shoulders. "No, fool. It's a way to hide our real names. And we ain't just some nobodies. We're part of The Sandy Bandies."
Olorun groaned, clearly unimpressed. "Okay, okay. Who the hell are The Sandy Bandies?"
January gave a wicked grin. "That's none of your business. All you need to know is that we're going to kill you."
Kenji unsheathed his swords in a single swift motion, the steel gleaming under the dim icy light. "Try it and see what happens."
Olorun's hands sparked with electricity, static crackling around his fingers. "Yeah, I'd love to see you try."
Eleo pounded his fists together, his expression fierce.
January chuckled, pointing at Olorun like he was holding a gun. "Okay, okay. I got Mr. Lightning over here."
February cracked his knuckles again, the sound like splitting ice. "And I'll take Blue-Hair and Bunny Boy."
January kept his finger aimed at Olorun, smirking. "Bang."
Olorun let out a laugh. "Dumbass. Nothing happened."
January gave a mock look of surprise. "Oh, really?"
Before anyone could react, he pulled a knife from his belt, turned around, and casually tossed it behind him.
Olorun rolled his eyes. "This guy is stupid—he just threw his damn knife backwar—AGHHHH!"
The knife buried itself deep in his leg.
Kenji immediately put his swords away and rushed to his side. "Damn it, Olorun! You okay?"
Eleo crouched down next to him, eyes wide with anger. "What the hell was that!?"
Tom's face darkened. "Let me guess… you absorbed a soul orb."
January gave a dramatic bow. "Of course I did."
Eleo's fists clenched. "Just like me…"
Olorun groaned, gritting his teeth against the pain. "And me."
Kenji spat on the ground, standing back up. His eyes locked onto February with a deadly intensity. "I don't need a damn soul orb. My swords are all I need."
February grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Oh yeah? Let's see how strong your swords really are, Blue-Hair."
The cold cavern air felt heavier, as if the very walls were bracing for the fight to come.
January twirled another knife between his fingers, eyes glinting with amusement. "Ooooh, this is gonna be fun.
Meanwhile...
Cornered by the Stalkers
Chiyo, Tony, and Timmy sprinted down the icy corridor, their breaths coming out in rapid puffs of mist. The dim glow of the magical ice crystals barely illuminated the path ahead, casting long, jagged shadows along the frozen walls. Behind them, the Stalkers pursued, their silent, predatory forms barely making a sound—just the occasional scraping of claws against the ice.
Tony risked a glance over his shoulder, and his hollow eyes widened. "Crap. They're still on us!" His bones rattled slightly as he turned back forward. "Guys, we might have to fight."
Timmy, still clutching onto Chiyo's head like a tiny, terrified passenger, squeaked, "W-WHAT!? But I don't wanna fight those things! They're huge!"
Chiyo, her sharp vampire eyes darting between the twisting paths, huffed. "We don't have a choice, Timmy." She skidded to a stop, whipping around as she set Timmy down. "If we keep running, we're just gonna run into more of them."
Tony slowed to a stop beside her, gripping his bony fingers into fists. "She's right. Besides, I don't think they're the 'give up and go home' type."
As if on cue, one of the Stalkers lunged forward, its ice-sculpted body rippling like a ghost through the frozen mist. Chiyo barely had time to dodge as its razor-sharp claws swiped where she had been standing a second ago, slicing a clean mark into the icy floor.
Timmy yelped, jumping behind Tony. "OKAY, I'M EVEN MORE SCARED NOW!"
Tony rolled his shoulder, cracking his knuckles with a smug grin. "Alright then, new plan: We beat these things, and then we run."
Chiyo smirked, revealing her sharp fangs. "That's the kind of plan I like."
Timmy gulped, raising a shaky fist. "O-Okay… but I get to stay behind you guys, right?"
The Stalkers circled them now, their glowing eyes piercing through the cold air. Their silent nature made them even more terrifying—no growls, no roars, just the eerie, calculated patience of perfect hunters.
Chiyo cracked her knuckles. "Alright, let's see how breakable these ice freaks really are."
Tony's eye sockets gleamed with excitement. "Hope they like getting crushed."
Timmy took a deep breath and clenched his tiny fists. "A-And I hope they like getting… um… annoyed!"
As the Stalkers tensed, ready to strike, the air between them grew still.
To Be Continued...