Satoya was chained up, waiting hopelessly for the "opportunity" that Rius had pleaded with him to wait for, until he heard the steel door being frantically opened. Yurina stumbled into the testing chambers, panting as if she'd ran a marathon to get to him.
"I saw soldiers! You can escape!" she said with a comforting smile, pulling out a set of keys. Carefully, she freed Satoya from the chains that bound him to the wall. Yurina grabbed his arm and led him out, sprinting as she practically dragged Satoya to the exit. When she let go, Satoya slowed, taking in the lab around him for the first time.
The hallway was dimly lit, the bulbs giving off an eerie crimson glow. Squinting, Satoya realized the crimson came from layers of dried blood caked over the lights—a sign of years, maybe decades, of neglect. Cracks lined the walls, with plant roots protruding and slimy liquid dripping from the ceiling. A decomposing body lay slumped against the wall, discarded like trash.
As Satoya absorbed the scene, Yurina stood beside him, her head swiveling as if searching for every possible pathway. "Yurina…" Satoya called softly. She turned to face him, her expression set with determination.
"What did you mean by 'You can escape?'" he asked cautiously. Yurina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she began manifesting the sword she'd once given Roland—the very blade he'd used to sever Satoya's arm. Her gaze dropped to the tiled floor, now stained and putrid with filth.
"Even if I were to escape, how can I continue to live?" she murmured, her hands trembling as she gripped the sword. "Even if I escape, how can I live with the atrocities I've committed?" The question lingered in the air, mixing with the occasional buzz of crackling electricity from a broken bulb.
Satoya's chest felt heavy, a crushing weight that seemed to grow with every word Yurina spoke. Guilt and frustration twisted inside him, leaving him searching for words that wouldn't come. How could he tell her she was wrong when he didn't even believe it himself?
He raised his hand, hesitating as if he was trying to reach her. His fingers trembled slightly, but before he could say anything, Yurina looked up. Her eyes blazing with sheer determination, no sign of doubt.
"I have to kill him," she said firmly. Her voice didn't change as she added, "I will go find Roland and kill him. That's the only way I can redeem myself."
"You don't have to do this alone!" Satoya pleaded, his voice desperate. "I can help you fight him!" Yurina shook her head, her grip on the sword tightening. "Even if I told you where he is, you would inevitably get lost. That's the nature of this lab." Her tone softened slightly, but her resolve remained unshaken.
"I have to find him myself. I have to do this. After everything he forced me to do, I cannot live with the blood stained on my hands."
She turned away, walking slowly in the opposite direction, her footsteps echoing down the corridor. "I don't know how many people are coming, but I saw soldiers. Please, go find safety."
Satoya hesitated, his body frozen as a wave of emotions swept over him. Reluctantly, he turned and began to run, but after a few steps, he glanced back. She was already gone.