Chapter 12

The trio moved in silence, the manor looming ever closer, yet somehow never seeming close enough. The further they walked, the more the air itself felt... wrong.

Mark glanced around, unable to stop marveling at the sheer scale of the place.

Jagged rock formations jutted upward like ancient spires, their surfaces glinting faintly with streaks of ore that shimmered in the eerie glow of the bioluminescent fungi dotting the cavern walls.

“Seriously,” he muttered under his breath. “How does something like this even exist under the city?”

Streams of water trickled down from unseen heights, carving narrow paths through the stone before pooling in small, reflective basins. Occasionally, strange sounds echoed through the expanse—faint clicks and distant growls that made his skin crawl.

“Ugh,” Katrina grumbled, “I hate being wet.”

“Seriously? Of all the weird shit going on down here, that’s your biggest complaint? Being a little damp?”

“Oh, fuck off,” she snapped. “You have no idea how uncomfortable it is. It’s like...”

“It’s like wearing a cold, slimy suit that clings to every inch of your body, chafing your skin, making you itch,” Ria finished a sympathetic smile on her lips.

“Exactly! Not to mention how crappy my hair gets—”

“Oh no,” he couldn’t resist. “Wouldn’t want to mess up your perfect hair.”

“You little...” Katrina snarled, throwing him a glare that could’ve melted steel.

Ria laughed. “She’s got a point, though. It does take a lot of time and effort to keep hair looking good.”

“Yeah, it’s a fucking drag.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then why bother?”

Katrina looked at him as if he’d grown a second head then turned to Ria with an expression that seemed to be asking - ‘Is he for real?’

She shrugged. “What can I say? Didn’t I already tell you? Pretty faces don’t always come with brains to match.”

“Great,” he sighed, throwing his hands up. “Now I’m the dumbass, huh?”

“Well, you sure as hell are acting like one.”

Mark rolled his eyes but then got an idea. “Hold up a second.”

Both women halted, exchanging confused glances.

Katrina folded her arms. “What now?”

He reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder, ignoring her sharp glare. “Just hold still.”

“Seriously—what the f—” Katrina’s words cut off as a faint current of energy spread over her body.

Mark concentrated, pushing out a steady, controlled stream of electricity. A faint electrical hum filled the air, and a warm, gentle heat radiated from his hand, enveloping her body. Steam began to rise faintly as the moisture evaporated, and within moments, her soaked state turned into dry comfort.

He then did the same for Ria. The process was quicker this time, and when he was done, she smiled warmly.

Katrina looked herself over, her brows raised slightly in approval.

“Neat,” she said, brushing off her sleeve.

“No need to thank me, just doing my job as the dumbass.”

“Thank you?” she scoffed. “The fuck have you been waiting for? Walking around like that was suffocating.”

She turned sharply and strode ahead, her boots thudding against the stone floor.

Ria gave him a playful shrug as she fell in step with Katrina.

Mark stared after them, shaking his head as he followed behind. Why is she always so pissed off?

They walked in silence for a while, the faint crunch of their boots on the uneven ground the only sound echoing through the cavern. The quiet didn’t last long, though.

He glanced over his shoulder when he heard Ria and Katrina chatting, their voices low. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they were clearly engrossed in conversation.

It struck him as odd—not in a bad way, just unexpected.

They were so different, Ria with her quick wit and playful teasing, Katrina with her quiet intensity and no-bullshit attitude.

And yet, they seemed to... get each other, their differences complementing rather than clashing. I’m definitely the odd one out here.

And yet, somehow, they just... clicked.

Mark wasn’t sure whether to be confused or relieved, but he settled on the latter. With everything going on, he didn’t need more drama in his life. Maybe this won’t be such a disaster after all.

The structure loomed before them, its silhouette stark against the eerie glow of the fungi.

As they got closer, they could see that it was some sort of manor, its gray stone walls crumbling, its windows dark and empty, a pair of towers flanking the main entrance like skeletal sentinels. The stained-glass windows were smashed, their bright hues now dull and broken, giving off a creepy vibe.

From a distance, the building had looked imposing, but up close, it was downright unnerving.

“Ah, fuck...” he mumbled. “Of course, it had to be another creepy-ass mansion.”

Katrina raised an eyebrow. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a building.”

“Nothing ... I just ... don’t like them.”

“It does give off some ... creepy vibes,” Ria admitted, surveying the derelict structure warily.

Mark’s eyes caught movement near the entrance of the building. He raised a hand, signaling the others to stop, and the trio veered off the path, moving toward the cover of a massive boulder nearby.

Peering around its edge, he got a better look at the figures wandering near the manor.

“Shit.”

Ria and Katrina crouched beside him, following his gaze.

The creatures from before—only worse.

Their bodies were more twisted, more grotesque as if they’d been rotting while still alive. Their limbs jerked unnaturally, skin stretched too tight over bones, faces frozen in twisted parodies of human expressions. Some had jagged holes where eyes should be, others bore gaping wounds that oozed dark ichor but refused to bleed out.

Several canine-like beasts stalked among them, their gaunt frames barely hidden under patchy, hairless skin. Their elongated snouts were filled with sharp teeth.

“Lovely,” Katrina said. “Looks like they brought pets.”

“There’s got to be at least thirty or forty of them.”

“Maybe more,” Ria added.

“Well, at least they brought some variety this time,” Katrina added.

“Yeah, great. Really thoughtful of them,” he whispered back. She is really...

They crouched lower behind the boulder, their breaths quiet as they watched the horde shuffle aimlessly around the manor’s entrance. The path forward was clear enough, but it was obvious they’d have to get through the creatures to enter.

What the hell are these things? They were too organized to be mindless, but their movements were jagged and wrong. The disfigurements ... the emptiness in their eyes.

“What the hell are they?” Ria muttered as if sensing his thoughts.

Katrina flexed her fingers, her hand morphing seamlessly into claws. “Doesn’t matter. What matters is they’ll all be dead in a few moments.”

“Whoa there, easy, Wolverine, slow down a second.”

“What?” She raised an eyebrow. “You wanna go down there and have a friendly chat with them?”

“Uh, no. But maybe we should try to get inside. Quietly. There could be more of these things around.”

Ria tilted her head. “Okay, so what’s the plan? Do we split up?”

“That’s our best bet. We hit them fast and hard. These things don’t seem to use any strategy, so we can use that against them. Ria, you take the east side. Katrina, you’re on the west. I’ll take the south. We will box them in.”

The two women exchanged a glance before locking their gazes back on the creatures.

Suddenly, Mark felt a sharp heat in one palm and icy cold in the other. He rubbed them together, trying to shake off the conflicting sensations. What the hell...?

“Alright then,” Katrina nodded, grinning. “We hit them from all sides, bottleneck the fuckers, then put them down hard and fast.”

“Should be enough to satisfy you,” Ria teased, a playful smirk on her lips.

“Oh, honey ... I’ll never get enough of tearing shit apart.”

Mark smirked. “Not touching that one.”

“Probably for the best. Try to keep up this time, sparky,” she straightened and started toward her position without looking back.

Ria gave a small pat on his shoulder before heading to her own vantage point.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he watched them go. Always getting roped into some fresh brand of crazy around here...

Steeling himself, he moved keeping low, using the shadows and the uneven terrain to his advantage. Once in position, he crouched low, scanning the creatures’ movements. They meandered with unsettling aimlessness, their gaunt forms shifting in and out of the dim light. So damn creepy...

He waited, his muscles tensed, until he spotted Ria and Katrina, poised at their respective vantage points, their bodies tense, focused on the creatures milling around.

Let’s do this. Inhaling deeply, he conjured his blades, their familiar weight a comforting presence in his hands, and charged.

The trio converged on the horde in a perfectly timed strike.

Mark lunged, his first blade carving into the nearest creature’s ribs. It let out a wet, gurgling screech but didn’t drop, its broken fingers scrabbling at his wrist. With a frustrated growl, he drove his second blade up through its jaw, the tip bursting from the back of its skull.

It twitched. Still not dead.

A surge of irritation—no, something else—coursed through him. He yanked the blade free and tore it sideways, severing its head. The headless torso twitched and spasmed for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

One down...

He glanced up just in time to see Katrina moving like a streak of gold across the battlefield. Her claws drove deep into the eye socket of another creature, and with a wet squelch, it toppled over like an unbalanced Jenga tower. She didn’t pause, didn’t even glance back, her focus already on her next target.

On the other side, Ria was waging her own war. Ice spears erupted around her, slicing through the horde, but the creatures crowded so thickly around her that Mark could barely make out her figure amidst the chaos.

He started towards her, wanting to back her up, but then a figure lunged at him from the side, a glint of metal catching his eye.

This creature, unlike the others, was armed. A long iron rod, its surface rusted and pitted, but still deadly, whistled through the air toward Mark’s head. He ducked, the rod clanging against a nearby rock. Seriously? Where did they even find that?

He planted his feet and thrust his blade forward, but the creature parried, the iron rod meeting his weapon with a harsh clang.

“Clever bastard,” Mark muttered circling his opponent.

The creature attacked again, swinging the rod in a wide arc. Mark leaped back, narrowly avoiding the blow, then countered with a swift slash across its wrist. It howled, clutching its severed hand, and Mark ended its misery with a quick thrust to the chest.

He glanced around, assessing the situation. Less than ten creatures remained, their movements becoming more desperate, their attacks less coordinated. Almost done.

“Mark! Behind you!” Ria shouted.

He turned just in time to see one of the canine creatures launch itself at him, its teeth bared. Damn it!

Mark dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the beast as it sailed over him. He spun on his knees, throwing one of his blades toward it. The creature twisted mid-air, dodging the attack with an unnatural agility, and landed on all fours, growling low in its throat.

It lunged again, its jaws snapping inches from his face. He rolled to the side and scrambled to his feet, summoning his second blade. The creature pounced, and this time, he met its attack head-on, catching its snapping jaws with the flat of his blade.

Its sheer weight forced him back a step, but he gritted his teeth and twisted the blade, breaking free.

The beast growled and lunged again, but Mark was ready. He sidestepped and drove his blade into its side, pushing with all his strength. The creature let out a strangled yelp, its legs collapsing beneath it as it hit the ground.

“Thanks for the save,” he rasped out Ria.

She simply shrugged one shoulder with a cocky grin, already turning her focus towards the last few lingering hostiles harrying Katrina.

The trio worked in tandem, their movements sharp and efficient as they dispatched the remaining enemies. Their combined power a force of nature as they tore through the creatures one by one until, finally, the cavern was still once more.

They stood for a moment, catching their breath and gathering their wits. Their eyes darted between the lifeless bodies scattered around, the faint sounds of dripping water and distant echoes filling the cavern.

Ria wiped a streak of ichor from her cheek, looking at him curiously. “Hey ... why didn’t you use your lightning?”

“Just saving my juice. Who knows what’s waiting for us inside.”

Ria raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.

Though the truth was, lately he’d been enjoying the feel of the void blades, the raw, primal rush that flowed through them. It felt good. Too good.

The trio regrouped at the grand entrance. With a nod to his companions, Mark placed his hands on the massive, ornate double doors. The stone steps beneath them creaked faintly as he pushed, the doors groaning open to reveal a sprawling interior that made him pause in awe.

The foyer was enormous, its floors draped in satin-red carpets that looked almost new, their vibrant hues contrasting against the polished marble beneath. A massive chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, its countless crystals glistening with soft candlelight.

The warm glow danced across the room, casting strange, flickering shadows on the maroon couches in the center, each lined with gold trimmings.

A grand marble staircase swept upward, splitting into two symmetrical curves that led to the second level. Up there, several double doors lined the balcony, their dark wood polished to a mirror-like sheen. Every surface gleamed, the air carrying a faint scent of aged wood and something floral.

“Not bad,” Katrina whistled softly. “Fancy.”

“Well, it’s certainly tidier than your place.”

She simply flipped him off without breaking stride, emerald eyes roving over with a curious gaze.