Arcane Keepers Headquarters, the end of the hallway.
Noah checked a bunch of keys in his hand, looking at the designs and trying to compare them with the keyhole on the secret door. He found one that looked like a match and immediately tried it on the door. With a click, a hidden door at the end of the hallway opened.
The air shifted as old mechanisms stirred. A faint breeze escaped from the gap, carrying the scent of rust and damp stone from within the sealed passage.
Noah and Asher walked in.
"A stairs," Asher said, stating the obvious, breaking the silence.
Indeed, there was a staircase behind the door. Noah didn't say anything and just started descending. Asher followed behind.
The staircase was narrow and steep, made of old stone with edges worn smooth. Each step groaned faintly under their weight as they descended deeper.
They finally reached the prison area. Only one dim lamp lit the place. The room was low-ceilinged and silent, the weak glow casting elongated shadows. Iron bars lined the walls—most covered in dust and cobwebs.
They continued walking, passing several empty prison cells. Their steps were the only sounds they heard.
They arrived at the last three prison cells. Inside was dark, making it difficult to see the people within.
Asher noticed that they wore jackets like those used in insane asylums. Thick canvas, tightly bound. The kind of restraint meant to erase a person's will over time.
"I can give you freedom," Noah said. "Do you want to get out?"
His voice was steady, confident. It echoed quietly in the narrow space, reaching each prisoner.
One of them laughed.
"Stupid question," he said. "Who are you?"
The voice was rough, amused—tinged with madness or maybe just long-held boredom.
"I'm Noah," Noah said with a smile. "That's all you need to know."
A simple answer, offered without hesitation.
"You're not from Arcane Keepers, I assume," he said. "I can smell blood on you."
There was a pause, as if the man was testing him with words.
"That's right," Noah replied, while Asher remained silent behind him, looking uneasy. "So let me ask again—do you guys want to get out or not?"
Asher's eyes flicked between the cells and Noah, uncertain of what was about to happen.
From another cell, a heavy male voice called out.
"Free me," he said.
It was a demand—plain and commanding.
From the last cell, a soft girl's voice emerged. "M-me too."
Hesitant, but sincere—her voice barely more than a whisper in the dark.
"Okay, okay, get me out of here too!" said the first guy. There was a laugh in his tone—mocking, eager, or both.
Noah used the key to open the cell doors.
The locks clicked open one by one. Metal creaked as the doors slowly swung on rusted hinges.
One was a huge guy with long, dirty hair. His head almost touched the ceiling of the room.
He stepped forward, the floor groaning beneath him. His eyes were heavy with silence and strength.
The other one was a laughing guy with bags under his eyes. His grin was unsettling, almost too wide, and he looked around with a twitchy kind of amusement.
The last one was a girl who appeared weak.
She stood shakily, eyes downcast, her presence quiet but oddly intense.
"Hehehe, so what do you want from us?" the laughing guy asked. "You're not going to free us for free, right?"
His voice danced with mockery, like he was enjoying a private joke.
"I'm planning to create a new group," Noah said. "And I want you guys to be a part of it."
He spoke plainly, without ceremony.
"Criminal group? Hah! Very funny," the laughing guy said. The laughter came fast and sharp. He seemed more amused than dismissive.
"I'm not interested," the big guy named Bog said. "Free me. From this jacket. And I won't kill you."
His tone was direct and oppressive, making it clear that cooperation was unlikely.
"Aha, immediate hostility," Noah said. "Asher, do as he asked." Noah sounded calm—like he was expecting this kind of reaction from the beginning.
"What...?" Asher said. He hesitated, unsure whether this was smart or suicidal.
"It's fine," Noah said easily. "If they aren't willing to work with me on their own, I won't force them."
His tone didn't change—still composed, almost casual.
Asher freed the big guy from his restraining jacket. The big guy immediately punched Asher.
There was no warning. The hit landed hard and fast.
"Argh!" Asher groaned as he fell to the ground.
He clutched his side, teeth clenched, stunned by the force.
"That's not very nice of you," Noah said. "You want a fight?"
He didn't move. Just watched, voice still neutral.
The big guy snorted and then left. He didn't bother to reply. Just turned and walked out, leaving silence behind.
"Are you okay, Asher?" Noah asked.
Noah's gaze followed the man, but his words were directed at Asher.
"Yeah, luckily, the effect of 'roll the dice' is still active, so my defense was higher," he said, standing up. "But seriously, what the hell was that? Ungrateful bastard."
Asher dusted himself off, grimacing. He was clearly annoyed, but more confused than angry.
"Yeah, but forget about him. So, how about you?" Noah asked the laughing guy.
The laughing guy, Zell, laughed.
"The whole joining the group thing is stupid," he said honestly, "but you interest me. I'm willing to follow you for now. The name's Zell! What about you?"
"I'm Asher," Asher said as he freed him from his restraint jacket. Suddenly, Zell raised his hand, almost like he was going to hit Asher.
Reflexively, Asher flinched and moved back.
He raised his arms slightly in defense, heart skipping a beat.
Zell laughed. "Just joking! You're so funny!" he said.
The laughter echoed again. It wasn't clear whether Zell was truly joking or just unpredictable.
"That's not funny," Asher said, snorting.
He rolled his eyes, still on edge.
"What about you?" This time Noah asked the girl.
His voice softened slightly.
"Ye-yes, you saved me," the girl, Lilian, said with a soft voice. "My name's Lilian. I will devote my life to pay it back."
She lowered her head, her hands trembling slightly in the sleeves of the jacket.
Asher was kind of surprised. She seemed so unthreatening that he started to doubt whether she was actually dangerous.
"Don't get fooled," Zell said, patting Asher on the back. "Despite her appearance and attitude, she's the most dangerous one out of the three of us."
He grinned.
"Really...?" Asher said in disbelief. He glanced back at Lilian, trying to picture it.
Zell laughed again. Asher couldn't tell if he was serious or not. The air between them felt unpredictable.
After freeing Lilian from her restraint jacket, Noah said, "I've already prepared a building for our group. There you can find food, clothes, money. Go there and feel free to use it."
His tone shifted slightly—more directive, laying down the plan.
"Wow, aren't you such a pretty nice boss?" Zell said, laughing. "I'm lucky to follow you." He said it in a playful tone, almost mockingly.
"Yes, yes, let's go," Noah said, not caring. He led them out of the prison area. He walked with calm purpose, already planning next steps.
"Anyway, we're a team now," Noah said with a smile. "Asher, you come up with our group name."
"What? Me?" Asher said, surprised. He blinked, pointing at himself.
"I'm not good at naming anything," Noah said as they arrived in the hallway.
"Al-alright, I'll try to think of something cool," Asher said. "Wait, what are you doing?"
He noticed Noah had stopped walking.
Noah picked up the corpse of an Arcane Keepers member named Alexis. He crouched down, lifting the body without hesitation, as if it were just part of the job.
Noah looked at the two prisoners, giving them his private place address.
"You guys can go ahead now," he said. "We still have something else to do."
"Aye-aye, captain," Zell said, giving a salute before walking to the front door.
"O-okay," Lilian said. "See you later...?"
Their figures faded toward the exit. With that, Zell and Lilian left.
"So, what are you doing?" Asher asked.
His voice was lower now, unsure of what came next.
"Things ended rather quickly here, more than I expected," Noah said. "So, I changed my mind. We might still have time to join the party."
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly. Something else was already forming in his mind.
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