[Back to Von]
Static and smoke hung in the air. The gentle whirring of shattered equipment echoed through broken hallways like distant whispers. Von sprinted down the charred corridor, Justin's body draped over his shoulder, muscles burning from the strain of holding his friend and himself up.
The central hallway behind him was completely demolished—steel beams and concrete plates were blocking the entry, radiating soft embers now.
Von (gritting his teeth):
"Damn it… No way out…"
But he didn't give up.
Despite blood trickling down his temple and legs trembling, Von would not give up. He braked hard into a side hallway, darting eyes, pounding heart.
He crashed through a poorly lit maintenance tunnel, the only light from flickering panels overhead. Pipes whistled. Sparks rained down from exposed wires.
Von (to himself):
"There has to be another way out. There has to be…"
[Back to the Laboratory—The Mysterious Man]
The mysterious man stood in the middle of the laboratory, the battlefield a field of broken corpses and burning machinery.
There was a carpet of twisting remnants of vessels—some missing limbs, others still reciting in a monotonous trance, as if they were unaware of their deteriorating state.
Then—
A sound.
A chant.
All remaining vessels raised their heads in unison, bloodied and cracked, and began murmuring in eerie synchronization—their voices overlapping in a robotic yet pleading tone:
"Why? Why reject us?
Why? Why? Why resist us?
Why? Why reject us?
Why? Why? Why resist us?
The voice twisted and bulged.
"Why do you still resist,
even though you know our perfect objective?
Our sole purpose?
Our design...
It has always been for peace.
Nothing but peace.
Is this not what you, too, are seeking?"
The air shuddered with their broken unity. The flames of fallen consoles cast flickering shadows across their malformed faces. Their chant was not a plea—it was doctrine. A creed.
The mysterious man stepped forward, electricity crawling along the floor like snakes at his feet.
He did not say anything for a moment. And then his voice boomed—firm, deep, and thick with truth.
Mysterious Man:
"Because the peace you speak of…
is a façade."
His trident cracked. He looked at them—not with rage, but dismay.
"It is nothing but an illusion.
Peace is born of choice.
When all the players understand its value and decide to keep it.
What you offer is not peace. It's bondage."
One vessel staggered toward him, broken jaw trembling.
Mysterious Man (whispering):
"How peaceful is your peace… if it must be forced on those who resist?"
Suddenly, the man hit his trident on the ground.
Mysterious Man (in an uplifted voice):
"This world has made too many wrong turns.
Too many demons… still walk free.
Time to reset."
A blast of light was released from the ground beneath him—the floor lit in circular outlines, looking like glyphs carved out of lightning. His palm touched the metal surface as he murmured in a low voice:
"Electric Field."
Lightning exploded out in every direction, crawling across every surface—crashing into the other vessels like holy wrath. Shrieks and sparks filled the air as their bodies contorted, convulsed, and then died in silence—
Ash and silence.
But the Primary Vessel remained.
Standing on the edge of the carnage, it walked forward, calm and unhurt.
Its sword dropped from its shoulder, slicing through wreckage as it ran forward, faster than any vessel ever had.
The mysterious man dodged narrowly, sparks shooting from his boots as he slid across the ruined tiles. His armor scraped against the wall. Behind him, the sword cleaved through a steel support beam like paper.
The mysterious man grabbed the unconscious Rhane, slung him over his shoulder, and ran. His cloak fluttered behind him like wings of smoke as he vanished into the maintenance tunnels, lightning still dancing around his feet.
Primary Vessel (watching):
"We shall force him… to reveal everything.
His mind. His knowledge. His defiance.
It shall all become ours.
The Primary Vessel raised its hand, and with a turn of its fingers, a portal materialized—a black emptiness of whirling edges.
Primary Vessel:
"He cannot escape.
Peace is inevitable."
And then it vanished, walking through the emptiness like a shadow into darkness.
[Back to Von—Moments Later]
Von stumbled out of the corridor into a dimly lit sub-level. Pipes hissed past him. Justin stirred weakly on his back.
Justin (groaning):
"Von…?"
Von (relieved):
"You're awake… Just hang on."
Suddenly, a door burst open from the other direction. Ace marched in, sparks still flickering limply from his palms, eyes scanning wildly until they landed on Von.
Ace (yelling):
"Von!"
Von had turned, sagging with effort, but his eyes lit with relief.
Von:
"Ace…! I've got him. I've got Justin. But… the lab—is—"
Ace (rushing to help them):
"I know. I could feel it. The entire building is coming down. We have to get out—now."
Von nodded, panting as he passed Justin over to Ace. They continued together, down a hallway, the walls quivering, as if the building itself was trying to swallow the secrets it once held.
And behind them… the lab burned.