Part I – Shadow's Path
The echo of boots and clashing steel had long since faded. Somewhere behind him, Rena and the trio were still fighting their way through the guards, but Shadow was alone now—forced deeper into the facility by sheer instinct.
He stopped, chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. His gauntlets pulsed faintly, warning him of the residual mana saturating the air. This place wasn't just a dungeon—it was a fortress of secrets.
The corridors stretched on like veins in a living beast, lined with glowing mana conduits that thrummed softly, guiding him toward the unknown. Broken lamps flickered, throwing distorted shadows across the walls.
He pressed forward cautiously, every step deliberate, until he stumbled into a massive chamber.
The ceiling arched impossibly high, chains hanging like dead vines. And in the middle of the room stood a monolithic console, its surface alive with sigils and fractured screens. Rusted warning signs littered the floor, their words almost erased by time, but a few stood out clearly in the light:
[Containment Wing – Restricted Access]
[Prototype Vault]
[Ego—]
The last word glitched, the letters flickering in and out of existence. But the moment Shadow laid eyes on it, his gauntlets trembled.
A faint voice brushed his mind—like static, half-formed words he couldn't understand.
He moved closer, his gaze locking onto an active panel. Strange text scrolled rapidly before his eyes. He could only catch fragments, but they were enough to send a chill crawling down his spine:
[Ego Weapon Integration – Failure Rate 93%]
[Forger-Class Compatibility — Anomaly Detected]
His breath caught. Forger-Class? What does this mean?
Before he could process it, klaxons wailed overhead. Crimson light bathed the chamber, and the floor rumbled as steel shutters began to descend over the exits.
Shadow cursed under his breath. He had lingered too long.
The gauntlets whispered again, faintly this time, like urging him to leave. Shadow turned sharply, his instincts screaming. Already, the sound of heavy boots was closing in.
He glanced back once more at the console, the broken words glowing defiantly as though begging him to understand. Ego… Forger…
But there was no more time.
With a sharp breath, Shadow darted into the shadows, vanishing just as the first squad of armored guards stormed the chamber.