The night hung heavy over Seikou Heights.
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With a low mechanical hum, the gates of the feared prison split apart, their shadow stretching long across the concrete.
A guard stepped forward to greet them.
Guard: "Welcome. And who's this young man with you?"
Sylven's expression didn't shift; his tone remained calm.
Sylven: "He's one of the most important people to the boss. He's here to escort the prisoner named Loma."
The guard smirked, shaking his head.
Guard: "Sorry, but nothing happens here without the boss's order."
Sylven slowly reached into his coat and produced a paper, the boss's signature etched across it. His voice carried the weight of certainty.
Sylven: "Here. The boss said he would be busy, and not to disturb him. You know what happens if you refuse to follow his orders."
The smirk on the guard's lips faltered. His confidence drained.
Guard (stammering): "Tch… follow me."
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Darok and Sylven moved behind him, footsteps echoing through the steel corridors. The stench of iron and damp filled the air until finally, they arrived at the cell.
The guard unlocked it with a metallic clang.
Guard: "There you go, sir."
Darok stepped in first. The dim light spilled across the stone floor… and onto Loma.
He wasn't unconscious, but barely conscious. His body trembled violently, eyes unfocused. Blood trickled from the side of his head where he had smashed it against the floor. His hands were mangled, nails ripped away. And still, inside his ear, the faint squirming of the worm drove him toward madness.
Darok froze. His fists clenched so hard the bones in his hand cracked. His jaw trembled. Rage — raw, suffocating — poured off him in waves. The guard stumbled back instinctively, as though drowning in the weight of Darok's presence.
Sylven stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Darok's shoulder, ice against fire. His eyes locked on the guard, voice calm but cutting like a blade.
Sylven: "We will be escorting him. Hand him over."
Guard (hesitant): "H-Huh?"
Sylven's stare sharpened, each word slow, deliberate.
Sylven: "You don't want to live tonight, do you?"
The guard swallowed, fury flickering in his eyes — but fear stronger. His hand twitched before he finally shoved Loma forward.
Guard (gritting teeth): "Tch… fine! There you go, lil boss!"
Darok caught Loma carefully, the boy's weight light but trembling in his arms. For the first time, Loma's eyes flickered weakly — faint recognition, a whisper of hope.
Darok's rage only grew darker.
Chapter 54 End