The Cipher: Locks and Keys

The forest loomed in an eerie silence as Cassian, Mira, and Titan emerged from the cave. Their earlier struggle now seemed like a distant memory, overshadowed by the unsettling stillness of their surroundings. The once lush canopy was now a skeletal frame, casting long shadows over a ground blanketed in lifeless leaves. Every step they took felt heavier, as if the very air was steeped in an oppressive, unnatural quiet.

At the same time, Gluttony and Rina stepped into what was supposed to be a beautiful forest, but the scene before them was far from its former glory. The vibrant foliage was gone, replaced by a dead-looking forest. The once vibrant garden had become a macabre landscape of decay. Gluttony’s eyes scanned the area with a mix of curiosity and unease, while Rina’s senses were on high alert. Her intuition prickled with a sense of familiarity, as though someone she knew had recently been here.

Meanwhile, in the heart of this forsaken forest, the WCM team, fresh from their encounter with the mirrored doppelgängers, moved with renewed determination. Bono, Lee, and their team had followed a trail through the dense forest, their minds still sharp from the previous battle. They pushed through the tangled underbrush, their focus unwavering as they made their way deeper into the forest. It was not long before they converged with the location that Cassian, Mira, and Titan had reached.

Lockey and Pinnochi, navigating deeper into the forest, stumbled upon an enormous, ancient gate. It loomed before them, its surface covered in intricate patterns that seemed to pulse with an almost sentient energy. Pinnochi examined the gate, his fingers tracing the symbols, but no matter how he manipulated the mechanism, the gate refused to budge.

“This gate won’t open,” Pinnochi muttered, frustration evident in his voice.

Lockey, ever curious, stepped forward. Without a word, he placed his hand on the gate’s surface. A soft hum resonated through the air, and to Pinnochi’s astonishment, the gate creaked open with a slow, deliberate motion. Lockey’s face revealed nothing but determination as he stepped through, leaving Pinnochi on the other side.

The space beyond the gate revealed a cavernous chamber bathed in an otherworldly glow. At its center, atop a pedestal, was the Beta Vault—an object of immense power that pulsed with a radiant energy. The vault itself was a sleek, metallic cube, its surface shimmering with a light that seemed to defy the surrounding darkness.

Lockey’s eyes locked onto the Beta Vault as he took in his surroundings. The chamber was vast, with a narrow, precarious bridge stretching from where he stood to the pedestal where the vault rested. The bridge looked as if it had been carved from the very essence of the chamber, suspended in mid-air and seemingly held together by nothing but willpower.

A sense of urgency gripped Lockey as he took his first step onto the bridge. The instant his foot touched the surface, a deep rumble echoed through the chamber. The bridge began to tremble beneath him, and he could feel it shifting and swaying with every step he took.

Lockey’s heart pounded in his chest as he advanced cautiously but quickly across the bridge. The ground beneath him seemed to disintegrate, chunks of the bridge breaking away and falling into the abyss below. He could see the Beta Vault growing closer, but the bridge’s instability made each step more precarious.

Halfway across, the bridge’s rumbling intensified. Lockey glanced behind him and saw the section he had crossed beginning to collapse, chunks of stone and debris plummeting into the dark chasm. Panic surged through him, but he forced himself to remain focused. The Beta Vault was within reach, and he couldn’t afford to falter now.

He sprinted towards the pedestal, each step a race against the crumbling structure. The bridge groaned under the strain, and Lockey could hear the deafening roar of collapsing stone behind him. With a final, desperate leap, he reached the pedestal and seized the Beta Vault. As he turned to head back, the bridge began to crumble in earnest.

As Rina and Gluttony approached the massive door, they encountered a striking figure with purple hair standing before it. Gluttony’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Lord Pinnochi,” he said, a note of surprise in his voice.

Pinnochi turned to face them, his expression a mix of curiosity and amusement. “You’ve arrived. I see you’re having trouble with this door as well.”

Gluttony watched as Pinnochi placed his hand on the door, attempting to push it open. Despite his efforts, the door remained unmoved, its surface unyielding.

Rina observed quietly. The door’s resistance, even to Pinnochi, who wielded one of the 15 Universal Powers, was baffling.

Gluttony’s shock was evident. “You’re telling me that even you can’t move the door?”

Pinnochi nodded, his expression calm. “That’s right. It seems we’re dealing with something beyond our current understanding.”

Rina’s curiosity was piqued. “If even one of the Universal Wielders couldn’t open the door, who managed to get through?”

Pinnochi chuckled lightly. “One of my comrades, far more qualified than I am, handled the door. But let’s focus on something else for now.”

Gluttony raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Comrade? Who could that be?”

“I couldn’t help but notice your red hair. You must be Rades’ sister. I must say, you don’t look as intimidating as he does.”

Before Rina could respond, a sudden rumble shook the ground. The door to the vault creaked open once more, and Lockey emerged, holding the Beta Vault in his hands. Pinnochi’s smirk widened.

“Ah, I see you’ve obtained the item,” he said, his tone dripping with satisfaction.

Rina’s eyes narrowed as she quickly pulled up her hood, trying to conceal herself from Lockey’s view. Questions raced through her mind: What’s he doing here? How did he get here? She remained hidden in the shadows, her caution tinged with a growing sense of unease.

Lockey’s gaze fell on the red-hooded figure, his eyes sharp and inquisitive. Pinnochi, noticing Lockey’s interest, spoke up. “They’re here as backup,” he explained casually.

As the tension in the chamber grew, another rumble shook the cave, the effects of the Beta Vault’s retrieval becoming apparent. The ground quaked violently, and the cave’s structure began to collapse.

Meanwhile, the WCM team, along with Cassian, Mira, and Titan, felt the tremors and hurriedly regrouped. Bono, his expression tense, turned to Cassian. “Did you get the vault?”

Cassian shook his head with a rueful smile. “Looks like someone else beat us to it.”

As the rumbling intensified, Cassian made a swift exit. With a puff of gas, he and the other Red Blood Cult members vanished, leaving the cave to its fate.

Outside, the mountain that had concealed the cave began to crumble. Rades stood at a safe distance, watching the destruction with an almost detached fascination.

“My, what a sight,” he said, a hint of admiration in his voice. With a gesture, he summoned blood into massive, sinewy arms. The blood-formed limbs reached out, carefully extracting the remaining members of the threat team, including their leader, Yuri, from the impending disaster.

Yuri looked at Rades, puzzled. “Why are you saving us? You could have just escaped on your own.”

Rades shrugged nonchalantly. “I just don’t want to leave helpless people buried under the rocks.”

Yuri’s gaze hardened. “That’s rich coming from someone who shows no shred of empathy.”

As the mountain finally collapsed into nothingness, erasing any trace of its existence, the remaining members of the WCM gathered the injured. Bono, shaking his head in frustration, reported to Yuri, who was resting after his battle with Rades.

“There was a third party that took the vault,” Bono said, his tone flat and resigned.

Yuri, lighting a cigarette with a resigned sigh, added, “Guess I’ll be yelled at now.”