The one retrieved from The Void

"One of you is coming with me," he barked, scanning the group. "Doesn't matter who. Decide, or I'll choose."

"I'll go," Vas said without hesitation.

The man's grin widened. "Got guts, kid. Alright, let's move." He gestured for Vas to follow.

The others watched Vas leave, unease painted across their faces. All except Lily, who narrowed her eyes in thought. He's up to something.

As Vas stepped out of the holding area, a stark contrast struck him. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood, replacing the once-vivid aroma of spices and food. Vibrant walls adorned with cultural motifs were now reduced to rubble, large, jagged holes marring the scene.

"So, you were kept underground," Vas remarked, glancing at the man walking behind him.

"Yeah. It was hell," the man replied gruffly.

"Sorry to hear that," Vas said, his tone devoid of malice.

The man abruptly stopped, narrowing his eyes. "Why say that? I killed two men. I threatened your lot. Why feel sorry for me?"

Vas turned to meet his gaze, his expression calm. "Because you're going to die."

The man barked a laugh. "And who's gonna kill me? You?"

"Yes," Vas replied simply.

The man lunged without warning, moving with impressive speed. But Vas, prepared and trained, sidestepped effortlessly. The man's momentum carried him forward, leaving his back exposed. With a swift hammer strike, Vas drove him into the ground. The man recovered quickly, flipping to his feet in a blur of motion.

"You can take him," Morrigan's voice whispered in Vas's mind. "He's bonded, but not to a god. It's a low-tier spirit. Weak."

"You're quick," the man said, eyeing Vas warily.

Vas unsheathed a pair of blades linked by a glowing green wire. The wire danced like a living thing, responding to the faint breeze around them.

"Where'd you get those toys?" the man scoffed, his confidence returning. "Think they'll save you?"

Vas didn't respond. His silence enraged the man, who launched himself again, this time with more caution. Vas dodged fluidly, wrapping the wire around his attacker mid-air. Pivoting sharply, Vas used the man's momentum to slam him into a nearby wall.

The man groaned, shaking off the impact. With a snarl, he launched a sweeping kick toward Vas's legs, only for Vas to leap clear, delivering a punishing double-footed kick to his face. Blood sprayed as the man was sent flying.

Before the man could recover, Vas yanked the wire taut, pulling him back. A brutal kick to the face sent him sprawling again. The man staggered to his feet, bloodied but grinning manically.

"I haven't fought like this in years. Let's keep going!"

The man rushed forward, but Vas sidestepped and countered with a precise elbow to the ribs. He hurled one blade, embedding it into the wall as the wire wrapped around the man's torso. With a sharp tug, Vas severed the man's right arm in one clean stroke.

Blood gushed from the wound, pooling unnaturally. The man grinned wider as mouths formed from the spilled blood, their jagged teeth gnashing. Saliva dripped from tongues that writhed like living serpents.

Vas leapt to avoid the blood, spinning mid-air to build momentum. He hurled the second blade, forcing the man to dodge, then reeled himself back down with the wire. The blade arced upward in a calculated swing, slicing the man's face cleanly in half.

The halves of his face twisted grotesquely, mouths forming at the edges, tongues knitting the pieces together. The man crawled toward Vas, dragging himself with his remaining arm.

Vas watched impassively, waiting. When the man lunged one final time, Vas severed his leg with a decisive strike. As the man continued his futile advance, Vas stepped forward and, with a powerful stomp, crushed his skull into the ground.

That took care of step one. The problem now was that the battle had probably caused enough noise to attract attention. Sure enough, the sound of several figures running toward the area echoed through the air. Vas dismissed his blades.

"Student Vastian Hek," one of them said. The man resembled the inmates Vas had seen earlier.

"Yes," Vas replied.

"Explain what happened here," the man demanded, his tone stern as he pointed a gun at Vas.

"This man was transporting me when another person showed up. They fought, and, well, he lost. The other person left," Vas explained, gesturing toward the corpse on the ground.

"Why didn't the attacker take you?" the man pressed.

"No idea. Maybe the inmates don't have a united front?" Vas offered.

The newcomers exchanged glances. Vas's explanation sounded plausible enough.

"The rest of the students stayed behind?" the man asked.

Vas nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, come with us. We'll pick up the rest of the students, and after that, we'll escort you all to the main building," the man instructed.

As they prepared to leave, another set of footsteps approached—heavier and more numerous. This time, a group of people wearing outfits similar to the man Vas had just fought came into view. Their numbers were far greater than the first group's.

"So, he failed," one of the newcomers remarked.

"The Negotiator," the man from the first group muttered. "Hopefully, you'll live up to your name, and we can walk away from this."

"Oh, for you to negotiate with me, you'd need to have something I care about. Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a negotiation," the one called the Negotiator said with a calm yet unsettling edge to his voice. "And let me be clear—there's nothing you have that I want."

"He may not have anything you want, but I do," Vas interjected.

The Negotiator turned his gaze toward Vas, intrigued. "Oh? And what could a mere student have that I might want?"

"Me," Vas said, meeting the man's eyes. "My name is Vastian Hek. I'll come with you to help you negotiate with my grandfather."

"A Hek, huh?" The Negotiator's surprise was evident, though fleeting. "Now, that's quite the bargaining chip. And what would you ask in return for coming with me?"

"Two things," Vas said, raising two fingers. "First," he lowered one finger, "ensure safe passage for the other students and teachers to the main building."

"You're sure about that?" the Negotiator asked with a knowing look.

"Yes," Vas replied firmly. He understood the man's insinuation. His request only guaranteed safe passage to the main building—not safety beyond that. Vas was aware of the loophole but confident that once they reached the building, Maxwell, the Warden, would ensure their protection. Besides, Vas had a follow-up plan to prevent any immediate threats.

"Alright, that's doable," the Negotiator agreed. "What about the second thing?"

"After we leave the students at the main building, you'll answer three questions I ask, no matter what they are," Vas said.

"I can agree to that—on the condition that you don't ask about me," the Negotiator countered.

"Sounds fair," Vas replied.

"Alright, then let's go pick up the students and get this over with," the Negotiator said. His companions murmured their agreement and started moving.

As they walked, Vas took a good look at the Negotiator. He appeared ordinary—skinny, with long hair and a beard that covered most of his features. Yet he moved with a certain elegance. Among his companions, many looked far more physically imposing, yet none challenged his authority. That could mean a few things: perhaps someone else had ordered them to obey him, his frail appearance didn't reflect his true capabilities, or he had a way to control them. Vas suspected the truth lay in the details and began taking note of every subtlety about the Negotiator and his group.

By now, it was clear that the supposed inmates were actually disguised guards, just as conspiracy theories had suggested. Still, Vas wondered how much of the theory would prove true and how much false.

It didn't take long for the group to reach the students' location. Vas entered first and explained the situation, carefully leaving out the details of his deal. It took some convincing, but in the end, the students agreed to follow them.

The students filed out of the area, surrounded by the original inmates posing as guards, while Vas was kept behind, flanked by the real inmates. Lily watched the scene intently, convinced this was part of Vas's plan, though she couldn't quite piece together what he was thinking. She remembered him mentioning he had a "feeling" about this place. He hadn't been specific, but she had sensed he wanted to explore it further and was using this situation to escape the watchful eyes of the teachers.

Lily began scanning for a way to follow him, but no obvious opportunity presented itself. The teachers and guards were keeping a close eye on everyone.

That's when Lily noticed someone walking beside her. It was Carmilla.

"I think Vas used himself to make sure the rest of us could be safe," Carmilla said quietly. "You noticed too, didn't you? Are you looking for a way to go after him?"

"Yes, I am," Lily replied, though she didn't reveal her real reasons.

"I don't know when the two of you got so close, but I'll help," Carmilla said, her voice firm. "I don't want to owe Vas anything."

Before Lily could respond, two more people approached them.

"We want to help too," Ken said, with Yuu standing beside him, nodding in agreement.

"Why?" Lily asked, eyeing them suspiciously. "Carmilla, I get it—she knows him. But you two only met him yesterday."

"Our grandfather knows his grandfather," Yuu explained. "Plus, we were taught never to abandon someone who helped us. It's obvious the only reason we're not being attacked by those guys in rags is because Vas did something."

"Okay, I get it," Lily said reluctantly. "But we still need a way to slip past the teachers and guards."

That's when another person joined their huddle.

"I have an idea," Aura said. "One of the fake inmates had a couple of smoke grenades tucked away—not very well hidden, mind you. Once we reach the main gate, we can detonate them. You guys can slip away after Vas while the smoke creates confusion."

Lily turned to Aura, her expression puzzled. "And why are you helping? No—more importantly, how did you steal those from a trained guard?"

Aura shrugged. "Well, Vas helped us, and I don't like owing anyone. As for the grenades, the guards are so on edge because of the real inmates that their attention is all over the place. It wasn't hard to slip in, grab what I needed, and leave before they noticed."

If Aura were honest with herself, she was still terrified of the whole situation. But she wouldn't let fear stop her from helping someone who had put his life on the line for her.

"Aura," Ken said with a grin, "you're kind of scary."