Chapter 115 chapter 115 : Escape part 3
The man we had encountered earlier, the guard we had left fighting the chimera, lay on the ground.
His body was a mangled mass.
Only he was left... out of more than ten guards who had accompanied him.
One of his arms was completely gone, the other barely holding on, broken in several places. His abdomen was ripped open, torn from side to side as if a claw had tried to tear it in two. His breathing was a faint, intermittent moan, like the whisper of a candle about to go out.
—Hell..." Aziel murmured, her voice trembling, perhaps remembering how we were chased.
Of the monster, of that chimera that seemed unstoppable... only its head remained. It was now separated from the body, with its jaw broken and its eyes still open, frozen in a grimace that evoked in me a strange feeling of sadness.
The rest of the body was in tatters: pieces scattered around the room as if it had exploded from the inside, small particles of black mucus were visible on her skin.
The floor was a grotesque painting: black beast blood mixed with red human blood, scattered viscera and remains of broken weapons, like a cemetery without order or dignity.
We approached, almost unintentionally. The man barely moved his eyes towards us.
—Are you... still alive? -he murmured in surprise, his voice raspy, pasty, full of blood.
I didn't look at him again, the way that man looked at us was the crazy look of a soldier who looks for a way to fulfill his orders even in death, I could see it in his eyes.
—...#*##*# -he whispered unreadable words before letting out a last breath that seemed to take what little soul he had left.
His head fell to one side.
Silence.
-We have to go," I said, affirming my intention.
Aziel nodded. We took one last look at that silent carnage... and moved on, because we knew that erwing had decided to sacrifice himself to buy us some time, we had to get help and rescue him at any cost.
We moved with urgency through the corroded corridors of the old complex, everywhere we passed reminded me how maliciously elaborate this clandestine laboratory was. The echo of our footsteps echoed off the cracked concrete walls, as if the place itself was whispering for help. I held Cyan tightly in my arms, noting how fragile his body felt against mine. He was unconscious, but his breathing was still steady, it was fortunate.
With a quick gesture, I knelt over the runic circle carved into the floor. The lines, carved with precision on the blackened stone, flashed with a faint bluish glow. I placed my free hand on the central rune and channeled some of my mana into it. The air vibrated, and a column of light enveloped us. I felt the energy seep into my body and dissolve us and leaving only the silhouette of where we were, it was as if we were being ripped out of the same space
A heartbeat later, my feet touched the floor of the first subway floor.
The change was immediate. The air was less thick here, though still laden with a faint smell of rust, dried blood and chemicals. The ceiling was covered with intertwined pipes, some dripping with glowing liquid that sparkled as it fell. We were in the same room where we had confronted the chimera a few minutes ago. There were still deep marks on the stone floor: claw-burnt grooves, remnants of ash, and a trail of blood disappearing under one of the half-closed metal gates.
Aziel stepped forward without hesitation, wielding his sword firmly. His silhouette moved like a shadow among the flickering lights of the emergency system. I followed him cautiously, my eyes scanning every nook and cranny. We knew the enemy might have left traps or worse. The corridors on this floor were wider than those on the lower level, with reinforced cells that now served as laboratories. Some still had doors open, revealing metal tables covered with broken flasks, unrecognizable biological remains ... or whatever it was they were experimenting there.
We walked down the hallway in complete silence, it was almost unnatural.
There were no alarms, no footsteps, not even the constant hum of the generators. Something didn't add up. Just as that thought crossed my mind, a vibration ran through the floor.
It was like a monstrous heartbeat.
Seconds later, a rumble shook the entire floor. The ceiling above us cracked with a dry roar, and shards of concrete rained down like razor blades. I threw myself to the side, shielding Cyan with my body as Aziel rose up in front of us. Dust and debris enveloped the place like a sudden storm. Through the gray cloud, I saw a figure falling along with the wreckage: a deformed silhouette, armed with limbs that belonged to no human being.
-Run! -Aziel shouted, backing away, while I tried to stand up with Cyan still in my arms.
The access matrix to the second floor was only a few meters from my reach, behind a door sealed with a security glyph. Last time I had passed through the other side without any obstacles, but now the corridor had become a war zone. The creature that descended from the ceiling, a disgusting thing with toid skin, possibly another laboratory experiment, joined the wreckage with a hideous screech. Its multiple, elongated, reptile-like eyes flared with an evil red, and its side legs unfolded with a slimy crunch.
We could not afford to fight. Not like this, not now. Not with Cyan unconscious and erwing buying us some time down there, we had to hurry.
-Quickly," I shouted to Aziel as I propelled myself towards the runic gate, "Cover me while I activate the matrix!
Aziel nodded, turning around to buy some time as his spear charged with a gelid energy bathed his blade. The bluish particles of light briefly illuminated his face, marked by fatigue and determination.
I reached the access panel. The protective rune flickered faintly, as if the system was collapsing. With my glasses I glimpsed the entire structure of the panel and finally I rested my hand and sent a precise discharge of mana to the conductors. The stone creaked, squeaking as if awakening from a long slumber. The circle began to glow, but slower than before. It would take longer to activate.