MEMELAND

The metal hatch creaked as it slowly opened.

Kai carefully lowered himself into the darkness below.

The smell hit immediately.

Rotten water.

Mold.

Something dead.

And something far worse.

"Oh gods."

"You people live like this?"

Kai looked around.

"Who are 'you people'?"

"I don't know."

"Sewer people."

"There shouldn't be sewer people."

The architect covered his nose.

"This place is disgusting."

Above them, the hatch quietly closed.

The small beam of sunlight disappeared.

Darkness swallowed the tunnel.

Only scattered maintenance lamps illuminated parts of the sewer.

Water flowed through channels beside the walkway.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The sounds echoed endlessly.

Kai motioned forward.

"Let's move."

Eric nodded.

The two proceeded deeper into the tunnels.

For a while, nothing happened.

No cultists.

No monsters.

No clues.

Only the endless maze of stone pathways.

Eventually Eric pointed ahead.

"Wait."

Kai immediately stopped.

Voices.

Two of them.

Coming from around a corner.

The pair quickly ducked behind a support pillar.

The voices grew closer.

"...this thing smells horrible."

"Keep your voice down."

"I'm serious."

The first speaker sounded miserable.

Kai carefully peeked around the corner.

Two hooded figures.

Patrol guards.

One carried a small leather pouch attached to his belt.

The other carried an identical one.

The first man continued complaining.

"It smells like something crawled into it and died."

The second sighed.

"Just bear with it."

"I'm trying."

"No, you're whining."

"Because it stinks."

The second man stopped walking.

Then pointed toward the dark water below.

"You know what happens if you don't wear it."

The first immediately became quiet.

Several seconds passed.

Then he reluctantly asked,

"Are they really that aggressive?"

The second stared at him.

"You joined three weeks ago."

The first nodded.

The second pointed at the water again.

"Remember Daren?"

"...Yeah."

"That's what happened."

Silence.

The first man looked at his pouch.

Then tightened it around his belt.

"Never mind."

"It doesn't smell that bad."

The second rolled his eyes.

"That's what I thought."

The patrol continued walking.

Their footsteps gradually faded.

Eric slowly looked at Kai.

Kai slowly looked at Eric.

Neither spoke.

Then Kai quietly whispered,

"We need those."

Eric immediately nodded.

"Absolutely."

The pair waited.

Ten seconds.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Then Kai stood.

"What are you doing?"

Eric whispered.

Kai cracked his knuckles.

"I'm borrowing their pouches."

"Borrowing?"

"Forever."

Before Eric could object—

Kai moved.

Fast.

The first guard barely had time to turn.

A punch hit his jaw.

The man collapsed instantly.

The second guard reached for a weapon.

Kai grabbed his wrist.

Twisted.

Then drove his elbow into the man's face.

The second cultist dropped beside his partner.

Silence returned.

Kai crouched beside them.

The leather pouch indeed smelled awful.

Even from a distance.

"What is in this thing?"

Eric took one sniff.

Immediately regretted it.

"Don't."

"Don't do that."

Kai handed him a pouch.

Eric reluctantly attached it to his belt.

The smell somehow became worse.

"I hate this."

Kai secured the second pouch.

"At least we're not getting eaten."

Eric looked around nervously.

"Eaten by what exactly?"

Kai shrugged.

"I was hoping you'd know."

"I designed buildings."

"Not whatever lives in sewers."

Kai thought about what Andre shouted when he fell.

But he didn't think much of it.

Yet...

Neither noticed the movement beneath the dark water.

A pair of eyes slowly opened.

Then another.

Then another.

Watching.

Waiting.

As the two disappeared deeper into the underground tunnels.