Incubus Ascension

The narrow alley behind the police station reeked of rust and stale oil. Pyra stood rigid, her fingers twitching near the hilt of her blade, while Olivia paced a short, frustrated line on the cracked pavement. The towering robot sentinel at the entrance gleamed under harsh floodlights, its red optic scanning every shadow. One wrong move and alarms would scream. One hesitation and their only lead on the control room would vanish.

"How do we even get past that thing?" Olivia muttered, voice tight. "We can’t just walk up and ask nicely."

Pyra’s jaw clenched. ’If only brute force solved everything. But one alert and the whole town locks down.’ She glanced at her companion, the weight of their shared goal pressing heavier with every passing second. They needed those forged IDs. Without them, Liam’s careful plan crumbled—and so did any chance of keeping the group safe.

Before either could speak again, a small hand tugged at Olivia’s sleeve.

Both women spun. A girl no older than ten stood there, dirty face framed by tangled brown hair, eyes wide but unafraid. She wore patched clothes that had seen too many hard days.

"Come with me," the girl whispered urgently. "I have a solution for your problem."

Pyra narrowed her eyes and tugged Olivia back a step. "Should we trust this girl?" she asked under her breath, scanning the child for any sign of deceit.

Olivia’s gaze flicked toward the dangerous-looking robot, then back to the little girl. Her stomach twisted. ’We’re out of options. If we stand here any longer, someone will notice.’ "We don’t have a choice," she said quietly.

Pyra hesitated only a heartbeat before nodding. They followed the girl.

The route twisted through ever-narrower alleys until they slipped into a dim, windowless room lit by a single flickering bulb. The air tasted of damp stone and old paper.

Inside, the girl turned to face them, fists balled at her sides. "My father used to make forged identity cards. He’s the best. But he’s trapped right now—in the northern prison. The one by the mines. If we free him, he’ll make the cards for you. I promise."

Pyra and Olivia exchanged a heavy look. Liam was still waiting out in the forest bushes beyond the barrier, hidden and ready to move. The reminder of him—of his quiet determination to keep them all alive—anchored Olivia. They couldn’t abandon this thread now.

Olivia let out a slow breath. "Where is this northern prison exactly?"

"It’s outside town, near the miners’ district," the girl answered. "They make the prisoners work the walls there. Please... he’s all I have left."

Olivia nodded, a small, determined spark lighting in her chest. ’Liam would be happy knowing he could help. This is the kind of risk he’d take for us.’ "Alright. Lead the way."

They slipped back out of town, crossing the barrier under cover of deepening dusk. The forest edge loomed, thick with shadows. Liam stepped out from the bushes as they approached, his posture alert, sword at his side. Even in the low light, the lines of exhaustion and resolve on his face were clear—he carried the weight of every decision that had brought them here.

"Who’s this?" he asked, nodding toward the girl while scanning the treeline for threats.

Olivia and Pyra quickly explained everything: the robot guard, the little girl’s sudden appearance, her father’s skills, and the desperate bargain. Liam listened without interruption, his expression shifting from caution to understanding. When they finished, he rubbed the back of his neck, exhaling sharply.

"So we need to save this girl’s father so he can make you two those forged cards," he said, voice steady despite the danger.

The girls nodded. "His name is Wilbert," the child added softly. "He’s working in the mines right now."

Liam met each of their eyes in turn—Olivia’s fierce loyalty, Pyra’s quiet strength, and the little girl’s fragile hope. ’I can’t let them down. Not after everything we’ve already survived.’ "Alright. Let’s head toward the mines. We’ll scout the security first. I presume this little girl will lead the way." He looked down at her gently.

The girl nodded. "My name is Lia."

"Lia," Liam repeated with a small, reassuring nod. "Stay close. We move together."

They followed her through the darkening woods until the mines came into view: a scarred gash in the earth lined with chained prisoners shuffling toward the rock walls under the watch of armored guards. The clank of metal and distant shouts carried on the wind.

Liam crouched low, studying the patrols. Two guards exchanged positions at regular intervals. "The time needed to exchange patrol between each pair is exactly fifteen minutes," he whispered. "That’s our window."

The others nodded, but Pyra’s gaze lingered on the heavy chains binding the workers. "What about those? They don’t look ordinary."

Liam inspected them carefully, his expression darkening. "They’re not. The average prisoner here is around level 200. These chains are strong enough to make even higher levels feel powerless. Wilbert’s only level 15." He paused, jaw tight. ’One mistake and we’re all chained beside him.’

They waited in tense silence until the patrol shift began. The moment the guards turned their backs, Liam exploded into motion. He drew his sword, activating **Time Lapse** and **Devil Obsession** in a surge of focused power. The blade flashed, slicing through the chains with a resonant thud that echoed off the walls. He grabbed Wilbert’s arm.

"Your daughter sent us to save you!" Liam hissed.

"Little Lia?" Wilbert’s eyes widened with desperate relief. "She’s here?" He broke into a run alongside Liam without another word.

They sprinted back toward the waiting group. But shouts rose behind them—ten guards, heavily armed and moving fast.

Liam glanced back and cursed under his breath. Each one registered at level 250. They were closing the gap with terrifying speed. ’Think, Liam. Think. We need a way to lose them.’

Then it hit him—the special zone nearby, the one with the green mist that had knocked him unconscious before. Risky. Maybe suicidal. But their only shot.

"This way!" he shouted to the others. "The green zone!"

"Are you serious?" Olivia gasped, keeping pace. "Don’t you remember what happened last time?"

"We don’t have a choice," Liam replied grimly. "We need to lose them now."

The group plunged into the zone. Green mist rose lazily from the ground, curling around their legs like living smoke. Liam activated the skill he had prepared precisely for this place.

"Shield of Scent!" he called.

A shimmering barrier formed around them, cutting off their presence from the mist and the pursuers. Behind them, the guards slowed, confused and searching. Liam allowed himself one short breath of relief before urging them onward. They ran until the mist thinned and they burst out the far side.

Back near the town barrier, in their familiar hiding spot, Liam turned to Olivia. "Take Lia and her father inside. Get those cards made."

Olivia nodded, squeezing his arm once—silent gratitude passing between them—before leading the others through.

Wilbert worked quickly in the same dim room from earlier, his skilled hands crafting the forged identity cards with practiced efficiency. Once done, Olivia and Pyra wasted no time. They approached the police station again, hearts hammering.

The robot sentinel scanned the cards. After a tense pause, it stepped aside.

They were in.

Inside the station, the hallways stretched like a deadly maze. Traps lined every path—pressure plates, swinging blades, hidden energy nets. The route to the control room in the deepest part tested every reflex they possessed. Yet their heightened agility carried them through, dodging and weaving with only seconds to spare. Sweat stung Olivia’s eyes, but she pushed forward.

Finally, they stood before a reinforced door.

"The control room is behind this," Olivia said, voice low with anticipation.

Pyra nodded. "Just like the book in the archive room described."

Olivia pushed. The door didn’t budge. She tried again, shoulder straining.

"Get back," Pyra warned, stepping forward. Energy crackled around her stance. "I’ll blast it open."

The air thickened with tension as they prepared for whatever lay beyond. Liam’s face flashed in Olivia’s mind—his quiet strength, the way he always found a path forward. Whatever waited in that room, they would face it. For him. For all of them.