Hearing Nalira's words, Shaan was left completely speechless. He could feel a deep hatred radiating from within her — a bitterness so strong that it seemed to have shaped the person she had become.
"Shaan, I... I hope this conversation stays just between us," Nalira said quietly. "I don't want too many people involved."
"Alright. I understand."
Just a few minutes later, the train began to slow down. Shaan and Nalira quickly looked out of the window, making sure the train wasn't having any problems or anything like that.
"Nalira, I don't see anything blocking the tracks." Shaan cast his eyes around the train. "I think we might be at the end of this tunnel."
"Yes, I'll go wake Chelsie first."
"Alright."
They eventually stepped off the train and found two other identical trains already stationed there. Shaan assumed they must have belonged to other Daemonists who had also reached the tunnel's end. However, there was no sign of anyone else around — just the three of them.
"Do any of you see the other Daemonists?".
Chelsie quickly shook her head. "Uh... no. I don't see anyone else here at all, Shaan."
"Me neither," Nalira added.
"That's strange... They should be somewhere around here. So, where did they all go?"
"Uhm… maybe I know where they went." Chelsie pointed toward a corridor in front of them. "That way — it might be the only path available at the end of the tunnel."
".... That's right. I agree with Chelsie." Nalira stepped closer to the stairs. "We should go there and take a look."
Soon, they walked through the hallway until they finally saw the stairs descending downwards. However, the area below was dimly lit, illuminated only by an old, yellow lantern that flickered and went out every few seconds.
"Uhm... are you sure you want to go down there?" Chelsie gripped her staff tightly, followed by a look of tension on her face. "I feel like this is a bad idea. It's very dark and we have no idea what's down there."
"But, we have no other choice. We have to go down, and maybe we can meet the other Daemonists." Shaan said. "Nalira, can you use your fire skill to light our way down the stairs?
"All right." Nalira snapped her fingers, and instantly flames appeared from her fingers. "Follow my lead."
As they descended the stairs, Shaan couldn't hear a single sound coming from below. The silence was thick, and the only thing he could hear was the echo of their footsteps reverberating with every step they took downward. A sudden wave of doubt crept into Shaan's chest, realizing that perhaps descending was the wrong decision.
'I just hope this decision-'
[Wait a minute]
"Carmen, what's wrong?" Chelsie immediately stopped in her tracks as Carmen suddenly appeared beside her. "What do you want to say?"
[I can feel the strong energy, just right below here.] Carmen remarked. [Romani girl, be careful. This thing is stronger than your previous enemies."] Carmen directed her gaze at Shaan and Nalira. [You two as well, be careful.]
"Carmen, can you also sense the presence of energy from other daemonists?"
[Yes, Romani man. I can also sense an energy similar to yours.]
'Good, that means my guess was right. There must be other daemonists down here.'
[However, the energy is unstable and is getting weaker and weaker. I have no idea what's going on, but all of you be careful.]
"Alright, thanks for the information, Carmen." Chelsie nodded her head.
They continued descending the staircase, step by step, until they were nearly at the ground floor. But just as only two steps remained, Nalira — who was leading the group — suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Stop moving...."
"What's wrong, Nalira?" Chelsie's face immediately stiffened. " Have you seen the dark creature down there?
Nalira shook her head slowly. "No, no. A puddle. There's a puddle down below. Be careful."
"Puddles? Where could that be coming from? Is it deep?"
"Yes... But I have no idea where it's coming from." Nalira carefully dipped one foot into the puddle. "No, it's not deep, Shaan. Only ankle-deep — but we still need to be cautious."
"Okay, understood."
As Shaan descended the last two steps, he could instantly feel the surface of his feet grow cold, making him freeze for a moment. Damn. It seemed the puddle Nalira had mentioned had soaked straight through his sneakers, and he could already feel his entire sole growing wet.
"Shaan, what's wrong?" Chelsie, glancing back over her shoulder, furrowed her brow. "Do you see anything?"
Shaan quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, no. I didn't see anything. It's just… my shoes got soaked, and it feels uncomfortable," he said with a hint of frustration. "I should've worn boots like you guys."
Hearing that, Chelsie simply smiled. "Never mind, we should walk after Nalira before we lose track of her."
They kept walking until they came upon a large iron door ahead of them. At first, they assumed it might be locked, but the closer they got, the more they noticed — the door was slightly ajar, just enough to suggest that someone might already be inside.
"Daemonist. I believe there is a daemonist like us in this room, according to what Carmen said earlier."
"Yes, your words are true, Shaan. However, it means that we will also encounter the dark creature causing this portal as well." Chelsie swallowed her saliva. "We must be careful and not let our guard down. We have no idea what kind of opponent we'll be facing."
Slowly, Nalira pushed the door open — and instantly, all three of their expressions stiffened in unison as they caught sight of a figure lying weakly on the floor. It was another Daemonist. Without hesitation, they rushed toward the injured Daemonist to check their condition.
"W-what happened to him?" Chelsie gasped, covering her mouth as she saw the Daemonist's face marred with bruises.
"....Dark creature. It must have been around-"
'Cling! Cling!'
"What's that sound?"
"Daemonists... there are still other Daemonists fighting. I will try to find it." Nalira took out her sword, then ran away from them.
"Nalira, wait!" Shaan called after her, but she didn't respond. "Argh, damn it. Chelsie, listen to me: stay here and use your healing skills to help this Daemonist," Shaan ordered. "I'm going to follow Nalira. Maybe she needs my help."
"Ok-ok...," Chelsie answered.
Shaan hurried after Nalira and finally caught up to her. She looked shocked to see a man lying unconscious in a puddle of water.
"Oh my god, w-what happened to him?"