At the same time Al was having breakfast with the Virellano family—
In a place that resembled a colossal subterranean cavern, illuminated only by the torches fastened along its curving stone walls, crimson flames flickered and spilled uneven light across the entire expanse.
Thin trails of smoke curled upward from each torch, clinging to the jagged ceiling filled with needle-like stalactites, creating swaying shadows that danced wildly like starved spirits searching for a host.
A faint mixture of sulfur and dried blood lingered heavily in the air, stinging the nose and thickening the atmosphere until every breath felt weighty and oppressive.
A dimensional rift slowly unfurled within that cavern—small enough to look unstable, yet large enough for three or four grown adults to step through at once if they dared.
And from that rift emerged three figures: Daraka, Darius, and Kugo—each clad in a black hooded robe, the fabric obscuring their bodies while leaving their faces visible.
