The road to Necropolis was swallowed by mist and dry winds that whispered like ancient voices. The city's name suited its reputation — a somber place, isolated among hills and forgotten ruins. The houses were carved from black stone, the streets paved with weathered slabs, and the dim lamplight gave the scenery a feeling of a never-ending funeral.
By the time the group arrived, the sun was hiding behind thick clouds, tinting the sky in a pale crimson hue.
"What is this place… feels like time stopped," Mandy muttered, watching a black cat cross the street slowly.
"Necropolis is old," Tory replied. "They say it was built on the graves of lost civilizations."
"Great," Roberto sighed, adjusting his coat. "Perfect spot for monster hunting."
They tried talking to a few locals, but most avoided them, lowering their heads or quickly shutting their doors.
An old man, however, approached when he heard the name Circle of the Night.
"You should leave," he said, his voice trembling.
"Bad things have been happening… shadows on the hills, screams echoing from the caves, and… people disappearing."
Kim frowned.
"These caves… where are they?"
"Northeast of town. Where no one comes back from."
The group followed the directions, guided by their map.
When they arrived, the cave's entrance yawned open — a colossal crack in the rocks covered in moss and nearly faded carvings. Egyptian symbols and unknown markings coated the walls — a fusion of ancient magic and something darker. The air was heavy, thick with dust and decay.
Kim ran her fingers over one of the symbols.
"This isn't just Egyptian. There are Circle runes mixed in."
"Which means," Tory said, loading her pistols,
"we're in the right place."
As they advanced, the old torches still flickered faintly — almost alive. But the path was full of traps: hidden spears shooting from the walls, false floors that gave way underfoot, and bone arrows triggered by pressure plates.
At one point, Kim nearly fell into a fissure, but Tory grabbed her arm.
"Careful, Red."
"You too, bloodsucker," Kim replied with a small laugh.
"I'd rather leave this place in one piece."
After navigating the maze of tunnels, they entered a vast chamber where a stone altar stood beneath a faint blue glow. At its center lay a crystal fragment — the last one — pulsing softly.
"There it is," Tory said cautiously.
"The final piece."
"End of the game, then," Kim murmured, picking up the crystal and tucking it into her coat.
But the moment she touched it, the ground shook. The walls began to open, revealing ancient sarcophagi.
One by one, they rose.
Mummies — wrapped in blackened cloth, eyes burning with yellow fire — stumbled forward before moving with inhuman speed, wielding rusted blades and bronze shields.
"Oh, great. Of course," Kim sighed, drawing her swords.
"Tory, let's show these fossils how it's done."
The battle erupted with a roar.
One mummy lunged at Kim, who twisted midair and split it clean in half. Tory fired her pistols with deadly precision, shattering skulls one after another, but the creatures kept coming.
Kim ran along a wall, sliding down a pillar as she impaled one mummy through the chest and decapitated another behind her. Tory kicked a shield into the air, dodged a blade, and shoved her attacker into a trap that triggered stone spears.
"This is insane!" Tory yelled. "How many are there?!"
"Too many!" Kim shouted back, yanking her blade free.
"But not enough!"
After a furious exchange of blows, silence finally fell. The mummies, now reduced to dust, covered the floor. Kim wiped the black blood from her swords, breathing hard.
"Nice workout, huh?" Tory said, forcing a grin.
"Yeah… but something's off," Kim muttered, glancing toward the exit.
A voice echoed from the darkness.
"You fought well… as always."
Kim froze. She knew that voice.
From the shadows stepped Trent, his expression distant, eyes cold.
"Trent…?" she whispered, disbelief in her tone.
Tory moved in front of her, wary.
"Careful, Kim."
He slowly raised his hands.
"I'm not here to fight. I… I want to help. There's a safe way out through here."
Kim hesitated but followed.
"What happened to you? How did you escape?"
"It's a long story. I just want to make things right," he said, voice breaking.
They followed him into a narrow corridor where the blue light flickered against thick shadows.
Then Trent stopped.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered.
Footsteps echoed from the dark.
A tall figure emerged — the same mysterious warrior from the Iron Fangs' lair.
He wore silver armor engraved with runes and a wolf-shaped helmet, its metallic jaw glinting in the torchlight. In his hand, a shining katana.
"I am the Silver Swordsman," the figure said, his voice echoing like distant thunder.
"Good work, Trent… they'll make perfect bait."
Kim and Tory instantly took their stances.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Kim growled.
"Alright, tin man, let's dance."
The warrior moved with impossible speed. His katana cut through the air with supernatural precision. Kim blocked the first strike, but the sheer force sent her sliding across the floor.
Tory fired, but the Swordsman dodged every bullet as if he could see them before they were shot.
Kim leapt over a pillar, swinging both blades, but he parried them effortlessly, spinning and punching her in the gut. She dropped to her knees, gasping and coughing up blood. Tory charged to cover her.
He disarmed her in a flash, twisted her arm, and pinned her to the wall, the katana's edge grazing her neck.
"You fight well… but not well enough."
Kim, blood dripping and barely regenerating, made one last charge — but he struck her neck with the hilt, and everything went dark.
When Tory came to, the Swordsman was already lifting Kimberly's unconscious body over his shoulder. A blue portal opened behind him, the runes on the walls trembling with power.
"No!" Tory screamed, struggling to move. "Leave her!"
The Swordsman looked back briefly.
"Her fate is already sealed."
Trent's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry… there was no other way."
And with that, they vanished into the portal — which sealed shut with a thunderous crack, leaving Tory among the ruins and the echoing silence.
All that remained was dust…
and the dreadful certainty that Kimberly was now in the enemy's hands.
To be continued…