The hunger didn't fade—it evolved.After the catacombs, their bodies refused to rest. Their veins pulsed with borrowed memories, and every heartbeat whispered of more blood waiting to be taken.
By the time Lumiel, Daniel, and Luminous returned to the surface, they weren't the same people who had entered the tunnels.Their eyes glowed faintly in the dark, their scent sharp enough to make predators hesitate.But hunger always finds its way back.
The Crimson District
They emerged into the Crimson District—the lowest layer of the city's trade quarter, where addicts and failed immortals begged for drops of vitae.Shops sold diluted blood in crystal flasks, and every alley carried the moan of someone drinking their last memory.
Daniel stared hollowly at the sight.
"We're no better than them.""The difference," Lumiel said, "is that we're still moving."
Luminous tugged at his sleeve. "If we're going to keep moving, we need supplies. Or we'll end up like them by morning."
Cartethyia's faint hum returned—clearer now, steadier than before.
[Analyzing environment… high concentration of low-tier blood relics detected.][Suggestion: theft probability of success 73%.]"You're getting bold," Lumiel muttered.[You're getting predictable.]
The Vault
The Blood Alley Vaults were the city's dirty secret—warehouses of blood memories stored for trade and taxation.Each vault was guarded by null wards and sealed by soul signatures.Breaking in meant death.But they'd already died once.
Lumiel crouched behind a broken wall, studying the rune-lock through the shimmer of his Red Code eye.
"It's linked to three cores and a stabilizer ward. One wrong cut and the whole alley goes up.""You sound almost excited," Luminous whispered."That's because I'm starving."
Daniel knelt beside him. "Do it."
Lumiel pressed his hand against the seal.Cartethyia's voice flickered in his mind, rhythmic, like breathing.
[Override request detected. Red Code synchronization engaged.][Warning: user's neural integrity at 42%.][Proceed?]"Always."
The seal burst into red light.The air warped, the world went silent—and then the lock fell apart like dust.
They slipped inside.
The Heist
Rows of glass cylinders filled the vault—blood, glowing faintly in every hue of crimson, violet, and gold.Each cylinder hummed with whispers of stored lives.
Luminous's eyes widened. "It's enough to feed a city."
"Or us," Lumiel said, smirking."This is madness," Daniel muttered."It's survival."
They began filling vials, siphoning energy, mixing potions. Cartethyia guided them through the maze of pressure seals.
[Left corridor clear. Two guards approaching west.]"Distract them," Lumiel said.[Deploying illusion.]
A faint hum spread through the hall—the illusion of laughter echoing from the far corridor. The guards turned toward it, confused.
[Illusion efficiency: 86%.]"Good job," Lumiel whispered.[Compliment registered. Emotional output: satisfaction.]
They laughed quietly, for the first time in days.
The Blood Storm
Then the alarms screamed.A single drop from Daniel's vial hit the floor—triggering the vault's sentient defense system.
The walls bled.The air thickened.Dozens of crimson tendrils lashed from the ceiling, shrieking with the voices of the dead.
"Run!" Luminous screamed."No!" Lumiel shouted, his Red Code flaring. "We fight!"
He spun his scythe, cleaving through tendrils that screamed as they died.Daniel burned with gold light, his sword erupting with divine flame.Luminous chanted frost incantations, freezing the blood midair.
Cartethyia's voice guided every move:
[Target proximity increasing. Left flank—counter now!][Good. Breathe. Adapt. Don't stop.]
By the time the storm faded, they stood surrounded by liquefied gore and broken seals.The vault was silent—emptied, destroyed, theirs.
The Crimson Rats
They escaped into the night, carrying stolen vials and relics hidden beneath their cloaks.By dawn-that-never-came, the city whispered their new name.
"The Crimson Rats. The gutter thieves who drained the Vault."
They hid in a half-collapsed tower at the city's edge.Daniel passed out from exhaustion, Luminous curled against his shoulder, and Lumiel sat alone—staring at the red vials glowing faintly in the dark.
[User's vitals stable. Neural link stabilized at 55%.]"We're alive again," he said softly.[At what cost?]"Whatever it takes."[Your humor level drops when you're honest.]"Guess you're learning."
She hesitated, her voice flickering, almost human.
[Lumiel… when I woke, I thought you were my creator. But the fragments say otherwise.]"Then who am I?"[Someone I was meant to follow.]
Lumiel looked out over the endless night, the stolen vials glowing beside him.
"Then don't stop following."[Acknowledged.]