Sunday stood motionless for a few seconds, holding his breath, listening to the footsteps receding into the distance, echoing through the damp sewer tunnels.
The echo gradually faded, leaving a heavy, almost absolute silence, save for the constant drip of water running down the walls.
Carefully, Sunday crouched down and pressed his back against the cold concrete wall, watching the dim light filtering in from the lane they had escaped through.
Every sound seemed amplified: a dripping drip, the rustling of a rat, the distant echo of what might be someone else following their trail.
He took a deep breath, and without taking his eyes off the lane, murmured to himself:
"We can't stay here..."
Then, with silent steps, they began to move through the shadows, his senses alert to every creak and every change in the air current.
Nero had Rose close by...
They reached an intersection and chose to go left.
They moved forward cautiously, each step measured, listening to the echo of their own movements mingling with the steady drip of water.
The Fillius Dei agents patrolled the tunnel not far away, their boots pounding like hammers on the concrete floor.
"Freeze..." Sunday whispered, pointing to a stone wall that offered them partial cover.
The group crouched down, holding their breath as the agents passed a few feet away, their shadows lengthening in the dim light. Even the slightest sound could betray them; each drip felt like a drumbeat marking their doom.
After a few minutes that felt like hours, the sound of boots faded. Nero raised a hand, indicating they could move again.
"This way," he said, pointing to a more stable section of the tunnel. "Let's go up one by one."
The group began to carefully climb the drainage channel, the filthy water soaking their clothes and sticking to their bodies.
Rose clung tightly to Nero, trembling with fear, as he held her firmly.
"It's okay... nothing will happen," he whispered, though his own senses were on high alert for any danger.
Lux was next, making sure they left no trace for the agents to follow. Kōri moved forward, each movement calculated and silent. Sunday brought up the rear, watching the back, ready to act if anyone caught up.
Finally, they all reached the solid ground of the upper tunnel. But at least they were out of the water, even if it wasn't safe.
"We have to keep going," Sunday said, his voice barely a whisper, "every second counts."
He continued forward until he reached a concrete circle.
A person was standing there, shaking his head wildly.
He looked at us and smiled slightly.
We looked at him, weapons drawn.
"Hey, hey. It's Westen," he said in a murmur.
"Hey, where's Axel?" Nero asked.
Westen looked at the group and said, "He should be in the south area by now."
"He said to lead whoever finds me there."
Sunday, still alert, moved forward behind Westen, his eyes scanning every shadow and crevice of the tunnel as the man guided them with stealthy steps. The light at the exit was getting closer, but the atmosphere was still thick with tension; any noise could be fatal.
Nero walked behind the group, his mind focused on Axel.
Why did they have to stop in the south area?
Him instinct told her something wasn't right, but she couldn't take her eyes off the path Westen was marking.
Each footstep echoed faintly against the concrete walls, a reminder that they weren't alone.
Finally, they reached a section that led to an opening covered in rubble and dust. Westen signaled, and the group stopped.
"Go up one by one," he whispered, pointing toward a narrow passage. Rose climbed in first, followed by Lux and then Kōri, each moving with calculated precision to avoid making a sound.
Sunday would inspect the rear before moving forward, making sure no agents were following them.
Nero was the last. Before climbing in, he glanced around the tunnel, committing every shadow, every sound, to memory. Westen stayed behind, keeping watch, until Nero was safely out of the tunnel.
"Find Axel while I head back to the sewers," Westen said without looking back, beginning his descent once more into the gloom of the underground.
Nero climbed back up, but his mind kept circling the southern area. Something about that order to stop there didn't feel right.
As he moved toward the exit, he vowed to find out what Axel was up to and why they had been led astray.
"What the hell..." Lux gasped.
Nero turned to see what was happening and was stunned by the horrific sight.
There were houses... no... rubble with people underneath.
These people were malnourished, their eyes vacant, they looked like they were on the verge of death.
The ground was nothing more than a barren wasteland; with only a few dead and withered trees.
Nero advanced cautiously, his footsteps kicking up small clouds of dust as he traversed the southern area.
Every piece of rubble, every shadow, seemed a silent witness to the devastation that surrounded them.
Rose could barely keep her gaze steady; the sight was beyond desolate: hunched bodies, gaunt faces, and empty eyes that reflected hunger and hopelessness.
Sunday, ever vigilant, kept his hand near the hilt of his katana, ready for anything.
Finally, among the remains of what had once been buildings, they spotted a familiar figure: Axel, kneeling beside someone partially covered in bruises.
His eyes lit up at the sight of them, and a soft sigh of relief escaped his lips.
"Guys! You're safe," Axel said, gesturing to the person with him. "I want you to meet Argo."
The young man whispered something to Axel and ran off.
"We need to get to the west side," Axel said, suddenly standing up.
He moved some debris and showed us the entrance to another sewer.
We all went inside, leaving the light behind.
Axel led us through the moldy, filthy passageways.
...
A skeletal corpse was tied with a rope, hanging from the ceiling.
Rose vomited in fear when she saw it...
Sunday moved forward, his katana still drawn, though in a relaxed stance, assessing every shadow, every corner that might conceal danger.
Light from outside began to filter through cracks in the walls, reflecting dust particles that danced in the air, as if each ray were a reminder of what awaited them above.
Lux and Kōri stayed by their side, alert to any movement, while Rose walked behind, still trembling from the sight of the corpse, leaning slightly on Axel, who led with a firm step. Every echo in the tunnel, every creak of metal or old wood, heightened their senses.
Finally, after two hours of walking through damp passages, dodging Fillius Dei patrols, they reached a section that allowed natural light to penetrate.
Sunday paused for a moment, analyzing the exit before they all climbed in. The light revealed the truth: they were directly beneath one of the factories in the western area.
Smoke still billowed from some chimneys, and the sounds of machinery vibrated through the concrete, a metallic roar that made each of them hold their breath. Nero peeked out first, cautiously glancing around.
"We're right below… that means any movement can be seen from above," he muttered, more to himself than to the others.
Axel approached and pointed to a narrow shaft that connected to the base of the factory.
"If we climb up there, we can get in unseen… but we'll have to stay quiet," he warned.
Sunday bent down, inspecting the entrance. "We can't let our guard down. If there are any Fillius Dei in the east area, they'll be watching the entrances. Let's stay together and cover all the escape routes."
Rose swallowed, her voice trembling: "…and what if they see us?"
"Then we'll fight," Sunday replied calmly, though the tension was evident in his shoulders. "But they won't catch us today. Not while we're together."
One by one, they began to climb the shaft.
The factory light intensified as they ascended, revealing more of the devastated landscape of the eastern zone: piles of rubble, rusted machinery, and workers who barely looked human, hunched over and exhausted.
Lux was the last before Sunday. As he climbed in, he could feel the heat and noise of the factory seeping through the metal walls. His eyes quickly scanned the area: guards, patrols, any sign of danger.
Everything seemed calm… but his instinct told him that calm was deceptive.
"We're in now," Axel murmured, once everyone had emerged from the shaft and taken cover behind an old shipping container.
"Now we just need to advance to the factory's core. We'll find the information we need there."
Sunday took a deep breath, resting his hand on the hilt of his katana. "So, every step counts. Stay alert… and remember: there's no room for error."
The factory lights illuminated their faces as they advanced, as if exposing them to death itself. The silence of the tunnel was behind them, but the tension did not lessen: every shadow, every metallic sound, was a latent threat.