Athena
They followed Nate's plan without hesitation.
As Emily and Athena approached the mouth of the cave, Nate melted silently into Athena's shadow—his presence like a phantom tethered to her soul. The entrance yawned before them, wide and jagged, as if the mountain itself had opened its jaws to devour them.
Darkness swallowed everything.
The air inside was heavy, damp with rot and whispers. Every footstep echoed like a dare.
"This place gives me the creeps," Emily whispered, her voice barely above breath. "Still... not a bad hiding spot."
Athena nodded, her voice tight. "Yeah. Perfect."
But dread gnawed at her stomach.
Moments later, two figures stepped out of the gloom, the flicker of their lanterns casting dancing shadows against the cave walls.
One was a petite woman with cotton-candy pink hair and sharp blue eyes, dressed in a black mage's robe that hung like a shroud. The other—a tall man clad in silver armor, his gaze burning orange like molten steel, his face half-covered by a steel half-mask.
"Hey," the woman called out, smiling. "Are you two adventurers?"
Her voice was sweet, but Athena's instincts screamed otherwise.
"I'm Samantha," she added, still smiling.
"And I'm Lucian," the knight said with a courteous nod.
Athena's eyes narrowed subtly. Their aura levels weren't threatening—D-ranks at best—but that didn't ease her suspicions.
"Yes, we are," Athena replied, bowing slightly. "We didn't realize this cave was occupied. We'll be on our way."
She turned, tugging Emily's arm gently, but Samantha stepped forward.
"Wait—please. Don't go," she said, her voice gentle but insistent. "We overheard you talking. We just wanted to check in."
"Is that so?" Athena asked, playing the part of an oblivious traveler.
Lucian spoke next. "We've got a small crew further inside. If you need shelter or food, you're welcome. If not, you're free to leave."
Athena caught Emily's eye.
A subtle nod.
"I'm Diana," Athena said smoothly. "This is my friend Emily."
The lie rolled easily off her tongue. Her real name would only complicate things—especially in a den like this.
"Think nothing of it," Samantha replied. "Come. This way."
Athena smiled faintly.
Now let's see if Nate was right.
Emily
The deeper they went, the colder it became.
Not in temperature—but in spirit.
Emily's breaths grew shallow, her steps slower. A clawing unease crept down her spine, wrapping around her chest.
She looked back.
The entrance had vanished into the dark.
Ahead, a dim, pulsing light flickered.
"Almost there," Samantha murmured.
They stepped into a large, torch-lit chamber—and Emily froze.
The light revealed cages.
Dozens.
Each one packed with women—battered, bruised, barely clothed. Some lay on the stone floor, unmoving. Others were bound to crude wooden crosses, their bodies trembling in agony, their eyes hollow.
Athena staggered backward and doubled over, retching onto the stone floor.
Emily clapped a hand to her mouth, her vision blurring with rage and nausea.
"Ladies," Lucian said, his smile now a grotesque smirk, "welcome to the crew."
Emily turned toward Samantha, searching for something—remorse, guilt.
Samantha's eyes remained lowered, her expression tight with shame.
Then a new voice emerged from the chamber's center.
A man lounged on a throne made from twisted bones and rusted iron, clad in dark armor soaked in grime and blood. His greasy black hair hung in strings, and his brown eyes gleamed with cruel delight.
"Well done, Samantha," he said lazily. "As promised, you and your sister will be freed."
Before another word could be spoken—
A crimson splash erupted across Emily's face.
Samantha's body fell in two clean halves at the man's feet, her blood pooling quickly.
Emily gasped, frozen in place.
The man licked blood from his fingers. "Tsk. What a mess she made me create."
Then his gaze shifted toward Athena. In a single step, he was before her, fingers gripping her chin.
"Kill the other sister," he commanded flatly.
From one of the cages, a girl screamed. Two brutes dragged her out, flinging her across the stone floor. Her eyes locked onto Samantha's mangled corpse.
"Sister!!" she shrieked, scrambling forward in desperation.
One of the men grabbed her by the leg and yanked her back. "Don't cry," he mocked. "You'll be with her soon enough."
He forced her down, his hands reaching for his belt.
"No… no, please! Someone… help me!!" the girl sobbed, helpless.
A thunderous crack echoed through the chamber.
The man collapsed, a jagged hole through his forehead.
All heads snapped toward the source.
Athena stood tall, hand outstretched, her eyes blazing an otherworldly blue.
"All of you will meet your end today," she said, her voice no longer her own. It was something else. Something ancient. Something wrathful.
The dark-armored man released her and chuckled, low and amused.
"Oh? Let's see if you mean that."
His aura exploded outward, flooding the chamber with oppressive pressure—but Athena didn't move.
Then one of the guards disappeared.
No warning. No flash. Just gone.
Another followed. Then a third.
"What the hell?!" one of the six remaining shouted.
A fourth man vanished in a blink.
"Who's doing this?!" the leader roared, eyes darting.
Then came the voice.
Low. Unrelenting. Full of venom and shadows.
"Your worst nightmare. The one who'll take you to hell. But before that—"
A shape stepped from the shadows.
"—I'll show you a place far darker."
Nate emerged behind the throne like a wraith, silent and merciless.
He had changed.
His beast-themed armor was gone, replaced by an assassin's ensemble—dark and sleek. Cloth wrapped his head and face, revealing only his eyes, which gleamed like molten gold edged in blood.
No sword. No spear.
But death clung to him like smoke.
"Athena. Emily." His voice was calm. Empty. "Free the women."
They nodded.
He stepped forward.
"I'll handle the rest."
Nate
The transformation was complete.
This form—his Evil Charm state—wasn't just armor. It was power incarnate. His vision was sharper, his body cloaked in shadows, and his flames—black, cursed, and eternal—were ready to devour anything in their path.
Tonight, he would unleash them.
Tonight… he would burn them all.