"A tunnel?!"
Nim exclaimed in surprise, staring at the long corridor stretching before him, cloaked in shadows and flickering candlelight.
"Let's go," urged Captain Flora, prompting the group forward.
As Nim walked, he remained deep in thought. What's my purpose here? Why would Captain Flora bring me to the city's vault… or maybe it's her lab? Whatever it is.
The group continued their descent into the darkness. With each step, the shadows seemed to recede, but the gloom only deepened.
Nim glanced at Gina and asked, "Is this your first time here? You didn't look surprised when we arrived—or maybe you just hid it well before I could notice. Not that reading your face is ever easy."
He chuckled at his last remark.
Gina replied calmly, "You're right, it's not my first time. I used to come here sometimes, sent by my mother to deliver or retrieve messages and items."
"Are there others here?" Nim asked, his curiosity piqued. He had assumed this place was a secret vault, known only to a select few. But now… it felt like something much greater.
Gina sighed, then answered curtly, "Yes. There are. But that's all I'll say. Ask Captain Flora if you want real answers."
"Alright, alright, no need to scold me for being too smart."
"Oh, what wonderful friends you are," came Flora's voice from ahead, her tone teasing and her smile layered with meaning.
Gina scowled and kicked Nim in the leg.
"Ow!" Nim cried, hopping on one foot.
"Captain Flora," he said, rubbing his shin, "this tunnel is endless—I might die before we reach the end. Could you at least—"
But Flora ignored him and kept walking.
Gina, however, offered a small answer: "We're almost there."
And soon, her words proved true.
After a few more steps, they emerged into a vast chamber glowing with soft, white light. Hexagonal crystals floated overhead, radiating a pale brilliance that bathed the entire area. The chamber walls shimmered with the same strange, unnatural metal as the entrance gate—but here, the atmosphere felt even more imposing.
Nim stared, utterly spellbound, mesmerized by the light. He barely noticed Gina shaking him.
"Pffft—what?!" he snapped when she slapped him.
"You were entranced," she said with a mix of irritation and worry. "You wouldn't respond, so I used the most effective method to wake you."
Just then, a tall figure approached—six feet of shifting shadow shaped like a knight. It stopped in front of Flora and bowed.
"This knight greets his mistress," it said solemnly.
Nim's pupils narrowed. The figure radiated a powerful aura—one as strong as a Lord's, maybe even stronger.
"No need to be alarmed," Flora said calmly. "He is my assistant."
She turned to the group and continued, "This is the vault—and also the city's laboratory. As you know, we have about a hundred Lords in the city… but more than that, ten Lords are stationed here, along with fifty carefully selected Binders."
"Here, we forge magical weapons—ranked from Binder-level to Lord-tier, and sometimes even for the Melded."
"Gina," she added, "take him to the lab you used to train in. I have matters to tend to."
Gina nodded, took Nim by the collar, and led him onward. Nim didn't resist. His eyes wandered over the towering structures and machinery, wondering what rare materials or high-ranked artifacts lay beyond.
After walking nearly two hundred meters, Nim mumbled, "This place is massive."
Gina said nothing. Instead, she pointed to a staircase. "We're going down one floor."
"Oh no, stairs again? You people are exhausting…" But inside, a strange unease crept into his chest.
They descended to the second floor. Gina led him to the first room on the right.
The moment Nim stepped inside, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped him—before he even saw what lay ahead. He instinctively wanted to turn back, but Gina's voice, tinged with unease and fear, rang in his ears:
"Don't worry. It's nothing."
Then he looked forward… and froze.
There, lying in the center of the room, was a monstrous corpse—nearly seven meters tall. It had a grotesque humanoid body, primitive and brutal, covered in fur that gleamed like sharpened knives. Its head was that of a goat, crowned with curling horns, and its legs were goat-like as well. Even in death, its aura was suffocating.
Nim trembled at the sight and clutched his chest. "T-That… that's a Regional Beast, isn't it?"
Gina responded tersely, "Yes."
He stepped closer. Near the creature's towering head lay a crushed human body—the head mangled beyond recognition. But what caught Nim's eye was the hand. A pale, calloused hand, scarred and familiar… clothed in worn, tattered fabric he knew all too well.
"…Dad?" he whispered, barely audible.
He dropped to his knees, clutching the lifeless arm.
"What were you doing here?" he murmured. "Why did you die like this? You promised… you promised you'd be at my graduation. I told you I'd become a Melded like the Elders… You used to laugh…"
"Aghh… Father… you promised you'd come back…"
He let go of the hand and began clawing at his own face in anguish. Tears—thick and crimson—fell from his eyes.
Gina stood behind him, her own tears trailing down her cheeks. She had known this moment would come—but not like this.
In the City of Fading Light, such scenes were all too familiar.
Some cried.
Some swore vengeance.
Some simply withered and died.
Some took their own lives.
And others… could only offer hollow words and empty comfort.
But Gina couldn't bear to see one of her few remaining friends suffer so deeply.
"Nim… please, stop…" she cried out, her voice trembling with grief and fear.