Already deep inside the cave, the masked moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing through the endless darkness. The deeper they went, the more unnatural the tunnel felt—clearly man-made. A strange familiarity tugged at their minds, like a forgotten memory or an invisible hand urging them forward.
The air grew colder. The stone underfoot shifted to rusted metal, and the walls bore dried bloodstains. Human skulls and bones littered the path, some gnawed by rats. Scraps of abandoned tech and broken defense systems peeked from corners, half-swallowed by dust and time.
"Feels like we've been walking forever," Ace muttered, stretching with a bored yawn. His energy was a stark contrast to his earlier intensity.
"It hasn't even been three hours," Wei replied, checking her watch.
"At least we know we're close to something," Sam added, as if the eerie silence didn't faze him at all.
"I'm tired," Phiona whined, dragging her feet. "Let's rest."
Xavier nodded. "Agreed. We'll stop here for the night and continue in the morning."
"Finally," Phiona sighed dramatically, pretending to yawn as she fell into Ace's arms.
They set up a temporary watch rotation.
"Wei, Phiona, and I will take the first watch," Xavier said. "Ace and Sam, you two get some rest. We'll switch in a few hours."
"Cool," Ace said, already lying flat against the cold steel floor.
"Night, pretty boy," Phiona teased.
It didn't take long before Ace drifted off. And again, the same phenomenon occurred. Only this time, it felt different—sharper. Stronger. He could feel the force behind it.
"You can hear me? You can see me?" a deep voice echoed in the void.
Ace blinked in the dreamscape. 'It can speak now?' he thought.
"So you can see and hear me," the force replied. It grew stronger with every word, more present.
"Who are you? Are you the one causing those urges? The one that makes me kill and enjoy it?!" Ace snapped.
The voice laughed. A low, grating sound. "You're asking the wrong question. Ask who you are. That's what matters."
The presence flared, then vanished.
Ace woke up with a start.
"Hey, time to switch," Sam said, nudging him.
"Already? That felt like 20 minutes..." Ace paused. The memory of the voice still echoed in his mind. But he said nothing.
"Let's finish this cave and get out," Ace muttered, unease creeping into his voice.
The others were asleep. Ace sat against the wall, thinking.
"What are you thinking about?" Sam asked.
"Everything feels off," Ace answered. "Just... wrong."
"If we were created, maybe the Eidolons were too," Sam said. "I bet they were designed for war. Human superweapons."
Ace considered that. "Makes sense."
"This is our only lead. I hope we find something." Sam leaned back, slowly dozing off.
Ace fell asleep again, this time waking up with a bit more clarity. He sat up and scanned the area—but Sam was gone.
"Don't tell me he went off exploring..." Ace cursed, debating whether to wake the others. "No time. Straight path. I'll go alone."
But unknown to him, the others had already woken up and followed.
Ace arrived at an old laboratory where Sam was inspecting destroyed machines.
"NO! DON'T COME IN! TRAPS—" Sam shouted.
Too late.
The moment Ace stepped inside, the lab lit up with alarms. Red lights strobed. Metal groaned. Walls shook. From the far end, mech-bots emerged—sleek black frames, plasma weapons charging.
Ace cracked his knuckles.
Sam dodged between columns, tossing EMP grenades, disabling a few bots.
Ace inhaled. No sword yet. Just fists.
A mech lunged.
He side-stepped, crushed its leg joint with his heel, ripped off its cannon arm, and hurled it through another bot.
Plasma fire scorched the floor near him. He ducked, dashed forward, and drove a punch through a mech's chest.
Sam detonated a drone, scattering the enemies.
"Still holding back?!" Sam shouted.
Ace smirked.
He reached for the black coffin strapped to his back. Fingers on the hilt. Air thickened. Energy coiled.
With a grunt, he unsheathed the blade.
The lab flinched.
The sword oozed dark mist, humming with bloodlust. Ace surged forward.
He wasn't fighting.
He was cleansing.
One slash bisected a mech. Another took down three. Sparks and debris littered the floor.
"Now you're just showing off," Sam said.
Ace said nothing, blade howling through the air. The last mech tried to flee.
He appeared in front of it.
One thrust. Silence.
Red lights dimmed. Smoke rose.
Ace sheathed the blade.
Sam walked over, grinning. "Next time, use that first."
"Where's the fun in that?"
The others finally arrived.
"Are you insane?! You could've died!" Wei scolded.
"Wait," Xavier said, eyes narrowing. "Do you hear that?"
A faint mechanical whirring.
"What sound?" Phiona asked.
All of them heard it. A hatch creaked open in the corner of the lab.
"You don't think we're alone in here..." Ace said, unsheathing the coffin blade again.
"Time to find out," Sam muttered.
The hatch began to open.
---
Meanwhile, at Geneva—the world's core
The world leaders convened again.
After hours of debate, a resolution was passed: send an elite team and one world leader as a show of good faith to the masked group.
President Liu stood up. "I'll go myself." :If we can control these masked... then even after the Eidolons, we will rule.' he thought to himself.
And so, a new game began.