As Emily walked along the line of guards, the echo of her footsteps was the only sound breaking the room's oppressive silence. Their helmets obscured their faces, making it impossible to read their expressions, but she didn’t need to. She had already disarmed them—physically and mentally—leaving no doubt in their minds about the futility of resisting.

  Behind her, Ashe cleared her throat. Her wide eyes darted over the scene, taking in the restrained guards and Emily’s commanding presence.

  “Emily, what’s going on? Is he here? Where are our people?” Ashe asked her voice tight with urgency.

  Emily didn’t turn to answer right away. Instead, she stepped closer to the nearest guard, her lips curling into a smirk.

  “I was just about to find out,” she said smoothly. Her tone sharpened as she addressed the guard directly. “Where is prisoner eight-eight-seven? And please, don’t lie to me. I’m really not in the mood.”

  The fact that Alex’s boots were here meant he could be anywhere and she couldn’t locate him anymore if that was the case. Why didn’t this stupid contract come with a built-in GPS?

  All four of the guards glanced between one another but remained silent.

  Emily’s eye twitched and she tightened the guard's restraints and asked her question again in a less polite manner.

  “Alright, I can see that this is getting nowhere. How about I make a deal for one of you? The first person to give me the information I need gets to walk out of here alive. The others will stay here with me.”

  Once again, everyone glanced at one another, but there was a significantly more desperate energy about them. Yet, they still didn’t say a word.

  Ashe played with her fingers as she watched the guards.

  Emily sighed through her nose but still managed to look disappointed. She’d been hoping their self-preservation instincts would be strong enough to get a reaction. Sadly, she was not so lucky—or at least she wasn’t until one of the guards decided to get smart and began casting something. From Emily’s vantage point, she could not see his hand behind his back, but she could feel it through her blood bindings.

  He began with a simple but effective spell to escape, and Emily was surprised, but not one to turn down an opportunity when it was offered. The moment the wind surrounded him and he cut through the thick band of blood, Emily laughed and wrapped the two separated pieces around the soldier’s neck, squeezing tightly.

  Choking noises filled the air as she lifted the man off his feet.

  “I’ll kill him if none of you tell me what I need to know. If you won’t save yourselves, then perhaps you’ll save a friend?”

  The three remaining guards couldn’t show their faces, but their body language was tense and trembling against the constraints of Emily's technique.

  The stand-off didn’t last long. The one on the end shifted uncomfortably, his breathing uneven as he glanced at his comrades. Finally, with a shaky voice, he said, “I... I want to live, so I’ll help you.” He grimaced as his fellow guards stared daggers at him. “You’re looking for quadrant six. About halfway up, the numbers are above the cells. But it’s protected by an entire team of Jailors. You’ll never get through.”

  Emily smiled and glanced at the large door.

  “Let me figure that part out. How do I get through there?” she asked, pointing to the heavy door.

  After some negotiation, Emily released that man and that man alone.

  “I have to say, you are the most reasonable out of all your friends here,” Emily said, closing her hand over a key he’d given her. “As promised, you get to go free. But of course, there is a condition. If you try to warn anyone about us—” Emily grabbed the man's wrist and wrapped a small band of blood around it, drying it all at once. “This curse will trigger and kill you. If you leave and just go home, you’ll be safe.”

  Emily put on her best bluffing face, watching the man’s expression shift to fear and uncertainty.

  Right now there was no way Emily could do something like that but, he didn’t have to know that, and by the way his eyes dilated, she was certain he believed her.

  When that was done Emily let the man go and he scampered past the golems heading for the door.

  Emily then turned to the others.

  “Looks like I have a deal to uphold. He went free, but you all decided to remain silent. I can respect your loyalty, unfortunately, it doesn’t serve me.”

  Emily was about to gather her blood when Ashe came forward gently and took hold of her wrist with a tremble in her hand.

  Emily pressed her lips together as she looked at the silent woman.

  “We can’t let them go,” Emily said dryly.

  “You, don’t need to. I’ll bind them and we can move on.

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  Emily thought about it but shook her head.

  “That probably won’t work here. This place seems like a focal point, more people might come.”

  Ashe glanced back at the three remaining men a wild light in her eyes.

  “Then… I’ll stay here to watch over them and make sure no one can get in.”.

  Emily's brow rose.

  “Do you realize what a dangerous plan that is?”

  Yes, but I also know that I can’t watch you do this. I know it’s for Alex’s sake but are you really going to kill your way in there? Do you…”

  Emily couldn’t help that cold look that appeared on her face.

  “I’ve said this to Alex before and I can see you’re about to ask me the same thing. So I’ll give you the same answer. No, I don’t enjoy killing, but sometimes it’s necessary to get what you need. And right now, I can’t leave here without him.”

  Ashe’s bottom lip trembled but she nodded and looked away.

  “I’ll stay here and keep our escape route clear.”

  Emily pressed her lips together and sighed letting Ashe take over their bindings with metal as she pulled back her blood.

  Emily walked over to the large vault door and inserted the key, having one of the golems turn it for her.

  There was a loud clang of metal as the doorway creaked open, revealing a surprising sight. Emily’s eyes widened at the sheer thickness of both the door and the imposing steel wall that framed it. The door itself was a fortress, every inch of its edges etched with intricate wards that pulsed faintly, looping around as if to bar something—or someone—from entry. She eyed the glowing symbols warily, their purpose unclear but undoubtedly powerful.

  Her focus shifted as the chamber beyond came into view, drawing her attention with its vast and foreboding presence. The space was a colossal cylinder, its sheer size almost disorienting. From her vantage point, Emily stood at the edge of a narrow walkway, lined with a simple metal railing that barely seemed sturdy enough to protect against the yawning abyss below. Beyond the railing, the floor dropped away into an endless chasm of shadow, its depths concealed by the impenetrable darkness. Only a center watchtower rose up out of the depths lighting up the space.

  Emily’s gaze lifted, taking in the far side of the chamber. To her astonishment, the opposite wall was visible, its surface crammed with rows upon rows of cells. Each one was dimly lit, and within them, figures moved—people, crammed together in grim silence. The air felt heavy, oppressive, and tinged with a sense of despair that clung to the walls like a suffocating mist. She could feel the weight of the place pressing against her chest, the sheer scale of it coming into view.

  Emily didn’t step inside just yet, but she craned her neck to see the numerous identical cells stretching up above them.

  Dozenes guards and golems were patrolling the many crisscrossing walkways that bridged the center of the gap.

  Emily frowned at the wards once more and turned back to Ashe.

  “Can you come check these out I’m not too sure what they say.”

  Ashe glanced at the door and walked over to study the runes. While she did this Emily kept an eye out for any patrolling unit that might get too close. Luckily they didn’t seem to spot them down here, but that could change any second.

  Ashe tucked a loose strand of hair over her ear and squinted at the runes.

  “These are advanced, but near as I can tell they keep source of all kinds from escaping.”

  Emily’s eye briefly glanced at the prisoners and a hunch began to form. Pressing her lips Emily stepped to the threshold and stuck her arm into the prison itself.

  The moment she did Emily felt her skills being locked, but that was not all. A powerful drawing force began to tug at the source inside her bones. Drawing it out into the chamber beyond and whisking it upwards.

  Emily ground her teeth and concentrated on her blood and flesh, doing her best to slow the escaping source. A minute or two later she had slowed it to about half but still, there was a lot escaping. It would only take a day or so to completely draw out all her source. Pulling her arm back Emily frowned, but then she spotted the guards coming this way. Ducking out of sight she frowned at them. How were they able to be in there, did they change shifts regularly?

  As Emily thought, her eyes fell on Ashe’s captives and when she saw their armor it clicked into place.

  A slow smile spread over her face and Emily walked up to the nearest man.

  “Strip for me.”

  The guard who was wrapped in metal bindings made a shrill curse before Ashe had to come over and help Emily get the armor off him.

  Once more Emily noted how young the man under his helmet was.

  No sooner had Emily gotten the suit than she started to put it on. She had time to secure everything as she walked over to the opening again.

  This time when she stuck her hand into the prison there was no draining sensation, though her skills were still unreachable.

  “Okay, I’m going. Wait for me as long as you can, but leave if you have to. I’ll find another way out if need be”

  Ashe stared at Emily, her brows drawn together.

  “Good luck…”

  Emily nodded and plunged head-first into the SourceWell, her trusty golems following after her.

  They seemed to be unaffected by whatever force was at work in here but that thought quickly left Emily's head as she crouched, realizing there was very little place to hide in here.

  The door she had come through was in a recess so it was easy enough to remain out of sight now, but the moment she walked out there she would be fully visible to the upper levels. From the look of things, each level had four entrances. If the one directly across from their door opened she would be a sitting duck.

  Not to mention she was pretty sure she was in quadrant One so she would have to climb several levels to make it to Alex's supposed cage.

  Looking down at her gloved hand through the faceplate, the corners of Emily’s mouth began to pull up.

  ‘Well, when in Rome.’ Emily thought, as she got up and brazenly walked out onto the metal walkway. The path was just big enough to allow her magical bodyguards to flank her.

  The sight drew attention from above but Emily kept walking at a steady pace, keeping her head looking straight ahead.

  She tensed, waiting for alarms to begin blaring all around her and yet they never came.

  Deciding that she was in the clear she began looking for a way up.

  Emily spotted four lifts running through the center of the gap heading to different levels. Searching for a way to call them she noticed a panel near the center pathway and began making her way toward the watch tower. When she got there she saw another panel with a keyhole in it.

  Hoping for the best Emily slotted the same key inside and turned. The panel clicked and a crystal came to life on the panel. She took that to mean that the lift was on its way and was not disappointed when less than a minute later a connected platform began to make its way down to her.

  Emily let out a breath of air when the lift clicked into place and she boarded it. There was another panel with a series of buttons on it and Emily was fairly certain there was one that said quadrant six so she pushed it.

  It was at this moment that one of the doors on this level opened. Thankfully it was not opposite Ashe’s door but two guards still appeared and when they spotted Emily they put up their hands.

  “Hey, hold the lift!” one of them called.

  Emily scowled and proceeded to smash the button repeatedly until there was a click of metal and the lift took off.

  Blood points: 336