As they staggered out of the auditorium, leaning on each other for support, the effects of the Zavon injection coursed through their veins, numbing the pain but leaving a strange warmth in its wake. Ampelius's senses were on high alert, especially as the eerie sounds from earlier began to echo in his mind again. He tried to shake them off, focusing on the task at hand.

  “So, what exactly happened?” Nova asked, his voice betraying a mix of confusion and disbelief. “I remember hanging upside down, then hitting the floor hard. I vaguely recall being beaten with baseball bats before blacking out. But now... I feel almost numb, yet oddly warm. It’s like I should be in agony, but I’m not.”

  Ampelius kept his eyes forward, wary of their surroundings as he answered. “After they beat you, a Zavon blasted a section of the wall open, killing those three bastards who were torturing us. It cut us down and injected us with something—I don’t know what it was, but it’s probably why you’re feeling like this.”

  Nova frowned, his steps growing steadier. “Injected us? Sounds like some kind of super-morphine or a hybrid adrenaline-numbing agent. Why would a Zavon do that?”

  Ampelius shrugged, his unease growing. “Maybe it wanted to spare us? It killed two other Zavons who saw us and wanted us dead. I’m still trying to make sense of it.”

  “I find that hard to believe. This is turning into one bad dream after another.”

  “You’re telling me,” Ampelius muttered. “Let’s just get out of here. I’m not sure how many more of those bastards—or Zavons—are lurking around.”

  Several tense minutes later, they reached the T-junction in the hallway where they’d been ambushed. The map on the wall served as a grim reminder, and Ampelius pointed left, recalling the path to the lobby. When they entered the lobby, everything was eerily pristine. The ticket booth held a neat stack of unsold tickets, and the concession stand was untouched as if the chaos hadn’t reached this part of the building.

  “Is that the jewelry store you were talking about? The one on the corner there?” Ampelius asked, nodding toward the street.

  “That’s it. But first, do you think the concession stand has any snacks? I’m suddenly craving something sweet.” Nova’s attention shifted from survival to the potential for snacks, much to Ampelius’s frustration.

  Ampelius sighed but followed Nova to the snack bar. As Nova rifled through the offerings, Ampelius’s surroundings began to tremble. He knelt, bracing himself against the shaking ground, but to his confusion, nothing around him seemed affected. Objects remained still, and Nova continued rummaging through snacks as if nothing was happening.

  “What the hell? Nova! Don’t you feel the shaking?” Ampelius shouted, trying to make sense of the situation.

  Nova looked up, confused. “Shaking? What are you talking about? There’s nothing shaking!” He tore open a candy bar and took a bite, seemingly oblivious to the trembling Ampelius was experiencing.

  Ampelius slowly stood, regaining his balance as the shaking subsided. He glanced back at Nova, who was still blissfully raiding the snack bar. Was this another effect of the injection? He couldn’t be sure.Once Nova had his fill, he offered a candy bar to Ampelius, a wide grin on his chocolate-smeared face. Ampelius declined with a shake of his head, still unsettled by what had just happened. He turned toward the double glass doors at the entrance, cautiously peeking outside for any sign of hostility before stepping into the street.The acrid stench of burning flesh and smoke hit them both like a wall, causing them to gag and nearly vomit. The city was a wasteland, and the Zavons’ destruction was evident in every corner.

  “I don’t like this,” Ampelius muttered.

  “Let’s just get to the shop,” Nova replied, more focused now.

  The main entrance to the jewelry shop was locked, forcing them to search for another way in. Nova spotted a broken window around the corner and gestured for Ampelius to follow. As they moved along the sidewalk, a bright beam of flame suddenly appeared several blocks away, moving toward them at an alarming speed.

  “Oh shit, that’s heading our way! Quick, get in and watch your hands on the glass!” Nova shouted.

  They climbed through the broken window just as a large, black, triangular object descended from the smoke-filled sky, its beam obliterating everything in its path. Inside, the jewelry shop was in disarray, with broken glass littering the floor and remnants of looted jewelry scattered about.

  Ampelius noticed a dark hallway leading deeper into the building. “There’s an exit sign down this hallway,” he pointed out.

  Nova nodded. “Good, that should lead us to another alley. With luck, we can still access the train station from the surface. We need to stay quiet and careful.”

  “You don’t know of any hidden weapons here, do you? I’d feel better with one,” Ampelius asked.

  Nova shook his head. “Better not to have any when we enter the station. The fewer reasons they have to shoot us, the better.”

  They proceeded through the hallway, exiting into an alley that looked like it had witnessed a massive brawl. The ground was littered with trash, glass bottles, blood, and bodies. They carefully navigated the debris until they reached the street.The beam of flame reappeared at a nearby intersection, turning the traffic lights and metal poles into molten liquid. As it moved away, Ampelius and Nova exchanged fearful glances, the devastation it left behind almost unrecognizable.

  “The entrance we need is right there, at that red building,” Nova said, pointing. “But with the ground melted like that, we’ll need to find another way in.”

  “Are these buildings connected? Maybe we can get to the roof and jump over,” Ampelius suggested.

  “Could be. Let’s check it out.” Nova led them to an apartment building across the street. He tried the metal door, but it was locked. Peering through the small window, he quickly ducked down.

  “What is it?” Ampelius asked, mimicking Nova’s movement.

  “Zavons! They’re inside the apartment building,” Nova whispered.

  Before they could react, a loud thunk sounded against the door, and a Zavon’s face appeared in the window, staring directly at them.

  “Never mind, they saw us!” Nova hissed.

  They sprinted back across the street into the alley they had just left, with the Zavon in hot pursuit. As they ran, Nova spotted a circular manhole cover on the ground. Judging that they could escape before the Zavon reached them, he shouted, “Help me open this! Now or never!”

  Together, they lifted the heavy lid and tossed it aside. Nova dove in headfirst, followed by Ampelius, who narrowly avoided the Zavon’s grasp. The creature peered down into the sewer for a moment before walking away, its footsteps fading. Ampelius wrinkled his nose. “So this is what a sewer smells like?”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Nova replied. “But this sewer should lead us straight to the train station, assuming we don’t get lost. There’s a maintenance room near the bathrooms; we should be able to pop up there. But we need to be cautious—there might be guards down here.”

  “You don’t think that Zavon can follow us, do you?” Ampelius asked, still catching his breath.

  “If I can barely fit, I doubt they can. Those things are huge! Let’s keep moving.”

  Their path was soon obstructed by a large hole in the floor, debris from above indicating something had crashed through. Daylight leaked in from above, illuminating the metro tunnel below.

  Ampelius peered down and then up, noting the height of the drop. “This looks like the work of a turtle shell. The metro system is down there? I thought the sewer was below the metro.”

  Nova joined him at the edge. “How far down is it? Can we jump?”

  “I think we can make it. The debris might be unstable, though. It’s risky.”

  Before they could decide, a bright blue light illuminated the tunnel behind them, followed by a deafening bang. Ampelius’s heart raced. “We don’t have much choice now. Can you stall them while I go down? I don’t care if they probe your—”

  Nova cut him off with a frown. “Okay, Mr. Straight Face Joker. Whatever you say.”

  “I’m not joking,” Ampelius deadpanned.

  “It better be a joke for your sake,” Nova muttered, lowering himself down.

  Once they both reached the bottom, they ran deeper into the tunnel as two Zavons appeared overhead, searching the area they had just vacated. The metro tunnel was eerily quiet as they moved forward, only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the darkness. Nova pointed at a broken light on the wall. “I remember that light. We must be getting closer to the station.”

  “Good, let’s keep moving. I have a bad feeling we’re being followed,” Ampelius replied, glancing back.

  As they neared the station, the lights began to fade until they were walking in total darkness. Nova cursed under his breath. “You don’t happen to have a light, do you? I can’t see a damn thing.”

  “No, and if I did, I would have brought it out by now. Maybe the darkness is meant to protect the station. At least, I hope so.”

  “You know, now I get why kids are afraid of the dark,” Nova said, his voice barely a whisper.

  “What kids?” Ampelius asked, his curiosity piqued despite the situation.

  “Never mind. Just bad memories.”

  Suddenly, they froze as fast-moving footsteps approached them from the darkness. Before they could react, a voice shouted, “It’s them! The traitors!”

  Bright white floodlights blazed to life, blinding them. Voices barked conflicting commands, creating chaos until a single authoritative voice silenced the others.

  “Now that I’m the only one speaking, you will follow my commands exactly, or we will kill you. Hands above your heads, turn around slowly and face away from my voice until I tell you to stop.”

  Ampelius and Nova complied, turning slowly as the floodlights shut off, plunging them back into darkness. Two pairs of footsteps approached quickly, and within moments, both men were handcuffed and forced to their knees.

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  “Interlock your fingers behind your head. Kneel down, and don’t move,” the closer voice commanded.

  The floodlights switched back on, revealing a group of Roman soldiers, all wearing night vision goggles attached to their gray helmets. The soldiers conducted a thorough search, emptying Ampelius and Nova’s pockets. Several concealed knives and shivs were found on Nova, who shrugged nonchalantly as they were confiscated.

  “What happened to ‘no weapons’? And where the hell did you get all those?” Ampelius asked, incredulous.

  Before Nova could respond, a soldier struck Ampelius in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle, demanding silence. When the search was complete, the soldiers debated whether to add extra security precautions.

  “Yeah, grab the foot shackles,” one soldier ordered.

  A short time later, both men had their feet shackled as well. “Take them to holding cell G. The Legion Legate wants a friendly chat with our guests. The rest of you, return to your posts and turn off that damn light!”

  The floodlights switched off again, and they were roughly shoved forward, stumbling as they tried to walk with shackled feet. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the clinking of chains and the shuffling of feet. The soldiers began a low conversation, but the words that reached Ampelius made his blood run cold.

  “Have they decided what to do with that girl? I don’t get it. First, they treat her wounds, and then suddenly, she’s a traitor. Why waste medical supplies?” one soldier asked.

  “I don’t know. All I heard was that she was to be executed. We’ll dispose of her once these prisoners are settled,” another replied.

  Ampelius’s heart pounded. He knew exactly who they were talking about. Bella. He needed to escape and save her, no matter the cost. The thought of what they might do to her drove him into a cold rage, his last remnants of restraint slipping away.They were roughly shoved into a dark, windowless room with concrete walls and a filthy mattress against one corner. As the reinforced metal door slammed shut, Ampelius seethed with anger, formulating a plan.

  “We’re getting out of here,” Ampelius said, his voice filled with determination. “We’re going to escape, kick some ass, save Bella, and leave this cursed city behind.”

  Nova’s skepticism was clear in his tone. “Yeah? And how do you plan to do that?”

  As if in answer, a violent explosion shook the room, bringing down pieces of the ceiling and walls. Light filtered through the debris, and chaos erupted outside. Ampelius shielded his head from the falling debris, a smile spreading across his face as he looked at Nova.

  “Is that a good enough answer for you? Hurry, find something sharp to get these shackles off,” Ampelius urged.

  “It’s still pretty dark in here, but I’ll do my best,” Nova replied, feeling his way through the debris.

  Suddenly, the door to the room fell inward with a loud crash, revealing the unconscious guard outside and a small torch that provided enough light for them to see. Ampelius quickly searched the guard’s body, finding a set of keys attached to his belt. He tried the first key on the shackles, but it didn’t fit. Frustration mounting, he tossed it aside and tried the second key with no success. Nova, growing impatient, picked up a double-barreled shotgun that had fallen near the guard.

  “Just use the shotgun. It’ll save time and arm us,” Nova suggested.

  Ampelius glanced at the rusted shackles on his ankles. “That’s not going to work.”

  Ignoring him, Nova checked the shotgun’s chamber, confirming it was loaded. With a loud boom, he shot the shackles off his own feet, a grin spreading across his face as his ears rang from the noise.

  “See? These shackles are weak. Whoever designed these must’ve been as smart as a rock. Stand up, and I’ll shoot yours off.”

  “You better not shoot my foot off—I’ve got some asses to kick,” Ampelius retorted.

  Nova aimed carefully and fired, the loud report echoing in the narrow hallway. The shackles fell away, freeing Ampelius. Before they could move, the guard regained consciousness with a sharp gasp, looking up at them with fear in his eyes. Nova pointed the now-empty shotgun at the guard, who instinctively reached for a concealed handgun. Ampelius noticed and lunged at him. A desperate struggle for the weapon ensued. Nova joined the fray, and both men were fighting to disarm the guard. After what felt like an eternity, Ampelius wrested the gun from the guard’s grip. The guard, now cornered and out of options, raised his hands in surrender.

  “Okay, I surrender! Please don’t shoot!” he pleaded.

  Ampelius and Nova stepped back, catching their breath as they kept the gun trained on the guard. Ampelius slightly racked the slide, confirming a round in the chamber and that the safety was off. Without hesitation, he aimed between the guard’s eyes and pulled the trigger. The guard crumpled to the floor, blood pooling from the new hole in his forehead.

  “You didn’t find any more shotgun shells, did you?” Nova asked, shaking his head.

  Ampelius shook his head. “No, and I didn’t even know he had a sidearm.”

  Nova thoroughly searched the guard’s pockets, coming up empty-handed. “Looks like those two shotgun shells were all he had. Probably meant to execute us with them.”

  “Let’s not stick around to find out. I’ve only got six bullets left. We need better weapons and more ammo if we’re going to stand a chance.”

  “I doubt we’ll get anywhere near their armory, so we’ll have to use stealth and whatever we can find,” Nova agreed.

  The sound of gunfire and screaming echoed from a nearby stairwell, drawing their attention. They had only one direction to go with the maintenance room at the far end of the hallway.

  “Looks like those stairs are our only way out. I doubt those other rooms lead anywhere useful,” Nova said.

  Ampelius smirked. “Maybe we could clean them to death.”

  Nova rolled his eyes. “If only it were that easy. Since you’ve got the gun, you take point. The station must be under attack, so move carefully—I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Let’s find Bella and get out of here,” Ampelius said, leading the way.

  As they approached the stairwell, gunfire suddenly erupted, and a Roman soldier came tumbling down the stairs, landing at their feet. The soldier quickly recovered, raising his rifle toward the unseen threat above. Ampelius acted before the soldier could realize they were behind him, firing a single shot into the back of his head. The soldier slumped forward, dead before he hit the ground.

  “Grab his RIAR,” Ampelius ordered.

  Nova quickly looted the body, handing Ampelius two additional magazines before taking point. As they cautiously ascended the stairs, the gunfire above abruptly ceased. Nova slowed his pace, muttering, “Slow is fast, fast is dead.”

  As Nova’s head cleared the stairwell, he froze, his voice barely a whisper. “What is it?” Ampelius asked.

  “Bodies... mutilated. Some are mixed with that blue stuff. A Zavon must’ve done this.”

  “Keep moving. We need to find Bella,” Ampelius urged.

  Nova continued forward, his steps slow and deliberate. Ampelius kept glancing back at the stairwell, uneasy about leaving their exit unsecured. As they entered the station plaza, they detected movement to their left.They turned to see a massive Zavon, much larger than the ones they’d encountered before. Its midnight blue armor glinted ominously as it stared them down, holding a spear with a glowing blue tip.

  Ampelius raised his pistol, ready to fire, but before he could, another spear pierced the larger Zavon’s neck from behind, causing it to explode into yellow goo. Another Zavon, slightly smaller but equally imposing, stood behind it, holding a similar spear. For a moment, Ampelius and the smaller Zavon locked eyes. Ampelius fired, but the bullets sparked harmlessly off the creature’s armor. Annoyed, the Zavon unleashed a red shockwave from its hand, throwing Ampelius back into a pile of goo-covered bodies.

  When he stood, disoriented and in pain, the Zavon had vanished. Panicking, he scanned the area frantically. Nova came running up, nearly getting shot by the startled Ampelius.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! It’s me! Are you okay? What were you shooting at?”

  “The Zavon! I think it was the one that injected us! Where did it go?”

  Nova looked confused. “What Zavon? I didn’t see anything.”

  “You didn’t see the big Zavon standing right there? You didn’t see it get stabbed by the smaller one?”

  Nova shook his head. “No. I was moving ahead, and suddenly, you started shooting and fell into that pile of bodies.”

  Ampelius began to doubt his own sanity. Had he imagined the whole thing? “There were two Zavons right there. Tell me you can see this yellow goo.”

  “Yeah, but that was here when we got to the plaza,” Nova replied.

  “It doesn’t matter. Every Zavon in this station probably heard those shots. We need to move,” Nova urged.

  They moved away from the plaza, entering a corridor marked with a homemade hospital sign. “You said Bella was receiving medical treatment, right? She should be down this way unless they moved her.”

  As they entered the corridor, the scene was one of utter devastation. Medical equipment was strewn about, ceiling lights flickered, and the floor was littered with papers, blood, and stretchers. The smell of death hung heavy in the air. They cautiously advanced, checking each room as they passed, but found only death and destruction. Ampelius’s heart sank as the silence pressed in on them. Suddenly, they heard faint cries from a room up ahead. “Bella?” Ampelius called out, running toward the sound.

  He burst into the room, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight before him. A young woman lay on a bed, covered in the same blue goo they had seen elsewhere. From her stomach down, she was nothing but liquefied remains. She weakly raised a hand toward Ampelius, tears streaming down her face. Ampelius took her hand, squeezing it tightly as tears welled up in his eyes. She begged him to end her suffering, and with a heavy heart, he drew his handgun and ended her life with a single shot. He wiped the tears from his face and left the room, his heart heavy with grief. Nova followed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, man. She didn’t deserve that.”

  “That wasn’t Bella,” Ampelius replied, his voice thick with anger. “I don’t know who that was.”

  They were startled by the sound of glass breaking from the room across the hall. Guns drawn, they breached the door, finding several dead bodies and, to their surprise, a Zavon with numerous bullet holes lying on the ground.

  “Watch for movement,” Nova said, his voice tense.

  Suddenly, two hands rose from the bed, revealing a blonde woman with a bandage wrapped around her head. She looked at Ampelius, her eyes widening in recognition.

  “Ampelius? Is that you?” she asked, her voice trembling.

  “Olivia?” Ampelius replied, equally shocked.

  “Holy cow, it is you!” she exclaimed, relief washing over her face.

  “Okay, you two know each other. But what happened here?” Ampelius asked.

  “I don’t remember much,” Olivia replied. “I barely survived an attack and got hit in the head. I lost a lot of blood and passed out. When I woke up, I was here, patched up and on meds. But everything went to hell soon after.”

  “What happened to this Zavon?” Nova asked, pointing at the dead creature.

  “It was shot by that soldier over there. They must have killed each other. After that, everything went quiet until I heard you guys coming. I wasn’t sure if you were friendly, so I grabbed a glass bottle to defend myself, but I dropped it.”

  “Are you okay? You’re safe now,” Ampelius said, trying to reassure her.

  “Am I okay? Is that really a question?” Olivia replied, her voice tinged with hysteria. “This is like the mental institution all over again!”

  “Mental institution?” Ampelius echoed, confused.

  Olivia sighed. “You don’t remember? That’s where we met. But it doesn’t matter now. Can we please leave?”

  “Yeah, let’s go. Have you seen Bella? Another blonde, a bit heavier set than you.”

  “They did evacuate some people, but I don’t know if she was among them. I was one of the last left here.”

  “If she’s alive, I’ll find her,” Ampelius vowed. “Nova, lead the way.”

  They navigated through the debris-strewn hallway, the oppressive silence weighing on them. Ampelius’s mind raced with thoughts of Bella, hoping against hope that she was still alive.

  “So, what’s this about a mental institution?” Nova asked, breaking the silence.

  “I was a patient there,” Olivia said, her tone bitter. “Ampelius and I became close friends, but apparently, he doesn’t remember.”

  “That’s not true! I used to visit you there; I remember that,” Ampelius protested.

  Olivia shook her head. “Believe what you want.”

  Nova shrugged. “Whatever. Let’s just get out of here.”

  They reached the end of the corridor, where the sound of gunfire and explosions erupted from the plaza. Ampelius and Nova took cover by the exit, listening intently. They heard the sound of footsteps approaching and readied their weapons. Two Roman soldiers appeared, running frantically from something behind them. Without hesitation, Ampelius fired, dropping the first soldier with a bullet to the heart. The second soldier barely had time to react before a bullet struck his neck, sending him choking to the ground.

  Ampelius finished him off with a shot to the head, then turned to Nova and Olivia. “Let’s move.”

  Before they could take another step, a fast-moving red ball of energy struck Nova, disintegrating him into a pile of red ash. Ampelius and Olivia dove to the ground as more of the deadly projectiles zipped past them, impacting the wall behind them with explosive force.

  “What the hell is that?” Olivia screamed, her voice tinged with panic.

  “I don’t know! Just stay down!” Ampelius shouted, his mind racing for a plan.

  The whistling projectiles finally stopped, replaced by the sound of approaching footsteps. Ampelius could hear distant voices but couldn’t make out the words. He motioned for Olivia to stay quiet as he listened.The voices grew louder, and Ampelius realized they were Roman soldiers. Desperate to avenge Olivia, who had been shot for simply surrendering, he decided to ambush the approaching soldiers.

  He whispered to Olivia to stay put, but she stood up with her hands raised in surrender. A soldier’s flashlight beam found her, and before she could speak, a gunshot rang out, and she crumpled to the floor. Ampelius’s heart filled with rage. He rose from his position and opened fire, emptying his magazine into the soldier who had shot Olivia. The soldier dropped dead, but two more soldiers appeared, firing at him from a distance. He calmly walked toward the dead soldier, taking his rifle and returning fire. He struck one soldier in the chest as the other ducked behind cover. He advanced steadily, firing controlled shots as he closed the distance. The surviving soldier reappeared, firing three rounds before his weapon jammed. Ampelius didn’t hesitate, taking aim and pulling the trigger.