We were on guard, sense sharper than ever, ready to act on demand, prepared for everything.

  Earlier in the day, half an hour ago to be exact, the goods rose to rebellion and succeeded in freeing themselves from their prison. We're still unsure about all the ins and outs, but after a short inspection, it would appear that the root of the problem was a human mistake, or rather, lust.

  Some retarded lucky bastards infiltrated the forbidden zone, which was left with almost no supervision. By doing so, they get themselves annihilated in a truly butchery way while giving the women the occasion to escape. As to whether it was planned and to what extent, this had yet to be determined with confidence, but in all likelihood, the women were harboring hopes of escaping, and the opportunity was seized.

  The goods then succeeded in storming out and went deeper into the galleries instead of trying to exit. They must’ve become aware of the men’s place of work one way or another because they directly rushed to their location.

  I don’t know what were the reasons behind such an endeavor. Was it to increase their chances of success, thinking that they alone were not enough to guarantee the most vulnerable one’s safety? Or perhaps they simply didn’t want to leave the captive men behind out of kindness. It was probably both.

  Well, anyway, they knew what they were doing and had some sort of plan in mind because upon freeing their fellow, they barricaded themselves into the dead end without further ado, showing a clear intent to hold a siege against us.

  They must have understood that they would not be allowed to leave as freely as they had come here. Moreover, they should’ve realized there were quite a few of us scattered around. Considering our potential number, they presumably feared we would give them chase soon enough after gathering together if they were to depart hastily.

  Knowing that with their sheer number, they were still seriously posing a threat to the few of us and that we could only wait for reinforcement, it was a clever move. And they were right on this point. We were indeed waiting for our main force to arrive.

  The person guiding them must be intelligent. But she had failed to completely understand the situation they were in. She had made a grave error while betting on something uncertain and should’ve better fled without qualms and even left behind those who could have slowed her down.

  Now that I think of it, wasn’t there a special one in the lot? Ale-something? A girl with blazing hair who was somewhat strong and clever even for an adventurer? She could very well have been the one leading.

  Anyway, by now, she should begin to apprehend her grave mistake. Even outnumbered and taken by surprise, we still managed to follow them closely to the end and didn’t allow them the slightest time to rest. Doing so, we forced them to maintain their frantic pace, and they were undoubtedly exhausted after such a race.

  Furthermore, since our employer provided us with mainly enslaved women, we had to improvise to reduce our workload, and every single captured man was used as a labor force. They were in an even worse state than the girls who had been kept in jail and suddenly asked for their bodies to run for their lives. I don’t think they would be of any help, and the strongest would barely pose a threat at most.

  Or perhaps had she foreseen that much? That wouldn’t be impossible. Indeed, their defensive position would be demanding to attack, and we wouldn’t be able to overwhelm them. Perhaps she had thought this far and hoped the girls would rest while we would’ve strived to get past their defense, returning everyone to equal arms.

  But they were made like rats. How could they know, pitiful things, that we were over a hundred, dooming their vain attempt to inevitable failure?

  Well, their leader deserved some respect, at least. She was an idiot, thinking she could emerge victorious, but she made the right decision according to her knowledge. The situation probably didn’t match her dream situation, forcing her to improv, but she still had hope and kept her calm.

  May God have mercy on them, for we only had to wait patiently for our reinforcements before teaching them about their error and the consequences of their act.

  It would take them another ten to twenty minutes to get there since the underground part was rather big and difficult to navigate. Luckily for us, and unfortunately for our ex-prisoners, the warning could be sent quickly due to the blood-curdling screams of despair that could be heard almost in the entire ruins.

  May our stupid and lusting pervert rest in peace. No wonder the women knew very well about the gallery layout and the men’s location. No one could’ve possibly bear such torture, and I can personally testify to what they had to suffer. It had been impossible to look straight at them without fainting or throwing out our guts, especially Ricky.

  One word was enough to describe it, as much for the result as for the act itself, Inhuman…

  Anyway, here we were, waiting in a medium cave in front of a gallery entrance leading directly to the escapees' new prison. During this long and frustrating moment of anxiety, we were trying our best to keep our spirits up while doing absolutely nothing.

  I mean, we were the ones in an advantageous position, for sure. On the lookout, we were paying attention to any suspicious movement or traces of a possible fleeing second attempt. But this was in no way to prevent them from doing so. Our behavior's sole purpose was to flee ourselves on time.

  In the first place, our presence had no meaning. Trying to stop them would be pointless and only put our lives at risk. We were too few to pose any danger to them at the moment. Moreover, it was only by remaining alive that our presence could have proved useful, and this would only occur if we were lucky enough.

  In a natural underground maze like this one, it would’ve been easy if not for the fact that we were commanded to stay here on this one-way path without many hiding spots and not a single intersection nearby.

  Well, maybe I'm being narrow-minded here because our presence actually had its own purpose, which was to serve as mere cannon fodder, a sacrifice to cover our superior cowardice.

  Officially, it was to serve as a vanguard responsible for giving the alert and gathering any helpful info. But this was only an excuse for the team leader to distance himself from the danger and drop all the responsibility on our shoulders if the captive escaped again.

  That hateful man was gone with half of our team before the girls even started barricading themselves, leaving us completely at our own devices, pretexting the need to regroup with the other and provide our main force with fresh details as soon as possible.

  But we all knew it was fake. He was merely afraid, and he wasn’t alone in his torment…

  How so, would you ask? We were hardened and fearless criminals, currently waiting for our force to teach some rebellious minds a rough lesson and take the opportunity to have some ‘fun’.

  Well, there were two main reasons for such a fearful attitude.

  One, the girls' ferociousness and bloody way of acting made us feel terribly ill. Even if everyone is joking about what we would make them suffer in exchange, this wouldn’t change the fact that they had succeeded in demoralizing us. Their little vengeance on Ricky was one thing, but the ones guarding their back and making the front were fierce and seemed ready to exterminate us to the last one to get on their nerves.

  Two, the terrain was not in our favor. I’d rather say it was the worst possible one.

  We were accustomed to open spaces, forests, hills, and small mountains. But gloomy grottos and narrow galleries were generally off the chart. Only a portion of our men usually worked there, and most did not do it eagerly. We managed a few excavation teams, putting the captured men to work digging and conducting some research. But even there, the orders were almost always sent via slaves.

  In definitive, only the guards that were watching after the men were accustomed to the environment, and at most, the underground part was used as a shortcut between our two encampments by the bravest and most daring of us.

  We were goddamn bandits!! Not professional miners or workers! And those were not just mere mine galleries. It would’ve been much more supportable. Those were where infamous human experimentation took place, and dreadful acts were done.

  Especially the underground part. Legends surrounding this place even said you could hear the cry of some deceased and plead of the guinea pig.

  Pretty much every single one of us hated this place, and some even refused to enter it. Furthermore, we were in the deepest part at an equal distance between each exit.

  We were where the worst things happened, and, of all things, the gallery structures were left mostly intact and unmaintained, so much so that several rockfalls dating from the previous period of occupation could be found. Why do you think we were looking for this place, among so many others?

  It was because it was also one of the most likely to have remaining traces or artifacts that were missed during the cleaning period.

  Perhaps those girls didn’t care since they became accustomed to living in captivity and identify with them. Or maybe they were just ignorant of such stories. But they were much less sensitive to these things. Besides, they probably weren’t short of worries to occupy their minds.

  …

  The wait was getting long and oppressive, and I didn’t know about the other, but I was getting on my nerves.

  Sitting on the damped floor, I was lost in my thoughts, trying to deceive my emotions while looking at the dark gut that sank into the rock. Once again, I was amazed at how dark it was. Mana lamps were much more efficient than simple torches, but that didn’t mean everything was well-lit in this underground environment. Moreover, we had to ration them to save on the cost and avoid buying back mana cristal because we were near our departure. As a result, some lamps were missing crystal cores or lacked energy within it.

  This was the case for this whole section. Moreover, the last gallery separating us from the rebellious girls had been seemingly sabotaged and was now almost completely dark. It was making us even more nervous and prone to fear since we were already unable to rely on hearing.

  The sound of the fighting and the footsteps of hundreds of fleeing women had stopped for a while, and they were clever enough, and quite strong-minded, to stay more or less quiet until now.

  All that was left were the unknown surrounding noises gradually draining our force. Not being able to identify their origin or cover them up was unsustainable.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The only recognizable ones were no less stressful thoughts. Droplets of water were falling punctually without warning, and the ground sometimes made some muffled cracking sound. And there was the wind... Perhaps the worst of all.

  Deep as we were, one could think there would be none, but somehow, airflow was made possible thanks to a system put in place by the previous occupant. And for god knows why, this one did not work with a loop air circulation system but instead made the flow pretty much inconsistent and unpredictable.

  But hey, we were ordered to stay still and silent, so we were forced to bear with it, using all our mental strength not to be surprised every time a new sound occurred. Two by two, my buddy and I took turns examining the shadows for any singularity possible before returning to the only occupation available, staying sane.

  When we were not in search of a possible hiding spot or way to conceal our presence, out of fear they would attack, we were waiting in fear of the unknown. Sitting while twiddling our thumbs and listening to our heart race was the only thing we could do to stop mindless thoughts, and there was no other way around. From time to time, we would pray inwardly so that nothing would happen to us.

  …

  Trying hard to pierce the darkness with my gaze, I was starting to wonder what I was doing here. This wasn’t the life I had wished for. Even for a criminal like myself, this was too much to ask.

  At the risk of repeating myself, we were forest bandits, for god sake! Becoming a mercenary was still acceptable, but working on some ancient ruins and besieging a group of helpless girls underground was definitely not what we had signed up for!

  The pay was good, and we could enjoy tremendous benefits such as the girl and a protectorship from some corrupted noble, so there weren’t many complaints. But sometimes, like in those moments, I wondered if it wasn't a little too much.

  Being stuck in my thoughts, I failed my monitoring duty and kept complaining instead, even regretting not having had a more honest and peaceful life.

  As if to remind me and answer all my questions, this was the very moment God chose to send us a vision, a divine messenger carrier of reproach, yet giving us a glimpse of hope of redemption.

  Firstly, there was a sound wind, like divine voices whispering echoes, barely perceptible but which seemed to grow louder as they approached. This led us to probe each other simultaneously for some time, seeking to know if the phenomenon was shared or just a figment of our minds.

  Followed a terrifying aura, even more terrifying than anything we could have had nightmares of. An overwhelming atmosphere of hatred surprised us, freezing our blood, stopping our heart’s beats, and petrifying our entire body all at once. It was like a million burning needles were suspended an inch from our body, waiting for the slightest misstep on our part to pierce us from all sides.

  A feeling that this time was well shared among us.

  Then, this unknown threat disappeared as quickly as it came, and only the mysterious whispers remained. Tetanized and still overcome by fear, everyone's doubts began. Were our targets playing dirty tricks on us? Or had nervous tension made us overreact? Or were the legend of this place real, and we were facing a vengeful ghost?

  We were completely lost, not knowing what to do. We were not daring to approach the entrance to the tunnel but even less tempted to flee. The menacing presence’s lasting memory was so domineering that it erased any thought of escaping its grasp.

  At some point, after a short moment that lasted less than a minute but seemed like an eternity, something proved we had not yet sunk into madness at least. The echoes stopped, replaced by footsteps, slow, calm, and regular. In contrast to what happened a moment ago, this was almost reassuring.

  At the same time, a sweet odor invaded our sense of smell, and a gleam caught our eye. This simple fact gave us back control of our bodies, and we approached the gallery entrance cautiously, certain that any other act would have been fatal.

  What looked like two silhouettes appeared from afar. In total darkness, a faint glow wrapped around them, enabling us to barely guess their outline.

  There, we stayed motionless in a complete daze, trying to understand the situation.

  The answer to all of our questions presented itself. As one of the two entities grew closer, the glow increased slightly, finally allowing us to discern something…

  Those two beings didn’t look like ghosts or spirits. No, they had something I quite can’t describe, something powerful and mysterious, something akin to a divine presence. We could not distinguish them very well. In fact, we couldn’t see them clearly at all. Yet the entities seemed to be right before our eyes. Their image seemed to have been projected directly onto our minds, and we were only allowed to grasp their essence without the form.

  It was as if we could capture their presence at any time, but we failed to do so because of some natural law forbidding us from doing so.

  Because they were deities, I think everyone understood that much right away. They were no doubt about it. The answer simply imposed itself, like an absolute truth.

  Both were girls, images of pureness dressed in white, one taller than the other.

  The first one had an angelic face, an aura of virtue, and a halo of godliness, embodying divine grace itself. A simple glimpse of her being warmed our souls and made all our worries go away. She was overflowing with mercy and seemed to pity us, for we were only victims in her judgment.

  The second one was akin to a devil and reassembled a fallen angel. She seemed to despise the whole world, and her hatred was omnipresent. Even her indistinguishable eyes seemed to condemn us if not humankind in its entirety. Her bloodlust was palpable, and we were suffocating from it. Even so, she seemed joyful, as if she was happy at the idea of ??wiping us off the face of the planet.

  She was definitely the cause of the previous phenomenon.

  Our whole beings were at a standstill, awaiting our judgment. And when it finally came, it was so unbelievable that it would leave us speechless for several minutes.

  Even now, divine intervention is the only possible answer to describe this whole event. What else could it have been?

  ***

  The two spiritual apparitions were drawing near to the limit of what their shape allowed us to grasp. They made a short break, and very slowly, a pure white emanation of light emerged from them, enveloping them in an aura of holiness.

  Two women of different sizes and shapes, both wearing immaculate white. We could only conceive the rest, yet their godhoods were perfectly visible.

  One was that of a wicked being. We could feel her hateful stare on our skin, and its reproach and criticism penetrated us straight to the marrow. It was as if she was ordering us to die, to repent not of our sins, but for the sole purpose of erasing our existence from her sight.

  She seemed very pleased by the situation, as if she were apprehending the torture she would give us.

  Her divine aura, because it was a divine one assuredly despite her appearance, was heavy and freezing cold. Yet I was feeling as if my body was burning. Fright and terror were mixed within the promise of a welcome to hell without any prospective redemption. Time had stopped, and the din of my heartbeat, which had filled my ears until then, was no longer there.

  Wouldn't it be for the angel, we would’ve been dead assuredly.

  Thankfully, the second one was the exact opposite. She was wearing a gentle and soothing smile and remained impassive, unmoved by her fellow’s rage. Her face was completely disinterested. In fact, it was like she was so selfless that she became insensitive to her surroundings. She appeared as if her being had no other meaning than bringing mercy without worrying about herself.

  It was as if she bore the sins of the whole world, having mercy on everything and everyone at once and in equal measure.

  We couldn’t see her eyes, but I felt that her gaze was empty of judgment, only filled with mercy. She radiated like a beacon with a warming and godly lunar aura that unfroze our flesh and soothed our soul’s burns.

  The angel moved again after a break, just as we were about to move ourselves, without even pretending to care about our hidden attendance since they already knew everything. A divine tool appeared in her hand, hiding her shape in order to prevent us from committing further sins, and which surely contained God's words.

  Suddenly, without a warning, the divine messengers got on her knees and began to pray.

  Perhaps she was praying for us? For the sake of our soul? Or was she doing it for everyone down here, for every sinner that lived in this tinny part of the world? Maybe it was for something even greater…

  Oddly enough, we could now only perceive the top of her being, and her lower part seemed to have merged with the ground.

  Yet, despite that, her features only intensified. The light she was reflecting became almost blinding, and the mercy that overflowed from her being engulfed her. Her calm attitude showed a hint of inconvenience and pain, and at the same time, I felt my soul was being cleansed, as if she was taking the weight of our crimes upon herself.

  The evil one next to her was waiting a little behind. She was staring into empty space, piercing the matter we were made of, as if she was looking into the mesh of the universe, far beyond our souls. It was like giant pupils were standing behind her, probing our value.

  The scene was very strange. It was as if the angel was kneeling and praying for our salvation, asking for forgiveness. While the wicked entity was waiting for her success or failure, gauging her own chance to be allowed to take care of us.

  What followed was like a painting depicting a miracle. Everything seemed unreal as if an even more powerful deity had descended and was giving his judgment, and once more, everything seemed to have stopped, even time.

  Then, before we could notice it, the keeling one vanished from our sight as if her shape returned to nothingness, reverting to pure aether.

  Perhaps it was because she had fulfilled her role, and by the day, we still hope this was the sole reason. Deep in our minds, we knew that saving us wasn’t something easy, and it took her a great effort. We feared that she had suffered the consequences of her act. And although we have no right to do so, we merely wished she didn’t suffer because of us.

  Thankfully, at that time, her aura had only intensified after her departure, and the resentment toward our person had lessened. We knew she was still here, and she had managed to obtain our forgiveness. Even if she had lost her shape, we understood she had escaped the worst, at least.

  In the meantime, the demoness looked dejected, as if he regretted not having been able to torture us to his heart's content. Her gaze only became more intense and penetrating before leaving loudly with anger in a blinding flash.

  As if to confirm our mindset, the loathing intensified again, but it was no longer directed against us. This time, the devil’s resentment really seemed to have been inflicted on the human species.

  We were left to ourselves, once again, alone in the dark, as if everything that took place had only been a hallucination.

  But we were no longer scared of the unknown noise, and we were no longer doubting ourselves, for we knew everything was real.

  As we shared our thoughts and impressions on what had happened, as we were describing a scene similar in all respects, something emerged as the divine command.

  The divine words that had no meaning until then had become clearer. During this whole time, the angel’s tablet had been impossible for us to decipher. Only a single word had come to my mind like a revelation, and it seemed everyone was in the same situation.

  Each one of us could only understand one, but it appeared everyone had his own, and never twice the same. Put together, the message was clear.

  ‘Discuss’ ‘faith’ ‘free’ ‘soul’ ‘mercy’, and finally, ‘redemption’.

  If this was not a direct sign, what would’ve been one?

  Do not discuss your faith

  free your soul,

  with mercy, obtain redemption.

  The angel had given us the direction we had to follow.

  …

  Wandering in the gallery mouth, attracted by the residual presence of the two deities, we advanced toward the place they had stood previously. Only an empty space awaited us. With the holy relic in its midst, a three-cornered piece of delicate embroidered white silk, with two strings tied to two ends, and a pearl necklace hanging from the third one.

  The curio undoubtedly contained magic and was a carrier of a divine aura.

  By a twist of fate, the number of beads matched ours, each one radiating a pure and saintly vibe.