The only good news, was that she hadn’t encountered any other teethlings on the way down. Her left arm throbbed from the bite the teethling had inflicted, and the fabric she had torn to wrap around her arm was damp with her blood. Thankfully, it hadn’t been too deep, and her bleeding wasn’t major.
Evantra slowly lifted open a small hatch on the top of the lift, wincing as it creaked. After peaking through and seeing it empty, she climbed downwards, hung from the ledge, and leapt down.
Fitting her fingers onto the edge of the lift doors, she pried them open to reveal a corridor that stretched onwards. Unlike the white, fluorescent lights in the floors above, the lights in the basement had a harsh, red tint. Also unlike the lights above, these did not flicker or waver. Whatever power source supported them, was firmly functional.
The corridor was immaculate. As she walked onwards, she could not see a single trace of destruction.
Peering into one of the side rooms, it appeared entirely devoid of threats. There was a large black screen on the wall, with rows of computers arrayed outwards from it.
With shaking hands, Evantra reached into her pocket to text Lucas.
Evannany: Lucas? Are you ok? Did you make it out?
With every painful second, Evantra’s heartbeat only began to grow faster. The seconds drew on into minutes, and Evantra still received no reply.
No… I need to get back up there.
She switched tack, texting Carmen instead.
Evananny: Carmen? Is Lucas out?
Abuela: EVA!
Evantra jumped as her phone began to ring in her hands. She quickly accepted the call and cast a furtive glance around the corridor.
“Evantra! Thank god you’re ok. Lucas isn’t out yet.”
It was plenty of time for him to have made to the exit by now.
He’s still inside.
“An officer went in. They aren’t sending any Ghostslayers.”
Evantra went still at Carmen’s words.
Then she grew strangely calm.
“Get out of the house Carmen.”
“Evantr—”
The phone crackled and cut off. She supposed it was a miracle that she had managed to get any reception at all, as deep underground as she was… if she was underground.
In the off chance that there were any expeditions or rescue groups in the proximity, Evantra shared her location with Carmen.
Her eyes widened as they fixed on her location.
London. I’m in the UK.
London had fallen to the Veilsurges decades ago. The fact that this laboratory was still running, spoke to the care that was put into ensuring that it would persist even if the grid fell apart.
What were they researching here?
The questions could wait. An installation this important was likely to provide its residents with a means of defending themselves.
She ran back out into the corridor lined with eerie red lights, as functional as the day they were created. She rushed into another room, that appeared to be an office of sorts.
Her breath caught as she glimpsed a single skeleton seated behind a solitary desk in the room.
It was missing its head.
Great, Evantra. At least you’ll get a glow up if you die.
She felt a chill run down her spine. Even though there didn’t appear to be any teethlings down in the basement, didn’t mean that there weren’t any.
Something had killed him.
Swallowing down her nausea, she began to search the room with urgency. She needed to find a map to navigate effectively, as well as something that packed a bit more of a punch than an ancient revolver.
She began with the cabinets, combing through them, her eyes widening when they came across a sleek weapon.
The megacorporations went to great efforts to ensure that their advertisements were visible to anyone in the periphery of the city. Glowing advertisements on the side of buildings, even projected from blips in the sky.
This weapon, was unfamiliar to her.
Nothing that couldn’t be rectified with some spotty web surfing.
Remington Ghoulkiller.
Automatic shotgun that chews through ammunition – 200 RPM.
With a harried internet search, she figured out how to check the magazine, and realised that mercifully, it was untouched and fully loaded. She wasn’t able to find any spare ammunition around. Apparently, it was one of Remington’s final models before being amalgamated into Liberty – there were certainly worse options.
I’ll have a single burst, before having to swap to the revolver. That is, if I can even control the recoil.
Pushing her grim thoughts aside, Evantra took the shotgun in arm. Then she walked over to the desk, her eyes passing over the papers scattered on the table top. She opened a manilla folder, her eyes being drawn to two words in big, bold lettering on the top of the page.
Project Darwin.
I don’t have time to be reading documents.
*Tap*
She froze.
The sound had come from ahead of her. The claustrophobia of the office closed in on her, when she realised—
There was something outside.
*Tap*
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
It sounded like a fork gently tapping the edge of a wineglass. It didn’t sound like the taps were echoing against the glass that enclosed the office, but from further down the corridor painted in red light.
Come on Evantra. It could easily be broken machinery.
She wouldn’t be surprised if machinery that remained powered over the course of decades that remained—
*Tap*
It was occurring at odd intervals. Evantra would have expected broken machinery to emit sounds with some regularity, though there was little basis for the assumption.
*Tap*
She paled as the sound continued.
It couldn’t be right… Could there be another human trapped down here? How long was the Veilsurge open in Carmen’s house?
“Help.”
Evantra froze, her heart leaping into her throat.
*Tap*
The word was soft, like a whisper carried on the wind.
Someone was down here.
Or, there was a single, equally as terrifying alternative.
Something was down here.
“Help.”
*Tap*
She had two options.
The first was to proceed towards the source of the strange noise. The likelihood of it being a human was near-zero and it would likely mark her eventual demise.
The alternative was to retreat to the lift column, which for the most part, was sealed off from the rest of the facility. Then, to try to fight her way through the teethlings.
What was for certain, was that remaining in a cramped office with nowhere to run would be a death sentence. There was hardly any room to hide in it, and her legs would protrude from under the desk.
Hefting the compact shotgun ahead of her, Evantra pushed forward. She snapped around the corner looking rapidly in either direction and let out a small sigh finding the corridor empty.
Evantra’s head turned in the direction of the sound.
*Tap*
It’s coming from further down the corridor.
She was far enough down the corridor to notice that it did not branch into others. The basement level seemed to consist of a handful of offices and a single room at the end of the corridor.
It was the origin of the noise.
Evantra stilled. Her harried breathing, and rapid heartbeats calming, as she came to terms with her options. She blinked, staring into the distance for half a second, before letting out a soft sigh.
She looked down at her trembling hands.
Then, she rapidly advanced towards the tapping sound.
“HELP”
This time, the word was whispered directly into her ear.
Evantra watched as a pale white hand speared out of her stomach, sending blood and flesh flying outwards as something bore into her body.
She screamed as pain overcame her. With blurry eyes, she watched the hand twist in her torso.
The instant she regained control of her body, she pointed the shotgun down at the hand and held the trigger down.
Heedless of its proximity to herself.
The next instant, she was flying through the air like a ragdoll, hurtling further down the corridor, the gun slipping out of her hands after flaring to life for half a second.
Whatever had been lurking behind her had effortlessly thrown her forwards in a wide arc.
Her vision went white for a moment, before it returned. Through blurry eyes, the acuity of her vision rapidly fading, Evantra could tell that her momentum had been arrested by a console.
She had been thrown straight into the room at the end of the hallway.
She wasn’t alone.
A single skeleton was next to her, seated with its back against the metallic console. It was dressed differently from the others she had encountered along the long, desolate corridors. With blurry eyes, she could barely make out a tattered black dress, and a black ribbon to match, that had fallen onto the ground beside it.
Hahaha. I’m going to die next to a cosplayer, in an abandoned laboratory. It’s a nice cosplay, though—
Her eyes fixed onto an object resembling a black gem, clutched in its ivory grip.
Even as her vision swam, Evantra’s eyes widened. She had heard descriptions of them, but finding the remains of one in this day and age?
It was a magical girl.
Her soulgem still in her possession.
*Tap*
Evantra’s blurry eyes struggled to make out the room around her. She was interrupted by a string of bloody coughs, each one taking her closer to unconsciousness.
Which was when she realised that her blood had simply joined what was already on the floor.
The entirety of the room was covered in intricate markings.
An extensive blood ritual.
*Tap*
As Evantra craned her head, her eyes passed over a singular cylindrical tank that stood at approximately twice her height.
*Tap*
She watched as something from within touched the glass.
“Help.”
Evantra’s vision swam as she struggled to make out the blurry figure that was walking towards her.
With the last of her strength, there was only one thing she could think to do. She lurched towards the skeleton with the last of her remaining energy, and grabbed the soulgem.
Time froze.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A CONTRACT
A deep, guttural voice echoed around her. The bass of the baritone made her bones shake with every syllable, as if they threatened to shatter them if she was exposed to it for a prolonged period.
This was nothing like the stories or games.
It mattered little to Evantra Wraithmarked.
She closed her eyes, her bloody lips slowly curving upwards into a small smile.
“I accept.”
THE BOND HAS BEEN FORGED
Magical girl (forces against darkness) initiating...
CANCELLED. Outdated OS identified.
Updating…
UPDATE SUCCESSFUL
Magical girl (GHOSTSLAYER) initiating...
Ghostslayer Rank: Fairy (Level 1)
Catalyst: [N/A]
Rituals: [Ritual of consumption]
Veilsouls: 0
Evantra watched as a vast scrawl of blood-red lines carved across the ground beneath her began to glow.
She screamed as the hole in her stomach healed rapidly, her flesh forming into tiny strings from either end, weaving themselves together across the gap. The pain took over for a brief moment before it disappeared just as quickly as it arrived.
In an instant, she was made whole again.
The black soulgem that she held in her grip fell to dust.
All fell silent around her.
She took a moment to steady her breathing, her eyes sharp.
I need to focus. If I lose it now, I’m as good as dead.
Touching the soulgem must have subjected to me to some sort of ritual.
I awakened a system, similarly to magical girls in the past, but not one that I’ve ever heard of. For one, there has never been any mention of “veilsouls” in the games and books I’ve come across.
As for rituals…
Evantra drew in an imperceptible, shuddering breath.
The only rituals that I know of are those performed by Ghostcults. To bring those paranormal monstrosities into reality.
Ghosts.
She internally cursed her parents’ protectiveness, their diligence in ensuring that she hadn’t been exposed to the horrors of the world. An imposed naivety that she had only just begun to rectify since their passing.
My situation hasn’t changed. I’m still stuck in the bowels of an abandoned laboratory without skills, both magical or mundane to rely upon.
Evantra forcefully steadied her breathing. There would be plenty of time for a breakdown later.
First, she glanced towards the corridor. All signs of the creature that had snuck up on her had disappeared. Evantra calmed her rapid breaths, and she glanced towards the cylindrical tank from which the irregular tapping had been emitted.
She rose with a groan and walked towards the tank.
Hesitantly wiping aside the dirt and grime that coated its surface, she realised…
The tank was empty.
Evantra ignored the chill that ran down her spine, instead casting her gaze deeper into the room.
Beyond it was a single door.
Tearing her eyes away from the curving lines of blood beneath her feet comprising the extensive blood ritual she had been subjected to, she pushed open the door to reveal something resembling an airlock. A passage that she didn’t doubt would be found in plenty of Megacorps' research facilities – especially those specialising in bioweapons and contagions.
A brief spray of antiseptic air washed over her and she heard a high-pitched beep and a click. Pushing the door in front of her open, she emerged into a room that surprised her.
Unlike the clinical laboratory that surrounded her, this room looked like the room of a collector. Immaculate wooden display cases bordered black walls, lit by bright lighting. It was as if the objects were on display, something she would have expected to see in a museum.
All of the cases were shattered. Their contents, taken.
All except for one.
Evantra halted before the display case, frowning as she stared at the two objects inside. The first, looked like a dark claw of a long-extinct beast, with shadows like mist peeling off its surface. Perhaps of a Veilcreature. The second beside it was far more interesting. A small wooden block that seemed to distort the air in its immediate proximity. She flinched as the wooden block seemed to momentarily transform into a block of metal, before turning back to its original form.
CATALYSTS DETECTED
- Darkstalker claw
- Flesh of the Ionian mimic
Execute [ritual of consumption]?
Evantra steadied her breathing, and the thundering of her heart eventually began to subside as her fingers hovered over the strange objects. She gritted her teeth as she hesitated, reminding herself that Lucas still hadn’t made it out of the Veilsurge, and every moment spent dallying was another he was exposed to the threat of being torn apart by a swarm of teethlings.
If he hadn’t been already.
“Yes.”
Evantra swallowed as her words were met with silence, before she flinched, stumbling backwards as more words appeared in her vision.
SACRIFICE REQUIRED