Tower of Paradise

Chapter 10: What’s To Come

POV'S DARIUS.

I moved through the tunnels of the underground district, feeling each step resonate against the stone walls.

My black cloak billowed behind me, a constant reminder of my duty as vice-captain of the exploration corps.

I could feel the tension in my muscles, developed after years of training and battles against the mutants that threatened our existence.

The scar that crossed my face—a mark of past battles—tensed as I frowned at the distant sounds coming from further ahead in the tunnel.

Something wasn't right.

My years of experience screamed it at me, and my instincts were rarely wrong.

Something is wrong, terribly wrong, I thought while quickening my pace, my boots echoing against the stone floor.

The smell came first: that unmistakable metallic aroma of blood mixed with the stench of death.

My heart began to beat faster, not from fear, but from the terrible anticipation of what I knew I would find. I had smelled that combination too many times in my life as an explorer.

—Glug, glug...

The sound froze my blood.

There, before me, one of my companions was choking on his own blood. A grotesque hole pierced his chest as if some beast had torn away a part of his being.

My eyes reddened as I contemplated the scene, and I felt as if I were about to cry tears of blood.

I knew him well, too well. He had been a formidable warrior, a man who embodied strength and determination.@@@@

Now, as I watched the light fade from his eyes, I felt a pang of pain so deep I could barely breathe.

That bright spark of life I had always admired in him was slowly fading, like a candle consuming itself in darkness.

It shouldn't end like this, I thought as I watched him take his last breath, his body shuddering one final time before becoming still forever.

I looked around, and the devastation I found hit me like a punch to the stomach. Everything had been destroyed, burned to ashes. Nothing remained standing, nothing remained intact.

The bodies of my companions... my friends... lay scattered like broken dolls, their bodies' limbs had disappeared in a grotesque display of carnage.

—Darvus, Jairo...

His response turned my stomach:

—What the hell? Vice-Captain, are you saying you'd prefer I died along with these guys?

As I listened to him explain how he had hidden while urinating, how he had chosen to save his own life while our companions died, I felt something break inside me.

It wasn't just disappointment or anger, it was a deep disgust for the man who was supposed to lead and protect our soldiers.

—They believed in you

I said, my voice loaded with contempt.

—Those two would give their lives if you asked them to. Shouldn't you at least prove you're worthy of their respect?

—Shut up! What does their respect have to do with me? Ahhh, shit! I can avenge them, can't I?

Rage burned in my eyes as I looked at him. This man represented everything I despised, everything I had fought against during my life as an explorer.

—You're a piece of rotten garbage

The words left my mouth before I could contain them, though I didn't want to anyway.

—What the fuck was that, bastard?!

He roared, but I no longer cared about his anger.

My mind was elsewhere, thinking of those who might still need help. I couldn't waste more time with this coward when there were lives at stake. Without another word, I turned and began walking toward the underground district.

—Hey! Bastard! If you go that way, you'll surely die! You should run in the opposite direction!

His shouts echoed in the tunnels behind me.

—Damn idiot, don't you know everything ends once you're dead? Hey!

I ignored his words and pressed forward.

My path was clear: if there was any chance of saving even one life, the risk would be worth it.

And if I couldn't save anyone, I would at least ensure that the mutant who had massacred my companions would pay for its crimes.

As I walked away, I could hear Abel muttering insults and justifications for his cowardice, but his words were lost in the echo of the tunnels, as empty as his honor.