Night fell heavy over Iguro, the streets emptying until only the occasional torchlight shimmered in the distance.
In the Silver Phantom guildhall, Olivia stood at the long table with a map of the Hollow Pit spread before her. James and Ilyanna sat opposite, each leaning forward, the only sound the scratching of Olivia's quill as she marked entry points.
"We are not storming this place," Olivia said, voice clipped and authoritative. "We're getting in, finding Darius, and getting out before Isaac's guards even know we were there."
James traced a finger along the southern side of the map. "This is where Joan said the supply carts enter. They won't be heavily guarded, and it's close to the holding cells."
"Too obvious," Ilyanna said. "We use the maintenance tunnel here." She tapped a faint, almost-forgotten passageway drawn in pencil. "Small, unlit, and no patrols—most people don't even know it exists."
Olivia nodded. "Good. We'll move at first bell past midnight. James, you'll use Gust and Light Orb to clear and guide us through the tunnel without drawing attention. Ilyanna, you'll take point with Tracking and Camouflage. I'll handle any magical interference."
"And if we're spotted?" James asked.
"Then we hit them fast and silent," Olivia said, eyes sharp. "We leave no bodies behind to raise alarms."
The Hollow Pit loomed in the distance, its jagged silhouette lit by sporadic torches along the outer wall. Even from afar, they could hear the muffled roar of the crowd still lingering from the night's fights.
They moved in single file—Olivia in her white-and-silver cleric armor, the faint glow of her Divine Shield kept dim; Ilyanna a shadow among shadows; James in muted colors, carrying nothing that would clink or jingle.
They reached the maintenance tunnel's entrance, half-hidden behind an overgrown thicket. Ilyanna knelt, brushing dirt aside to reveal a rusted grate. She pressed her hand against the lock, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Camouflage." The shimmer covered her as she worked the latch quietly. A soft click, and it swung open.
James went in first, his Light Orb barely brighter than a candle, floating ahead of them. The tunnel smelled of damp stone and rust. Rats scattered at their approach.
They moved quickly, Ilyanna checking for tripwires, James whispering minor Gusts to clear dust from their path without stirring debris too much. Olivia walked with deliberate care, her presence steady but watchful.
At the far end of the tunnel, they reached a vertical shaft. A ladder climbed upward to a loose metal grate. Ilyanna peered through, her eyes narrowing. "Two guards. Talking. Not paying attention."
Olivia's voice was low but commanding. "I'll deal with them."
When the first guard turned to spit, Olivia flicked her hand. A near-invisible shimmer snapped around his head—Holy Box. He froze mid-breath, trapped in a cube of divine light, silent and motionless. The second turned in confusion just as James raised a hand and fired a muted Magic Missile, catching him in the temple. He crumpled silently.
Ilyanna climbed up, pulled the grate aside, and slipped into the corridor. They followed.
The holding cells were close now. Ilyanna led them around a corner, and they froze—footsteps ahead.
Two more guards, these armed and armored, were heading straight toward them. Ilyanna didn't move, her Camouflage shimmering to blend her into the wall's shadows. James pressed himself against the opposite side. Olivia stood openly, Divine Shield faintly lit, waiting.
As the guards passed between them, Olivia stepped forward, striking one in the back of the neck with her gauntleted fist. James followed suit with the other, using Mana Shield as a blunt force to knock him unconscious without a sound.
"Move," Olivia ordered.
The corridor ended at a reinforced door, the muffled noise of cheering bleeding through from the arena above. James ran his hand along the frame. "No magic seals. Just a lock."
Ilyanna knelt and worked the mechanism, her fingers quick and precise. With a final click, the door opened into a dim, wide chamber.
Six cells lined the walls. Most were empty. In the last one, a figure stirred—broad shoulders, tan skin, and the distinct, horse-like lower body of a Horseman.
"Darius," Olivia whispered.
The young fighter blinked, his eyes lighting up. "You're not Isaac's people."
"No," James said. "We're here for you."
"You'll have to be fast. He said I'm fighting again tomorrow." Darius stepped forward, testing the bars. "They're iron, but the lock's on the outside."
Ilyanna picked it open in seconds. Darius stepped out, towering over them all, grinning despite the tension. "Finally. Let's go."
They retraced their steps, but as they neared the ladder, the sound of bootsteps echoed ahead—too many to take quietly.
Olivia's voice was calm but firm. "Back through the corridor. Now."
They doubled back, James casting Gust to extinguish torches as they passed, throwing darkness over their trail. Ilyanna guided them to a side passage—a narrow chute that reeked of disuse. "This leads outside the wall. Not pretty, but faster."
Darius didn't hesitate, ducking in despite the tight squeeze. Olivia followed, then James. Ilyanna went last, pulling a loose plank into place behind her to hide the entrance.
The chute ended in a slope that spat them into a patch of tall grass beyond the Hollow Pit's perimeter. The night air was cool, the stars bright above.
Olivia scanned their surroundings, her eyes narrowing. "No one followed us."
James exhaled, finally letting his shoulders relax. "We're clear."
Darius grinned, pounding his chest. "I knew someone would come for me."
Olivia gave a short nod. "Don't thank us yet. We still have to get you to Joan."
And with that, they slipped into the shadows, leaving the Hollow Pit behind—at least for tonight.