The old man pressed a button beneath the table.
With a low, mechanical grind, the heavy mahogany structure shifted aside.
A hidden staircase spiraled downward into darkness, revealing a secret passage lit faintly by dim yellow bulbs.
"Get them Down," the old man ordered coldly, his voice echoing in the large hall.
The people huddled inside looked at one another in terror. Some hesitated, clinging to the last scraps of defiance.
But the guards' whips and iron rods came down ruthlessly. Cries filled the air as the reluctant ones were beaten into submission.
Limp bodies were dragged and pushed toward the stairs.
Only the old man, his trusted lackeys, and the captives descended into the underground.
The guards remained upstairs, their presence unnecessary beyond that point.
Hunter, standing in the shadows, muttered under his breath, "I'll kill all of them knight. Sick Bastards!!"
