The safe house look like shit.
Kyle stand at entrance stare at this so-call "safe" place—actually is one abandon factory at city edge broken windows rusty metal doors everywhere got spider web and that kind old machine smell make people want vomit. Outside still dripping water from rain before make "ding ding" sound super annoying.
"This is your safe house?" Kyle turn around look at Seraphine who walking behind him face still that kind no expression ice queen mode "Surveillance Bureau salary so bad meh cannot rent proper place or what"
Seraphine never answer she just walk pass him push open one rusty door. Inside more dark Kyle hesitate few seconds then follow
Corridor super narrow both side all concrete wall got some weird stain—Kyle don't want know is what stain. Their footsteps echo in empty space sound like got ghost follow behind
"Stop talking so much" Seraphine finally say voice echo weird "This place off the grid no cameras no trackers Empire surveillance system cannot detect here"
"How you know sure or not maybe—"
Seraphine stop sudden Kyle almost bang into her back
She turn around those ice-blue eyes in darkness look like really glowing make Kyle involuntary step back
"You want trust me or not" she ask tone super flat "Because if don't want you can leave now go back academy wait Voss people come kill you I no problem one"
Kyle swallow saliva his hand unconsciously touch jacket inside that blood-stain notebook
He think about Lynn Craven last words think about that old man eyes think about how Empire just anyhow kill people then destroy all evidence like human life is rubbish
"I trust you" he finally say even though not very convincing
Seraphine stare at him few more seconds then continue walk
They go through more corridor finally reach one heavy metal door Seraphine press her hand on door side one hidden panel. Panel light up show green light then door slowly open
Inside completely different world
Room quite big maybe fifty square meters around walls all install with monitors keyboards weapons rack even got small kitchen corner and one mattress at far side. Everything clean organized completely opposite with outside broken factory look
"Wah" Kyle cannot help say "This actually quite nice leh"
"Took me three years set up" Seraphine walk to computer desk start typing something "Empire think I just obedient Ice Heart never expect I secretly prepare escape route"
She type few more commands then monitors all light up showing different locations—city streets Central Hospital that abandon warehouse they just at everywhere got surveillance footage
"You hack Empire system?" Kyle walk closer look at screens
"Partially" Seraphine lean back on chair for first time Kyle see her look a bit tired "I only can access low-level surveillance high-level stuff still locked but enough lah can monitor Voss people movement"
Kyle pull one chair sit down suddenly feel super exhausted today too much things happen—kill Lynn Craven meet Seraphine get threaten by some Director Voss now hide in secret base like some spy movie
His head pain
"So" he rub temple "You going explain or not what is Dark Contract why my contract core turn black why Empire want kill me"
Seraphine stand up walk to weapons rack take down two bottle water throw one to Kyle
"Drink first" she say "This story quite long"
Kyle catch bottle open drink—water super cold make his throat hurt but actually quite shiok. He never realize how thirsty until now
Seraphine also drink some then sit on table edge look at Kyle
"Five hundred years ago before Aurelian Empire exist this continent got many small kingdoms always war war war" she start say voice become like teacher teaching history "That time got one kingdom call Eclaran they discover something in underground—one kind black crystal emit strange energy"
"Abyss fragment" Kyle say remember notebook mention before
"Yes" Seraphine nod "They study this fragment find out can absorb into human body give people super power—can control element can enhance physical ability can even manipulate other people mind"
She pause drink more water
"But got problem every person absorb fragment will slowly lose their humanity become more cold more violent until finally turn into monster—they call it Corruption"
Kyle feel his chest that contract core position suddenly become hot
"So they create containment system" Seraphine continue "Use special metal—steel—to wrap fragment make it stable make power controllable this is original steel contract"
"But Lynn Craven notebook say steel contract appear two hundred years before Empire found" Kyle interrupt "That mean—"
"Empire never invent steel contract" Seraphine finish for him "They just find it Emperor Aldric probably discover old Eclaran ruins take technology claim is his own invention"
Kyle lean back on chair process this information his brain feel like overload
"Ok so steel contract is old technology Empire steal fine" he say "But what this got to do with Dark Contract with me"
Seraphine eyes become more serious she jump down from table walk to Kyle squat down in front him
"Show me your contract core" she say
"What? No—"
"Show me" her voice cold like ice "I need confirm something"
Kyle hesitate then slowly unbutton his jacket pull down shirt collar expose chest
The contract mark there look worse than before—black corruption already spread from core center to surrounding area look like black veins crawling under skin. In dim light it actually faintly glowing dark purple color
Seraphine lean closer study the mark her face so near Kyle can feel her cold breath on his skin
"Fuck" she whisper "Is really full corruption type"
"What that mean" Kyle ask even though scared of answer
Seraphine sit back on floor her ice queen mask crack a bit showing genuine worry
"Normal steel contract got three stages" she explain "First stage is Synchronization—contractor learn control power body adapt to fragment Second stage is Integration—fragment become part of contractor give stable power Third stage is Corruption—fragment take over slowly eat away contractor humanity"
"Most contractors stuck at Integration stage forever" she continue "Like me I been Integration stage ten years already never progress Because Empire design system this way—keep us powerful but controllable"
"But Dark Contract different" Seraphine look at Kyle core again "Dark Contract skip all safety measures go straight to Corruption stage give contractor insane power but also... kill them super fast normally within few months contractor will completely lose control become Void Beast"
Kyle feel cold sweat on back "Void Beast?"
"Monster" Seraphine say simply "Mindless killing machine Empire hunt down every year got few cases contractors turn Void Beast we must eliminate them"
She stand up walk to window look outside
"You should be dead already Kyle" she say quiet "Or at least going crazy But you still... relatively normal Why"
Kyle also stand up he think about past few months after contract core turn black
True he feel different—more angry more violent sometimes got voice in head whisper weird things But he never lose control never feel like turning monster
"I don't know" he admit "Maybe I special or maybe—"
His words cut off by sudden alarm sound
All monitors turn red showing warning messages Seraphine rush to computer start typing fast
"Shit shit shit" she curse "They find us already"
"Who? Voss people?"
"Worse" Seraphine pull out her ice daggers from weapons rack throw Kyle his twin blades "Internal Affairs assassination squad"
Kyle catch blades his heart beating super fast "How many"
Seraphine check monitor her face more pale than usual
"Twelve" she say "All elite-level contractors"
"We cannot fight twelve elite contractors lah you siao or what—"
"I know" Seraphine cut him off she start pack important stuff from desk—hard drives documents weapons—into backpack "That why we running"
She throw backpack to Kyle then walk to room corner press hidden switch. Part of wall slide open reveal dark tunnel
"This lead to old subway system" she explain "Can escape to east district from there"
Footsteps sound from outside corridor getting closer
"Go now" Seraphine push Kyle toward tunnel "I cover behind"
"Wait you—"
"GO" she shout ice already forming around her hands
Kyle bite teeth run into tunnel he hear behind door bang open hear fighting sound start hear Seraphine cold voice shouting something
Then explosion
Tunnel shake dust fall from ceiling Kyle almost fall but manage steady himself he look back see orange light from entrance smoke everywhere
"SERAPHINE" he shout
No answer
Kyle heart sink he want go back but then hear footsteps—many footsteps—coming toward tunnel
He curse under breath turn around run deeper into darkness
Tunnel super long super dark only got his footsteps echo and his own breathing sound Kyle run until legs burn until cannot breathe properly but still continue because what else can do
Finally see light ahead—tunnel exit
He burst out find himself in old subway station long time abandon platform crack walls everywhere graffiti even got few homeless people sleeping at corner they wake up stare at Kyle but he ignore run toward stairs
Up to street level Kyle finally stop bend over try catch breath
City night still busy people walking cars passing nobody notice one bleeding exhausted boy standing at roadside
Kyle check himself—got few cuts bruises but nothing serious His twin blades still with him backpack Seraphine throw also here
But Seraphine herself...
Kyle clench fist he don't know this woman barely few hours but she risk life save him give him information try protect him
And now maybe dead because of him
His phone vibrate
Kyle take out see is unknown number again his hand shake when answer
"Hello?"
"Kyle Riordan" voice is old man—probably Voss "I very impress you escape from our squad not many people can do that"
"Where is Seraphine" Kyle demand
Voss laugh "The Ice Heart? She alive... for now Quite badly hurt though maybe few broken ribs some internal bleeding nothing she cannot recover from if got proper medical attention"
"What you want"
"Simple" Voss say "You come surrender yourself bring that notebook then I let her go We even can forget all this trouble treat like never happen"
"You think I stupid meh obviously you will kill both of us"
"Maybe" Voss admit sound amuse "But you got other choice or not You run we will hunt you down You hide we will find you Eventually you will make mistake then both you and Seraphine die"
He pause let words sink in
"At least this way she got chance survive" Voss continue "You got twelve hours decide Meet at old clock tower north district you know where Bring notebook come alone"
"And if I don't—"
"Then I start cutting off her fingers one by one" Voss say cheerful "Maybe toes also Ice Heart very tough but everyone got limit"
Call end
Kyle stand there stare at phone for very long time
Around him city continue like normal people laugh couples hold hands street vendors sell food
Like his world not collapsing
Like everything still fine
Kyle look at backpack inside got Seraphine hard drives got documents got maybe answers to all Empire secrets
He also look at jacket inside that blood-stain notebook Lynn Craven die for Marcus Webb die for maybe hundreds people before them also die for
Then he look at his left hand that gold contract mark still faintly glowing
Countdown appear: 11:58:23
Twelve hours
Kyle start walking he don't know where go don't know what to do
But he know one thing—he cannot let Seraphine die because of him
Even if that mean walking into obvious trap
Even if that mean his own death
Because maybe for first time in five years he meet someone actually trying do right thing someone actually fighting against Empire someone who risk everything for stranger
Kyle stop at one convenience store buy cup coffee sit outside drink
Coffee taste like shit but warm
He take out notebook flip to last page that red ink message:
"Truth buried in abyss crack one hundred kilometers—"
Rest get torn away but Kyle suddenly got idea
He take out phone search "abyss crack location" most results is blocked or deleted but finally find one old forum post from ten years ago some hiker mention strange place north mountain range where ground crack open emit black mist
North mountain exactly one hundred kilometers from city
Kyle check time 11:34:02
Still got eleven and half hours
If he go now maybe can reach there find whatever truth buried inside then come back save Seraphine
Or maybe he just being stupid
Maybe he should just surrender save at least one person life
Kyle finish coffee throw cup away stand up
His reflection in store window look back at him—tired scared covered in dirt and blood
But eyes got something new
Determination maybe
Or just craziness
"Fuck it" Kyle say to himself "Already come so far liao"
He start walk toward north direction toward mountain toward whatever waiting there
Behind him city lights slowly disappear
Ahead only darkness
But for first time Kyle feel like he walking toward something not running away
Even if that something probably will kill him
At least is his choice
At least is for something worth
WAH this chapter I write until brain explode sia so much information need put in but also need keep action moving hope not too confusing leh
Next chapter Kyle go mountain find abyss crack probably meet some crazy shit there haha I still planning what kind monster put inside maybe Void Beast maybe something worse 😈
Also RIP safe house that place I spend so much word describe then immediately blow up lol sorry Seraphine
Btw got people curious what happen to Seraphine or not she really badly hurt or Voss bluffing?? Guess have to wait see lah hehe