Law 64

Law 64 had just been implemented into the new system. This law stipulated that there must be a minimum of ten individuals on guard duty in Negative Hundred. These guards could be either Superior knights or Grand knights. However, I couldn't help but feel that this was a flawed idea.

Both roles lacked the ability to confront whatever lurked beneath the unit's surface. I had witnessed it with my own eyes, and I knew that it would take someone of considerably greater power to keep these underground threats contained. Olvin might have been a suitable candidate, but he seemed preoccupied, exploring his newfound magical abilities.

Once again, I found myself in my cell, separated from Yuo for quite some time. Laz was slowly recovering from the wounds he had sustained. The lady in the sundress had succumbed to blunt force trauma a few days ago. She had appeared strong, but evidently not strong enough.

My head felt askew, and nothing seemed quite right. Two years of absence had left me far from stable. Yuo, though still maintaining his cheerful demeanor, had grown even more distant. In Negative Hundred, a total of sixteen people were confined, with only six allowed out at a time. With the recent losses, our numbers had dwindled to fourteen.

The atmosphere in the unit was peculiar, not easily fitting into the realm of tension. Instead, I began to adapt to the prolonged stay. It was evident that I would be here for a while. These individuals didn't seem motivated by ego-driven violence but rather a desperate craving for freedom.

The glass door to my cell unlocked, granting me access to the ersatz town. I had no desire to move. A profound sense of depression was threatening to consume me, and I contemplated painting the walls red, though ultimately refrained.

My concern was for these people; they appeared to be misunderstood. However, with only ten days of experience, I couldn't claim to truly comprehend their motivations. This was their sole taste of freedom, and it left my mind entangled in a labyrinth of confusion. An illusion of freedom tantalised me, tempting me to escape this grim reality by etching words onto the cold concrete walls.

But it wasn't long before I spotted Yuo emerging from his cell below. My own powers needed to be regained, but I was unsure how to achieve that. These individuals were undeniably dangerous, yet my perspective hinted at an alternative narrative. I descended the stairs, moving closer to Yuo.

He yawned, his gaze flickering briefly over me, and his cheerful disposition dimmed. Laz and his purple cat emerged from their cell not long after. I wasn't ready to bridge the gap just yet; hostilities would only complicate our already challenging situation.

Numerous CCTV cameras had been installed in the unit, tracking the movements, actions, and interactions of specific members in Negative Hundred. The presence of surveillance made everyone cautious, ultimately lowering suspicions. Yuo dashed off in the opposite direction, joining Laz and his cat, paying me no mind as they went. Once again, I was left behind. I glanced around at the other cells, but they were obscured in darkness, revealing nothing of their occupants. I yearned to learn more about the fellow inhabitants of Negative Hundred, but it appeared that would remain elusive.

As the clock struck noon, I found myself in the grey, pastel-lit supermarket that hardly resembled a genuine grocery store. It felt more like a cavernous warehouse with shelves stocked with what were essentially packaged sludge. The products appeared colorful, but their nutritional value remained a mystery. If this was their method of easing us back into society, it was undeniably peculiar.

Footsteps nearby disrupted my thoughts, causing me to pause and pivot towards the source of the sound. I returned a cereal-like box to the grey shelf, my eyes focused on the slow, rhythmic footsteps. Each footfall seemed to take an entire second to land, their echo growing louder with each impact.

I turned towards the supermarket's exit, but the steps only grew more pronounced, resonating through the empty space. I slowed my own movements and footsteps, aware that the reverberations could betray my presence. As I attempted to identify the source, the supermarket doors swung open, emitting a loud buzz that alerted anyone inside.

Yuo and Laz entered, appearing relaxed, their conversation animated. I endeavoured to mimic their casual demeanour as they moved to another section of the store. I clenched my lips, striding purposefully toward the electronic doors.

Suddenly, a low growl reverberated through the air, causing me to pivot, my feet squeaking on the tiles, plunging the supermarket into silence. I broke into a cold sweat as my eyes darted right, revealing an inconceivable sight: a hand with jagged, spider-like fingers crawled above the shelves. Its eerie grace was grotesque, casting eerie shadows across the colourless shelves. The elongated, gnarled fingers emitted a cold, spectral glow, leaving ominous crimson trails in their wake. It was as if terror itself had taken tangible form.

Yuo and Laz, oblivious to the lurking malevolence, continued their animated conversation. The supermarket, once a mundane place, now harboured a heavy atmosphere of desolation, its silence contrasting starkly with the encroaching dread.

I stood frozen, heart pounding, teetering between fear and morbid fascination. The hand, a fusion of horror and artistry, momentarily receded into the chilling unknown. A glimmer of hope fluttered within me, only to be extinguished as a chilling voice whispered, "Curious, aren't you?"

Fear and curiosity warred within me as I stammered, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The voice, chilling and soft, laughed with an air of the damned. "I am a fragment of a forgotten world, a whisper of ancient power. I seek something hidden deep within the heart of Negative Hundred."

The shadows deepened, enclosing me like a shroud, as Yuo and Laz, ensnared in their own world, remained ignorant of the encroaching nightmare. The voice continued, "I sense potential in you, a glimmer of audacity and curiosity. The power you yearn for, the means to protect those dear to you, can be yours."

I was ensnared in indecision. "What must I do?"

"Seek the key," the voice replied cryptically, a symphony of sinister ambiguity. "It lies hidden in the depths of Negative Hundred, in a realm untouched by the surface world. Find it, and you shall unlock the gateway to an uncharted destiny."

Before I could delve further into the enigmatic voice's cryptic instructions, it abruptly dissolved into the abyss, leaving me alone to confront the sinister hand. Yet this time, it wasn't solitary in its grotesque malevolence. From the unfathomable void, a shadowy spectre materialised, its form a twisted and nightmarish visage that defied all reason.

As the darkness coalesced into shape, the entity's presence seemed to distort reality itself. A ghastly aura enveloped it, an aura that bore an unmistakable sense of dread. Its eyes, if one could even call them that, glowed with an eerie malevolence. Each feature of its face contorted in horrific contortions, like a grotesque portrait of torment.

Yuo and Laz, now acutely aware of the nightmarish intrusion, unleashed their formidable powers in response to the abominable presence. Yuo raised his hands, summoning tempestuous winds that howled through the supermarket. The gale ripped through the aisles, dislodging debris and causing the very foundations of the place to tremble. Shelves toppled like a cataclysmic cascade, their contents exploding into a chaotic maelstrom of grotesque horror.

Laz's feline companion underwent a transformation of its own, shifting into an ethereal behemoth of crackling energy. The creature's form shimmered, becoming a sentinel of power, poised for battle. Its luminous eyes locked onto the grotesque entity, reflecting a determination to protect its master.

The supermarket, once a mundane realm of groceries and drab lighting, had now transformed into a nightmarish arena of chaos and destruction. Shelves crumbled and splintered, their contents spilling forth in a cacophony of horror. Canned goods rolled and clattered across the floor, mingling with shattered glass and twisted metal. The air vibrated with intensity, the very fabric of reality distorted by the unrestrained clash of supernatural forces.

Amidst the chaos, I remained frozen, my heart pounding as the battle between the mundane and the supernatural unfolded in a surreal spectacle. The stakes were unclear, but the sense of impending danger was palpable. The grotesque entity, bathed in shadows and malevolence, was locked in a deadly dance with the defenders of Negative Hundred, and the outcome remained uncertain.