The elevator was descending through the sea, and Ragna’s infiltration team was waiting for it to reach the Bendigeidfran’s floor.

The research facility consisted of two rings of around one-and-a-half kilometers in diameter. The first ring lay just below the water surface and stabilized the AT field, letting it rise into the sky and connect with the ring on the bottom of the sea. Both from below and above, no abomination could easily escape the Bendigeidfran’s confines.

Two elevators in the eastern and western parts gave access to the second ring, whose southern segments contained the facilities to conduct research. Meanwhile, the northern side housed the Sea Mither that radiated Mana and created the actual AT Shield. And lastly, the western and eastern segments housed places for accommodation like bedrooms, cafeterias, or bathrooms.

“Is this really a good idea to use the elevator? They’ve got to notice that we’re coming.” Ragna asked.

By her estimate, they had been going down for around ten minutes. No one had said a word as they waited for the elevator to stop, and Ragna had broken the silence first.

Bedivere chuckled in a high-pitched voice. “Well, that’s what I’m hoping. Shadow of the barbed death.” In her hand, an ivory spear materialized. Segments divided the weapon like a snake’s tail, and its tip opened into an inverted tulip. Barbs protruded from all sides, making the Ysbryd resemble a harpoon or a spine cancer had infected.

“It’s the only way to get inside.” Agravaine groaned, sounding like a teacher who had to explain to a student multiple times why they couldn’t eat the glue. “And the other team’s using the eastern entrance. So that’ll divide the enemy’s forces.”

“Such a shame.” Bedivere dropped her voice. “That was really mean of you, by the way. I wanted to fight a battle in the dark of the night on a platform in the open sea. You can barely see anything. One misstep, and you either fall into the waters or get killed by the enemy. Or even worse, you touch the barrier, and your entire existence’s gone. It would’ve been so much fun.”

“Well, I didn’t care when you proposed that insane thunder-dome idea for our group project, and I don’t care now.”

“Whatever.” Bedivere shrugged. “We’re about to arrive, but that’s … odd?” She squinted her eyes, staring at the elevator’s door. “I’m not sensing anyone.”

“That can’t be.” Ragna pressed her hand on her saber. “You sure they can’t hide from your rune?”

“Believe me when I tell you I wished you were right.” Bedivere’s voice dropped. “But no one’s waiting on the other side for an ambush.”

The elevator halted, and a beep announced that they had arrived at their destination. The infiltration team reached for the weapons, ready to strike at any moment. Even if Bedivere evaluated the situation accurately, no one would risk paying with their lives in cases she had erred. All eyes focused on the elevator door as it opened.

Nothing happened.

“You’re right.” Ragna stepped out of the elevator, her eyes wandering through the area. An empty hallway in a chrome coating greeted them and extended beyond their fields of vision. “No one’s here. But why? Shouldn’t that have been the perfect opportunity?”

“How boring.” Bedivere’s shadow started to expand and sped through the hallway, transforming into a blur on the ground. “The entire hallway’s empty, but they’re guarding the Sea Mither.”

“Well, that explains it, then.” Aggravaine moved past Ragna and Bedviere, nearly knocking Ragna with his shoulder. “They don’t have enough numbers to split their forces. And the Bendigeidfran’s huge. So, they have to concentrate on the key area, and Grendel’s group should be dealing with them too.”

Ragna shrugged and blew Aggravaine a raspberry once he had turned his back to her.

His explanation seemed to make sense, and it would make their job easier.

The group started to move through the hallway. Their steps echoed over the chrome metal, mixing with the humming of generators that kept the facility functional. Light reflected on their surface, revealing that not a speck of dust had fallen on the walls or floors. The corridor sparkled in pristine luster as the accumulation of dirt and germs could contaminate the samples from Hy-Bres, the facility researched. Dealing with the corrupted Mana, the abominations released caused enough headaches without worrying about some mutated dirt or bacteria. No one would want that.

As Bedivere had stated, the enemy didn’t occupy the hallway. After about fifteen minutes of walking through the eastern part, they hadn’t encountered any opposition.

“Isn’t this strange?” Jareth’s head shifted back and forth between the open doors that led to bedrooms and the path in front of them. “This is supposed to be a research facility, but where are the scientists?”

“What do you mean?” Ragna asked. “There aren’t any scientists here.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Jareth titled his head. “Who conducts the research, and who keeps this facility clean?”

Ragna blinked in confusion. “That happens all on its own.”

“Then what about this?” Jareth pointed at one of the bedrooms. “Why would they build bedrooms for a place that no one would use?”

Ragna shrugged. “That was simply fashionable thousand years ago, or they thought creating these rooms made the facility look more homely. There could be thousands of reasons.”

What else could she tell Jareth? The Bendigeidfran research facility never had anyone working within its halls. And didn’t it make sense? Why would one risk that the corrupted Mana contaminated humans who could walk outside the AT-ring?

“And this?” Jareth pointed at the nightstand in one bedroom, and Ragna sighed.

What had Jareth found now?

Two picture frames faced whoever would enter the room. One showed the facility, and the other contained a picture of a man and a girl holding ice cream in front of a tree. Between the two was empty space letting the watcher look at what might be a park.

“Those are pictures, and? If you want me to buy you ice cream, forget it.”

What was he trying to prove? Maybe his behavior was another quirk from his hometown? But why would he be acting so strangely on a mission? Even he should know that they had more important topics to focus on than the interior design of this facility.

“Isn’t anything strange here?” Jareth’s voice shifted, sounding almost exacerbated.

“I get that you’re not used to our customs and way of things.” Ilias put his hand on Jareth’s shoulder. “But let this one go. We can discuss this once we’re done here.”

Jareth adjusted his mask, his voice dropping. “Fine.”

Ragna sighed a second time.

Of course, Ilias wouldn’t have to deal with Jareth’s questions once the mission was over. That honor belonged to her and her teammates. Perhaps, Eric and Altera could convince Jareth even if he tended to only listen to her.

“Good,” Agravaine grumbled. “Now that this waste of time is over, can we focus on the enemies who actually are in this facility?”

Bedivere and Ray nodded when an explosion boomed in the distance. The floor started to shake, and everyone tried to maintain their balance.

“What was that?” Ragna’s eyes widened.

“The Sea Mither…” Agravaine shook his head, the strength in his voice disappearing. “Fuck.”

They started to run and reached the hallway’s end that opened up to a wide area.

Soldiers of the Judas Group had already been awaiting them, their firearms pointing at the team. With faces concealed behind their iron cones, only holes within the metal could reveal their facial expression. A wave of laughter escaped their mouths.

If Ragna had to estimate, around forty members blocked their way. Two of them had caught Ragna’s attention: A man whose upper face hid under a dark hood in the shape of a dog and a blonde woman with a square face who had knotted her hair to a bum and swapped the Judas’s group metal plate for Vaix’s white military uniform. The woman was pressing her hand against her hips, whereas the man seemed to be crouching on the floor since Ragna couldn’t make out his feet or legs within the crowd.

These two had to be more dangerous than the rest of the group. Since the kingdoms existed, most armies and organized groups followed the same unwritten rule: Only those who had distinguished themselves through various means could show it to the world. While the lower ranks wore the same uniform, the elites could flaunt their strength through uniqueness. These two not bothering to wear their uniform served as proof of their threat.

“How amateurish.” Agravaine stepped forward, scorn and disgust mincing his words. “You could have eliminated us the moment we entered the area. Yet, you’ve done nothing.”

“That was a conscious decision.” The woman widened her arms. “But where are my manners? I’m former Virtue Hertha Braunsteiger and the fifth commandant of the Judas Group.” She gave Agravaine a mocking bow and straightened her back immediately.