“We need to report this to Sir Andrew.” their other colleague said. “I’ll go.”

They all agreed as he volunteered and left.

Merlin faced the other two. “We should investigate.”

Quinn was reluctant. But to secure the perimeter, they had to follow protocol.

“I’ll check the other side.” their other teammate said, leaving her with their de facto leader.

When he left, she looked at Merlin with aversion. “Why did I have to be with you?” she said her dissatisfaction aloud.

Merlin glanced at her “If you want to leave, so be it. Check the other areas then.” He said and turned the other way, facing the structure as he intended to reach it through the crowd. “The roster wasn’t random. It was probably Andrew.” he added, saying his speculation.

Hearing this, a burst of anger exploded within her. “Fuck him!” she cussed.

Ignoring her, Merlin slowly pushed himself through, approaching vigilantly as to not accidentally move anyone in their spots. He felt pity for them to be in that kind of state.

Quinn followed behind as she didn’t dare venture alone. Her guts were turning against her as she walked through the unmoving men and women. A dreadful feeling was causing her stomach to turn.

They both reached the fountain with/in relief.

She looked at the faces of the three women. Their expression differs from one another. Their eyes are devoid of life. They gave her an eerie/uncanny feeling.

“Over here.” Merlin took the liberty and went ahead below the structure, near one of the women's feet. A flat round object inside a bubble floating in midair.

Quinn took a stand beside him. She gasped in surprise. “Is that a coin?” she took a guess.

Merlin didn’t answer her as he inspected thoroughly. As he did so, he couldn’t help but be drawn to it. He reached his arm out but retracted immediately. “We should go back.” he said after a momentary daze.

Quin noticed this but didn’t say anything. She then looked around and scanned the faces of every man and woman. What happened to them, she thought. She shook her head in disbelief/dismay. “This doesn’t seem right.” The strange feeling grew within her.

It was at that moment she saw something moved. “Merlin…” she called out to him.

He turned to her.

“Over there.” She held her gun as she pointed it at a certain direction. “Someone moved.”

Merlin squinted his eyes and took a step forward to take a better look.

In the distance, a man suddenly trembled. His body quivered on the spot. He then opened his mouth as if to scream. But nothing came out from his voice. He stuck his tongue out as if gasping for air. It had the same color of his lips. He bent backwards as he shivered nonstop. His back arched to his waist. The twist made loud cracking sounds.

When Merlin and Quinn saw this, their eyes widened. A terrified shock came plastering on their faces. They took a step back as the man continued to shake uncontrollably.

A more terror-stricken event followed next. One by one, the unmoving men and women quivered in the same twisted manner.

Merlin woke up from his stupor. He immediately grabbed Quinn. “We have to get out here.”

Quinn was still in her shocked state when Merlin grabbed her by the arm. The dreadful and eerie feeling she felt earlier came true. The turn of events almost made her feet rooted to the ground. But she composed herself.

Before they could take a step, a large crackling sound made them stop in their tracks. They looked back.

The bowl on the top of the heads of the three women started to crumble. A large crack appeared, running to the body, splitting the structure into two. It continued to run to its feet. It did not stop there.

As if being disturbed, the accumulated bubble of water floating above started to drip as it rippled into waves.

Like a roaring tide, it suddenly splashed to the ground, as if gravity came back in that instant. It wetted the structure and the surrounding surface. As it did so, the fountain started to melt.

Merlin and Quinn were both shocked. It wasn’t just ordinary water, they thought. They gulped in surprise.

The structure melted so fast to the ground.

What came next made them run for their lives. A large pit appeared from where the structure once stood. It made the earth shake as large cracks from the foot of the fountain spread to their feet. It was tremendous.

“Run!” Quinn shouted.

Outrunning an earthquake was impossible as the cracks spread fast and wide. But they tried to do so. Run or fall into the pit.

The hole continued to grow bigger. Dirt and mud started to fall. It was too fast that Merlin summoned his strength and carried Quinn on his shoulder.

“It’s right behind us.” she shouted.

An adrenaline rush made him speed up. They pushed through the quivering crowd. As they did so, Quinn noticed a change in their appearance.

Men and women who were closest to the fountain fell into the growing pit.

It was then Quin shouted with all her might. “MERLIN!”

He looked back. The falling earth was a few meters right behind them.

“Brace yourself!” she shouted.

He complied and put his arms around her waist. At that moment, the dirt of earth had left his feet.

They fell along with many others as the pit grew larger, expanding its circumference.

In mid-air, Quinn spun around with Merlin. She faced the surface opening. Her arms reached out around his neck with a gun she readied beforehand. She pulled the trigger.

A grappling hook left the barrel. It traveled fast and hit the wall opposite them. Upon contact, it fastened.

They swung towards the wall. Thud!

Merlin used his back to hit against it while Quinn used her feet to lessen the impact. They hung as the pit continued to expand.

They both pant for air, catching their breath. They did not expect to fall into a dangerous situation.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked Quinn as he gasped for air.

She nodded as she held tight on the gun.

He then looked above and below them, examining their situation they were currently in "Listen." He said as he looked at her. "We're not in a good situation. We've fallen too deep. We have to climb carefully. You hear me."

Quinn understood. "But you have to take the gun from me first. I can't hold out any much longer."

He looked at her grasp, "I'll hold."

Carefully, he took the gun from her hand then intertwined his wrist around the rope. He can feel their weight on his arm.

Quinn looked up at where the hook was bolted. "I don't think it can hold us both."

Merlin followed her direction "I know." Then he looked at her with a stern face. "I have a plan. But you have to trust me."

Quinn didn't know what to say. But at that moment she could only give in. "I trust you"

————

"We have to pull the trigger." Merlin said. "Once we do so, the rope will be rolled back, and the hook will come undone. If we don't time it right…" his words were cut short.

Quinn heaved her chest as she couldn't think straight. It was a risky move. If Merlin pulls the trigger too early or late, they won't see light another day.

"We'll make it." She appeased him.

They readied themselves. Merlin untangled himself from the rope first before pulling the trigger. The rope was being pulled fast. They started to ascend.

As they reached near the grappling hook, it came unfastened to the wall, hooking back to the barrel.

Without a moment to lose, Merlin pulled the trigger once again, aiming to reach a higher height.

But as he did so, the grappling hook never left the barrel.

They descended into the abyss.