Bang!

One of the hinges gave way, followed shortly afterward by a loud clang as the metal door fell to the floor. Seraphine stepped over it, sword drawn, and swept her eyes across the hallway before moving cautiously forward.

Thaddeus followed behind her, his head swiveling to inspect every corner and alcove they passed. "The guards are likely tending to Aubrey," the automaton whispered as it trailed after her.

Seraphine nodded without slowing, continuing deeper into the compound. The architecture was similar to many private estates that belonged to prominent families or business owners within Mordenstradt. At least those wealthy enough to afford it. Tastefully decorated walls, high vaulted ceilings, ornate wood paneling, marble flooring, and expensive paintings and sculptures lining the hallways.

She paused at the top of the stairs leading down into the basement, raising a hand to indicate a stop. From her position, she could discern the sound of movement from downstairs. But the voices had gone quiet since she'd blasted down the entranceway.

After taking several seconds to assess the situation, Seraphine motioned for the automaton to follow. The pair descended into the darkness of the cellar, stepping over broken wood and metal debris strewn across the landing at the bottom. A faint rusty scent lingered in the air, mingling with dust kicked up by their passage. Seraphine wrinkled her nose slightly at the foul odor. She adjusted her grip on the hilt of her blade. "Something must have happened..."

An ominous, low moan emanated from farther ahead, sending goosebumps along her arms.

Seraphine drew in a sharp breath through her teeth, forcing herself to continue moving. Her hand brushed against the cool stone walls beside her, tracing their smooth surface as she proceeded into the gloom.

The sounds grew louder with each step, becoming clearer: low grunts, shuffling footsteps, heavy breathing. Something large and bulky scuffed against the concrete flooring, scraping loudly.

She emerged into a spacious room, lit sparsely by flickering torches hanging from iron brackets set into the roughhewn walls. Corpses of robed figures lay scattered everywhere, forming piles of mutilated bodies and severed limbs. Blood and gore spattered across the flagstone floor, pooling beneath several of the remains.

Her eyes landed immediately on Aubrey sitting in the center of the chamber, strapped to a metal chair. She seemed unharmed. A monstrous beast, covered in fleshy tendrils and deformed growths, loomed over her, poised for attack. Its skinless, featureless face turned toward the new arrivals, a sliver of drool glistening on its lower jaw.

Before Seraphine could react, Thaddeus darted forward, skidding to a halt directly between Aubrey and the monster. "Milady Aubrey! I am glad thou art unharmed..."

Aubrey struggled against her restraints. "Hey, Thaddy... Glad you came to my rescue...!"

The eldritch horror let out an ear-splitting cry, and its body lurched toward them. It brought its clawed hands crashing down at the automaton's head.

"Look out!" Seraphine cried out, dashing forward.

Thaddeus leaped nimbly to the side, narrowly dodging the strike. The beast swung wildly again, its attacks missing once more. Thaddeus hopped about the floor, keeping just ahead of its swipes and swings.

Seraphine circled around the creature to try and flank it. It paid her little mind, focused solely on the automaton. She studied its movements closely.

This thing had been human before. Some dark magic must have transformed it into this... abomination. Was it a byproduct of whatever rituals they attempted here? Or had the cabal leader chosen to use some forbidden art that caused this?

Whatever the answer, she would find out later. For now, it needed to die.

The creature lunged again, lunging with its arms spread wide. Thaddeus jumped high in the air and bounced off its head, twisting away from a shower of sharp spikes that sprouted from the beast's shoulders. The automaton landed gracefully upon the ground beside Aubrey's chair.

Seraphine seized her opening. She lunged with her sword, aiming directly at the monster's chest. Her blow pierced into its body, passing cleanly through without resistance. A viscous black ichor gushed from the wound. But instead of falling, the creature swung around to face her, roaring in anger.

It swung one clawed hand in a wild arc, catching her forearm. Serrated barbs on its claws bit deep into her flesh. She gasped, her free arm falling numbly to her side.

The monster pulled back for another swing.

Thaddeus stepped in. It shot forward, wrapping its mechanical arms around the monstrosity's torso. With a powerful jerk, it hurled it across the room to crash into the far wall.

As the beast staggered upright, Seraphine charged, striking it again and again, her blade sinking deep into its flesh with each stroke. Thick ichor splattered from the wounds, staining the hem of her coat black.

A maw sprouted from one of the creature's appendages, latching onto her shoulder and piercing through layers of fabric to bite into her flesh. Pain flared as blood dripped down the sleeve of her jacket.

The monster threw her off.

She slammed into the floor hard, dropping her weapon as the wind left her lungs in a whoosh. When she looked up, the creature stood above her. Drool poured from its mouth. Saliva dribbled onto her cheeks as it bent down, bringing its face close to hers.

"Damn...!" Seraphine muttered through gritted teeth.

The eldritch horror loomed above her, a writhing mass of twisted limbs and gnashing teeth. Her breath hitched as she struggled to move, the weight of the beast pressing down on her chest like a boulder. She thrashed beneath it, trying to break free, but its sheer mass pinned her in place.

Panic clawed at the edges of her mind, but she shoved it down. No time for fear. Not now.

Then, a flash of metal.

The creature’s head jerked to the side, knocked off course by a blow that rang out like a bell in the gloom. Seraphine blinked, disoriented, and saw Thaddeus, his metallic arms locking around the monster’s neck. With a grinding whirr, the automaton forced the beast back, prying its maw away from her and slamming it into the wall. The stones cracked under the impact.

Seraphine scrambled to her feet and retrieved her sword.

Thaddeus returned to Aubrey's side and began methodically prying the metal restraints from her wrists and ankles. Aubrey sprang free.

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"About time," she muttered, rubbing her bruised skin as she met Seraphine’s eyes with a fleeting smirk. "Hey, thanks for coming... You look like shit, by the way... "

Seraphine winced, flexing her injured arm. The numbness persisted despite her efforts to work the nerves back into full motion. Still, she managed to force a smile. "And you're as beautiful and rude as always."

Aubrey let out a mock gasp, feigning indignation as she slapped her hands onto her hips. "Aww, thank you! That means a lot. I never knew you felt this way about me!"

Thaddeus interrupted them, tapping Aubrey on the shoulder. "If you are finished with this pleasant conversation, milady, perhaps we should finish this foul thing before it rises again."

A growl drew their attention, and they looked to see the corrupted abomination struggling to rise to its feet. The unnatural flesh stretched and strained against the bones as it pushed itself upright and glared at the trio with baleful red eyes. "RRRUUGGGHH!!!"

The monster's roar filled the chamber. The lights flickered briefly, casting shadows across the walls.

"Thaddy, did you bring it?" Aubrey asked, holding her hand out expectantly.

Thaddeus unwrapped the cloth around what Seraphine assumed was Aubrey's weapon, revealing a gleaming electric guitar painted midnight blue, embellished with intricate gold filigree. The base of the neck looked unusually thick, with a dull yellow glow radiating from the hollow cavity. It looked like it belonged more in an art museum than in a battle against an eldritch horror.

Aubrey snatched the instrument, shifting it to one hand before flipping the switch at the neck. Blue sparks crackled down the length of the guitar as she drew in a deep breath.

"You're not... actually going to fight with that, are you?" Seraphine managed, her voice coming out more incredulous than she’d intended.

Aubrey shot her a quick grin. "Just watch."

Seraphine narrowed her eyes. What exactly was Aubrey planning to do with that thing?

Suddenly, the body of the instrument twisted, reshaping itself, sharp edges blooming from its once smooth sides.

She blinked in surprise. A... battle-axe?! How does that even...?

"What in the name of—"

Aubrey cut her off by swinging the axe around to point towards the creature looming across the room. "C'mon, big guy. Showtime."

The monster charged at her.

Aubrey swept her hand over the strings, sending a discordant blast of sound rippling towards the beast. It collided with a wave of force that echoed across the chamber, knocking it back a pace. The sound of scraping metal filled the air as the tip of the axe scratched lightly against the flagstones.

Aubrey crouched low, sliding one foot forward as she braced herself for the next attack. She moved with practiced ease, like she'd done it a thousand times before. "Are we doing this or what? C'mon, ugly!"

The creature bellowed, pounding its fists against the floor as it prepared to charge again.

It threw itself at her, a mass of sinew, teeth, and claws. Aubrey didn’t flinch. She stepped lightly to the side, her fingers strumming a discordant note that seemed to hang in the air for just a moment before the sound itself slashed across the beast’s side. The effect was immediate—flesh split open, black ichor spraying out in thick rivulets, hissing as it hit the stone floor.

Aubrey didn't miss a beat. Her fingers danced across the strings of the guitar, drawing a series of complex notes in a cacophonous symphony that vibrated along the air, surrounding the beast with invisible knives made out of pure sound waves.

The creature lunged again, its bloated limbs crashing against the walls as it tried to regain footing, but Aubrey was already moving. She dodged, slipping into the flow of the fight as though it were some violent dance.

Seraphine blinked, momentarily stunned by the sheer precision in Aubrey’s movements. It wasn’t the brutality of a trained warrior, nor the methodical approach of a Hunter. This was something far more fluid—far more instinctive. Aubrey ducked under a sweeping tendril, then pivoted sharply away from a strike aimed at her midsection.

Every time the beast lashed out, Aubrey was already two steps ahead, gliding out of its reach with a rhythm Seraphine couldn’t hear but could feel. And somehow, she seemed to know what steps came next. It was as though the world itself had fallen into a new tempo, one that only Aubrey could command.

Aubrey struck a heavier chord, the sound booming through the chamber. The ground beneath the creature cracked, fissures spider-webbing outward. The monster staggered, its massive frame swaying unsteadily as its footing slipped and crumbled beneath its feet. It reached out, grasping wildly at the air, claws scrabbling uselessly against empty nothingness.

With a snarl, she swung the guitar in a wide arc, a glowing trail following in its wake. The blade cleaved through the monster's side, carving a jagged line straight down to its core. The monster let out one final wail before collapsing, dissolving into a mound of viscera.

The battle axe suddenly twisted around until it resembled the guitar, and Aubrey leaned into it, plucking a long, languid riff.

Thaddeus clapped enthusiastically and Seraphine took a hesitant step closer to Aubrey.

Her mind raced, trying to piece together how Aubrey was doing it. Was it magic? Something else? Part of her Unhallowed nature? The questions multiplied faster than she could sort them through.

Seraphine had seen Aubrey fight before, but this was the first time she was able to observe her fully. There had been brief, stolen glances of Aubrey dancing in the throes of her otherworldly powers when she'd fought alongside her and Levy, but this encounter, this display, it had taken her breath away in a wholly unexpected way.

She sheathed her blade, pushing aside the myriad of thoughts tumbling through her head. Perhaps she could ask her about it later, though she doubted it. Instead, Seraphine forced a grin and crossed her arms. "I take it your plan to let yourself get captured yielded some worthwhile information."

Aubrey's lips curved into an impish smile. She turned and strutted back towards her, swinging her hips exaggeratedly with each step. Seraphine gulped, her mind wandering places it most definitely shouldn't. Aubrey stopped a foot shy, her crimson eyes locked on the Hunter's green ones. They glowed faintly in the dim light.

"Of course. Nothing like a good ol' info-dump, right? All worth it in the end. I got to meet one of the people responsible for killing me, after all..." She rested the guitar over her shoulder, drumming her fingernails against the fretboard. "You should be able to uncover evidence of the Luminous Consortium and the Twilight Cabal in cahoots with one another now. A lead at the very least, right?"

Seraphine nodded. "That certainly puts us in a better position. Though I hope you'll enlighten me on the details later."

"Sure, sure," Aubrey replied with a casual shrug. "Anyways, if you're gonna have your Hunter guild buddies come and clean up the mess, I'll be dipping out."

"My guild doesn't deal with criminal matters. Only supernatural threats. But I've alerted Mordenstradt's constabulary. They should show up and get this place cleaned up."

Aubrey turned her gaze toward Thaddeus and motioned for the automaton to follow as she strode towards the exit. "Let's get going, Thaddy."

"Verily, Milady."

Seraphine called out to her before she disappeared.

"Oh, and Aubrey..."

"Hm?"

"What'll you do once you've exacted your vengeance? If... you succeed," Seraphine ventured, curiosity coloring her tone. "What then?"

Aubrey cast her a sidelong glance, tilting her head to the side. The light caught her eyelashes in a way that accentuated their length, framing her crimson irises like jewels against her pale skin. She raised her brows and shrugged.

"Who knows? I guess I hadn't thought that far. I suppose... I'll cross that bridge when it comes to it, yeah?"

"Fair enough, I suppose," Seraphine remarked, feeling a flicker of disappointment in spite of herself.

"Well then... See you around," Aubrey said as she exited the chamber. Thaddeus gave her a small bow before following behind.

Seraphine sighed softly, her eyes fixed upon the space where Aubrey and Thaddeus had vanished.

As the sounds of the pair's footsteps faded, Seraphine leaned against a wall and slid to the ground. She stared blankly at the bloody carnage littering the chamber.

The conspiracy around Aubrey's existence... The question of whether it warrants a threat to the city... Those mysteries still lay ahead. And while Seraphine held on to her faith and ideals as a Huntress, Aubrey remained an enigma—one that stirred something strange within her.

She let out a weary groan and closed her eyes. Her injured arm still ached, but at least the pain in her shoulder seemed to abate. Small blessings...

But her night wasn't over. When the constabulary arrived, she'd have to answer questions about what happened. An investigation would ensue. Paperwork to fill out. Not looking forward to that at all.