Chapter 36: The Fracture of Hope

“Is this the end of a sewer system?” Ivanic asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

“I think so, but we aren’t sure what this is the sewer system of… come,” the woman, Veronica, responded, waving them forward into the large hole.

Niko’s nose immediately crinkled as the rancid smell hit him, making his eyes water. The stench of sewage was overwhelming, coating the air with a thick, nauseating film.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Veronica said casually as she continued to lead the group inside.

Niko, however, wasn’t so sure about getting used to it. His senses were on high alert, not just from the smell but from the situation itself. His group agreed silently through their thoughts to stay farther back, letting Fumito’s group move ahead. There was no telling if this was a trap or not, and Niko wasn’t about to take any chances.

Veronica extended her hand, and a lantern materialized from her watch, casting an eerie glow in the dim, sewer-like tunnel. The light revealed a dull, gray expanse of walls and ceiling. The only color came from the dark stains of sewage water and… something else. The pungent smell continued to assault their noses, but they moved forward, covering their faces with their clothes.

The tunnel opened up into a larger, more spacious area. Dimly lit by scattered lanterns, the space revealed a small group of survivors sitting around. The air was thick with tension and exhaustion.

Niko’s eyes scanned the room. Four figures sat huddled together, each wearing the look of someone who had seen too much, too fast. The room was no different from the tunnel—gray, dull, and reeking of hopelessness. There were strange levers jutting from the walls, and another gaping hole led deeper into the sewer system.

His gaze fell on a familiar figure sitting silently in the corner, eyes closed. Dharma—the bald man Niko had been summoned with. He hadn’t changed much, still wearing the same kind of robe that Niko now wore. Despite the grim surroundings, Dharma sat with an eerie calm, as if none of this chaos affected him.

"Oh great, more survivors," a man in full leather armor grumbled from the side. His short black hair was slick with sweat, and his tanned skin gleamed in the lantern light. Twin axes rested on his back, still streaked with blood. Next to him was a woman, her hair long and filthy, draped over equally dirty leather armor.

The room’s atmosphere grew heavy as Veronica turned to the group. “We’re here. Rest if you can,” she said before walking off to join the others.

The man with the axes approached, giving them a weary nod. “Hello, my name is Singh. It’ll be dark soon, and I know you’re all tired, so feel free to get some rest. Tomorrow, we head out to find a safer area.”

He quickly rattled off the names of the others in the room. "That’s Priya over there,” he gestured toward the long-haired woman. “Veronica, of course, brought you in. That guy sitting by himself… just call him ‘Monk,’ and the woman in the corner is Adele.”

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With introductions over, the group began to split off into their own corners. Niko’s group clustered together while Fumito’s group sat a little farther away. Eitan, the injured man they had picked up, chose to sit with Niko’s group, still grateful to Candreva for saving him.

As they settled in, there was a quiet exchange of thoughts among Niko’s group. They agreed to take turns staying awake, keeping watch. Trust was a rare commodity here, and while they had been through much together, Niko couldn’t afford to drop his guard. His distrust wasn’t just aimed at these new survivors—it extended to his own group. He knew the greed of humans, and in this world, that greed could become deadly.

The space fell into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the hushed conversation between Singh and Priya about their lives in India. Time passed slowly. Eitan, Candreva, and Zheng had already drifted off into a deep sleep, while Ivanic had taken the first watch.

But Niko couldn’t sleep. His mind was racing. What if I had gotten the last hit on those Boar Kings? Could I have taken their spirits? He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He missed his sister. He missed home. He missed the small comforts he had taken for granted on Earth—clean clothes, a proper bed, food that didn’t taste like dirt.

His eyes grew heavy as exhaustion started to win out, but just as he began to drift, something caught his attention. A faint sound, barely audible, yet unmistakable—sobbing.

Niko turned his head and spotted Adele curled up in the fetal position, crying to herself. Her body shook as she muffled her sobs, but they were loud enough for those who were still awake to hear.

"Are you okay, Adele?" Singh asked softly, his voice filled with concern.

“No!” she suddenly screamed, sitting up abruptly. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes wild with fear. “No, I’m not okay!”

Her outburst stirred those who had been asleep. Candreva, Zheng, and Eitan jolted awake, alarmed by the sudden shift in energy. Only Dharma remained unmoved, still seated with his eyes shut, as though meditating through the chaos. Veronica, too, remained asleep, seemingly indifferent.

“Adele… relax,” Singh tried to soothe her, his voice calm. “We’re safer now. We’re going to be fine.”

“Safe? SAFE?!” she shrieked, her voice cracking. “For how long?! We’re just waiting to die!” Her hands gripped her hair as she continued, her sobs turning to hysterical laughter. “God is dead! The devils are doing this! We need to go back and beg the Protectors! We must!”

Adele stood suddenly, her movements erratic and frantic. “I’ll beg them! I’ll be saved!” Without warning, she bolted for the exit, her cries echoing down the dark tunnel.

Singh made a move to go after her, but Priya grabbed his arm, shaking her head. There was no point. Adele was gone, both physically and mentally. She had lost her grip on reality, and there was no saving her now.

As Adele's crazed screams faded into the distance, silence fell over the group once more. No one spoke. The tension in the room grew thicker, the weight of the day’s events pressing down on them. Even Niko, who had become somewhat hardened to this world’s cruelty, felt a pang of sorrow for Adele. But that sorrow was laced with relief—relief that her madness hadn’t drawn any attention to their hiding spot.

The night wore on, and slowly, despite the tension, Niko felt his eyelids grow heavier. The events of the day had worn him down, both mentally and physically. As he finally allowed himself to drift off into sleep, the darkness of the sewer felt almost welcoming—a temporary escape from the nightmare that awaited them outside.

And in the quiet stillness of that dank, dimly lit space, Niko knew one thing: Rest would not come easily. Not in this world.