The cloaked man and Yakubu lead the way deeper into the ground. The cloaked man’s powers shifted a world of tiles above and beneath their feet, slowly unveiling the inner world of the ruins. The tiles slid away and back into place, sealing the descending path behind them. It would be pitch black in the ever whirling tunnel if not for the luminescence of a crystals each shifted tile and block of concrete seemed to reveal.
Sam recognized the crystals as the same ones populating the Tower’s crater. The sight of them so deep— no matter how pretty or soothing the warmth of their pulsating pink was— frightened him. If they’re growing so deep in this earth then… Sam let the negative thought die in his mind, there were more pressing concerns right in front of him.
The cloaked man, despite having seen his floating lances and Yoko’s plethora of weapons, was not afraid in the slightest. Sam understood the idea of home field advantage well enough and as they descended further into the underground, following the cloaked man’s every step, he wondered about what Yoko had said.
Should I kill him? Sam had never asked himself that before—not like this, not with a life on the line in real-time. The question tasted bitter in his mind, but the answer felt disturbingly simple. A single thought—one precise glass spear, and it would all be over. He flexed his hand, picturing the motion, and for a moment, he felt the weight of the decision crush down on him. The cloaked man wasn’t invincible. He could do it.
But then what?
His mind spun out with possibilities. The tunnel collapsing on their heads, Yoko’s body buried under rubble. Their deaths might be inevitable, but that wasn’t what kept him from acting. No, it was something else—something gnawing at the back of his mind, holding him back.
What if I’m wrong? The cloaked man was cruel to Yakubu, yes, but he hadn’t raised a hand against Sam or Yoko—at least not yet. The idea of striking down someone before they’d even made a move didn’t sit right. But that wasn’t the full story, was it?
Sam’s thoughts darkened. What if this is what it takes? Would he hesitate if the cloaked man turned on them? Would it be too late by then? With Belua they had to move and react fast to survive.
In the end Sam decided he would be ready to act, ready to protect himself and Yoko. After all it was that or face his worst fear and be murdered. He’d already had a strong dose of that with the DSF and he wouldn’t let himself be that weak and vulnerable again.
He glanced at Yoko behind him and found she was without her glasses. A clone. Said clone waved, smiling brightly under the light of the crystals just as the earth ahead of them shuddered open and beams of light spilled into their tunnel.
The cloaked man stepped through the large opening his powers made and as Yakubu went through, Sam and Yoko’s clone marvelled at the world they’d fallen into.
A massive underground network of caves opened up in the centre, crystals glittered against the walls, floor and roof of the space, men, women and a surprising amount of children walked about on pathways made of tiles like the one the cloaked man controlled. Cool spring water flowed through the heart of the cave system, bringing with it fresh air that smelled of the surface. It made the underground feel alive, despite its isolation from the world above.
Where they stood Sam and Yoko could oversee half of what the tribe had to offer. There were four ploughed fields in sight with workers caring for the plants growing in the soil— some sort of potato, from what Sam could tell. Simple but vital for survival here. A barren tree that stood atop one of the greater heights of the underground network but children lined up to have their turn at the swings attached to it.
Many had heard and seen them come through and Sam felt their eyes fall on them as newcomers. He shrunk under the gazes of so many, easily a hundred people were in view from where he stood and all had their sights trained on the newcomers. They weren’t afraid of him, like Yakubu seemed to be at first, rather they were curious.
The cloaked man waved at them and then with a booming voice said, “Yakubu has returned but Destiny was lost. I know hunger grinds our bellies but the world above has once again become untenable. Let this be another lesson of the risks we take to keep living.”
He smacked Yakubu upside the head and walked past, leaving him to stand at the edge, a pariah now that his sins were revealed. “Come you two, there is much to decide about you.”
Sam shared a worried look with Yoko who held a small smile despite all. He couldn’t blame her, she was a clone, expendable and completely risk free while he…he was all too aware of the stakes.
The cloaked man steered them on a path away from the large yard, Sam couldn’t help but notice there were tiles embedded in the worn earthen path that shifted even before he stepped on it. Does he control every single one? Sam thought and recalled having seen several in use at the yard where the people congregated openly.
Along the dirt path Yoko’s clone hummed with interest at the humble alcoves carved into the walls, small homes and shelters cobbled together with a patchwork of wooden beams and curtains of vines for doors.
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Sam sniffed, breathing the scent of boiled vegetables and roasted potatoes as the cloaked man took them down a bend that led into a spacious corridor. Women and their girls walked in and out with metal, charred pots and hauled wood towards a large open kitchen that seemed to have a chimney connected to it. They all stopped in their tracks to bow and murmur a greeting or honouring Sam couldn’t quite get the words of.
Another language perhaps. Sam thought it possible. Though the place was majorly filled with people of the same bronze skin colour as Yakubu and the cloaked man, a lot of the children seemed multicultural, at least at first glance. Then again, how similar is this world to ours? They are human so...
Sam couldn’t be sure of anything and he found that to be the root cause of his hesitation in killing the cloaked man. He’d left all but two of his lances back into the gym bag up top and carried as well as a Holy Pistol along with him but neither would see much use unless the cloaked man brought them all this way just to attack.
I doubt it, he seems honest enough about letting us in the know. He wiped his palms against his trousers, while it was hotter further in the underground cave network, Sam was simply anxious of what was to come.
Neither he nor Yoko had the time to digest their sudden transportation but it was a jarring and scary fact that all of these people were indeed of another world. A world with a nebula in its sky.
Sam knew they were closing in on their final destination when the coarse cave walls became comprised entirely of smooth blocks and tiles, cleaner and stronger than the ones he’d seen make up the ruins up top. The path narrowed and forced Yoko’s clone up to his shoulders as any sign of the tribe living and working faded into quiet behind them.
They’d reached a dead end but the cloaked man raised his staff and the wall shifted open like a pile of collapsing legos, revealing a small but far more comfortable room than any of the others Sam had peeked on the way. A stone table with a chequered blanket was the first thing in sight, then an odd pairing of wooden stools with a worn out couch that was still more modern than anything else in the entire cave network.
The cloaked man gestured at the stools while he leaned on his stone desk, laid his staff aside and folded his arms as he observed Sam and Yoko with a critical look in his eye.
“Is it finally time to talk?” Yoko said. She snatched a chair for herself and sighed as she sat like a gangster.
Sam was tired but he had two lances floating vertically behind him, their presence largely ignored by the cloaked man. He frowned, “Yeah, about time for some introductions I think.”
He tossed his cloak off and let his white striped afro free, “I am Zacchaeus, patron of the children of Regalia and the forsaken. I am their protector, provider and disciplinarian. You are Invaders.”
“We are Sam and Yoko.” Sam said, folding his arms at the man who seemed to grow larger with his introduction. “Yakubu was afraid of us when we saved him, ran away and prattled something about it being our faults those Belua killed his friend.”
Yoko nodded, “He cried but you haven’t shed a tear. Was Destiny not part of your children of Regalia? One you prote-”
“Yoko, don’t taunt him. We’re here for answers not to pick a fight.” Sam said sternly.
Zacchaeus merely looked between them with a bored but stone faced look all the while. He inhaled and said, “You may know this world as Domus but I know it as earth. It was not called Domus until the Wielder named Domus conquered the Towers of Regalia and ‘saved’ this world the wrath of its apocalypse.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t do a very good job of saving the world.” Yoko murmured and earned a mean side glare from Sam.
“No, he did not but none of the ‘won’ worlds are ever truly the same once the hunt begins.” Zacchaeus said, his face turning grim, “And since you two are here, Invaders, that means eight-five years have finally passed and the hunt for Regalias begins again.”
Sam frowned, he wasn’t understanding any of this and very little of what Zacchaeus was saying matched what the DSF told him. Then again, how much does the DSF know?
Zacchaeus seemed to read his expression and said, “I know you’re confused but all you need to know is that you have thirteen days to hunt down incoming Regalia Wielders or dethrone Domus and his lackeys.” He looked between Sam and Yoko a devious smirk curved his lips, “That said, every Regalia is up for grabs, this is a free for all. In your world there will be many others like you and all the Tower asks is that you bring it their Regalia.”
Sam glanced at Yoko at that revelation. Truthfully he’d suspected there wouldn’t be a restriction on exactly whose Regalia could be reaped for the Tower. A hundred of us were gifted powers of Regalia, it really is a free for all.
“And in exchange?” Yoko asked, beating Sam to it. “This can’t be all just to win our freedom or safeguard our world right? There’s something more.”
Sam was wondering too. They couldn’t have been gifted such powers just to cause chaos and run around killing each other.
Zacchaeus shifted his weight and ran his fingers through his hair, “First, you should know what you are. Invaders, Regalia Wielders from another world on a deadline to hunt as many Regalia as you can. The Tower must have asked for two or four but in the past century I’ve learned that to truly succeed as Domus has, you must hunt twelve. Once you do, you’re granted power over the monsters of the Tower, granted a domain where you can build your own little paradise while the rest of the world goes to shit.
“But every eighty-five years or in your time, a thousand years, the Tower opens up and Invaders like you two come through to challenge that paradise and start the damned cycle again.”
Sam’s jaw hung loose at that, “It grants you power over the Belua? Then…” He thought of the possibilities but also the cost.
Yoko hummed and rocked her chair, “I’m guessing a domain is a place free of all the poverty you guys have going on here? But I’m more interested in who you are. If you’re not a Steward or Domus then you must be an Invader, am I wrong?”
Sam blinked between the two, his brows knitted together as once again things didn’t add up, “Wait, if you’re an Invader as well then that means you’ve been here for eighty-five years? How?”
Zacchaeus was a well-aged man, fit and looking well into his late forties or even mid-fifties. He smirked at Sam, “How else? Regalia. But that brings me to another point, if you fail to meet your Returnal you will be trapped in whatever world you invaded. That’s my unfortunate story.”
Returnal: 12:10:22
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