Brekan and Vikona stood on the rim of a vast hole, situated on the opposite side of the island. The gaping chasm seemed to descend into the very depths of the Witch Realm. A spiral staircase wound along the walls of the shaft.
Vikona said: “This is how the Agents entered the Witch Realm with their Augo.”
Brekan could see that the shaft was wide enough for at least one medium sized Augo.
Vikona leaned closer to Brekan, her voice tinged with a sense of mystery. “There might be even more entrances to the Witch Realm, and not only to this island but to maybe other landmasses, just waiting to be discovered.”
In Brekan awoke a sense of wonder. He had never ventured outside the Sun Kingdom, to other countries. And Vikona told him there was even another world inside the earth to discover.
With melancholy in her voice she said: “Sadly my usual life-spans are too short to remember the extent of this knowledge I might have learned a long time ago. So I never really tried to look at what would be out there. My focus was always my goal of bringing down the Sun King.”
With a glimmer in her eyes, Vikona said: “Maybe, once I have achieved that goal I could go on that journey.” She turned to Brekan. “And maybe we could explore the world together.”
He hesitated and said: “I am loyal to Sari.”
Vikona shook her head and said: “I didn’t mean it romantically. She can come along too, if she wants to.”
Brekan considered the offer and replied, "However this journey ends, if we find ourselves on the same side, I'll consider it."
A gentle smile played on Vikona's lips as she said: “Is your power back? We would need it to uncover the dark truths of the Sun Kingdom. You will face not simple cultists from now on anymore.”
Brekan thought about his willingness to explore Vikona’s claims about his beloved kingdom. And as he did his Witch Power began to stir.
“Good,” Vikona said and wings, black as the night unfurled from her back. “It is going to be faster if we fly instead of walk. Time is short before the Agents start their Witch Storm.”
Brekan followed suit, summoning energy wings on his back.
They both took flight and descended into the depths of the shaft.
Brekan and Vikona soared through the spiraling shaft, navigating the passage with ease. At one point, Brekan's senses tingled, and he felt the force of gravity shift. Suddenly, instead of falling, he was ascending the depths of the shaft. He instinctively started flapping his energy wings, keeping himself afloat.
Emerging on the other end of the shaft, they found themselves amidst the ethereal beauty of the glowing forest and the ruins where Brekan's journey had begun.
Vikona acted swiftly. “Get down!” she said with urgency”.
They both landed between the trees and hid in the underbrush.
From their hidden vantage point, they observed a squadron of Agent drones gliding through the treetops above them.
“Why are they here?” Brekan asked, already fearing the answer.
Vikona followed the drones with her gaze and said: “They are guarding the area around the entrance. The Agents of the White Sun have always been over-cautious.”
Brekan's heart sank as he realized the extent of the Agents' involvement in orchestrating the events in the Witch Realm. It was now unmistakably clear that they had known about this place all along, and that everything had been meticulously planned.
Vikona took the lead, guiding Brekan through the dense forest. “At first,” she said, “We have to pass the base of the Agents down here. It lies on the far end of this cavern.”
As they reached the forest's edge, Brekan noticed the startling changes that had occurred. The previously lush forest had been deliberately cut away by the Agents to create a straight line, revealing a flat, open plain.
Before him stretched a grim scene. The flat expanse was encircled by towering fences, their intimidating presence highlighted by the brilliant crystal headlights that pierced the twilight. Within the confines of the area, large cages imprisoned numerous Kioni. Templar patrols moved about between the cages.
Brekan was reminded back to when he was fighting just one of them with Joven in the mansion of Secretary Trepan. If even only one of them would be let loose in the city above…
One of the cages was lowered into its designated position by a crane mounted on a train, causing a Kioni inside to grow agitated and shake the confines of its enclosure.
Across the open plain lay a colossal, square building, its rooftop serving as a landing area for Augo. Augo drones flitted about the vicinity, maintaining a vigilant watch. Brekan's heart sank as he beheld this harrowing scene, struggling to come to terms with the horrifying implications.
“We need to stop them!” Brekan said, anger and desperation in his voice.
Vikona looked at him and said in a serious tone: “Feel free to run in and fight against dozens of Templars and their Agents. Not even I would try that without being fully powered by the phoenix.”
Brekan gritted his teeth. He knew how terrible these Beasts could be and how much havoc they caused.
Vikona, her voice heavy with gravity, revealed the grim truth. "This is just the beginning," she said, her eyes locked on the nightmarish tableau. "Beyond that building, we'll find even worse horrors."
Brekan heard her hint at that several times now. But he still didn’t know what to expect. He hoped this part was already the end of it, but he could feel it wasn’t true.
Vikona outlined the plan: “We should circle the base. The forest is still surrounding it even if a bit afar. This way we can stay concealed.”
“How do you know so much about where you need to be going?” Brekan asked, remembering how old Vikona actually was.
Vikona’s eyes became filled with bitter sadness. “I have fled this place before. I told you I was abducted and then experimented on. This was part of my escape route.”
Brekan was wondering how a single Witch could even break free of the Agents and then avoid their gaze. But he remembered that all of this was only possible because the Agents let it happen.
Vikona said: “If we are discovered, you have to fight the Agents and Templar alone.”
Brekan looked in with distrust at the Witch Queen. “Are you just gonna leave and betray me?”
Vikona shrugged and said: “I’m gonna be honest with you. Not even I, without the full power of the phoenix, will be able to withstand a fight against several Agents and Templars. At best I would be able to escape. Remember I am able to change my form.”
Brekan recalled the Trial of Transformation. All the Witch Beasts he had to defeat.
They began their cautious circumnavigation of the base, their movements cautious and deliberate, as they strived to avoid the probing eyes of the Agent drones.
As he followed Vikona through the thicket, Brekan's mind raced with thoughts and questions. He contemplated the life he had known within the Sun Kingdom, reflecting on the prosperity and stability it had provided to him and those he cared about. The memories of a harmonious life, supported by his people and country. But now he couldn't help but wonder about the potential hidden costs and dark secrets that were happening beneath its surface. And maybe they were even necessary.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, Brekan's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a drone hovered directly above, casting a glaring light down upon them. Reacting swiftly, Brekan dove into a small nook for cover, while Vikona, with her astonishing ability, transformed into a bunny, her movements mimicking the small creature's hops. The drone's attention focused on the movement of the bunny. After a moment, it flew away, apparently convinced that it had merely observed a harmless animal.
Brekan kept laying down for a moment. On the edge above him he saw the bunny looking down upon him. When he was sure that nothing was coming for them, he got back up. He watched as the bunny transformed back into Vikona.
Continuing their stealthy journey, they reached the forest's edge, where an old, half-open gate stood covered in overgrowth. It was small and not more than two people side by side could fit.
Vikona explained: “That’s one of the early emergency exits, that lead out of the secret cities of the Agents.”
"Cities?" Brekan's curiosity was piqued. He had never heard of inhabited underground cities beneath the capital of the Sun Kingdom.
“You only know about a very small part of the Sun Kingdom,” Vikona said with a sad smile gracing her face.
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Brekan and Vikona emerged from the tunnel into an empty room with walls of smooth, gray surfaces. On the opposite side, an iron hatch blocked their path. To their left, a small trap door lay on the ground.
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“This is the way,” Vikona said and pointed towards it.
Brekan eyed her skeptical from the side. But at this point he trusted her. At least enough to not question it.
The passage below the trapdoor was tight, with pipes and cables lining the walls. It branched in two directions, but Brekan followed Vikona as they pressed forward.
“A maintenance shaft,” Brekan noted.
Vikona said: “Yes. This underworld is shot with them. New and old.”
As they continued through the tunnel, Brekan couldn't help but be surprised by the advanced technology he encountered. When they passed small exit doors, he could see beyond the glass window into the tunnels and hallways. The Templar he guarding behind them were sleeker and less bulky. What puzzled Brekan even more was the presence of regular citizens in the hallways. They strolled leisurely, engaged in conversations, and seemed entirely at ease.
On the walls of the hallway, a long capsule sped by, giving Brekan a fleeting glimpse of sitting people inside, further deepening his astonishment.
They also came across vast halls that housed artificial seedbeds for growing crops and vegetables, along with stables that held livestock.
Brekan was left in a state of bewilderment, realizing that an entire underground world existed, hidden from the surface, one he had never known about until now.
Brekan and Vikona continued navigating the complex maze of maintenance shafts, frequently taking turns into branching passages. Vikona led the way, her steps sure and unwavering. After a while, she said: “We are getting close to the science district.”
Brekan's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask: “What kind of science are they conducting in this hidden underground world?”
However, Vikona remained silent, not providing any answers.
They eventually reached a ladder that led to an exit. The exit itself was high on a cave wall, revealing a massive building complex in the cave beyond. Before them, the path transformed into one of those hanging metal maintenance cable bridges suspended from the ceiling.
Brekan peered over the edge and saw several Templar guarding the building complex below.
Vikona whispered: “We need to crawl over the cables to reach the laboratories. Look, the cables lead straight into the building.”
Brekan followed her pointing. In one of the walls the bridge led into another opening. He said: “I’m not sure if the bridge will be able to support us both. Not trying to make fun of your weight, of course.”
Vikona, in response, transformed into a rat to make herself lighter and more agile.
Brekan got on all fours and cautiously navigated the cable bridge, Vikona sitting on his back. Eventually they reached the laboratory building. After Vikona reverted to her normal form, Brekan couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and asked her about their purpose here. “Tell me already. What are we doing here?”
Vikona's response was filled with a buried wrath. "I'm going to show you my past and reveal the true horrors of the Sun Kingdom."
Brekan and Vikona proceeded through the shaft in silence. It wasn't long before Brekan's gaze caught a glimpse of a laboratory through a small ventilation flap, and what he saw sent a shiver down his spine. His eyes widened in horror as he witnessed a scene that was difficult to fathom. In the sterile, cold room, several male human bodies lay on long tables, their limbs amputated, leaving only stumps. These men appeared unconscious, unable to comprehend the horrors inflicted upon them. A team of surgeons worked meticulously on the bodies, operating on their open chests. Brekan watched as they removed hearts and replaced them with transparent crystals.
Vikona's voice cut through the shock, her words sending chills down Brekan's spine. "This is how the Templar are made," she explained in a hushed tone. "The crystal erases their past personality and memory, turning them into mindless warriors. They will know nothing but to fight and die."
Anger surged within Brekan, and he shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't fathom that the Agents were willing to commit such atrocities. The very thought of it shook his core.
Vikona led him further through the complex, guiding him to another laboratory, which Brekan observed through a glass window. Inside, the room was filled with countless testing tubes, each containing a human body suspended in an icy blue liquid, their faces hidden behind breathing masks.
Brekan watched with a heavy heart as some of the scientists gathered around one of the tubes, engaging in intense discussions and gestures. Then, one of them pressed a button on a console beside the tube, and black liquid surged into the liquid, obscuring its once-transparent view. Brekan could see slight movements from the body murkiness inside, tiny twitches. Moments later, the tube was flushed through a hatch at its bottom, leaving Brekan appalled.
Vikona whispered: “I was once one of them. One of the countless victims of the Sun King and his Agents.”
Her revelation hit Brekan like a thunderbolt. His anger burned hotter than ever, and his Witch Power pulsed with an intensity that was difficult to contain.
Vikona posed a direct question to him: "Do you want to help them?"
Brekan found himself internally torn, his loyalty to the Sun Kingdom warring with the horrific truths he was witnessing. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the innocent victims in the test tubes, and he thought of Sari.
In that moment, he made his decision and responded to Vikona's question by smashing the laboratory door open.
Brekan launched his furious attack on the laboratory. He summoned his Witch Power, molding it into a blazing sword that shimmered with raw energy. With swift and precise strikes, he dispatched the startled scientists who had been complicit in these horrifying experiments. Their screams echoed through the chamber.
After Brekan cut down the oppressors, he turned his attention to the rows of test tubes that held the imprisoned victims. With powerful strikes, he shattered the glass and released the captives within. However, what he had hoped would be a moment of salvation, turned grim. The individuals fell to the floor, but none of them displayed any signs of consciousness or awareness. They lay motionless, as though life had been drained from them.
Vikona came up to him and said: "It seems they can't survive outside the tubes without special treatment."
Brekan's heart ached, and he lamented for their lives. “Maybe death might be a mercy compared to the grotesque fate that awaits them as experimental subjects. They are spared more suffering.”
Together, Brekan and Vikona rampaged through the other laboratories, where scientists and researchers met their end at the hands of a vengeful Brekan. In those other laboratories, they discovered even more test tubes containing not only people but also living experiments in the form of plants and animals.
After Brekan was sure he had killed everyone he could find, they left the building through the main entrance, where they were met with a threatening sight. Agents and their Templar forces awaited them, forming a blockade.
Vikona said in a serious tone: “Now is not the time to fight. Let’s flee.” She swiftly transformed into a raven, taking to the air with an agility that left her pursuers dumbfounded.
Brekan, enveloped in his orange energy, conjured ethereal wings and followed Vikona into the sky. Lasers whizzed by, creating dazzling streaks of light as Brekan ascended.
But something else gripped at his being, a force that was all too familiar. It constricted his mind, sending waves of discomfort through his thoughts. Brekan remembered experiencing this sensation when he had encountered an Agent in Thorian's Knot.
As if that wasn't enough, another unseen force grappled with his physical form, attempting to immobilize him. Brekan fought against it, summoning all the strength he could muster to break free from the invisible shackles. With a tremendous effort, he managed to pull away from the oppressive grasp.
Free from the immediate threat, Brekan followed Vikona to a ventilation shaft situated high on one of the chamber's walls. Vikona reverted to her Witch form.
“You better become fast,” she said and turned into the bunny.
In response, Brekan created a Quiven energy construct, a magical steed of orange light, and rode alongside her. Together, they raced through the shaft.