Eleanor stayed behind and continued tending to the wounded who approached her, while Daiki and Yadiel remained there accompanying her. Alana and Caín followed the rat-woman, not before receiving a sharp warning glance from Daiki.

Daiki (whispering): If you don’t come out in half an hour, we burn the place down.

Risha’s ears twitched at the threat, but she pretended not to have heard it and continued walking toward the back of the refuge. As Alana and Caín moved away, Yadiel tried to strike up conversation with some of the refugees, although many were barely able to articulate a word; their gestures were kind. Daiki, on the other hand, remained silent, watching every corner with distrust. Eleanor stayed focused on easing the pain of the most injured who approached her, carefully applying her healing magic.

As they walked behind Risha, Alana and Caín observed the place closely. Caín moved forward in silence, attentive to every detail. The damp stone walls covered in moss were reinforced with old planks and rusted metal plates, forming a labyrinth. As they went deeper, the sound of dripping water faded, replaced by the echo of their footsteps and the distant murmur of the hidden community.

Alana could not help but wonder how many people lived down there, hidden from the outside world. Risha, for her part, kept a steady pace, not bothering to look back.

Risha: Before we talk… I want to know something.

She stopped abruptly, turning to face them both with a serious gaze.

Risha: Why are you so interested in the symbol? What do you gain from this?

Alana crossed her arms, thinking about her answer. Until that moment, she had never consciously asked herself that question. She only knew she was helping people, just as her mentor had taught her. Those children with empty stares, those disappearances… all of it had somehow reminded her of how she began her own journey.

Alana: We want to help. Whether out of kindness or the values each of us holds, every member of the group has their own reasons. But it all comes down to the same thing: we want to do what is right. And for that, we need to understand what that symbol means, and why it is connected to so many strange things.

Caín nodded slightly.

Caín: She’s right. Strange cases have been reported in the city for a long time. They always caught my attention, but I was never able to do anything. Now I have the opportunity to protect my home, and any clue that might help is completely welcome.

Risha narrowed her eyes, studying them cautiously. After a few more seconds, she sighed and resumed walking.

Risha: If what you say is true… you are getting yourselves into something very dangerous.

Finally, they arrived at a small chamber lit by candles. In the center stood a couple of old, worn wooden tables. On one of them lay what appeared to be a complete map of the city’s sewer system.

Risha turned toward them and placed both hands on the table.

Risha: I will tell you the little I know… but what is said here, stays here. I don’t want people from above snooping around.

Silence fell over the room. Alana and Caín remained still, attentive, eyes fixed on the map. Risha took a breath… and began to speak.

Risha: All the people you saw out there… we are victims, as I mentioned before. We were taken from our homes, from our villages and cities, stripped and separated from our families. All to turn us into the experiments of a mad alchemist. A ruthless man who only saw us as another number in his experiments.

That symbol is not just a mark. It is a signature that he and his team use to guide themselves, to mark what belongs to them. Whatever carries that mark can be claimed by them at any moment. I understand that the mark is not only visible… it is also magical. I do not possess magical abilities, but some of those who managed to escape can feel it. That is why we fled. That is why we hide here. The city is noisy and large enough to make it difficult for them to find us, and it seems to be the only place where, for now, we appear to be safe from those monsters.

Caín looked at her in surprise and spoke calmly.

Caín: Then you were the ones who crossed out the symbols in the tunnel?

Risha looked at him, and for an instant, a flicker of fear crossed her eyes.

Risha: No… we did not do it. As you saw, they are still looking for us, but this time, it is not to take us back there…
There are many victims of that place, but before us, no one had ever managed to escape. We got out because one of their experiments went out of control. It broke several cells and part of the laboratory. It was chaos… and our only opportunity.

Caín interrupted her, somewhat agitated.

Caín: But if you made it to the city, why didn’t you tell the guard! We could have protected you! We could have saved you!

Risha shouted at him angrily:

Risha: Who do you think were the first to abandon us? You should understand… most of us are semihumans. Do you think anyone cares about us? If they could, they would let us die. Some of those who escaped with us were human, only left deformed by the experiments. Do you think they would be listened to? Do you think they would care about monsters like us?

Caín lowered his gaze. Risha’s words seemed to have struck a sensitive chord in him.

Alana: Well… you are right. But to the north there is a city that accepts semihumans more. Why not go there? Maybe they would protect you better.

Risha: If you mean NewHeaven. We know. Some come from there and we had already considered it… but there are many reasons why we cannot go.

Caín: We can try to help you get there. It’s a few days’ journey, but…

Risha sighed, interrupting him.

Risha: But… what? The condition of some would not endure the journey. Besides, as I said, some refugees come from the surroundings of that city… and we were already attacked there once. That makes it an unsafe place.

Alana: Wait a moment. Earlier you said you did not cross out the marks in these sewers and that they were still pursuing you. Doesn’t that mean that, sooner or later, they will find you here too?

Risha: Yes. That is why we modified the sewers. It buys us time to recover and think about where we can escape next. But as I said before… going to that city would mean putting ourselves in danger again. It was some guards from the church who sold us to that madman. If we have not asked for help, nor do we want it, it is because of the strings being pulled from there. Tell me then… why did those boys you mentioned earlier die so suddenly?

Caín remained silent. He seemed unwilling to fully believe Risha’s words, because accepting them would mean beginning to doubt everything he had believed throughout his life.

Risha: I see you are beginning to understand the situation. We will endure as long as we can. Still, if you truly want to help us, it would be good if the healer came from time to time. Earlier she seemed to ease that young man’s pain greatly.

Alana: We could talk to her. I think it might be the best option for now…

Caín interrupted Alana with a soft but firm voice.

Caín: We just have to find those who are corrupting the church, isn’t that so? If we cleanse it, we can help you.

He looked directly at Risha, but she let out a bitter laugh.

Risha: Ha. You say it as if it were that simple. Admit it, boy: in the end, you are like us. You know our voice is not valued, and certainly not enough for an investigation to be opened on our behalf. The people pulling the strings are above you, and I doubt the church would even allow someone like you to begin searching. Just make sure you do not end up like us.

Caín: The church does not have to know that we want to protect you. The group that accompanies me is, for the most part, made up of people outside the church. Let us help.

Caín said with determination. Risha looked into his eyes. In his gaze she saw sincerity, and a will difficult to break. Finally, she nodded.

Risha: Very well. Try. Let’s see who wins first… you, or time.

With those words, she stood up, ending the conversation, and began walking back toward the community. Alana gave Caín a few pats on the back. She knew he had just taken a great responsibility upon his shoulders, and that small gesture was her way of reminding him he was not alone.

As they drew closer, the murmur of the community grew louder. But they were not screams or chaos… they were laughter, cheerful voices. Risha frowned, quickened her pace, and upon arriving, found a scene she had not expected.

Yadiel had organized a small game in which the adults bet bone pieces as tokens, while Daiki in a corner had created improvised toys with scraps of metal and wood for the younger ones. The initial hostility of that community seemed to disappear, changing into a fleeting but sincere joy. Many, now without their cloaks, showed their deformities and scars openly without fear.

Risha stopped, and a small but gentle smile appeared on her face.

Alana: Thank you for trusting us. We will do everything possible to help you.

Alana said, placing a hand on the rat-woman’s shoulder. Risha did not respond, but her expression was more than enough.

Suddenly, some children ran toward Caín, visibly curious. One of them, holding a wooden doll, asked innocently:

Child 1: Do your ears poke?

Caín, somewhat surprised, looked at Alana, then at the children, and smiled. He crouched down, tilting his head.

Caín: You can touch them if you want.

The excited child did so with a mix of fear and enthusiasm. A second child, more timid, only stared at Caín’s sword with eyes shining in admiration. Caín noticed his attention and, without saying anything, carefully unsheathed the blade and showed it to him, keeping it away from the children but close enough for them to admire it.

Soon more people approached to speak with Caín and Alana. While Yadiel continued with his bets, others kept asking Eleanor to check on them, and some simply observed the outsiders with a mixture of hope and respect. Risha, meanwhile, watched in silence how, for the first time in a long while, that forgotten corner beneath the earth seemed to breathe a bit of hope.

Time passed quickly. Alana even gave them one of her performances, impressing children and adults alike with her music and stories. And before they realized it, it was time to return to the surface. They carried Eleanor, who had been exhausted from using so much magic and had fallen asleep there, so Caín carried her back in his arms.

When they emerged, they realized the sun had already set, so they decided to go straight to the tavern, where they would rest and, the next day, calmly discuss everything that had happened and their new discoveries.