Welcome to demon school Kai

4

Hey author here... graphic warning... if you struggle with that maybe don't read this chapter. It's an important one but I'll make mentions of this chapter later on with vaguer descriptions so you can skip if you need.

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Looking eyes wide into the darkness of the cave Kai could see little. to not know what she was looking at yet- It almost relieved the intense stress she had... almost.
Between brief moments where moonlight could shine through the heavy nighttime clouds she was able to make out a small lantern, resting on a ledge or a box, just inside the cave.
It was a bit risky to use, not knowing who could be close- but the stranger who she'd followed here was already 20 minutes away so long as they hadn't turned around.
She hadn't come all this way for nothing, so- As a sort of compromise on risk, kai promised herself she'd stay no more then 5 minutes. With the light on, she could be thorough and get this over with fast. if she was to find anything she'd need to be.
She hemmed and hawed as she reached for the lantern. Hesitation giving her second thoughts, and thirds too.
"Come on... Just do it..." she thought as her fingers brushed over the round rim of the lanterns switch.

It took another moment but I managed to steel my willpower and with a soft click, the light flicked on.
I noted the wall in front of me was not painted red- in the blood of whoever had been shot, and I was massively thankful for that- though it was strangely clean for a cave, And smooth? all of the cave looked as if it was sanded flat, or maybe artificially made?
Just a little ways inside there was a slight curve to the cave, obscuring the rear section from nosy visitors like myself.
I still dreaded the thought of pressing on so I remained at the entrance and scanned the area. I almost missed it, even with the light, but there were a few grooves in the ground near the wall that made for a handle. Lifting up the slab it seemed to be the lid for a storage area.  carved out to fit 4 separate containers.
I'd lost some time to my nerves already so I decided to start with what seemed safe and open this first before going on.
lo and behold, here I found the first horror I had dreaded.

Light gleamed on the glass rims of preserved blood, bottled and sealed away in the first 2 containers.
I could easily guess it was human, even though the writing on the labels were foreign to me. The 3rd of the container though, was full of supplies like food and water. The food, I pocketed immediately. I knew it would prove there had been an intruder here if I took anything... but if I was here for valuables and information I was a fool to think I could pass them up. why leave the essentials? I certainly needed them right now.
I opened the remaining container to find there was clothing. Sitting on the bottom of the pile a few of the cloaks.
I hesitated to take these, because if I wore one and the cloaked group were a small enough circle to recognize each other, they might spot me as an imposter right away.
I knew this but I sighed and took just one. I could use it in an emergency, or as a blanket- and Who knew if it was important to the portal crossing business, since everyone else who'd crossed was wearing one.
as i lifted it out of its cubby in the ground I heard a slight clinking sound- a small jar of the red jewels sat at the bottom of the pile.
I almost didn't believe it-
these had been exactly what I'd come here hoping to find.
If all my lurking and watching had been truly informative then I'd just found my ticket to cross the portal.
For only a days work after a chance encounter? Was I really this lucky?
Of course knowing what the gems owner was capable of... they certainly seemed arrogant.
I counted a number of gems, 14 exactly. And 12 after I opened the jar and took 2 of them.
In for a penny, in for a pound. I was already taking food. This was going to be my life insurance. A chance to go elsewhere when shit went south. But just in case whatever was on the other side of the portal was better left behind I was taking the second stone for a way out. They would absolutely be worth a fortune to the owner I was sure, so taking all of them was a good way to get myself murdered sooner than later.
Maybe they wouldn't notice just 2? That was wishful thinking though.

As I stuffed both gems into a hidden pocket I'd  made in the tongue of my shoe a long time ago I re-laced it to make sure they'd stay in place. The gems were barely the size of marbles so even if it was a little uncomfortable they couldn't really be seen like this. Such was the price of small security with so many muggers around.
As I finally put the cloak in my bag it'd been about 4 minutes.
This whole day was far out of character for me. I'd never spent so much time eavesdropping and I... didn't like to steal.
I had been stolen from before and it was something that left me with a lasting distrust for everyone I met.
To inflict that feeling on others wasn't something I took lightly. even though I knew I was stealing from a murderous crook right now I disliked how opportunistic I was being.
I could turn around and be done with this right now if I wanted and really I probably should have, but I had come here looking for information too- And it had pushed me to overstay my invitation.

As i chose to continue my scavenging into the back of the cave I finally came close enough to see the back wall. As i craned my head to get my first glimpse around every hair stood on end.
If I thought the blood was bad this was insane.
I could only cover my mouth with one hand before the sight paralyzed me. "I was right"  was all I could think. I shouldn't have come here after all.
There- on that obscured back wall, were 2 middle aged men hung by the heels with a rope from a protruding metal rung poking through the rock of the wall. Beneath them a large basin still slowly filling with their dripping blood. Like slaughterhouse pigs there was a deep slices on both men at the wrist so the blood would drain out of them.
The clothes they wore had tears and rips, broken shards of bone pierced through at the ribs of one who looked shattered, blood pooled down from here too... as torn as the flesh was on both though... Neither had been shot?
What had killed them both? It looked like crushing... but whatever it was Kai couldn't stand to look at them a second longer. Already she had gotten so weak in the knees as to struggle getting up from where she'd fallen. She hadn't even realized she dropped till just now.

I'd never been this close to the deceased before. Even if I had seen death in my days, This was probably the most terrified i had ever been in my life.
I wasn't going to stay here a second longer. I left hurriedly, making sure to turn out the lantern before going. I had my regrets, but I also had what I needed on top of this dangerous information so I would just have to hope and pray no one was counting these gems...