The group returns to the West Wing of the 6th floor and peeks down the elevator shaft.
Lily: "Bingo!!" She attempts prying the grated door open. "Alcatraz! Gimme a hand real quick."
With his help, they manage to push the doors apart.
Staring down creates an impossible distance between them and their objective.
Kohen: "Okay, this is good and all, but how do we actually get down?"
Orton: "Here." He throws him the end of a rope he's tying to some heavy furniture with Myra's help.
Myrellie: "I'll go first." She claims, before noticing Kohen had already began his descent. "Hey!! What did I just say?"
Kohen: "This isn't the time for that mom. Just hurry when I reach the bottom."
Myrellie sighs.
One after the other, they make it to the 7th floor.
For some reason, the flashlights barely illuminate these exceptionally musky rooms, it's so dark that they didn't notice how much dust and mold is covering the walls. It's almost as if something is eating the energy produced by the Aether. It reeks of rotten, soggy wood, which makes Kohen of all people pull a face. He'd much rather smell a tree being reduced to ashes.
Orton is especially observant. He's noticed some writing on the walls that, at first glance appears to be nonsensical. Sentences broken up by the syllable, spread and drawn across the walls, floor and ceiling of all the rooms.
Few minutes later, they reach the final of this floor at the end of the hallway, where the glass wall would be in all the other floors.
There stands a door, with a dim-lit keypad next to it. Although, some of its numbers have been replaced with letters.
Kohen: "Great. What now?"
Myrellie: "If I'm correct about this, The Order comes up with special codes that are all unique to each of their facilities. They need their people to know it without fail, even if they forget."
Myra: "I don't assume it's something they'd write down?"
Myrellie: "I'm afraid that's right. Symbols, numbers, letters, we have no way of saying what the code is. Especially when several of the buttons have been replaced."
Kohen: "So we're just gonna leave empty handed? After coming this far?"
Orton walks up to the keypad.
"I've seen these before..."
Lily: "Huh?? We're in an underground facility Orton, where could you have possibly seen these? And when?"
Orton: "Scribbled across the walls of this place."
These are Roman numerals.."
Myrellie reacts.
"How do you know about that Orton?" She excitedly approaches.
Orton: "It's really no big deal Myrellie, I learned about them with Myra."
Myrellie: "You're really doing a good job of teaching these boys Myra!" She approaches with a smile on her face, taking hold of both her hands. "I'm proud of you."
Myra's eyes part farther than they're used to, followed by a blush and a quiet smile.
"Thank you... I really try.."
Lily smiles, but shortly after drops it, approaching Orton instead.
Lily: "Okay. I get they're Roman Numerals. But how are we supposed to find out the code?
Orton: "That's new. Aren't you usually the one figuring these things out?
Lily: "Nevermind."
Orton: "I'm just joking. Normally, it would be quite difficult to find a code like this. But I got it already."
Kohen: "Woah woah, say what? Since when?"
Orton: "When we were exploring the floor! Man, you guys are slow. Even Starblessed Snails could keep up."
Lily: "No shit, dipshit! They have fucking space dust in them and we don't!!"
Kohen: "And they glow! How are we supposed to beat that?"
Lily: "We're not." She snaps.
Kohen: "Sometimes I wish I had their powers. I could light this whole place up in a jiffy."
Lily: "The only thing you'll light up is yourself. Fire." She mimics an explosion with her hands.
Ignoring the duo's constant bickering, Orton examines the keypad.
1 I V
2 9 X
M D 7
But which ones to press first?
In his sketchbook, he organized all the scribbles on the dusty walls.
It reads as follows:
1 - If I travel half a kilometer
2 - On my imperfectly severed heart
3 - I must intertwine the fingers on both my hands
4 - And prepare to meet my only end
Myrellie and Myra approach and stare into those same pages, from over his shoulders.
Myra: "Can you make sense of any of those?"
Orton: "Hm..." He scratches his chin. "I know how much each Roman Numeral represents. Although, I'm not really sure what to look for in these sentences."
Myra: "Could it be the number of letters in each word?"
Orton: "Maybe. But wouldn't that be way too easy to figure out?
Think about it.
This is a massive corporation we're talking about. They surely came up with a better code than that."
Myra: "They could be using reverse psychology."
Orton: "I doubt it... Hold on. Let me read these again."
Unfruitful.
Until...
Myrellie: "Wait a minute. Half a kilometer? That's oddly specific." She takes a hold of Orton's sketchbook and stares at the keypad. "Since having to input the amount of letters in each word would be nonsensical, maybe the solution to each sentence is the message itself."
Orton reads them another time.
"If I travel half a kilometer... that's 500 meters..
The Roman Numeral equivalent to that is D.
Should I try that?"
Myrellie: "I don't see why not." She shrugs.
Press.
1 I V
2 9 X
M D 7
Myra: "If I travel half a kilometer... On my imperfectly severed heart..
What could that one be??"
Orton: "Imperfectly severed... Again, oddly specific words."
Myrellie: "It doesn't say how many times it was severed, does it?"
Orton: "No..."
Myrellie: "I have a feeling it's seven."
Myra: "Why seven?"
Orton: "The word severed comes after 'imperfectly', which could be a hint towards the fact seven is an odd number."
Myrellie: "Precisely."
Myra: "Uh huuhh..." She smirks.
Orton: "Pff.. Don't look at me like that. Let's just try it."
Press.
1 I V
2 9 X
M D 7
Orton: "I must intertwine the fingers on both my hands..."
Myra: "Couldn't that be taken as two? Since it's both of the hands?"
Myrellie: "I don't think it's that simple. I'd assume it's the number 10, since it specifies that it's the fingers on both hands."
Orton: "Should I go for 10 then? Which would be X."
Press.
1 I V
2 9 X
M D 7
Orton: "And last but not least... 'And finally prepare to meet my only end."
Myra: "To me, that's obviously one."
Myrellie: "Yeah.. I don't see any other option besides that."
Press.
1 I V
2 9 X
M D 7
Several seconds of silence pass.
Kohen and Lily finally stop their bickering and approach their friends.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beeeeeeep.
Unlocked.
Orton: "YES!!!
Myra: "THERE'S NO WAY WE GOT THAT RIGHT FIRST TRY!!"
Orton: "OH YES THERE IS BABY!! WOOHOO!!"
Myra throws herself at him in celebration. A subconscious kiss of excitement caught Orton by surprise, so did the silence of their blushing afterwards.
Myra: "Sorry..." She pulls away, fixing her hair and clearing her throat.
Lily: "They're official..." She whispers to Kohen.
Kohen: "Abso-fucking-lutely."
....
There is another long hallway beyond the door. There is a singular room sitting at the back of it, where a soft, blue artificial light emanates from.
The silence turns their heartbeats into human drums, their footsteps turn heavy as if they're carrying dozens of kilos over gravel roads.
Orton takes the first step into the room.
To his left, an old computer brightly shines a blue screen at him. An array of numbers, letters and system files displayed. Behind that, a white lamp lighting the floor, which is covered in paperwork and sand.
As the remaining members of the team examine the room, Orton notices a golden pendulum as he's approaching the table, neatly placed between the keyboard and mouse. When he reaches for it, a hooded figure drops from the ceiling and stabs a massive knife straight into his shoulder.
Orton: "GAAAA-" She covers his mouth.
Myrellie immediately takes a long swing at this figure, who simply jumps back, pulls the knife from Orton's wound and gets him in a chokehold, threatening to stab him through the temple.
Kohen: "ORTON!"
Orton: "CALM DOWN!" The tip of the knife threatens to pierce the side of Orton's skull. "Don't panic Kohen!"
Kohen: "BUT-" She covers his mouth.
???: "Who the fuck are you."
Her voice is harsh. Raspy. Nothing about it sounds normal. Furthermore, there is another, lighter voice overlapping it. Doesn't sound like she's talking from her mouth.
Myrellie: "What's it to you?"
She stares further into Myrellie's eyes.
???: "Answer."
Myrellie: ".....
We were sent here to investigate the disappearance of a team."
???: "The Crimson Lotus weaklings... I presume?"
Myrellie: "Are you the one responsible for their deaths!?"
Kohen: "Listen... We really mean no har-"
???: "SILENCE!" She growls whilst pulling Orton's head to the side, revealing only the bright acid dripping from her obscured fangs, as her lower jaw opens up. The clicking from her throat increases in speed.
???: "You got everything you came for. Get the fuck out of here."
Myra: "Nah!" She steps forth. "We're not gonna back out until we find out what is going on in this place."
Myrellie: "MYRA!!"
Myra: "If there's anything you know about this facility then tell us." She seriously demands.
The grip on Orton's neck begins cutting off his breathing.
His temple slightly bleeds.
Myra: "You know about Zamaton, don't you?" She provokes.
Myrellie: "MYRA!! SHUT UP!"
The woman flinches, slightly alleviating the grip on the boy. He uses this opportunity to strike her across the face. He throws his hands behind him and snatches her by the head, flinging her in front of him. Despite succeeding, she quickly recovers and nearly stabs him in the middle of the forehead, if not for his quick movements.
Myrellie and Kohen fly towards her, and in a flashy plethra of attacks, long and brutal sweeps from the boy, mixed with short and quick slashes from his mother, they surely believed they'd do some damage.
But the woman remains uninjured.
Kohen attempts slamming his scythe through her, unfortunately missing.
Now lodged into the ground, the weapon is turned into a stepping stool for the mysterious woman, who undoubtedly displays her superior mobility in comparison to him.
He stares into her soulless eyes.
Kohen: "You killed all of those people!! AND FOR WHAT!?"
???: "As if I'd fucking tell you."
He unhands the scythe, aiming his fist towards her jaw.
She taps him out of balance and spears her military knife through his thigh. After staggering him, and upon performing a powerful leg sweep that lifts him from the floor, she raises her leg, and relentlessly stabs the heel into his stomach, powerfully cracking the floor below him with the impact.
Myrellie: "STOP IT!" She lunges forward.
Lily and Myra jump ahead of her to attack the assailant. She parries them simultaneously, catching a glimpse of their expressions.
Lily: "Who the fuck do you think you are, bitch!?"
Myra: "Did a cat get your tongue? Or was it the infection?" She smirks.
This comment struck a nerve.
Without another word, she spars the pair, who's skill utilizing their weapons is visibly under-developed. Lily receives a punch to the gut, which knocks her out where she stands.
Myra frowns, and frantically attacks, missing every strike with her swords.
As she stumbles, the woman takes full advantage of it, by grabbing Myra's wrists from behind her, and powerfully pulling both of them, foot on her back.
???: "Good luck going to Zamaton now."
CRACK
Myra's blood curling scream echoes throughout the facility, before she gets flung towards Orton like a piece of rotten garbage.
???: "You're all WEAK!"
Myrellie: "LISTEN!" The woman sharply turns her gaze. Myrellie couldn't even catch the moment when her neck was grabbed. "We can't possibly understand your rage at this moment. We're not here to f-fight--" The woman closes her grip. "W...We-.. want to--- help---"
???: "Help? Why didn't you do that sooner? Nobody came when we needed them to. Why should I believe you?"
Kohen: "How the fuck were we... hfff... supposed to know..." He pants. "We had no way of going up there without hitting the Contamination Zone... We didn't even know about it.. before this damn mission..." She stares at him. "We weren't ready!! We're only scratching the fucking surface about all of this!!" He slams his fist on the floor. Angrily gazing at her through his frown.
"The fuck makes you think we have any fault in what happened to you!?"
She flinches.
Kohen: "We're trying to figure out things just as much as everyone else! We had no idea there was a freaking Colony up there!
I know we're late... but at least let us try to do something now. We're gonna help the people who've survived... The same way you have..."
....
The woman approaches him, and ducks.
???: "What makes you think I wanted to be saved?" She pulls her hood, revealing her atrocious, unhinged jaw, where thick drops of acid run down the fleshy bits hanging from it. "This is what I am. Nobody wants me alive. Nothing wants me alive. I don't want me alive.
All I wanted was to save my loved ones.
Not like it matters anyway."
Upon discarding Myrellie, she retrieves the amulet that served as the instigator for this fight, holding it tightly within her palm.
???: "Wish I was the only one turned into a monster...
But...
We don't always get what we want, do we?"
With a monstrous stomp, she launches herself down the hallway and slams her feet against the wall, where the rope the group used to descend is.
Using brute strength, she punches holes in the concrete walls to lift her way to the upper floors.