Outside, the world faded away, swallowed by the weight of stone and the heavy silence that hung in the air.

Suddenly, torches and portable floodlights mounted on the soldiers' armor flickered to life, their beams slicing through the vast stone passage ahead,an ominous throat stretching into darkness like a titan ready to swallow them whole.

The walls loomed large, expertly carved long before modern steel ever touched stone.

They towered high and smooth but were veined with cracks run deep in the walls.

Beneath their feet lay an expanse of weathered stone slabs.

Some bore faint tool marks; others were splintered by time, but most remained solid underfoot.

Each boot echoed with every step, creating a rhythm that rolled through the passage like distant drums.

Above them, the ceiling arched into shadow so high it seemed to vanish into nothingness.

Cold drafts stirred there, sighing as if even this tomb exhaled its breath.

Occasionally, shafts of faint blue light streamed down from cracks above, moonlight or perhaps some forgotten mineral glow?

No one could tell but they streaked through the air in ghostly columns that felt more like watchtowers than mere illumination.

Three groups advanced together yet remained distinctly separate.

Arthur's Aegis-7 soldiers marched in formation along the left side.

Their armored frames glimmered faintly in the artificial light; helmets sealed tight and rifles held steady but not relaxed.

Arthur led at the front, his visor reflecting dim glows while his expression remained unreadable and implacable.

Beside him moved Gunner like a vigilant shadow,tall and broad with his heavy weapon resting against his chest.

Across from them walked Caelum Evewood and his men with equal discipline.

His entourage was larger; their steps perfectly synchronized and uniforms pristine even in this oppressive dark.

Caelum strode proudly at center stage, pale hair catching what little light there was, carrying himself like nobility on parade,even though his eyes betrayed tension,sharp and quick as they scanned Arthur, Ravik, and the shadowy corridor beyond.

And right between these two forces stood Ravik Thorne with his Crimson Jackals.

They moved with a swagger all their own, looser in formation and bursting with individuality in their gear.

Some donned scavenged armor while others wore patched coats; yet every one of them carried weapons at the ready,a pack of wolves amidst lions who grinned recklessly even here.

At their head walked Ravik, crimson scarf fluttering lightly as if it too breathed this suffocating air,a smile never leaving his lips as he strolled confidently through what felt like an ancient tomb waiting for its rightful owner.

The three forces moved side by side, yet invisible borders separated them like a fragile glass barrier,taut enough to shatter with just one wrong glance.

The air crackled with tension, thick enough to cut.

Weapons remained raised, fingers twitching on triggers as rival eyes lingered just a moment too long.

---

"Boss…" Gunner's low voice sliced through the silence.

Arthur didn't turn; his gaze was locked forward, visor reflecting the endless darkness ahead.

"Are you sure this is the right call?" Gunner's tone was cautious, heavy with unspoken doubts.

It was the kind of voice that rarely asked questions but carried the weight of truth when it did.

"Ravik and Caelum? Neither of them is worth trusting. You know that as well as I do."

Without faltering in his stride, Arthur replied coldly but firmly enough to close the discussion. "I don't trust them."

Silence stretched between them until Gunner glanced sideways, waiting for more.

"I don't trust anyone here," Arthur continued, finally shifting his head toward Ravik's figure in the middle.

"This isn't an alliance; it's merely a pause,a temporary necessity."

He caught sight of Ravik's grin at the corner of his vision.

"Ravik contributes little," Arthur said bluntly. "But he remains a real threat. Better to move forward with him than watch this entire expedition burn before our eyes."

Gunner grunted, dissatisfaction etched on his face but resignation in his grip on his weapon.

"Temporary then…until we can cut them loose."

Arthur didn't respond,he didn't need to.

---

Further down their path, Ravik strolled as if he had no care in the world, eyes sparkling as he traced grooves and faint etchings on the walls with interest.

His right-hand man Jarek,a scarred veteran with a shaved head and piercing cold eyes, leaned closer.

"You trust them?" Jarek asked bluntly, gravelly tones cutting through their surroundings.

Ravik chuckled softly under his breath, scarf shifting slightly as he tilted his head. "Trust? My friend, I don't even trust you half the time."

Jarek narrowed his eyes but remained silent as Ravik continued.

"They'll play nice until they think they don't need me anymore,just like I'll play nice until I no longer need them."

His grin widened mischievously. "The difference is I know when this game ends; they don't."

"You really think this tomb belongs to them?"

"Oh, no." Ravik's eyes sparkled with mischief as he peered into the yawning darkness ahead.

"This place doesn't belong to that cold dude. It doesn't belong to Caelum. And it certainly doesn't belong to me."

"Then who does it belong to?"

Ravik's smile sharpened, a sly glint in his gaze. "To whoever manages to leave it alive."

---

Across the way, Caelum Evewood strode forward, his polished boots ringing sharply against the stone floor. His second-in-command,

Darius,a stern officer with an air of unease, leaned closer.

"My lord," Darius murmured, concern threading through his voice.

"This is reckless. Ravik Thorne is a viper, and the other one… he's a blade. Walking alongside both invites betrayal."

Caelum's jaw tightened, but his gaze remained fixed ahead.

"You think I'm unaware?" he whispered back fiercely.

"I've studied that man long enough. He's cold, efficient, and pragmatic,he'll use us until we're no longer useful. And Ravik…"

His lip curled slightly in disdain. "Ravik would sell his own mother's corpse if there was gold involved."

"Then why tolerate them at all?"

"Because the tomb demands it." Caelum's voice was low yet sharp as a knife.

"This is Emperor Vaerion VII resting place,and I will do whatever it takes to take everything for myself, my inheritance depends on this. But if we fight here, chaos will reign; scavengers will flood in, armies will seize control… everything will slip through my fingers like sand."

He paused for effect before adding with steely resolve, "So..we endure,for now."

He cast a fleeting glance toward Arthur, eyes narrowing with quiet hatred.

"But once we uncover Vaerion's secrets and claim this tomb as mine… then they'll be nothing but ashes on the stone."

Darius bowed his head slightly in submission. "As you command, my lord."

---

Time dragged on.

Minute by minute... step by step...

Their flickering lights carved thin tunnels through the oppressive dark, revealing only more stone and ancient carvings wrapped in silence,no traps or guardians lurking in wait; just the endless march of boots echoing against cold slabs.

With each passing moment, the atmosphere grew heavier.

Men shifted uneasily in their armor; fingers twitched nervously against triggers while eyes darted toward every crack and shadow, waiting for an attack that never came.

The silence wasn't peaceful,it felt suffocating! It pressed against their skulls and chests like an invisible weight; even their heartbeats seemed stifled under the silence.

A cold wind slipped through unseen vents or cracks high above them.

Half an hour passed this way.

Half an hour filled with suspicion.

Half an hour passed in a charged silence, filled only with exchanged glances and hushed whispers among the leaders and their closest allies.

Weapons remained poised, tension hung heavy in the air,an unshakeable weight that refused to lift.

But as time dragged on, suspicion morphed into something deeper.

Anxiety and impatience.

The human mind is cruel when left too long in silence. It invents enemies in every shadow, plots in every pause.

Finally, when the narrow corridor came to an end,a long, dark throat giving way to a broader chamber,all three groups came to a sudden halt.

Before them lay a massive fork carved into the stone floor, leading to three passageways stretching out like gaping maws.

Each path was wide enough to swallow entire armies but swallowed light instead, leaving only darkness beyond their edges.

Arthur was the first to break the stillness, his visor tilting as he scrutinized each road ahead.

Ravik stepped closer, a faint yet sharp grin playing on his lips, while Caelum raised a hand to steady his anxious men.

Confusion rippled through all three factions simultaneously.

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