Rel clenched his fists, anger flaring in his chest. The thought of facing one of the men responsible for Faya’s suffering churned in his stomach like fire.

  Rel: “He’s... here? Now?!”

  His teeth ground audibly, fury barely contained.

  Syl: “Easy, kid... Last thing we need is you blowin’ the whole op with a temper tantrum!”

  Syl held up his hands in mock surrender, though his tone was more cautionary than teasing.

  Syl: “Yeah, he’s here. Looks like Cabdan put Dmitri in charge before... well, you know. Guy’s a crazed lunatic, always tinkering with his little experiments, barely cares about anything else. Which means there’s good news and bad news! Good news is, the guards shouldn't be feelin’ much pressure to work—they’re likely slacking off. Bad news? Dmitri’s probably holed up in the lab, so getting your hands on that antidote won’t be easy.”

  Tyssa huffed loudly, frustration and resolve etched into her features.

  Tyssa: “Good. Let’s beat the crap out of him and force him to give it to us -- hell, he can make it right there if he has to.”

  Syl scratched the back of his neck, skepticism plain on his face.

  Syl: “Yeah... You go ahead and try that. Just don’t be surprised when he hands you a bottle of poison labeled ‘miracle cure’...”

  Rel stepped forward, glaring at Syl.

  Rel: “Last guy who tried that trick on Tyssa got a sword through his eye socket and poison shoved down his throat -- that guy was your boss. You really think Dmitri stands a chance?”

  Syl raised his eyebrows in mock consideration, then shrugged.

  Syl: “Point taken, kid. Word of advice, though -- Dmitri's a wholly different beast from Cabdan. But hey, you'll get your chance to find out soon enough... In the meantime, I’ll head for the office and grab the documents. We split up, we get this done faster.”

  Before he could move, Jargen grabbed the back of Syl’s shirt and yanked him back.

  Jargen: “Not a chance in hell. You’re not going anywhere alone.”

  Syl twisted out of Jargen’s grip, his annoyance flaring.

  Syl: “Hands off! Look, it’s a waste of time for all five of us to go after the same thing. Splitting up makes sense. Smaller groups, less attention. You know I’m right.”

  Jargen: “Sure, but you’re not going to the office by yourself... I’m coming with you.”

  Syl’s face paled, his defiance faltering.

  Syl: “Y-you’re better off going to the lab, Jargen. Big guy like you’ll make Dmitri shake in his boots -- probably make things a lot easier there!”

  Jargen smirked, crossing his arms.

  Jargen: “Nah... Heard I’ve gone soft since leaving Cabdan, so I’ll leave that to Punjo. He’ll do just fine.”

  Jargen shot a knowing look at Punjo, who winked back. Syl groaned in defeat.

  Syl: “... Fine. Suit yourselves. But let’s move before anyone else comes down here.”

  Jargen cleared his throat.

  Jargen: “We’ll move. Together. I’ll check upstairs and give the all-clear.”

  Rel, Tyssa, and Punjo stayed behind as Syl reluctantly led Jargen up the stairs. At the top, Syl pressed his ear to the door, listening intently. Nothing. He slowly turned the handle, carefully pushing the door open to reveal a long corridor.

  To the left, rows of closed doors sat under faint lights. To the right, the hallway stretched toward a three-way intersection, where a staircase rose to the upper floor. No guards in sight.

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  Syl (hushed): “So far, so good. Let’s keep it quiet.”

  Jargen gave a thumbs-up to the others below, signaling them to join. One by one, Rel, Tyssa, and Punjo crept up the stairs, moving silently across the corridor’s soft, tapestry-lined floors.

  At the intersection, Syl stopped, turning back to address the group.

  Syl (hushed): “Alright! This is where we part ways. Jargen and I will head upstairs to the office. You lot, follow the corridor, take the left at the end, and then go through the second door on your right. That’ll lead to a smaller hallway, and at the end of that is the lab. But remember -- our friend from earlier could still be lurking around... Don’t screw this up.”

  Jargen loomed over Syl, his piercing glare unmistakable.

  Jargen (hushed): “These directions better be good, Syl. If they walk into a trap, you’ll regret it.”

  Syl scowled, offended.

  Syl (hushed): “What do I gain by screwin’ them over? My neck’s on the line too, remember?!”

  Jargen (hushed): “Good. Just making sure.”

  Syl rolled his eyes and started up the stairs, muttering curses under his breath. Jargen lingered for a moment, addressing the rest of the group.

  Jargen (hushed): “When you’re done, head back to the cellar. Doors are unlocked, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting out. Whichever group makes it out first, wait for the other in the garden where we scouted earlier. Understood?”

  Punjo gave a small salute.

  Punjo (hushed): “See ya out there, Jargen.”

  As the groups split, Rel cast a glance after Jargen and Syl, his brow furrowed.

  Rel (hushed): "Jargen’s keeping a pretty tight leash on that Syl guy..."

  Tyssa (hushed): "And he should. I don’t trust Syl for a second. If Cabdan were alive, he’d still be licking his boots, stealing, murdering -- whatever it took to get his coin."

  Rel hesitated, his gaze shifting to the ground. His lips parted like he wanted to speak, but he faltered.

  Rel (hushed): "Do you think Jargen would still... I mean, if he hadn’t gone to your family’s home that night, would he still be working for Cabdan...?"

  He trailed off, unsure if the question was too much.

  Tyssa (hushed): "I’ve wondered that too. It’s fine -- you can say it. I don’t mind."

  Rel let out a shaky breath before continuing.

  Rel (hushed): "That night... It was the last straw for him, wasn’t it? That’s what made him leave?"

  Punjo shook his head, his face tight with discomfort.

  Punjo (hushed): "Time and place, lad. This ain’t it. Ask him yerself once we’re outta here..."

  Still, the question lingered in Punjo’s mind as they crept forward. After a while, he broke the silence.

  Punjo (hushed): "... I’ll say this much. Jargen never robbed the slums. Never hurt anyone from the gutter. He’s done dark things, aye, but it was never to good people. That night... He didn’t wanna be there. Cabdan made him go. Cabdan knew what kind of man Jargen was, knew a job like that wasn’t for him... But he sent him anyway. Take that how you will."

  Rel and Tyssa exchanged somber glances but kept quiet, letting Punjo’s words weigh heavy in their thoughts as they pressed on toward the lab.

  Meanwhile, Jargen and Syl approached the office door. Syl, his usual smug self, broke the silence.

  Syl (hushed): "Just the two of us, huh? Like old times, eh, Jargen?"

  Jargen didn’t reply, his expression cold and unreadable.

  Syl (hushed): "Say, somethin’s always bugged me. You were with Cabdan from the start, right? Back when it was just him, you, and a handful of others. Why’d you leave, huh? Things were finally getting good. You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy those early days... I still remember the look on your face after those jobs. You looked... man, you looked possessed -- literally!"

  Jargen’s jaw tightened, his muscles flexing beneath the surface. Syl smirked, emboldened by the reaction.

  Syl (hushed): "C’mon, don’t tell me you don’t miss those days a little bit."

  Taking a deep breath, Jargen finally spoke, his tone measured.

  Jargen (hushed): "Better off in my current line of work."

  Syl’s eyebrows shot up in mock curiosity.

  Syl (hushed): "Oh yeah? And what’s that?"

  Jargen exhaled through his nose, visibly annoyed.

  Jargen (hushed): "... I’m a handyman. Something leaks, breaks -- whatever -- I fix it."

  Syl couldn’t hold back a laugh, his devious grin widening.

  Syl (hushed): "Hahaha! Oh man, you? A handyman? Fixing broken chairs and leaky pipes? That’s rich! What, still living in that same pigsty of a shack? Slum-dweller through and through, huh? You're not foolin' me, Jargen... Y'know, I heard some rumors! Said you met a gal that turned you into a changed man..."

  Jargen closed the distance between them in a single step, his towering frame casting a shadow over Syl.

  Jargen (hushed): "Enough joking around, Syl."

  Syl raised his hands in mock surrender, though the grin never left his face.

  Syl (hushed): "Ahh, don’t take it so personal! Just a bit of fun, mate. But come on, you owe me at least a little something... For old times’ sake."

  With a low growl, Jargen brushed past Syl, taking the lead.

  Jargen (hushed): "The only thing I owe you is a punch in the gut and a knee in the teeth. Don’t push it."

  Syl (hushed): "Bah! No fun, Jargen. No fun at all..."

  Suddenly, Jargen froze mid-step, his arm shooting out to block Syl from moving forward.

  Jargen (hushed): "Get back."

  Syl stopped in his tracks, his playful expression replaced by unease.

  Syl (hushed): "What is it?"

  Jargen leaned slightly around the corner, peering into the corridor ahead.

  Jargen (hushed): "One guy. Guarding the door to the right."

  Syl’s eyes darted to his concealed dagger. He rubbed his temple nervously before unsheathing the blade.

  Syl (hushed): "Shit luck, huh... That’s the office. Guess we were lucky to get this far without any casualties. Time to get our hands dirty...!"