Jargen backed away from the monster, moving toward his comrades.

  Punjo, barely clinging to consciousness, looked at him -- truly looked at him --

  as a shiver ran down his spine.

  Rel: "What do you mean, Jargen...?"

  Jargen turned, bloody grin wide, bloodshot eyes meeting Rel’s.

  Jargen: "You’ve got a plan, don’t you? You always do. You kids are great, you know that...?"

  Rel: "... Jargen."

  Jargen: "Despite all the crap life’s thrown at you... You’re still here. Fighting. Protecting what you care about. True to your friends, your family... Yourselves. Don’t ever stray from that, you understand?!"

  Rel’s hands curled into fists.

  Rel: "Shut the fuck up, Jargen! Why are you talking like that?! This isn’t over yet!"

  Jargen turned back toward the monster, still approaching, still learning, still adapting.

  His grin widened.

  Jargen: "Yeah... You’re right."

  His skin ignited -- heat pulsed through his body again.

  The very air around him warped.

  Jargen: "LET’S HEAR IT, THEN! WHAT’S THE PLAN?!"

  In the meantime, Tyssa sprinted down the corridor.

  The lab was behind her, but in front --

  She froze.

  Tyssa: "... Oh no."

  The closet was open...

  The guard was gone.

  Tyssa: "Fuck...! Just what we needed..."

  She had no time.

  Her eyes snapped to the floor --

  Footsteps.

  Heavy.

  Uneven.

  Fresh.

  They led away from the closet, down the hall -- toward the entrance to the cellar.

  And then --

  Voices.

  Guards.

  Voices (distant): "LEAVE THE GODDAMN ALE AND MOVE IT, YOU LAZY FUCKS!"

  Tyssa stiffened.

  Too far to turn back. Too close to sneak away.

  Voices (closer): "And they choose the laboratory... Of course they choose the laboratory. WHY COULDN’T THEY BREAK INTO THE PANTRY INSTEAD?!"

  She made a choice -- bolting down the corridor, she heads for the cellar's entrance regardless, the guards’ voices chasing her down the stairwell.

  Voices: "Do we even need to do anything? It’s Dmitri we’re talking about! You’ve seen that... *thing* he has in there. Whoever those idiots were, they’re food for his pet by now."

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  Tyssa ducked behind two foudres, heart pounding.

  Closer.

  And closer.

  Voices: "Doesn’t matter! We show up, play our role, then we go back. All we need is for Dmitri to see we’re doing our jobs... You know how this goes."

  The footsteps passed.

  Tyssa exhaled.

  Then --

  She moved.

  Unsheathed her dagger.

  Took a deep breath.

  Then --

  A stab...

  ... Wine poured from the foudres, spilling across the floor.

  Tyssa worked fast, stabbing each one, flooding the cellar inch by inch.

  Too loud?

  Maybe.

  But no time for caution.

  She steeled herself and moved to the back room --

  The stench of death hit her...

  One more corpse remained.

  Her stomach churned, but she forced herself to grab its arms.

  She dragged.

  The wine soaked her boots.

  The cellar filled with the sickly-sweet scent of alcohol and rot.

  Tyssa (panting): "Almost there..."

  She laid the corpse in the center of the flooded floor.

  Tyssa: "Now -- to find an open fla --"

  Footsteps.

  Fast!

  Close...

  Splashing.

  She turned --

  Too late...!

  A guard tackled her to the ground.

  Guard: "Well, well! What have we here?! Trying to start a fire, are we?! Thought I heard something down here…!"

  Tyssa thrashed beneath him, twisting, struggling, but his grip was solid -- brutal.

  Wine dripped down her face. Her dagger slipped.

  Tyssa: "LET GO OF ME!"

  She bucked against his grip.

  Tyssa: "We're all going to die if we don’t kill Dmitri’s pet!"

  The guard's brow furrowed.

  Guard: "Pet?!"

  His grip tightened on her arms.

  Guard: "How would you know about that...? Did you overhear our conversation, girl?!"

  He shook his head.

  Guard: "Nice bluff --"

  Tyssa: "IT’S NOT A BLUFF!"

  She jerked against him.

  Tyssa: "The thing with black tentacles and an appetite for those corpses... You think I’m making this up?!"

  The guard hesitated.

  Tyssa: "I SAW IT!"

  His jaw clenched.

  Guard: "You saw all that... and lived?"

  Tyssa glared.

  Tyssa: "Because I ran before it could get me!"

  She leaned in, eyes burning.

  Tyssa: "And guess what? It’s awake. It’s coming... Right down that corridor, heading this way!"

  The guard swallowed hard.

  Tyssa: "Do you know what it will do to anyone in its path?"

  His grip loosened.

  Guard: "... Hell."

  He looked toward the darkened staircase, fear flickering across his face.

  But he didn’t let go.

  Guard: "Even so... What the hell does any of that have to do with burning down the cellar?!"

  Tyssa didn’t break eye contact.

  Tyssa: "It has one weakness... Heat."

  The guard’s eyes widened.

  Guard: "Madness! You plan to lure it down here... and burn it alive."

  Tyssa: "That was the plan -- until you showed up."

  For a long moment, he said nothing.

  Then --

  Guard: "What about Dmitri?"

  Tyssa hesitated.

  Tyssa: "... He’s lying on the floor. Motionless. I don’t know if he’s alive."

  The guard stilled.

  Then --

  He let go.

  Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

  He laughed. Quiet at first -- then louder, darker.

  Guard: "Heh... Heheh. So. Mad doctor went too far this time, huh?"

  He shook his head, spitting to the side.

  Guard: "Serves that fucker right."

  Then -- he turned his back on her.

  Started walking.

  Tyssa: "Wait -- where are you --"

  Guard: "Listen to me, kid."

  He didn’t look back.

  Guard: "You wanna stay here? Try to play hero? Try to kill something that might not even be killable...?"

  He shrugged.

  Guard: "Your fucking funeral."

  Tyssa stared, heart pounding.

  Guard: "But me?"

  He paused at the cellar's yard exit.

  Guard: "I’m not paid enough for this shit. I’m getting the hell out."

  The wind howled through the door as he opened it.

  Guard: "If you value your life, you'd do the same."

  Tyssa didn’t answer.

  The man laughed again.

  Guard: "Then again..."

  He turned, tossed something her way.

  Guard: "I admire your guts."

  She caught it.

  A small matchbox...

  An insignia was engraved on the side.

  Familiar...

  She knew she'd seen it somewhere before.

  But before she could place it --

  Guard: "... And your death wish."

  His smile was grim.

  Guard: "If ya make it out alive, return that matchbox someday, would ya...?"

  Then -- he was gone.

  Leaving Tyssa alone in the dark, gripping the matchbox, waiting for the monster to come.