"We're close, but it's still not enough."
The words of the scientist echoed within the vast space.
His words were filled with tinges of annoyance, but the man remained calm.
Tess, Andrew, and Dexter had taken cover behind a stack of crates near the cavern's edge. Tess signaled for them to remain silent as they observed the scene. Dexter's invisibility flickered briefly, and he adjusted his position, inadvertently knocking over a small metal tool that clattered to the ground.
The sound echoed through the cavern like a gunshot.
"Who's there?" the scientist barked, spinning around. The guards flanking the lab drew their weapons and began scanning the area, their eyes narrowing as they searched for intruders.
Tess motioned urgently for her team to retreat.
Andrew's shadows engulfed them, and Dexter activated his invisibility again, though it sputtered weakly as the strain of prolonged use took its toll.
Rey, still concealed above, tensed as he watched the guards fan out.
One of them approached the stack of crates where Tess and her team had been hiding moments ago. He held his breath, ready to intervene if necessary. But Tess and her team moved with practiced skill, slipping away undetected and making their way back toward the exit.
The scientist frowned, his gaze lingering on the crates.
After a moment, he turned back to his work, muttering to himself.
"Probably just a rat. Back to it."
Rey exhaled quietly, relief washing over him as he followed Tess and her team from a safe distance.
The team reached the exit without further incident, emerging into the cool night air.
Tess let out a sigh of relief, her expression grim as she turned to her comrades.
"That was close," she said, her voice low. "Too close. We need to report this to HQ immediately."
Andrew nodded, his shadows dissipating as he relaxed his stance. Dexter collapsed to the ground, visibly drained.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I nearly got us caught."
Tess placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You didn't. That's what matters. Let's regroup and debrief."
The team that kept watch gathered together with Tess' group, happy to see their comrades made it out safely, though surprise was written on their faces due to the fact that they didn't expect it to be so soon.
Rey watched from a distance, still concealed.
His mind raced with everything he had seen—the breeding, the experiments, the unstable transformations.
'So it really is true… humans are working for the Dragon Emperor, he thought, his fists clenching.
'Why?'
Tess had already given him some of the reasons—one of them being religious fanaticism and selfish obsession with higher authority.
Still, he wasn't inclined to understand the logic behind them.
'Maybe it's because I've seen just what that thing is capable of… I can say for sure.' Rey's eyes narrowed as the image of the Dragon Emperor flickered in his mind.
'That entity is pure evil.'
As Tess and her team prepared to return to the base, Rey remained in the shadows, his resolve hardening.
'I'll need to get to the bottom of this…' He told himself silently. 'One way or another.'
************
The return to the base was marked by a heavy silence, each member of the team absorbed in their thoughts. Tess called for an immediate meeting upon their arrival, summoning everyone to the common area.
Rey emerged from his room, stretching casually, as though he had spent the entire evening in quiet isolation.
If anyone suspected otherwise, they didn't show it.
Tess stood at the center of the group, her arms crossed as she began relaying the details of their findings. The dim lighting of the common area cast deep shadows across her face, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
"They're breeding monsters," she began, her voice firm. "And I think they're trying to evolve them too… using some kind of chemical solution to force rapid growth. The process is unstable, but if they succeed in perfecting it..."
She didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone understood the implications.
"What do we do now?" Rey asked, stepping forward.
His expression was calm, but his eyes betrayed the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.
"We can't just sit here. If we destroy the facility, we could stop this madness before it escalates. We could interrogate the researcher, find out who's behind this operation, and put an end to it for good."
The room fell silent as everyone turned to Tess. She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"That's not how it works, Rey," she said, her tone patient but firm. "Our job is to observe and report. HQ will decide the next steps. We've already sent an encrypted message detailing our findings. They'll determine a rendezvous point where we can debrief."
Rey frowned but said nothing, the disappointment evident on his face.
Tess seemed to notice but pressed on. "I understand your frustration, Rey, but we have to follow protocol. Acting on our own could jeopardize the mission—and all of us."
"I get it," Rey replied, his voice measured. He forced a small smile and nodded. "You're right. We should wait for HQ's orders."
The meeting concluded shortly after, with everyone dispersing to their respective quarters.
Tess lingered for a moment, her gaze fixed on Rey as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately she left without a word.
***********
Rey lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark and quiet, but his mind refused to follow suit. Images of the underground facility flashed through his thoughts—the cages filled with writhing beasts, the scientist injecting his grotesque creations, the lifeless carcasses of failed experiments.
'We're just going to let this continue?' he thought, clenching his fists. 'What if HQ decides not to act in time?'
Rey knew full well the limits of a bureaucratic system and how often it failed when it truly counted.
He sat up abruptly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Sleep was a distant possibility. His instincts screamed at him to do something, to act before it was too late.
Sliding out of bed, Rey moved to the window, staring out at the moonlit landscape. He could see the faint outlines of the wilderness beyond the base, dark and foreboding.
"I can't let this go," he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "If no one else will act, I will."
Rey began to gather his gear, his movements deliberate and quiet.
He slipped on his boots, secured his weapons, and double-checked his spells. He wouldn't need much—just enough to get back to the facility and carry out his plan.
As he strapped on his belt, he paused for a moment, his reflection catching his eye in the small, cracked mirror by his bed. The man staring back at him was no longer the average, timid person he was when he first returned to Earth.
'Looks like my muscles have gotten a lot more pronounced… that's good.'
He had changed drastically in the past few days.
And he wasn't going to let anyone—not Tess, not HQ, and certainly not his brother—dictate his actions anymore.
'They've done their part… now it's my turn.'
With one last glance at the sleeping base, Rey activated his concealment spell and slipped into the night, the cold air biting at his skin.