Finally, Beatrix had found someone who could form a sentence , someone who was aware of what was happening around them. For the first time since sheâd entered this place, she saw a glimmer of awareness behind a pair of tired, frightened eyes.
Before speaking, she moved back to the small glass panel and peered through the slit. The guards outside were still as lazy as before, barely paying attention to their rounds. That gave her a little more time.
"Judging by the fact that you keep checking the hallway," the man rasped, his voice weak but steady, "I doubt youâre with them. But you should get out of here, pretty lady. I donât know if youâre a reporter or something else, but if they catch you... youâre never leaving this place."
Beatrix stepped closer, her tone calm but firm. "Iâm not a reporter," she said. "Iâve seen others like you before. Tell me, are you in the early stages of becoming addicted?"
The man gave a faint, humorless laugh. His body trembled slightly as he tried to sit up. Seeing the pain etched across his face made Beatrixâs chest tighten. In moments like this, she truly wished she had even a fragment of Safaâs light magic , something that could ease the suffering in front of her. She knew that if she could just get him out, Raze and Safa would be able to heal him completely.
"Why are you in this mental institution?" she asked softly. "What are they doing to you?"
"Hah..." The man gave a dry, broken laugh. "Thatâs what Iâve been trying to figure out myself. I think... I think I have an idea."
He paused, gathering his breath before continuing. "From time to time, they let us out into an open space , a courtyard, I think. I can see how the others react when theyâre brought there. I watch what happens to them, and Iâve started to piece things together.
"I also wondered why I was brought here in the first place. We were on a portal expedition when it happened. The Dark Guild appeared out of nowhere, surrounded us, kidnapped us, and brought us here."
Beatrix listened carefully, her brows furrowing. The way he described it... it sounded familiar. Almost identical to the academyâs experience during one of their own portal expeditions. She could already tell what had happened. The so-called "Dark Guild" this man mentioned was most likely a cover story. Whoever was behind this wanted someone else to take the blame in case any witnesses escaped.
"From what I can gather," the man went on, his tone growing more ragged, "each of us here is being given different substances. Theyâre testing them , testing us , to see how each one reacts. Everyoneâs body responds differently, and they keep forcing it on us. I donât know if theyâre trying to make new products to sell or if itâs some twisted experiment, but Iâve seen things... awful things."
He swallowed hard, eyes unfocused as though replaying horrors in his mind. "Iâve seen peopleâs hearts explode right in front of me. And worse , the ones who stop reacting to the medicine. When that happens, theyâre taken away... dragged to the floors below. None of them ever come back.
"I still hear them sometimes , the screams. They echo through the floors, even up here. Whateverâs happening down there, I donât want to find out."
Beatrix felt her stomach twist. She could feel the sincerity in his words. None of this sounded fabricated , it matched perfectly with what sheâd already begun to suspect.
So thatâs whatâs happening on this floor,
she thought grimly.
Theyâre using these people as test subjects. If this place is linked to Gizinâs pharmaceutical company, and thatâs tied to the Cerebus Guild, then this could be the evidence Alen needs.
But that led to the next problem , how to get proof. Hearing a confession was one thing; showing it to the world was another. They couldnât just storm the place. If they attacked too soon, whoever ran this operation would destroy all traces before anyone could react.
Beatrix closed her eyes for a moment, steadying her breath.
Alen mentioned he has a recording device , something that can capture everything.
If she went back now and brought him here, maybe they could document it all. She could explore the floor below and then decide whether to strike.
She nodded to herself, forming a plan.
Iâll return, regroup with Alen, and record the evidence. Then weâll bring these people out of here for good.
Turning to leave, Beatrix prepared to slip back through the wall, but a weak voice stopped her.
"Wait..." the man called out, struggling to sit upright. "Are you able to take me with you? Please , I canât stay here. Youâre leaving, right?"
Beatrix hesitated, meeting his desperate gaze. "I am," she said quietly, "but only for a moment."
"You canât just , "
"I donât plan to save only you," she interrupted gently. "I plan to get everyone out. Every single person here. But before I go, thereâs something you should know."
The man blinked, confusion and pain flickering across his expression.
"This isnât the Dark Guildâs doing," Beatrix said firmly. "You were tricked. Iâm a member of the Dark Guild myself, and weâre going to do everything we can to help you. This entire facility , all of it , is owned by Gizin, the Grand Magus."
For a moment, silence filled the room. The man stared at her, his mouth slightly open, as if unsure whether to believe her. She couldnât tell if her words had reached him, but that didnât matter. When she returned, she wanted that seed of doubt planted , the thought that maybe the truth wasnât what heâd been told.
Beatrix turned back toward the wall, tightening her grip on her staff.
Hang on a little longer,
she thought.
When we come back, weâll end this nightmare.
And with that, she phased through the barrier, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor to make her way out of the building and back to Alen. A plan was forming , one that might expose the Grand Magusâs greatest secret yet.
****
**
For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below.
Instagram: Jksmanga
Patreon*: jksmanga