Chapter 809: The Pool [2]

The water closed over my head.

For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing.

I came back up a short distance from the steps and reached towards my face. After putting the sunglasses away, I fitted the clear mask from the breathing set over my eyes.

’It’s a little better.’

I lowered my head again.

The light attached to my harness reached the wall beside me, but not much farther. Everything beyond it remained dark.

I kept one hand on the extraction line and followed it towards the passage.

The water grew deeper with each step.

Eventually, my boots stopped touching the floor.

"....."

I pulled myself forward along the rope.

It was strange how quickly the entrance disappeared. When I looked back, I could barely see the light beside the equipment.

A little farther ahead, the ceiling of the passage almost touched the water.

There wasn’t enough room to keep my head above it.

’Right. Under it is.’

I checked the mouthpiece once before lowering myself completely.

The sound changed immediately.

My breathing became louder, and every movement sent small bubbles past my face. I followed the rope around the turn, keeping my shoulder close enough to the wall that I could still see the tiles.

Then the rope moved.

It drifted towards me.

I stopped and pulled a little.

More of it came.

Then the end appeared in front of my face.

"....."

The loose strands spread through the water.

’How nice.’

I let go and placed my hand against the wall instead. The gallery was supposed to be just beyond this passage.

Provided that was still true.

I continued forward.

Once, my shoulder brushed against something hanging from above. I immediately turned my light towards it.

A cable.

I watched it move behind me before continuing.

Eventually, the wall ended.

My light reached a railing, and I followed it upwards until I could see several other beams moving across the water.

Voices reached me as my head broke the surface.

"Vera! Answer me!"

It was Adrian.

"Vera!"

I caught the railing and pulled myself closer.

The gallery was almost completely flooded. A bench stood against the far wall, with several people slumped along it. Straps held their upper bodies in place while a scout checked the breathing masks covering their faces.

Nobody moved when I approached.

My boots found the gallery floor.

The water reached my chest.

I took out the mouthpiece and lifted the clear mask.

"Crow?"

Marcus turned towards me.

His face tightened almost immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

I looked towards Adrian, but his expression wasn’t any better.

"You were told to stay at the entrance."

"Yes, I remember."

"Then why are you here?"

Marcus’s voice grew sharper.

A faint barrier stretched across the open side of the gallery. Water pushed against it, making the surface tremble while he kept one hand raised.

"We’re already looking for two people. Now we need to watch you as well."

"Two?"

"Tessa. Vera went after her."

Adrian pressed his earpiece again as he tried calling for her.

"Tess! Tess!"

Still no answer.

Marcus moved closer to me, his face turning into a scowl.

"Do you understand the situation? You’re not helping. You’re giving us another person to worry about. You’re essentially baggage! I don’t even understand what sort of connections you used to get to us, but I’ll darn make sure to report this when we get out!"

He was really angry.

But it couldn’t be helped. I knew that the Guild had some sort of agenda in trying to bring me here, but since they gave me freedom, I thought... why not pay them back when I can?

This was also partially my fault.

"I like the water."

"....."

"It’s wet."

He stared at me.

"...What?"

A light flickered above us.

Flick!

For a brief moment, the gallery became visible.

That’s where I got a good look at the surroundings. From the empty stairs, the slack rope hanging loosely from the railing, to the pool.

Flick!

But then, the lights went dark again.

I looked towards it.

"What about the line?"

I asked.

"It’s gone."

Adrian pointed towards the loose rope.

"Stay beside the wall. Don’t move unless we tell you to."

I nodded.

He was already looking back towards the pool, moving his flashlight across the surface.

"Vera!"

I turned towards the people on the bench.

Their heads rested against the wall. One man’s chin kept slipping towards his chest, and the scout lifted it before tightening the strap around his shoulders.

All of them seemed unconscious.

I was about to ask what happened when something disturbed the water beyond the railing.

Splash!

It was a small splash.

Adrian’s light moved towards it.

A familiar head appeared as her dark hair clung to her face, partly covering her eyes.

"Tess!"

Adrian moved immediately, recognizing the head first.

Marcus moved his barrier aside, and Adrian pushed away from the gallery, swimming towards her before I could properly look.

"Tess, hold on!"

The thing I found strange was her lack of response.

Her face dipped towards the water.

Adrian caught the back of her head and lifted her mouth above the surface. His other hand reached beneath the water.

Then he stopped.

"....."

For a moment, he remained completely still.

The light on his shoulder pointed towards her face, but that’s where he noticed her lack of response.

"Tess?"

His hand reached down, but his expression changed.

Then...

Splash!

He brought her head up.

But... only her head, as water poured from the open end of her neck. A dark strip of flesh hung beneath it, moving against Adrian’s wrist as he stared.

"Fuck."

The word came softly as a tense silence took over.

Nobody else spoke as the air grew colder.

I looked at the severed head, and then Adrian.

"Fuck!"

Adrian turned towards the darkness, his light swinging so quickly that I couldn’t follow it.

"Vera! Where are you?"

There was no answer.

He looked down again.

"No, no..."

My brows furrowed slightly.

That...

I couldn’t think of anything to say.

She was speaking through the comms only a little while ago. Although death was common in Gates, this wasn’t the type of operation that should’ve led to any death.

Marcus reached over the railing and caught his shoulder.

"Come back."

Adrian didn’t move.

"Adrian."

Marcus pulled him closer.

This time, he followed.

The scout stopped checking the civilians. His gaze remained fixed on what Adrian was holding, his mouth slightly open.

Adrian returned to the gallery and carefully lowered the head onto a case secured beside the bench.

It rolled a little.

He stopped it with his hand.

Her face was turned towards us.

"....."

Something splashed farther out.

Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the sound.

Flick!

The light above us flickered again, briefly showing a stretch of empty water before leaving us in darkness once more.

Flick!

Marcus lifted his arm.

The barrier spread across the railing once more.

"Stay away from the edge."

His voice sounded rather hoarse.

I looked towards the stairs.

Then towards the passage that led back to the entrance.

There was no rope connecting us to it anymore. And somewhere between here and there, something was moving.

A small wave passed beneath the barrier and struck my chest.

Splash!

Looking down, I couldn’t see my legs. The water was so dark it made it hard for me to see anything at all.

Then my attention shifted towards the bench where the civilians were supposed to be.

They all looked to be passed out, their heads lowered and breathing soft.

Meanwhile, the scout was still looking at Tessa’s head, his lips trembling. I reached inside my jacket and took out my sunglasses.

After pulling the clear mask away from my forehead, I put them on.

My gaze moved along the bench.

From one face to the next.

Then I went back and looked again.

"...Ah."

Marcus turned towards me.

"What are you doing?"

I didn’t answer immediately.

His eyes settled on the glasses.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses?"

"....."

"Is this a joke to you? Is this—"

I raised a finger to my lips.

He stopped.

For a moment, he looked as though he was about to grab me.

I slowly tilted my head towards the people behind him.

"There’s five."

"...What?"

"There’s supposed to be seven civilians that you’ve rescued, but there are five."

Marcus stared at me.

Then he turned.

His light moved along the bench, pausing on every civilian that was present.

I watched his expression slowly change as he started counting the faces. But just as his lips parted to say something, his shoulder suddenly jerked.

"....!?"

His fingers immediately moved to the railing, gripping it hard enough that the metal creaked.

Splash!

But whatever was pulling him was too strong.

I reached towards him.

But it was too late, as his entire body sank into the water, the harness floating back onto the surface a moment later as I stared blankly at it.