Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

Sosuke pushed the door open, the hinges groaning in protest as the faint light from above spilled into the darkness below. A chill swept over them, a damp, acrid scent wafting up from the stairwell. It was an oppressive mix of metal, decay, and something unfamiliar—something wrong. Rin's breath hitched, but she followed Sosuke as he descended the creaking wooden steps, his movements slow and deliberate, each footfall echoing ominously.

At the bottom, a dim glow from flickering rune-lamps illuminated the cavernous basement. Rows of glass tanks lined the walls, each filled with a murky liquid. Inside floated grotesque figures—creatures that defied description. Some had mismatched limbs, others were human-like but horribly disfigured, their faces frozen in silent agony. Rin clutched Sosuke's arm, her grip tight, her unease turning to outright fear. "What is this place…?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Sosuke didn't answer. His eyes were locked on a nearby cage, where a ragged figure sat hunched, shackled to the wall. Their skin was pale, their body thin to the point of emaciation, and yet their eyes burned with defiance. As the two approached, the figure's gaze snapped to them, and they snarled, revealing sharp, animalistic teeth. Behind them, the faint sound of something shifting in the shadows made Sosuke draw back slightly, his heart pounding as he realized they weren't alone. "What the hell is this place…?"

"I'll tell you!" A mysterious yelled from the shadows. Sosuke walked toward the source, Rin following close behind, still clinging to Sosuke. Sosuke approached the source of the voice. Another cage, inside, a man's beast a creature that looked malformed and decaying. But it looked like a partial human too. "You have to help us get out of here! Please. I can't take anymore!" The creature spat out blood to the side.

"What the hell is this place!" Sosuke roared. Rin flinched at his sudden rise in volume. "What's going on?!"

"It was… a woman. Somebody. I never saw her face. She did… things, horrible, horrible things. It's terrifying in here, please…" the creature wailed, like it wanted to cry, but couldn't. "The keys, they're over there!" The creature pointed further down the basement, past cages and empty pods of liquid.

"Rin, can you go?" Sosuke turned to her, clinging to his arm.

"Hell no! I'm not leaving your side." Rin's voice cracked. Rin's breath hitched as her eyes darted from shadow to shadow, the oppressive silence broken only by the faint clink of chains and the guttural growls echoing in the distance, each sound twisting her stomach into knots of terror.

"Ok," Sosuke muttered, gripping Rin's wrist as they crept through the eerie silence, weaving past the grotesque beasts chained to the walls. Their hollow eyes glinted faintly in the blue glow that bathed the dungeon, the light emanating from a crystal on a pedestal in the distance. Sosuke's gaze darted around, catching sight of a rack of keys beside the crystal. He froze, his breathing uneven as his fingers trembled against Rin's hand. "We can't just release them," he stammered, his voice edged with a rising dread. His thoughts raced faster than he could form words, his eyes scanning the imprisoned creatures and the unfamiliar sigils carved into the stone. "What if they find out we did it? What if these people are dangerous, and we don't even know what they're capable of…?"

"Then let's go!" Rin whispered.

"You're right, you are. We have to go now." Sosuke tightened his grip on Rin's hand and pulled her along with him. They rushed out of the basement, ignoring the cries for help from the experiments. Once outside, they stopped to catch their breaths.

Rin collapsed to her knees, her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down her face. Her voice cracked, raw with anguish. "What did you drag me into? This was a horrible idea!"

"Rin, I—" Sosuke stepped forward, his hand reaching out instinctively to comfort her, but it faltered midair, trembling as he hesitated.

"Don't!" she snapped, recoiling from him, her gaze filled with a mixture of fear and betrayal. "I'll never be able to forget what I just witnessed." Her voice was a whisper now, choked with the weight of the horrors around them.

"I'm so sorry," Sosuke muttered, his eyes fixed on the moon hanging low in the night sky. The courtyard was silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the cool breeze. He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say, unsure if there was even anything that could be said.

He crouched beside Rin, his hand hesitating for a moment before resting lightly on her shoulder. "I didn't mean for it to go like this," he said quietly, his voice steady but low. "I thought… I thought I could handle it. That we could handle it."

Rin didn't respond. Instead, she shifted toward him, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist as she buried her face into his chest. Sosuke froze, caught off guard, but then let out a small breath. Slowly, he brought his arms around her, his grip awkward but firm, as if anchoring her to the moment.

They stayed like that for a while, the weight of the night settling around them. No words passed between them; none were needed.

"We need to go, the guards will come out if we don't hurry back." Sosuke let go of her, she stepped back, wiping her tears. She nodded in response, waiting for Sosuke's lead

As they moved through the moonlit courtyard, their steps were heavier than before. The air carried a tension neither of them spoke aloud, but it was etched into the silence between them. Rin clutched her arms tightly, her gaze darting nervously at every shadow, while Sosuke's mind raced. What now? he thought, his stomach churning. They had seen something they weren't meant to. Something that shouldn't exist.

When they reached the edge of the first-year dormitory, Sosuke stopped and turned to her. "This… we can't just forget about this, Rin. We're going to have to do something."

Rin hesitated, her eyes still puffy from crying. "Like what? Who would even believe us?"

"We can't tell anyone yet. Not until we figure out more. But I promise you, we're not letting this go." He clenched his fists, a spark of blue lightning flickering faintly across his knuckles before vanishing. "Whatever's going on here, we'll stop it."

Rin gave him a small, uncertain nod. She didn't reply, but the way her lips tightened and her shoulders squared told him she understood. Together, they slipped inside, shutting the door softly behind them.

But as Sosuke lay in his bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't shake the images burned into his mind. The experiments, the screams, the imprisoned faces. It wasn't just a secret—this was something far worse, something he couldn't ignore. And somewhere deep in his gut, he felt it.

Whoever's behind this is watching.

They couldn't tell the professors, what if they were all in on it? He slept.

Rin nudged Sosuke early in the morning, waking him up.

"Why are you up so early?" Sosuke groaned.

"I couldn't sleep. I was just laying down with my eyes closed for at least three hours."

Sosuke sat up and gazed at her, her tired eyes and the distant look on her face revealing the weight of the night before. "Oh. Yeah."

She forced a small smile, brushing her hair back casually, but the stiffness in her movements gave her away. "But at least I could wake you up for your fight today. Right?" Rin glanced up at the ceiling. "That is today right…?"

Sosuke smiled. "Yeah, it is. But I think… I'm going to forfeit."

Rin turned back down to Sosuke quickly, looking at him like he was crazy. "What?! After your crazy spectacular fight with Arthur! You can't just—"

Sosuke waved his hand to stop her. "I know, I just feel this is the right choice. I… don't want to fight anyone right now."

"You don't even know the prize for winning the tournament though." Rin placed a hand on her hip.

"It's fine. I didn't care about the prize anyway. I just wanted to test my skills honestly," Sosuke sighed. "I'm fine with forfeiting. It's probably better if someone else wins. I doubt anyone would beat me considering Arthur is the best in class."

"But you can't just… whatever. Nothing I say will change your mind, huh?"

Sosuke nodded.

"Alright, if that's the way you want it. I'm going to try and get some sleep again." Rin walked away, toward the shared bathroom.

"Right." Sosuke muttered. He didn't feel like getting up today. He didn't even want to watch the tournament today. He had to get up though, how else would the professor know he doesn't want to fight? Sosuke sighed and reluctantly stood up from his bed. "If I have to."

The thoughts of that basement linger in his mind.