A Silent Massacre

The underground tunnels stretched endlessly before Damien, a maze of dark, damp pathways carved deep beneath the surface.

The flickering blue light of his (Essence Scan) illuminated the stone walls, casting eerie shadows that twisted and stretched with every step.

He had been thorough.

Every path, every chamber, every door.

Checked. Scanned. Cleared.

And yet, there was nothing.

No trace of the ones who had fled. No footprints left in the dust, no sound of hurried breathing, no fading energy signatures from hastily cast spells.

Damien's brow furrowed. This didn't make sense. They couldn't have just disappeared.

The Stray Hounds—one of the largest and most organized trafficking rings in the underworld—had been using these tunnels for years. There had to be a secret escape route somewhere. But where?

Damien let out a slow breath, forcing himself to think. Step by step. Eliminate the impossible.