The two moved forward, blending into the crowd that surged through the underworld market. As they walked, their eyes scanned the bizarre and unsettling sights surrounding them. Stalls displayed items that defied reason: severed hearts still faintly pulsing in jars, eyes blinking eerily from within glass containers, and severed heads with expressions frozen in terror. But that wasn’t all-there were also strange, glowing stones with swirling colours inside them, grotesque sculptures made from twisted metal and bone, and small vials of shimmering liquid that seemed to whisper as people passed by.

  “This Avyssos place seems like an underworld black market,” Chael said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And you were right, these people use those weird black coins as currency here.”

  He looked toward the countless hands exchanging the square, black coins for the bizarre goods on display.

  As they ventured further into the market, the noise of the crowd grew louder and a hum of excitement echoed in the air. A dense throng of people had gathered ahead, and the two instinctively joined the mass to see what was drawing such attention.

  “Cough, cough... It seems we have quite the crowd,” a voice boomed from above. The crowd hushed as a figure stepped forward on a makeshift balcony, overlooking the scene. The man was tall and menacing, with long wavy, dark green hair, and with sharp features and eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness. His skin was pale, almost ghostly, and he had a cruel smile.

  “Huh, who’s this guy?” Chael muttered with unease.

  Eclipse’s eyes widened in recognition as he got a better look at the man’s face.

  “He’s one of the guys from that day... from the Dracoferus tribe,” Eclipse whispered, his voice laced in suppressed fury.

  “Thorn…”, Chael’s eyes mirrored Eclipse’s fury, both of them recalling the brutality they had faced at the hands of this man.

  Thorn began to speak, his voice cracked and loud, like an old jagged blade. “Welcome, people of Avyssos, to another fine gathering.”

  He grinned creepily, his yellow stained teeth smiling at everyone below who looked seemingly like a colony of ants, his voice jagged and barbaric “Listen here bastards! As always, we are here to serve, to trade, and to thrive in the shadows of the world above. But let us not forget why we are here, who we serve... Chief Khali, our master and guide, the true ruler of Avyssos.”

  The name sent a ripple through the crowd, a murmur of reverence and fear.

  Chael raised an eyebrow. “Khali…?”

  Before Eclipse could answer, a voice from beside them cut in. “He is the leader of the Dracoferus tribe... and one of the Six Figures of the Avyssos.”

  Chael turned to see a man standing beside them, his presence almost unnoticed until now. He had long blonde hair that flowed down his back and dark orange eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light of the market. It resembled that of a snake’s and there was a quiet, dangerous aura about him.

  Eclipse on the other hand didn’t even bother to look back.

  His anima flared with bloodlust the moment he heard the words “leader of the Dracoferus tribe.” His eyes locked onto the man giving the speech above, his fists clenched so hard that his nails dug into his palm.

  Just then, Chael’s arm flung over Eclipse in that instant, and pressed down on his with some of his weight.

  “Ahah, calm down, man.” Chael whispered, his chuckle awkward.

  Eclipse hesitated for a moment before exhaling slowly, allowing his anima pressure to fade away.

  “You guys must be new to the Avyssos,” the same young man who had spoken earlier said. He had a friendly smile, and his eyes were cunning.

  Chael’s gaze sized him up coldly before he chuckled out of the blue, scratching the back of his head. “Ah, you caught us. Yeah, we’re pretty new. Just here looking for something you wouldn’t find in normal places.”

  The young man grinned. “Name’s Sage. Maybe I can help you out. I may not look it, but I’m a veteran here.”

  He extended his hand.

  Chael reached out and shook it, flashing a smile. “Nice to meet you, Sage. I’m Leo, and this is my friend Jin.”

  Sage returned the handshake and gave him the smile, “You guys might need a guide. The Avyssos is laid out like an ants nest with endless passages and stairs taking you to various different places of the Bloodmoon region’s underground. It’ll be near impossible to find what you guys are looking for if it’s your first time.”

  “Oh, really? Thanks so much,” Chael’s face turned into a facade of gratitude, “Someone we know told us that we’d find what we’re looking for here, but its been quite confusing so far, ahaha. Would you mind telling us a bit more about this place?”

  Sage smiled warmly, “Course. In the Avyssos, there are also countless tunnels and plazas, of which this is one belonging to the Dracoferus Tribe. The plazas are open areas where one of the Six Figures runs their business or where members of the Avyssos come to loiter and meet others. The Avyssos itself is located within the central region of the Bloodmoon Region, but no one really knows its full range, or how many plazas, tunnels, and staircases there are.”

  Chael returned the smile, “Amazing. Thanks for the info.”

  As they walked through the bustling crowd, Chael asked Sage once again, “So, Khali is the leader of the Dracoferus tribe, right? Why’s he so important here in Avyssos?”

  Sage nodded. “Yeah, Khali is one of the Six Figures of Avyssos. He-”

  “Oh right, you mentioned Six Figures a second ago…” Chael cut his explanation with another curious remark, “Sorry, but can you start from there?”

  Sage laughed eerily, “Kihihi, you really don’t know much about this place, do you? The Six Figures are the ones who run the Avyssos in their own domains. Most of the people here aren’t exactly law-abiding citizens. In fact, they’re the kind of people who come here for things that you wouldn’t find outside- things that go beyond even the loose laws of Bloodmoon Region. The Six Figures are the most dangerous and ruthless individuals you’ll find. They control both the underworld and, to some extent, the world above. But down here in Avyssos, they hold absolute power.”

  “How very interesting… so who are these guys, anyway?” Chael asked, his genuine interest growing. “Aside from Khali, of course.”

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  “Well, most of them are shrouded in mystery, so let’s start with those,” Sage began. “There’s a figure who goes by the name Lucian Voss who controls the flow of money in the underground - everything from gambling to shady businesses here. His organisation is called The Voss Syndicate and he’s said to be the weakest among the Six, but he’s got a powerful and loyal phacer known as The Faceless, which forces the others to respect him, even if they find him annoying.”

  Eclipse side-eyed Sage as he made mention of ‘The Faceless’. After all, he had encountered that person in Grapefruit Village almost six years ago. It was a peculiar memory, but not an unwelcome one.

  He also recalled the villagers mentioning the Avyssos and the Voss Syndicate back then, though his memory was very vague.

  ‘So, he’s here after all…’ Eclipse made a silent note

  Sage continued, “Next, there’s Alaric of the Feathered Eyes, the figure of intel. He knows everything about everyone and sells information at a high price…”

  “Selling information? What kind of info?” Chael asked, wide eyed.

  “All kinds, weather they’re big or small. This man’s knowledge is truly frightening. It’s like he has eyes and ears everywhere.” Sage said grimly, then continued, “Then there’s Ghost, the figure of assassinations. No one knows much about him, but he’s rumored to be the grim reaper himself. It’s said he’s killed so many that the blood of his victims could flood the entire Bloodmoon Region. People even whisper that he’s the one who wiped out the Xephyr family which was quite an ancient family - though that might just be a rumor.”

  Eclipse and Chael both simultaenously narrowed their eyes at this. Though they knew barely anything of this Ghost, if he was truly as strong as Sage made him out to be, then if it came to it could they take him on? Even after all their training?

  “And then there’s the leader of the Viridian Flame Warriors, Kolasi. No one knows who they are either, but they’re said to command the greatest military power in the underworld, rivaled only by Khali’s Dracoferus tribe. This leader’s warriors guard the borders of Blood Moon Region, waiting at the Viridian Mountain Range for any threats.”

  Sage paused, for a while, letting his information sink in, “These four figures are all powerful people, and without them the Avyssos would not exist. Now, Khali, as you guessed, is the leader of the Dracoferus tribe. He’s responsible for enforcing the rules here in Avyssos, using his tribe’s savage military power. Despite the Dracoferus tribe’s smaller size compared to the Viridian Flame Warriors, they’re feared for their influence both in Avyssos and outside.”

  Eclipse’s rage seethed at the mention of ‘Dracoferus’ and ‘Khali’ which may or may not have been noticed by Sage, but he knew better than to let out his rage here of all places.

  Chael tried to purposefully stand between Eclipse and Sage and pressed on with questions.

  “Interesting. There’s one more left, correct?” Chael asked.

  Sage smiled coldly and nodded, “Lastly - Madam Rosaria, the leader of the Haimos’ Chosen, a cult that worships a heretic God.”

  Eclipse’s eyes widened at the mention of Rosaria, dark memories flooding back. His eyes flashed with uneasiness.

  Rosaria…?

  Rosaria!

  That’s right, Eclipse had heard her mention Avyssos, and how she was going to sell Eclipse’s organs here in the name of a ‘Lord and Savior’ called Haimos…

  No wonder ‘Avyssos’ sounded so familiar.

  Eclipse took a deep breath, and calmed down his surging emotions.

  "Madam Rosaria isn’t exactly popular among the other figures,” Sage explained, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Some of them hate her because of her… unorthodox and immoral methods. There are rumors about the things she does-cruel, disgusting things. But she hasn’t shown her face in Avyssos for years. Some say she’s dead, while others believe she’s just hiding, keeping out of sight to avoid unwanted attention. Whatever she’s doing, it’s enough to make even Ghost, that merciless killer, want her gone.”

  “Wow, that’s crazy.” Chael muttered as he absorbed this information.

  ‘…So that treacherous woman was such an important figure?’ Eclipse was immensely shocked in his heart.

  They walked a little further down the crowd.

  Sage suddenly grinned widely, his laughter almost childlike. “Kihihihi! But, like it or not, these six figures are the ones running this Bloodmoon Region. Without them, this crappy, neglected place would be a thousand times worse-hard as that is to believe! Kihihihi!”

  His laugh echoed through the dimly lit alleyways of the underworld, sending an eerie chill through Chael’s spine.

  “The Six Figures…” Eclipse muttered, his voice tight with aggression. Sage eyes narrowed at the unusual expression on Eclipse’s face.

  “So, they’re really that powerful, huh? I’ve lived in this region my whole life, and the only ones I’ve ever heard of are the Dracoferus tribe,” Chael said.

  “What about you, Jin? Ever heard of any of the others?” Chael asked, turning to Eclipse.

  Eclipse’s gaze was distant as he replied, “Rosaria. I’ve heard of her.”

  Sage’s expression darkened instantly. “What do you mean, you’ve heard of her?”

  “When I was a kid, there was a lot of talk about her. She did business in the village where I grew up,” Eclipse answered coldly, noticing Sage’s change of tone.

  “And what village would that be?”

  “Demons’ Hatch Village.”

  Sage’s eyes widened slightly, but then he let out a small, surprised laugh. “Kihihihi! I did hear she had some dealings there, but it’s surprising that you know of her, considering she disappeared years ago. You must’ve been just a kid when she vanished.”

  Eclipse didn’t respond.

  “So, what exactly are you guys looking for down here?” Sage asked, eyeing them with a curious grin.

  “We’re here for something you won’t find in any normal place,” Eclipse replied without bothering to conceal his displeasure at Sage chipping at them for information and keeping it vague.

  “Well, good luck with that,” Sage said before waving as he turned to leave, aware of their growing disinterest in him, “I’ll see you around, then.”

  Chael nodded in response and raised his hand in a casual farewell. As Sage disappeared into the crowd, the two of them exchanged a look.

  “So, this is why the old hag sent us here,” Chael muttered.

  “Seems like it,” Eclipse agreed, his gaze shifting back to the man who had just finished speaking from above.

  “The Dracoferus tribe,” Eclipse said, his voice cold and ruthless.

  “We need to keep an eye on that guy and figure out what the Dracoferus tribe is planning before we make our move,” Eclipse continued.

  “Let’s follow Thorn for now,” Chael replied.

  With a quick nod of agreement, they pulled up the hoods of their cloaks.

  As the crowd began to disperse, Thorn descended a set of stairs and was quickly surrounded by members of the Dracoferus tribe. They were dressed in dirty, heavy, fur-lined cloaks with thick leather armor underneath. Their outfits were adorned with sharp bone ornaments, and each one carried a weapon that looked as though it had seen many battles. Most had bows slung across their backs with sharp arrows fletched with black feathers while others wielded machetes with jagged edges, and a few even carried strange, curved knives that gleamed ominously in the dim light.

  Thorn and his entourage started walking through a tunnel, the air buzzing with the sound of people talking and the clatter of makeshift market stalls selling all manner of questionable goods. The crowd was dense at first, with every step taking them deeper into the Avyssos. But as they moved from one tunnel to the next, the number of people began to dwindle. The tunnels became narrower, and the light from the torches grew faint, casting long, eerie shadows on the walls.

  Eclipse and Chael followed at a distance, their footsteps light and their senses alert. With each tunnel they passed through, the atmosphere grew heavier. The torches that once lit the way were fewer now, and the darkness closed in around them.

  Finally, Thorn and his group entered a tunnel that was completely devoid of people.

  Eclipse paused, placing a hand on Chael’s arm. “The end of this tunnel might be the end of the line,” he whispered. “We need to be careful not to get caught.”

  They continued to follow at a safe distance as Thorn led his tribe members out of the tunnel and into a dimly lit room. They travelled more, up curved stairs and more tunnels before they finally seemed to reach an opening.

  At the end of a hallway, a heavy wooden door was guarded by two imposing Dracoferus warriors. These guards were even more intimidating than the others, their eyes hard and expressionless. They exchanged a few low words with Thorn before he pushed the door open and entered with his group, the door shutting with a solid thud behind them.

  The guards turned to face the tunnel, their expressions blank as they resumed their watch. One of them yawned, while the other lazily waved his weapon, a massive curved blade, as if to ward off the boredom of standing guard.

  Suddenly, there was a faint buzzing sound.

  Zzzzzap!

  Both guards collapsed to the ground in an instant, their eyes rolled back and white, saliva dribbling from the corners of their mouths.

  Behind them, standing in the shadows, was Eclipse, his hand still crackling with residual energy.