Henry stopped halfway up the stairwell.
Below them, voices crumbled the metals shaking violently.
Runic Flow bursts bloomed upward like pressure trying to escape a sealed container.
Henry didn't speak at first. He just looked down through the broken railing.
"It's the entire facility.
Redmond didn't even lean over.
"I can hear it and I am choosing not to look too closely."
Ophelia did look then immediately stepped back.
"Yeah, that is not a 'fight.' That's nonsense in progress."
A flash of green energy tore through a lower corridor.
Henry frowned slightly.
"So it already split like that…"
Redmond adjusted his coat.
"It was never unified. They looked like it, that was it."
Another explosion shook the stairwell.
Ophelia glanced at Henry shrinking herself.
"What the— Do you think they will come up here?"
Henry didn't answer immediately.
He watched a group below collide.
"…If they keep climbing with it. There is so much density of Runic Flow that the space began distorting down there briefly."
Redmond shook his head once.
"We don't stay in the middle of ideological injuries."
Ophelia raised an eyebrow.
"That is what you call this?"
Redmond replied calmly.
"Yes."
Another shockwave passed beneath them.
"…Then what do we do?"
Redmond looked at Henry.
"Of course, we will head upstairs."
Ophelia nodded once, already moving.
"And avoid being part of whatever they are calling a solution, yes!"
Henry's eyes still briefly lingered downward.
They were halfway up when a voice came through the corridor below.
"UP THERE! THOSE THREE!"
Henry stopped immediately.
A single Agent stood at the broken landing, pointing upward while backing away at the same time like he wasn't sure if he wanted to fight or run.
"They are not ours! They are from another organization!"
More footsteps responded instantly.
Henry's eyes shifted slightly.
"Got worse. We got spotted."
Ophelia clicked her tongue.
"Of course we did. This place obviously could notice when you act wrong."
She grabbed Henry's arm.
"Walk off."
But before they could take another step.
Tian Lang stepped out of Redmond's shadow like he had been walking inside it the entire time.
Shams Raye arrived second, rifle already lowered but ready.
Then came out Dally and Lev.
Lev Parkinson waved casually as if this
was inconvenient traffic.
"Alright. We will handle the these rams ones."
An Agent rushed forward, Tian Lang didn't even look at him properly.
"Shadowport."
The attacker vanished mid-step, reappearing pinned against a lower wall by displaced shadow angles.
Dally adjusted his stance.
"Don't panic. They usually panic first."
Lev stretched his shoulders.
"Go on. You three go upstairs. We will deal with the enthusiastic idiots."
Ophelia didn't hesitate.
"Finally."
Henry immediately proceeded to follow them.
Shams glanced upward once.
"Don't lose so early."
....
Avery leaned against the broken wall for a second longer than she wanted to.
Her leg didn't respond properly when she tried to move again.
"Barely. But it works."
She looked up the stairwell. There was still a lot stairs to go up.
Avery tightened her grip on the railing and started moving again, slower now, careful not to waste strength on anything unnecessary.
"I just need to reach them. Adam and Zenon… they need to know this isn't just internal conflict… there's a third party. Someone is pulling this apart on purpose."
Another step and pain shot through her leg.
She stopped for half a breath, then forced it forward again.
A distant vibration ran through the building again.
She looked upward.
"…If I'm too late, then this entire place is done for."
Avery continued climbing despite feeling weak and pain in veins.
....
Henry's communicator vibrated again while they were moving through the stairwell.
He stopped immediately this time. Looked at it once.
"If this is another useless cursing—"
Ozymandis's irritated voice came through instantly,
"Your definition of uselessness is impressive, considering your current survival rate."
Henry exhaled through his nose.
"You called to insult me?"
"I called because you are still alive and I needed confirmation it wasn't luck. If you die who am I supposed to joke at?"
Redmond glanced back slightly. Ophelia narrowed her eyes.
"This guy talks like he enjoys hearing himself."
Henry didn't respond to her yet.
Ozymandis continued without pause.
"You should also stop climbing like that. The building's internal formation is already compromised in multiple sectors. The maintenance path you are considering is statistically worse than stairs."
Henry tilted his head slightly.
"You are telling me this now."
"Yes. Because I enjoy watching people make informed bad decisions instead of ignorant ones.
Come to the main point, your companion Avery is no longer responding on the line."
Henry stopped walking completely.
"Elaborate."
"Either she is down or being actively suppressed."
Henry's grip tightened on the communicator.
"…When did this happen?"
"Recently. Within minutes. We are keeping eye on all agents of our organization. She just cut of the line suddenly. Yes, we are aware of Collin's death."
Then Henry spoke again,
"…She was going upstairs to Adam and Zenon."
"Yes."
Henry closed his eyes briefly.
"Then it is guaranteed, she is either caught in crossfire or intercepted."
Ophelia immediately shook her head.
"No. She is still alive. She has to be!"
Redmond interrupted gently but firmly.
"Hope doesn't change signals."
Henry opened his eyes again.
"…We change route."
Redmond didn't question it immediately.
"So you are choosing maintenance access?"
Henry nodded once.
"Shorter and less predictable. If she's alive, she is already losing time. I need to hurry."
Ophelia looked toward the maintenance corridor entrance visible ahead.
"That path is dangerous."
Henry stepped forward anyway.
"I know."
Redmond adjusted his coat.
"Who knows what trap awaits. Also it is very squishy to pass through."
Henry replied simply.
"Then it matches the situation."
Ozymandis' voice returned briefly.
"Try not to die in a pipe system. I am not showing kindness, it could be a shame if someone from our organization died like that! Hahahaha! "
Henry ended the call without replying
Ophelia sighed,
" Fine. Be careful with it. We will try to reunite at the top destination. "
Henry didn't look back.
"Noted."
He entered the maintenance corridor.