Jay and Nathan leaned against the cold, cracked wall of the dim basement, trying to catch their breath. The only sounds were their ragged breathing and the occasional distant drip of water echoing through the cavernous dark. The battle felt like it had happened hours ago, but it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes.
Nathan wiped sweat—and blood—off his brow. "So… now what, genius?"
Jay looked around. The glow from his system window had faded, leaving only the weak emergency lights scattered along the ceiling. Shadows crawled everywhere. His muscles twitched with restless energy, the leftover echo of his awakening.
"We find a way out," Jay said. "Simple as that."
Nathan let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, sure. Maybe we'll even find a nice sign that says Exit this way, survivors!"
Jay cracked a grin. "Wouldn't that be something."
They moved cautiously through the basement, stepping over shattered equipment and pools of demon blood. The air was thick and heavy, tainted with rot and burnt metal. Every creak of the old building made them flinch.
"So," Nathan said after a minute, trying to keep the mood light, "still seeing your floating blue menus?"
Jay nodded. "Yeah. They're just sort of waiting there in the background. I can pull them up whenever."
"Man, that's… actually kinda cool. Guess if I get stabbed again, you can check if I'm worth any XP."
Jay snorted. "Don't tempt me."
Eventually they rounded a collapsed column and came face-to-face with a huge steel door set into the wall. It looked ancient, reinforced with thick bolts and a rusted wheel handle.
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly subtle, huh?"
Jay stepped closer, running a hand along the cold metal. Faint lettering was etched near the top, almost worn away with age.
"'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY'," he read aloud. "Think that's us?"
Nathan gave him a look. "With your new skill sheet, maybe. Me? I'm just the shadow freak."
Jay chuckled, then tried the handle. It was stuck fast. Together, they put their shoulders into it. Metal groaned under their combined effort, then finally jerked with a loud crack that echoed through the basement.
They stumbled as the door swung inward on squealing hinges, revealing a wide corridor beyond. Old fluorescent lights flickered to life one by one, chasing the dark away in stuttering pulses.
Nathan whistled low. "Well, that's not creepy at all."
"Yeah," Jay muttered. "I've seen horror movies that started just like this."
They stepped inside cautiously, every nerve on edge. The hallway stretched out in both directions, lined with more doors—some dented, some hanging open to reveal empty labs filled with shattered glass and overturned desks.
"So," Nathan said quietly, "you think there are more of those things down here? Like your… first big boss?"
Jay shot him a nervous grin. "God, I hope not. I'm still on level one."
They walked on, scanning each room they passed. Every creak or rustle made them flinch, but the place seemed deserted. Or abandoned. Or maybe just waiting.
Finally, Jay exhaled and tried to shake off the dread that had settled over his shoulders. "You know what? I'd almost take a giant rat right now. Just to warm up the new skill."
Nathan laughed, though it sounded a little hollow. "Let's aim lower. Like… a spider."
Jay shot him a sidelong look. "A normal spider, right? Not some mutated nightmare thing."
"No promises, man. This is our life now."
Jay sighed, flexing his fingers as if he could summon a sword from thin air. "Yeah. Our life."
And together, they pressed deeper into the unknown.
They turned another corner and came to an abrupt stop. Before them was a room lit by a gentle bluish glow that poured out into the hallway. Jay and Nathan exchanged a look, then stepped inside cautiously.
The room was lined with metal shelves from floor to ceiling, every single one stacked with glass vials and squat little bottles. Some glowed faintly red, others blue, green, even silver. A faint, pleasant herbal scent filled the air.
"Holy shit…" Jay breathed. "Are these…?"
"Potions," Nathan finished, eyes wide. "Dude, we just stumbled into an actual treasure vault."
Jay's grin stretched ear to ear. "Okay, this day is officially turning around."
He opened his system window and focused on the inventory slot. A faint pull answered in his chest. When he reached out and touched a small red vial, it vanished from his hand—blinking instantly into a neat icon in his inventory screen.
Nathan let out a low whistle. "Show off. Watch this."
Dark mist curled from his palm, snaking around a cluster of bottles on the shelf. With a lazy tug, the shadows pulled them into the swirl and absorbed them. The mist sank back into Nathan's skin.
Jay blinked. "You… have a shadow-space?"
Nathan shrugged, looking smug. "Guess it's one of the perks of my Awakening. Feels like putting stuff in a cold pocket dimension."
Jay barked a laugh. "I don't know if I should be impressed or creeped out."
"Little of both," Nathan agreed.
They spent the next several minutes greedily loading up. Each of them took twelve potions, experimenting carefully by tapping or brushing them with their powers. Jay's system inventory neatly organized them by color and shape, while Nathan's mist seemed to sort them instinctively.
At one point, Nathan plucked a bright green vial from the shelf and waggled it. "Think this one's poison? Want to try it first?"
Jay snatched it from him. "Try again, jackass."
When they finally paused, breathless and almost giddy, Jay pulled out one of the reddish bottles. "Only one way to find out what these do."
Nathan popped his own cork. "Bottoms up."
They drank together. The potion was cool and slightly sweet, fizzing over Jay's tongue. A warm rush spread through his chest, seeping out to his battered limbs. The aches, bruises, and the shallow cuts across his arms and face knit closed almost immediately.
Nathan let out a long sigh. "Oh my god. Healing potion. Actual honest-to-god healing potion."
Jay looked down at his arms, flexing them in wonder. "These are worth a fortune in the cities. We could probably buy a whole apartment block."
"Or more power stones," Nathan said, though his grin dimmed at the reminder of how dangerous that process was.
Still, neither could stop smiling. For a minute, it felt like they were invincible. Like maybe this nightmare had come with some unexpected silver linings.
Then Nathan nudged him and pointed. "Hey. Look."
At the far end of the room, half-hidden behind crates, was a pair of metal doors with an old keypad and a faintly glowing panel above them.
"Please," Jay muttered under his breath, "let this one work."
They approached, hearts racing. Jay hesitated, then jabbed the button. For a horrible second, nothing happened. Then the panel lit up with a soft ding, and the doors slid open with a gentle whoosh.
Nathan let out a shaky laugh. "Our prayers have been answered."
Jay clapped him on the shoulder, grin returning full force. "Maybe we're actually lucky bastards after all."
"Yeah," Nathan said, smiling as they stepped inside. "Lucky… and about to get the hell out of here."
As the doors slid shut behind them, carrying them up and away from the blood-soaked lab, both couldn't help but wonder—just how long would their luck hold out?