" Aahhhh... "
Braze moaned as his eyes slowly opened.
" Mira??? " He extended his hands to touch her skirt but then he looked around and realized the reality.
He had passed out naked and was clad in borrowed underwear. They were stinky.
" Come on... Speak up. How long are you going to pretend to not wake up? I know you can hear me. '' Xen was at it again. George was hanging upside down now. It was Xen's doing and he would not take a 'no' for an answer. George had not spoken a single word. Neither did he open his eyes.
" Xen, I am pretty sure he was not the guy I told you about. " Kian pleaded.
" I am sure... I think he is from amongst the Watchers... you know... the good guys... The ones with devilish eyes ran away the moment the ones called Watchers arrived. "
Xen looked at Mira suspiciously.
" How do you know so much? "
" A Watcher lady told me... she was rude and said everybody was going to forget everything... which really happened but Kian and I seem to remember. " Mira explained again. It wasn't the first time but Xen seemed skeptical.
" Then why was this one after Braze if they are supposed to be guardians or something? And who were those other guys? " Xen turned his attention back to George, " Only this one can give us all our answers. He is going nowhere. "
Kian fell back on the ground and spread his hands and legs out .
" As if we can get out. We are trapped inside this pit for heaven knows what... eternity? I feel so messed up. And sweaty. "He sniffed himself.
Braze stood up.
He seemed lost and a bit disoriented.
He started walking with baby steps and moving further down the tunnel.
" Braze wait.... Braze... where are you going... "
Mira ran after him.
" Sssssshhhhhh! Mira! Can't you hear it? It's calling me. I know...Its here. I need to go. "
He was talking as if he was possessed. He shoved Mira to the side and kept walking down the dark tunnel.
Kian sat up. Xen was looking at him as well.
Mira grabbed Braze from the back.
" Braze, stop... please... "
But something overcame him as she tried stopping him again and again.
He let out a blood curdling roar.
The bones in his spine cracked and his limbs twitched and contoured.
" Braze.... calm down.... what's happening to you... "
Mira was on her knees, scared and concerned. So was Kian but Xen seemed like he had seen it before. He was unbothered.
" It's like lycanthropy... his body is morphing... but... it does seem like... something.... "The tone of Xen's voice morphed with every word he spoke. Mira and Kian were looking at him but he was looking straight at Braze when he let go of the leash with which he was holding George and leaped forward, yelling, " Mira, watch out! "
He was able to snatch Mira away in his arms just in time before Braze's claws made a deep gnash on his back.
Xen screamed in pain as he fell face first, pushing Mira away to safety towards Kian, who was up on his foot and ready for defense.
But Braze did not come after Mira or the boys.
His eyes looked apologetically at them as his body enlarged gradually into that of a hound.
With another look at them he leaped forward towards the tunnel and within a second, he was gone.
Mira ran to check on Xen.
" I'm alright. " he said. With that confirmation Mira left everyone behind and sprinted after Braze.
Xen and Kian looked at each other with ' so done with her ' written all over their faces. And the next minute they were sprinting after her as well.
George slowly opened his eyes when all four of them were gone.
He had a smirk on his face.
" This is getting more and more interesting. Who are these kids? They seem naive but they reek of Chemorian energy. What's going on here? "
He flipped back on his foot and stretched a little contemplating whether or not to call his sister.
" Nah! Not today. You take a back seat sissy. Let me find out more about these guys. I will get back to you after this. It's the first time ever that a case got me so intrigued. " He smacked his lips, " You're gonna be so proud of me. "
He winked particularly at nobody and then he was gone.
The tunnel spiraled down as if it was a staircase, leading straight to the depths of hell.
But contrary to expectations the air grew cooler and colder the further one went down.
It was pitch black and went on for what felt like eternity.
But then a subtle, luminous hue filled in that void, lighting up the path and better brighter the further one went down.
Everyone of them had started off at the top of their strength but by the time they traveled further down their speed decreased and their eyes fluttered as they struggled to adjust to their new environment.
" What is this place... "
Mira wondered as her voice reverberated all the way back to George.