Seeing her fellow Marionettes go off, Pandora herself made for the north of the lab steadily.

The miners were either playing their games or chatting, laughing at one another. No signs of the cultists thus far, but Trenton claimed they were considered to be civilians like most others. The one clue she had about their presence was deeper in the mines beyond where the workers labored apparently, but surely they had their members spread out? That said, they were seen mostly by the south while she treaded north.

Either way, no point getting involved with anything by myself. But she couldn’t help but eyeball the groups as she passed—taking in new things like the cards they were throwing down or the candle-lit interiors of the rooms within the rock pillars with… beds?—the sight of an Ixion-capped Madeline trundling toward one of said pillars falling to the corner of her vision. Then there were those discussing the fact the sailors at the tourist camp were lazy, while some others droned on about missing their families at the Nave. Getting to explore by myself feels best after all, I just need to keep track of the time.

Then, in the blink of an eye, four men surrounded her… and before she knew it, the smile that might’ve been forming on her face was lost, warped like broken glass.

“Heeey, it’s Pandora of the Saturn Class!” One of them was grinning cheekily. “Wha’cha ya doin’ out ‘ere, all by yerself?”

“Don’t be such a loner,” another said. “Come join us. We got good beer here!”

A younger man, perhaps a couple of years older than herself, wrapped an arm over her cloaked shoulder with an easy smile. “Let’s go, let’s go! Got the whole day to enjoy, eh?”

Even as a day year old, she could tell he was drunk already; her nose twitched.

“Oh.” The girl felt her features twist but she had to keep a straight face, shuffling to free herself of the sweaty arm rubbing against the back of her neck before raising her own hand to pull it off. “I am sorry, I have somewhere to be right now.” They can remember my name? “But perhaps later.” When you’re not drunk before the day even started.

But the drunk man refused to let go. “Oh come on, don’t be like that!”

“Yeah, let’s have some fun together!” Another stepped closer, raising an arm.

“Not much to go to here anyway,” the grinning man said.

The other, quiet man stepped closer to her.

Pandora sighed. “I am very busy… And, I am sure you know, but there will be consequences if you try anything.” He really… stinks. “I can make them immediate, if you prefer that kind of thing.”

“Hohoh…” The drunk one chuckled, his breath fanning onto her nostrils. “Look at this girl, talking big—argh!”

Her fist tightened like a vice grip on his arm and the man jerked up, flitting back from her like he touched hot coal!

“Woah, woah. Just how tight was it?!” Another man laughed, slapping his drunk friend’s back.

Then the quiet one sighed. “Let’s just stop, guys. She’s clearly ready to fight.”

“Aww. Party pooper.”

“As an apology, if there’s anything you need, just ask me. Again, I’m sorry about these idiots. They’ve been locked here for a week now, unable to visit their family.”

“Much better… At least one of you seems sober.” The girl’s posture relaxed almost as fast as it’d tightened, but her hands were still balled behind her cloak… Hopefully they won’t try anything more. Now to assure them… She made a faint smile. “I understand that can take a toll on you, but that’s no excuse to treat a lady like this… For now, may I have your name? If I need something in the future, I’ll find you.”

“I’m Dave.” The quiet one nodded. “You’ll find me at the pub if you wish; it’s by the mine entrance.”

“Thank you.” Pandora looked at him and the rest of the group. It’s best we part amiably. She gave a small bow. “Then, Dave, and the rest of you, have a good day.”

The drunk guy gave a mocking laugh, while another sighed beside him. Dave gave a curt nod and turned to leave.

A few steps off…

“Didja really hafta to do that?!”

“Like c’mon dude, you think we can’t take a lil scufflin’?”

“Way ta embarrass us, man…”

“Don’t be stupid,” Dave said. “What she did to your arm was just the start of it…”

At least he understands. Pandora rolled her eyes. With the group past her now, she kept going north, remembering her previous progression with her exploration. Hopefully the stench won’t linger on my robe…

Candles were lit on the flanks between the two familiar arches, though more than half the wax was gone already. As she crossed over the second arch, the sight of the pillar where Clarice was first found seated against it came into sight. To the right was a pool of water, and it was mirrored to the left. She couldn’t see more candles in the path stretching forward or to the sides.

She kept walking silently. That man might at least have some information. I can find a way to leverage their mistake somehow… but that’s for later.

She peered ahead, trying to make out any landmarks beside these pillars. The camp was… around northwest of the lab—that’s what Clarice said… I think?

Moving further up north, the path yawned to a wide corridor. The pillar Clarice leaned against wasn’t just the one here, it was but the first of a row of three pillars, and it was joined by another to the left. Past the first pillars of these rows, the others were shadowed, blocking the fading lume of the candles sitting behind her.

Still, Pandora marched on, looking for a path to the left.

“A…”

Soon enough, it felt like she might’ve heard something…

She blinked. “Someone…?”

Was it the wind? The dull hum of the cave she awoke to last night was drowned by the continued pattering of rain. As she got this far north, it only sounded louder.

The sight of a staircase came up just barely as Pandora squinted her eyes further north… it looked long, but now wasn’t the time for this. She kept trying to listen in… stepping towards one pillar or the other in an attempt to perhaps catch this noise better. She had to figure out the direction it was coming—

“He…”

She perked up with a blink.

“…Help…!”

A girl’s voice! From the left.

Muffled though it was, she knew it wasn’t Clarice’s.

Another incident…?

Despite being unsure of the circumstances, Pandora darted past the second left pillar, only to find a seemingly empty opening stretching northwest.

“S-Stop…! Th… n’t… ight…”

The voice was still muffled.

Her voice is coming from… As the Saturn Marionette tried to move into it, though, she felt the ground sloping up. Just behind the walls.

“…No…!”

Pandora’s steps grew softer, more careful, advancing up into the corridor, careful not to trip on the steps…

Not northwest anymore… West? She tried getting a glimpse of the voice’s source as darkness was slowly embracing her. This seems too narrow to lead to a camp.

Like when she left her bedroom, even two people walking side by side here would have a hard time…

…And soon enough, a wooden door barred her way. She frowned, gulping the itch to click her tongue; the violent struggles of a girl could be heard from behind it as creaks sounded.

Pandora palmed the door for its handle haphazardly, but it was locked! She peered left and right, and spotted openings to… water? She squinted her eyes. There seemed to be a faded light source behind this, but the door was blocking it.

I could simply smash this away… but that’d be obvious. The blonde thought of the mud clinging to her feet as they marched into the battlefield of the cultists and…

Let’s just…

…Somehow stomped through the water as her face twisted.

By unexpected fortune, the level of the water wasn’t very high, even if it was flowing with seeming rainwater. Her feet sank into the mud, a cool sensation rushing through her mineral heart all over again, brain tingling.

DISGUSTING!

Somehow, with great effort even with this new body, she’d climbed out to the side of the platform with a slight creak—a wooden platform.

Just like the place where the cultists were… don’t make more noises now.

It felt different as she was pulling herself to her feet, but then all thoughts vaporized as the muffled voice of a girl reached her ears again.

Pandora looked ahead with a blink, and at the corner of said platform were three figures: one was a tinier one—fidgeting in an attempt to presumably struggle—but the two others flanked her, arms holding her tight. It was hard to catch all the details in this darkness, but Pandora’s breath nearly stilled at the sight.

This was a situation she could’ve easily fallen into with those four miners if she wasn’t a Marionette.

Pandora scanned the room.

The sudden struggle, the lack of lighting and the sudden situation made her limbs more sluggish than she’d hoped. She blinked a few times, adjusting herself. There was a light, a faint blue one in the back coming from under this floor but… How do I approach them…? They are still two regular humans, stuck here with me but distracted, which means…

She looked down at the faint outlines of herself.

I will need that bath once this is resolved. With careful steps, the Marionette faced the group, positioned her arms before herself and got on tiptoes, trying her level best to mask the creaks her feet were eliciting from the wood as she used the faint blue gleam to keep track of the three. It was impossible to cut the creaks completely, but thankfully the struggle of the girl kept their attention firmly on her.

“St…op…” the girl was quivering in the dark, “n-no…!”

“Shut up, wench!” a man hissed. “Pipe down or I jam my cock in, you hear?!”

“Tell us where you hid it!” the other one said, voice barely lowered. “We’ll let you go if you show us!”

The second voice sounded significantly younger than the first.

Despite her weight and the shoddy platform, Pandora knew… that stretching her arms would do it. She could tell the shadows apart as well now—the tallest was the annoying older man; the girl was the shortest; and the second male voice was just slightly taller than said victim.

So it isn’t just about sex. Nonetheless, figuring this out comes later. I am already too involved…

Then she did it, stretching her arms in a tight, unwelcome embrace.

“W-Wha—?!” the older of the two hissed. “Who—? Get off!”

Nearly pulled away, his elbow bashed on her abdomen reflexively! Then grunted.

The feeling was numbed, but Pandora stumbled back with a groan, adding a fourth voice to the mix. She felt a sting on her center. Cracked already…?

“Alright, nevermind that…” She then thought of how she’d speak if she was in charge. “You two will cease this instant.”

“Bugger off!”

The hand holding her mouth seemed to be moved off and the hostage girl called out, “Someone! Help!”

“SHUT UP!” the other boy held her lips firmly in his partner’s place.

Pandora stepped back. That was just a lucky hit, he should not be able to hurt me—!

The older figure’s fist came flying!

Instead of dodging, she positioned her body just right and his fish crashed straight on her leftt forearm’s crystal growth.

A pained grunt sprayed into the air, the older man’s fist coming and going fuzzily in the dark. Then he stepped back and whipped something beside him with a shake of his head. “FFFFFuck—!”

The Saturn Marionette took a step forward into the dark. They probably don't know my identity either. “Would you like to continue?”

“Heh.” The man instead stood his ground, taking a stance. “Aditya!”

A “tch” was heard from the other male.

Then came a yelp… and a thump as a thinner arm swung. The silhouette of the girl collapsed.

Pandora gasped, head perking up.

…Suddenly, it was just the three of them.