“Luminary Barrier!”

A cascading shield of light sprung up between the moth and the mezzanine full of terrified civilians. I knew it wouldn’t hold the creature for long, but it would buy us a few precious seconds.

I turned to face the sea of blue eyes, the lights eerily illuminating the dark. This was the stuff of nightmares. I could see the pale, twisted faces of those once-human. They were zombies, and each one bore the mark of the monsters' influence. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural, veiny hue as they snarled and staggered toward us.

"Back to back!” I shouted, positioning myself beside Twilight Aster. She nodded in agreement, her staff glowing brighter as we prepared to defend from all sides.

Twilight Aster and I were now outside the barrier, separated from all the civilians. Abby reached out to me desperately from Black Star’s back, screaming something inaudible over the panicked shouts of the crowd as he carried her away.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, every second feeling like an eternity as the zombies advanced towards us. The memories of the old man's death quickly flashed through my mind, intensifying my fears.

Beside me, Twilight Aster tensed up and took a fighting stance. "This isn't good," she whispered as she released the viney ropes that held me, allowing me to fully regain my footing.

"Yeah, I noticed," I snapped back, a mix of fear and frustration fully evident in my voice. But then I took a deep breath, composing myself. "Do you have a plan?"

Twilight Aster nodded, her gaze scanning the environment, "Fighting that creature and the horde here would be a death trap, but we cannot expose the civilians to danger either. We need to draw them away."

Before I could respond again, the moth creature turned toward us with a shriek, its eyes radiating pure malevolence as it ignored the civilians. In a split second decision, I took hold of Twilight Aster's hand, and we ran.

Twilight Aster shouted a command to the civilian group, "Everyone, run towards Shelter 1! Do not stop, do not look back! We'll lead them away!"

The moth screeched again, this time focusing on our fleeing figures rather than the civilians. The echoes of its cries filled the entire tunnel, causing the floor to reverberate under our feet as it rapidly approached.

“Starlight Barrage!”

Twilight Aster’s staff glowed with an ethereal light, releasing a salvo of luminescent stars that burst in the path of the monstrous moth. It staggered momentarily, giving us the chance to increase our distance. But even as we dodged the creature’s wrath, the horde of zombies rushed at us with inhuman speed as we rounded a corner.

"The tunnel will split up ahead," Twilight Aster said with a short breath, her voice straining with the exertion. It was obvious at a glance that whatever giving the crystal to me had done to her was still having an effect on her.

“Aster! I’ll throw you ahead. Take cover. You go right, I go left,” I sputtered frantically.

She shot me a quizzical look but nodded. We reached the split, and without a moment's hesitation, I grabbed her hand and threw her ahead, before tossing up a barrier to wall off Aster’s side. I veered to the left with the moth and a large portion of the zombies tailing me instead of bothering with the barrier.

I could feel the perspiration on my brow, and my heart was racing at a mile a minute, but I had to execute the plan.

Just when the distance between me and my pursuers had reduced to a mere few meters, I spun around and screamed, "Luminary Nova!"

A blinding explosion of light filled the tunnel, engulfing everything in its path. The force of the blast sent the moth monster crashing into the walls, and the horde of zombies was thrown back. The aftershock of the blast rumbled through the tunnel as I braced myself, shielding my eyes from the intense brightness.

When the glare faded, I saw the moth creature writhing in pain, with numerous burns on its chitinous carapace. The zombies were scattered across the floor, disoriented and temporarily incapacitated.

Not wasting a second, I turned and sprinted back to the fork, praying that Twilight Aster was okay.

As I rounded the corner, a brilliant flash of starlight erupted from the other tunnel. Twilight Aster emerged, panting heavily but unharmed. "Your plan worked," she breathed out with a hint of a smile.

But before I could respond to Twilight Aster, the moth let out an ear-piercing shriek. The sheer volume of it seemed to ripple the air, and I stumbled, clutching my ears.

Twilight Aster's eyes narrowed. "That sounded like a call."

As she spoke, the ominous ceiling rumbles grew louder. The cries and growls of distant zombies began to increase, their echoing calls joining in like a sort of hellish symphony. The sound painted a very clear picture: more of those monsters were on their way, and the moth's shriek was rallying them.

Twilight Aster quickly grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. "Sienna, the moth just sounded an alarm. We need to move. Now!"

As if to underline her point, a wave of rats emerged from cracks and holes in the walls, their glowing eyes like hundreds of lanterns. The tidal wave of monsters swelled, causing me to gulp and step back nervously. We were severely outnumbered.

A nearby sign pointed to a tram station. There was no time for fancy maneuvers or thinking. We had to move.

With one wave of my hand, I threw a brief barrier between us and sprinted off down the corridor. "There!" I shouted, sprinting in that direction with Twilight Aster right on my heels.

The tram station would have more space, giving us a chance to maneuver and potentially set up a bottleneck. The platforms and tracks would allow us to manage the numbers, maybe even turn the situation to our advantage if we played it smart.

Suddenly, Twilight Aster came to a slow and placed a hand on her chest. The faint glow emanating from her staff dimmed for a moment. "Ugh! I can't maintain this pace.”

"Lean on me!" I yelled, scooping her arm over my shoulder and continuing the mad dash towards the tram station. It was surreal to have the physical strength and coordination to do this now, but I wasn’t complaining.

As we reached the empty tram station, a flash of hope ignited. The platforms and tracks could be a strategic advantage. The station was built over multiple levels, and the tracks were sunken down with a series of elevated platforms on either side. The way the tracks and platforms were constructed would make it hard for a large group to get to us all at once.

“Luminary Barrier!”

I turned around, blocking off the entrance to the tram station with a barrier. It would only buy us a few moments against the moth, but it would at least delay the rest of the advancing horde.

I saw a flash of movement, and the moth creature slammed full force against my barrier. Cracks began to spiderweb across it immediately.

As the monsters continued to batter against our defenses, the harsh overhead lights of the tram station flickered and dimmed, casting eerie silhouettes against the walls. My pulse raced, and I tried to quell the growing panic within me.

"Think, Sienna," I muttered, scanning the environment.

There was no way out. We were screwed.

Suddenly, the buzz of machinery echoed nearby. A spread of blue lights appeared down one of the tram tunnels, moving rapidly toward us.

The sound of whirring blades grew louder, filling the dimly lit tram station with their presence. I tensed as the blue lights approached, ready for another assault from a new ungodly horror. But then, in a surprising twist, a squadron of drones burst onto the scene. Their polished metal surfaces gleamed ominously under the flickering tram lights, each bearing a crest with music notes.

Before I could even process the scene, a voice chimed in — a smug, oily voice that I hadn't heard before.

"Found them!" the voice proclaimed.

There was a sort of self-satisfaction in the tone that instantly irritated me, and I bristled out of reflex.

With a furious shriek, the moth burst through my barrier, sending shimmering motes scattering everywhere. The force of its impact sent me reeling backward, but a vine from Twilight Aster’s staff wrapped around my waist, halting my fall yet again.

The drones moved with a precision and grace I wouldn't have credited to machines, darting in and out, harassing the moth with a rapid barrage of plasma and bullets. Its shrieks of pain echoed through the tram station, bouncing off the walls in torment even as creatures flooded into the tunnel.

Before I could even process the situation, a voice emanated from one of the drones — a voice I knew all too well.

"Sienna! Hold on!" Al called out.

Almost instantly, the drones unleashed a barrage of missiles and plasma fire, precisely targeting the horde of zombies and the monstrous moth. Beams of intense light and miniature bombs sliced through the gloom, cutting down the undead creatures with remarkable efficiency.

Twilight Aster, holding onto a nearby pillar for support, watched the scene with a mixture of amazement and confusion. "What the heck is going on?" she gasped, her eyes darting from one drone to the next.

The oily voice chuckled, the sound resonating from all the drones in unison. "Just borrowing some of a stuffy jerk's playthings," it responded with unmistakable glee. “He was kind enough to send them my way.”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to piece things together. "Albert? Is that really you?"

"T-the one and only!" Albert's voice replied hesitantly. "I'm with Techtron. We’re hunkered down upstairs. For now."

Techtron snickered. "You make it sound like such a bad thing, kid."

“How did you wind up with Techtr-”

I cut myself off, realizing the direness of our situation wasn't the right time for a lengthy explanation. This was such an Albert move. "You know what, nevermind."

My gaze returned to the oncoming wave of zombies. They may have been slowed by the drones, but they weren't stopped. And the moth was clearly not going down that easily.

The giant moth seethed with fury and lashed out at the drones with wild abandon, its wings sending gusts of wind strong enough to stagger even me. It managed to strike several drones out of the air, but more kept coming, peppering it with laser fire. The drones worked in tandem, trying to corral the moth to one end of the platform.

A drone landed nearby, and Albert's face appeared on a small screen. "Sienna, Aster, look!"

Following his indication, we saw a larger, more robust drone hovering behind us. It was equipped with a platform large enough to carry a few people.

Albert's voice came again, now sounding both desperate and hopeful. "Get on! It's your way out!"

I hesitated for only a second, before I draped Twilight Aster over my shoulders and jumped through the air. I flailed for a moment, before regaining my balance and landing on the platform in a neat somersault. It was still strange to be this athletic — I had always been a bit awkward, underweight, and clumsy before the transformation. Now, it was as if I had acquired the agility of an Olympian gymnast overnight.

The wind whipped around, pushing my hair into my face as we began to ascend and accelerate toward a tram tunnel. I could feel the drone straining with our weight, but it held. Below us, the moth monster let out an enraged shriek, lashing out with its tail at the other drones that zipped and dodged to keep it at bay.

The sight of its massive wings and gnashing lamprey-like mandibles rapidly diminishing beneath us was both thrilling and terrifying. Twilight Aster let out a sigh of relief as we gained altitude, but our respite was short-lived.

The moth, noticing our escape, began to fly straight at us. Its eyes glowed ominously as it zeroed in on our drone, casting an eerie glow across the tunnel. Then, it extended its lamprey-like mouth, stretching out toward us.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, holding onto Twilight Aster even tighter.

"I do think I prefer the zombies," she replied with a strained laugh.

"Techtron, full speed!" I heard Albert shout.

“No can do, kid. Maneuverability down here is a bitch.”

The transport craft surged forward, flying along the tram tracks. We were leaving the horde far behind, but the moth was relentless.

A few drones sacrificed themselves, darting in front of the moth, detonating in bright, blinding flashes, halting its pursuit momentarily. The corridor echoed with the combined sounds of explosions, the moth's anguished cries, and the drone's engines.

“Conductor’s transport crafts will resonate with our aura and keep us steady,” Twilight Aster commented. “Sienna! Prepare for contact.”

The tunnel lights blurred past us, the wind whipping through my hair and causing Twilight Aster’s dress to flap wildly. The monster darted and weaved as we flew in circles in the tram tunnels, getting closer with each passing moment.

"Aster, hit it! I’ll keep you steady!" I yelled, holding onto the side of the drone.

“Starlight Magic: Starfall!”

Twilight Aster clutched her staff, summoning a burst of starlight that lashed out at the moth. It recoiled, temporarily disrupting its momentum, but it quickly regained speed as it gained on us.

“Luminary Barrier!” I shouted, immediately followed up.

But it was no use. My barrier shattered like it wasn’t even there, and it continued to chase after us.

"We need to do something!" Twilight Aster said, grim determination evident in her eyes. "At this rate, it'll catch up!"

My mind raced, trying to piece together a plan from the chaos around us, when I heard Albert shout again. “Techtron! Let me take over the controls! Optimize the swarm!”

A brief silence followed, only to be broken by Techtron's incredulous reply, "You?! Do you even know how to pilot this thing?"

"I've been watching! The controls and physics are exactly like Magical Knight: Operator Combat Ace," Albert's voice rang out desperately.

A low growl emanated from the communication device, followed by Techtron's hearty laugh. "Ha! I like ya, kid. But if you wreck it, it’s your friend’s life at stake."

“Al?!” I sputtered out. “This isn’t a game. Even if you’re on the global leaderboard, I swear if you get us killed, I’ll come back and—”

But before I could finish, the drone made a sudden turn, banking sharply and diving down in a barrel roll towards a side tunnel that forked off to the left. The sheer velocity and unexpected move made my stomach lurch. With sheer grit, I tightened my grip on the drone's platform, hoping Twilight Aster was similarly secured.

The moth, caught off guard by our sudden diversion, crashed into the wall of the main tunnel. The impact sent debris raining down behind us. I could hear its muffled shrieks echoing, but they were growing more and more distant.

"Did... did we lose it?" Twilight Aster panted, her face pale from the strain.

I looked back, trying to catch a glimpse of the moth in the dimly lit tunnels. All I could see was the cloud of dust it had kicked up from its collision.

Suddenly, a shriek rang through the tunnel. The moth burst through in a horrifying burst of blue light. It was closer than I hoped, and the realization sent my heart racing.

Twilight Aster clutched her staff with white-knuckled intensity. "We can't keep this up! It's relentless."

"Al, Techtron. Any ideas?!" I shouted.

“Techtron’s taken full control of the drone swarm again! Just hang on, there’s a shaft up ahead. We’ve opened it up to get you guys back up to Refuge Zeta’s grand concourse,” Albert rambled with both urgency and hope.

Beneath us, the swarm of drones converged, forming a storm of metal and light that engaged the moth in a furious dance. The drones fired, flanked, and tried to push the moth off our tail, forcing it to divert its trajectory, if only for a moment.

At the edge of my vision, I noticed the moth's eyes darting back and forth, reacting to the drones. Every burst of light, every flare of energy, its eyes zeroed in on with a laser focus as it cut them out of the air with its tail.

I felt the drone accelerate even more, its engines roaring as it sped through the narrow tunnel. The wind was deafening, but over the din, I could hear the moth's shrieks and the clashing of metal from the drones that fought to keep it at bay.

We were fast, but the moth was faster. Every time we gained some distance, it closed the gap. Every time the drones managed to confuse or delay it, it found us again with a renewed fervor.

“Get ready for another big turn!” Albert's voice shouted.

Twilight Aster and I exchanged a glance, gripping the sides of the drone. Ahead, I could make out a rapidly approaching intersection of tunnels.

Albert’s voice crackled over the drone’s comm again, "Hold tight!"

With a sudden jolt, the drone dipped, sending my heart into my throat. Just as suddenly, it spiraled to the right into a roll, narrowly missing the side of the tunnel, and veered into something that looked like a freight elevator shaft large enough to fit an 18-wheeler.

"Botanical Burst!"

Twilight Aster thrust her staff forward, releasing a flurry of spiked vines to obstruct the moth's path. The giant insect crashed into them, momentarily ensnared.

“Starlight Magic: Starlight Surge!”

From her staff, a barrage of purple bolts erupted, striking the moth directly in the eyes. The creature reeled back, blinded and disoriented. The upward momentum of the drone made my ears pop as we rapidly rushed up toward Refuge Zeta's grand concourse.

But our breakneck ascent was momentarily hindered as a tremor rippled through the drone, throwing me off balance. Somehow, I reflexively turned at an impossible angle, re-orienting myself.

My heart raced and I peered over the edge, my pulse pounding in my ears. The moth, recovering from Twilight Aster's onslaught, began drawing air to itself with its terrifying lamprey mouth, flapping wings to build momentum for another assault. It was then I noticed that the surrounding walls were lined with old cables and loose piping.

"Twilight Aster!" I shouted over the wind, pointing toward the cables.

“Verdant Grasp!" she shouted in acknowledgement.

A flurry of vines erupted from her staff, reaching out to the rusted cables and pipes, tugging and pulling. With a sharp clang, the old metal infrastructure broke free, forming a tangled net of heavy cables and pipes. As the moth tried to follow us, it was immediately ensnared in Twilight Aster’s makeshift trap.

Another shriek echoed through the shaft, louder and more agonizing than before. The moth thrashed wildly, its wings becoming entangled in the heavy cables, further hampering its pursuit. The moth thrashed wildly, trying to free itself from the net, but the more it struggled, the more entangled it became. The weight of the cables and pipes dragged it down, causing it to lose altitude. Its screeches of fury became distant echoes.

The shaft seemed like an endless tunnel of darkness that yawned open above us. The wind whipped furiously against us, and I could hear the distant, increasingly faint sounds of the moth as it tried to break free from Twilight Aster's trap.

As we rose, a dreadful silence enveloped us. For a brief moment, it felt as if time had slowed, and all that existed was the rush of wind, the hum of the drone beneath us, and the constant thrum of my own heartbeat.

It appeared we were safe but… something felt wrong. I was quickly learning to trust my enhanced instincts.

Albert's voice crackled in, breaking the silence. "We're almost there! Just a bit further!"

I glanced over at Twilight Aster and shook my head in warning. She gave me a smile, as if trying to convey a sense of reassurance.

Suddenly, a roar echoed below us, and with a sudden burst of speed, the moth shot up, its eyes fixated on us with a newfound rage. Its massive wings created gales that shook the drone, causing us to sway and lose balance momentarily.

The drone shook and stuttered as sparks erupted from its underside.

Our ascension started to falter, the engines' hum growing erratic and less powerful. The moth was right on our tail now, its glowing eyes mirroring the anger and determination within.

My voice barely reached over the din. "Aster! We're losing power!"

She didn’t reply vocally. Instead, her posture told it all.

She stood tall, staff at the ready, her free hand reaching out towards the moth.

“[Verdant Arts: Wall of Thorns!]”

From the shaft walls, thorny vines erupted, forming an interwoven, spiked barrier between us and the moth. The creature, taken off-guard, collided with the wall. But this time, it tore through, though not without damage. It came out the other side bleeding from numerous slashes and looking even more enraged than before.

Albert's voice crackled desperately. "I'm trying to stabilize! Can you buy more time?"

"Trying! Trying is a pretty optimistic word right now!" I shouted back, voice taut with stress.

A shudder ran through the drone. The lights on its control panel began to flicker, warning alarms echoing ominously. Glancing above, I noticed we were a few yards away from the exit. The moth was gaining quickly, its monstrous mouth wide open, ready to strike.

"Luminary Beam!” I cried desperately.

A blinding ray of light erupted from my staff, momentarily blinding the moth as it collided with its head and forcing it to recoil. This gave the drone just enough time to glide through the exit, its momentum slowing as we approached the light of the doorway above.

But just as I dared hope we might be safe, the drone gave a last sputtering cough and its engines died out. It began to plummet downwards, and the moth, sensing its prey faltering, sped up, ignoring its injuries and charging straight at us.

I huffed in surprise as I felt a hand shove roughly into my side, pushing me off the drone.

"Twilight Aster, what are you—?!"

Time seemed to slow as I spiraled away from the drone, plunging into the darkness of the shaft.

Above, I could see Twilight Aster summoning one last desperate burst of her magic as she quickly hopped off the drone. The brilliant glow enveloped the drone, causing the moth to recoil.

As the gravity threatened to pull me further down, I saw a rush of green from below, vines wrapping themselves around my waist, stopping my descent. The force of it made me gasp for air, causing me to briefly see stars.

Twilight Aster’s voice came through, ragged with exhaustion as she caught me, "We're not... dying here, Sienna!"

It all happened in an instant. But, somehow my eyes could keep up with what was happening.

“AHHHHH!”

I emptied my lungs, screaming out of reflex as the two of us were slingshotted rapidly through the air directly at the light above. We landed roughly, rolls of pain shooting through my body but the pain was overridden by adrenaline.

The moth's trajectory, already fixed on the drone, didn’t account for our sudden descent. It crashed violently into the drone’s remains, both causing a monstrous explosion that shook the building around us.

I felt a nauseating sense of vertigo as I was flung around like a ping pong ball by Aster’s vines, spinning through the air until rolling to a stop on a cool, marbled floor. I barely had the wherewithal to hear a metal door slam shut behind us.

After a moment, I raised my head, pushing off pieces of debris and metal shards. I looked around, the entire area now bathed in the red emergency lights, casting an eerie glow. I quietly cursed to myself — I numbly realized I'd dropped my staff in our chaotic escape from the tunnels.

I crawled over to Twilight Aster, who was pushing herself up, her clothes torn, face bloodied but eyes still determined.

"Are you okay?" I asked, voice trembling.

She managed a weak smile. "Believe it or not, I've had worse."

I looked around, trying to get a sense of where we were. It looked like we were in a storage room full of preserved food, medical supplies, and various equipment. A door ahead stood ajar, leading to a long hallway beyond.

“Where’s Albert? And Techtron?” My voice rasped out.

Twilight Aster took a deep breath, steadying herself, and shook her head. “I do not know. But we should regroup and find them.”

From the darkness, I thought I heard a soft scuffling sound, a whisper of something lurking just out of sight.

The sensation of being watched and hunted. I stood up, and began to walk ahead into the hallway with Twilight Aster with my eyes narrowed.

Twilight Aster touched my arm lightly, her gaze locked onto the darkness ahead. "You feel something?"

"Yeah," I replied tersely, "It's like we’re being stalked. Just like back in the control room."

But as I tried to process what was happening, another noise caught my attention — a muffled shriek from directly behind us. I twisted around as I heard a resounding clang from the freight elevator shaft, as if something was desperately trying to break through.

That wasn't our immediate concern though, because from the hallway ahead, two disembodied pairs of glowing eyes emerged, followed by another two, then three. They grew in number until the hallway was alight with a sinister glow.

I glanced at Twilight Aster, feeling the weight of the world pressing against my shoulders. The last thing I wanted was another fight, or an encounter with that ghostly figure, but we had little choice.

"Well... here we go again," I muttered in exasperation.

…Or fear.

The emotions were really blending together at this point.