The Dawn of the New World

But before they could bring this plan to life, the second barbarian that had been complaining about hearing noises also disappeared from under constant guard.

When Hao Xuan and Burak found out they went straight to his living space to question the barbarian that was supposed to be guarding him who said that he just went to relieve himself and disappeared even though they were barely two meters apart.

The strangest part was that he had disappeared from a closed-off tunnel, it was a dead-end with the only way out being watched.

Thinking they might have missed something, Hao Xuan went to check himself but found everything as they had said. There was no hole, no hidden openings, not even so much as a crack in the wall. There was just a small puddle of smelly liquid on the ground, more than enough proof that he was at least here.

'Is it really them again? But there are no mirrors or any reflective surfaces, how did they find us?' Hao Xuan inwardly pondered.

After trying everything he could think off and even asking for Baracus's help, Hao Xuan still found nothing. Having exhausted all other avenues, he instead looked to the outside again, towards the decayed structures that littered near the entrance.

It should have been a mining town used to house the people that worked within the mines but most of the structures were in pieces, worn out from the long exposure and with no one to upkeep, it was the only natural outcome.

He searched through one building after another but there was almost nothing left. Barely any signs of someone once living there. That is until he reached the largest structure. It was twice as big as all the others and from the looks of it looked there was an office here at some point.

The insides were relatively well preserved but nothing that would help him right now. When he had all but given up and was about to take his leave, Hao Xuan noticed something odd.

His footsteps sounded different in one of the rooms. It was barely audible to a normal person but to him the difference was like day and night. He could feel the vibrations ricocheting from within the floor.

After a cursory examination he found the hidden door leading to the basement that was filled multiple cabinets all containing numerous files and folders.

With Baracus's help he managed to translate the language which was most commonly used amongst the space dwelling nomad tribes that moved from one place to another harvesting resources.

And as such, it was very simple and to the point. It was all properly categorized according to the date so without wasting any time he went straight to the very last entry.

The person that wrote this must have been under quite a lot of stress since the writing and wording was all over the place. It read more like a personal diary than a factual representation of recent events.

He read the last few pages that held just a couple of lines each.

"Another one. This makes it the 37th man in as many days, there is not many of us left now. Nothing is working. The whispers chose a new one every night and by the daylight, they are all gone. It is madness."

"NO ONE IS COMING! NO ONE! No matter who we try to reach, nobody is answering. What happened to the city? Are we all going to die down here?"

"I think I know what is happening. I saw Jorkovich walk into the darkness and 'it' embraced him with open arms and then...and then...it "became" him. What...have we done?"

The last entry read: "This is all because of our greed, we shouldn't have come here. We delved too far and too deep, and woke something in the darkness. It is not a place meant for humans. The others say it is the underworld. It twists and turns, calling to me, inviting me to come closer by the minute. It is my time now, and I know what must be done."

Unlike all the other entries Hao Xuan had read, the last one was much more steady and coherent and from the sound of it, there really was something down there.

He ran back to the mine but did not find anyone there. They had all left together to look for the lost ones. They had thought there would be safety in numbers but Hao Xuan did not believe that would be the case.

**

Back in the present, Hao Xuan opened his eyes again as the sun's light finally vanished behind the dreary forest.

He exhaled, seeing the trail of vapor escaping from his mouth. Mere seconds and the temperature had fallen by so much.

He turned towards Tasgall and smiled, forcing him take a few quick steps back.

"You know the deal. Quick and silent, nothing too loud.. I want to stretch before that motherfucker comes calling again."