Tomas smiled hearing Hao Xuan's warning, "How can I help you, stranger?"
Hearing the calmness in his voice, Hao Xuan couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He tightened the grip around the sword in his right hand, ready to lash out at a moment's notice.
Hao Xuan gathered his thoughts for a second before asking the first question.
"What is this place?"
Tomas chuckled, "It is a way for sinners to redeem themselves. And for the weak to survive."
His cryptic answer only confused and angered Hao Xuan more.
"Don't speak in riddles, I don't have time to play with you. One more answer like this and you will lose your head. Now, last chance, answer the question."
Tomas gently shook his head.
"Youngsters are always in a hurry," he mumbled before continuing, "As I said before, all the people here are either criminals atoning for their sins or those too weak to survive on their own. They are just being put to use."
"Put to use?! Is that what's happening out there?" Hao Xuan shouted in a moment of anger. There were dead bodies lining the entire pit and children being used for manual labor. How was that considered okay?
Yet in complete contrast to the rising tone of Hao Xuan's voice, Tomas replied in the same gentle manner as before.
"Then what would you have us do? Let them go? Where? Most of them would die within days if not sooner and others would end up causing more unrest and chaos. The criminals were sent to us by their own leaders and the rest came to us asking for help."
"You yourself are a cultivator so you should know we don't really need them here. Only because of people like me that convinced the Princes to make use of them that they were allowed to enter this place. This way, most of them get to live, if even for a day longer. They get to have a warm meal and a roof above their head, and the peace of mind knowing that what's out there won't get to them in here."
Tomas spoke for a couple of minutes straight, more than happy to explain everything to Hao Xuan.
Hao Xuan on the other hand recalled the strange behavior of the natives. Although some of them were chained, most were walking around freely. Their conditions were obviously horrible but Tomas did have a point.
Not to mention he could feel the determination in Tomas's voice. Even if what he was saying wasn't true, at least he himself truly believed it was.
Not intending to argue with him any longer, Hao Xuan was about to ask the next question when the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Hao Xuan moved away from the window, pointing the blade towards Tomas.
"Say anything strange and both of you will die," he warned in a hushed voice.
*Knock*Knock*Knock*
"Sire, it is time for dinner. I heard voices, how many plates should I prepare?"
The voice belonged to a female, probably a servant. Tomas glanced in Hao Xuan's direction before answering.
"Just the usual, lass, I was just praying. Bring it in half an hour, I should be hungry then."
"Alright!" she answered half-heartedly and went back the same way at the exact same pace.
Hao Xuan peeked through the window, looking in her direction for any strange movements until she disappeared from view. Either both of them were great actors or there really was nothing going on.
Hao Xuan moved back towards the chair and sat down, much more alert than before. Most of his attention was focused on the outside. Even one unexpected sound and he would be out of here.
"Keep your voice low and answer quickly and concisely. What do you know about the door leading into the ground?" not intending on wasting any more time, Hao Xuan cut to the chase.
Tomas shook his head straight away, still staring at the painting.
"Nothing. We were only told to clear the way, nothing else. Oh, and to report anything strange that was found during the excavation."
"And did you? Find anything strange?" Hao Xuan asked half-heartedly while staring out the window.
"Yes, and….no," Tomas answered. For the first time since the start of their interaction, Hao Xuan picked up a hint of fear in his voice.
"Explain."
Tomas went quit for a few seconds before answering.
"We didn't find anything down there, but a few strange things started happening up here…"
"Like?"
"People dying."
"Did you not see how they live? It's a miracle any of them are alive at all," Hao Xuan retorted with a sneer.
Tomas shook his head, "It didn't always use to be like this. It all started a few days ago. One of the locals went crazy and set fire to rations, burning most of the food we had gathered."
"The next day another person killed his entire family before committing suicide. The last and the most recent incident happened two days ago when a young girl started having nightmares, waking up at random hours with blood-curdling screams. She had almost lost her mind when her father brought her to me."
Hao Xuan recalled the scene of the native man thanking Tomas outside the settlement for saving his family.
"Was that her father outside earlier?"
Tomas nodded quietly.
"So she survived then?" Hao Xuan asked, a little curious now. A short bout of silence followed before Tomas answered.
"….No."
"But that man was thanking you…"
"He doesn't know. I told him she is fine, that I sent her to a healer somewhere far away but she died the same night after attacking one of the guards that was on duty. A few hours later the guard committed suicide as well. I kept all of it hidden to not cause panic but…"
Tomas didn't need to finish his sentence.
Perhaps what Hao Xuan feared had already come to pass. Maybe whatever thing that was in the prison had already escaped.
"Is there any proof of the incident? Audio or video?"
Tomas didn't even expect Hao Xuan to believe him let alone ask for a record of the incident so he was more than happy to oblige. He tapped on his spirit band and a popup appeared in front of Hao Xuan's eyes.
It was a video file.
"I recorded this myself to study later. This was about 15 hours since she first started having nightmares."
'Play' Hao Xuan commanded internally and the video started playing in front of his left eye.
The video started off fine, as clear as crystal.
It showed Tomas walking towards a cabin similar to the one they were in right now. It was night out and pretty dark from the looks of it.
As Tomas got close, screams could be heard from the outside but it didn't sound like they were coming from a girl, let alone a child.
The voice was thick, husky and masculine, shouting something in a strange language.
Hao Xuan's brow slowly furrowed.. It felt like he had heard the language before but he couldn't remember exactly what it was.
