When we finally went through a narrower corridor than the previous ones, I realized that we had reached the bottom. A gigantic door loomed in front of us, at least ten feet high, composed of a structure of reinforced black iron, mixed with beast bones and shards of dark crystal that slowly turned and embedded in its surface. Ancient runes ran along its edges, written in a language I vaguely recognized: life.

-It can’t be," Aziel whispered, as Erwing studied the frame without touching it.

-This was not built by some rebellious alchemist," Erwing added in a deep voice. This... this is the work of a necromancer.

We opened the door with great care. There was no visible lock, but at the touch of our presence, the runes glowed briefly and the metal melted like mist. As soon as we took a step inside, a surge of energy whipped through our chests like a gale. The atmosphere was charged, heavy as molten lead.

The room was immense, vaulted, and the roof above us was built of adamantine, around it were small crystals that faintly illuminated the surroundings. The air was charged with a sour smell.

And there, in the center of the enclosure, chained with black shackles as thick as a century-old tree, lay a creature that made my skin crawl and my soul shrink from the sheer reflex of fear. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A chimera.

Its main body was that of a hulking lion, but devoid of fur, its skin was torn in multiple places, showing exposed muscle, protruding bony plates and throbbing black veins. Instead of a mane, it resembled sharp spikes sprouting a viscous liquid.

The head emerging from its neck was not that of an animal, but of a human being... or something that once was. It had grotesquely distorted features: a jaw split in two, with rows of irregular fangs; multiple eyes, chaotically distributed across its forehead and cheeks, covered by semi-translucent eyelids that opened and closed asynchronously. Some wept a greenish liquid. Others did not blink, they simply watched.

From its back emerged two membranous wings like those of a bat, but broken, with holes and claw marks. Each of the movements of its torn limbs raised gusts of black dust, like living ash. Like an attached parasite, hung a long, scaly tail: a living snake with glowing eyes and a toothy mouth that hissed with a fury of its own, as if it had a separate consciousness. Under its belly rested a magical teleportation device similar to the one that had brought me here.

The creature stirred slowly, as if partially sedated or restrained by some kind of drug. Even so, the ground trembled with each of its spasms. Its claws scraped the earthenware in its unconscious movements, leaving deep grooves on the stone. The energy emanating from his body was very chaotic, dark and twisted, as if his entire existence was a blasphemy forcibly woven with alchemy.

It was not simply a chimera.

It was an aberration designed with meticulous cruelty, an amalgam of species, souls and corrupted magic. A failed experiment. Or perhaps... a living offering.

I felt something inside me crack as I gazed upon her. Not only because of its appearance, but because of the growing certainty that this creature had been built with the flesh and blood of thousands of innocents, unwittingly taking a step back.

-Damn them," said Erwing, pale. Alchemy, necromancy, summoning... how did they manage to create such a thing undetected?

-They didn’t create it... they brought it," said Aziel, his eyes fixed on the monster.

Around the being, eight magical pillars formed a circle. Each contained a different gemstone, fed by a constant flow of energy down from the ceiling through enchanted pipes. I watched in horror as several of these pipes were connected to the previous rooms we had walked through: to the laboratories, to the incubators... even to the children’s room.

They were using that whole system to keep this thing alive. Feeding it.

-This is not just a laboratory," I said at last, my voice trembling. It’s a shrine. A nest. They’re cultivating demonic energy... and they plan to release it, who knows how many more of these things there will be.

Erwing frowned and approached one of the pillars. His fingers danced over the runes quickly, and soon his expression hardened.

-They’re not just planning to release him. They’re waiting for a precise moment to strike.

Aziel clenched his fists.

-Then we don’t have time. We have to find cyan quickly.

He knew he was right. This was not a failed experiment. It was a preparation. A slow, meticulous, covert summoning under the nose of the academy itself.

And if we didn’t do something soon, it would all fall under the shadows.

We stared at each other for a few seconds; there was no need to talk: the three of us had seen the teleportation circle we needed, right below that aberration. Although I don’t usually curse, our luck today had been terrible. To get out of that place, we had to get close enough to activate it... without being detected by the chimera.

Fortunately she was still motionless, lethargic, her heavy breathing echoing throughout the room. Some kind of sedative or spell must have been holding her back... for now. And that "for now" was the only advantage we had. We couldn’t risk fighting with it and alert the person who kidnapped cyan. The best thing to do would be to transport without provoking her. If something went wrong, there would be no second chance.

We walked with extreme care, slowing our breathing, stepping lightly. The air felt heavier. Soon we saw more closely the runic circle glowing faintly under the creature’s belly, traced with ancient symbols that pulsed with a bluish light, barely visible.

We moved just enough. With trembling fingers, I reached out and channeled a small stream of mana into the runes. The etchings began to respond, slowly lighting up like embers ignited by the wind.

Suddenly we heard it.

A dry, violent hiss. Like a warning.

The snake tail characteristic of this chimera, rose with unnatural speed, its jaws open, lunging towards us like a living whip. We had no time to think. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

-Watch out! -I shouted.