"Ashes of the Unseen."

Dawn arrived with a dull gray sky, casting long shadows over the city.

Riven, Seren, and Lirian stood outside an abandoned industrial complex—the supposed location of the underground facility. The air was heavy with dust, the scent of rust lingering in the air.

"This place looks like a death trap," Lirian muttered, gripping his weapon.

Riven ignored him, his eyes scanning for an entry point. Seren worked quickly on her tablet, attempting to disable any security systems.

"Surveillance is minimal," she reported. "But that doesn't mean we're in the clear."

"Then let's move," Riven said.

They slipped inside, moving through dark corridors filled with the remnants of a forgotten past. Rusted machinery, broken glass, and collapsed beams littered the halls.

At the end of a hallway, Seren stopped abruptly. "There's a hidden access panel here," she said, kneeling beside the wall.

With a few swift movements, she overrode the system. A mechanical click echoed, and the wall slid open, revealing a passageway leading down.

"That's inviting," Lirian muttered.

Riven stepped forward first. "Stay alert."

They descended into the unknown, each step taking them deeper underground. The air grew colder, the silence almost unnatural.

At the bottom, they found themselves in a massive underground facility—dimly lit corridors stretched in all directions. The walls were lined with reinforced metal, and faint hums of energy pulsed through unseen wiring.

"This isn't abandoned," Seren whispered.

Riven motioned for silence. Footsteps echoed in the distance. Someone was here.

Moving carefully, they advanced, avoiding open spaces. As they rounded a corner, voices drifted toward them.

"They're accelerating the schedule," a gruff voice said.

"Torsen won't be happy," another voice replied.

Riven's grip on his dagger tightened. They were getting close.

Seren activated her tablet, scanning for a central database. "There's a main control room ahead," she whispered. "If we can access it, we might find out what's going on here."

Lirian cracked his knuckles. "Then let's crash the party."

As they moved forward, Riven couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The masked man's presence still lingered in his mind.

And deep down, he knew—this wasn't going to be simple.