Instead of taking the route above ground, you know of a way below ground. It'll probably be hell on your psyche, but you'd do anything to just be allowed to go home right now. You direct your team to the side of the city. The perimeter is roughly box shaped, but with a couple of edges jutting out. You appreciate that the sands allow you to run as much as you need without getting tired. You eventually make it to a door. Like all the secrets in Synth City, it's locked behind a hand reader. You try it... it accepts for your hand. "Guess they still miss you", remarks Mako. "It's a one way street, unfortunately." The door opens into a dark, damp tunnel, just big enough for everyone to fit in. Like the backstage hallways of a play. Water pools in puddles on occasion, with some moss growing - the only signs of life you've seen since you departed from the school. You hear the occasional dripping of water, as well as fires and rebellion raging outside. You are given light only by an occasional hanging lightbulb. You all step inside. Your head hurts, but you're starting to remember how to navigate this strange space. It's almost liminal, though the aura outside still keeps you sane. The mage has a question. "What was the purpose of the passageways?" "Transportation outside the public eye, I think." You're gripping your head, trying not to get too deep into your memories. "It was useful for... cadavers." You try not to think too hard about what kinds of cadavers, or cadavers in general. You haven't felt the urge to actually kill in aeons, but it still wracks your head. You hear a soft crying from around the corner. It sounds... familiar? The voice is deep, like... Mako makes the observation for you. "Is that Velvet?" "Certainly sounds like it.", you remark. "We should see what's going on." You continue forwards before taking a left. There, inside a single cage, dimly lit, inside a small opening, is your old leader, Velvet. Their lavender hair is drooped down on the concrete floor, and they only have a bed and a desk to their name. Cautiously, you approach first. "Vel? Are you okay?" Velvet bangs on the metal bars. "You... of course it's *you*. Ika, you're a damn traitor. You abandoned me, and then when you invited me back, you left me to rot, *alone*." Their tears speak louder than words. You take a breath, sitting down on the hard floor. It's a little damp, but you've dealt with worse. "We didn't want to abandon you, Velvet. We tried calling you when we departed today, but you didn't answer." Velvet raises their arms in the air. "Oh, it's 'we', is it? *NO!* It's you! It's you! You imbecile! You said we set out in *three* days, and you weren't there! I went in myself, and got caught." "I said we would set out in four days, Vel.", you explain, matter of factly. Velvet starts to laugh. A lot. It's almost maniacal. "You must feel Deja Vu right now, Ika. Another one of your mistakes gone horribly wrong. That's what you think of yourself, right? Just a series of Mistakes?" Velvet gets up from the floor, holding the bars, almost taking on a primal state, their limbs twitching, slightly convulsing. "That's *all* you'll ever be. You'll *never* be able to be rid of your past. You're just another one of her old cronies, stuck with war terrors! Am I right? I got that right, didn't I?" You take a step back, and as if you knew it would happen, your partner holds you in your hands, against her body. She lashes out for you, as you stay silent. "What is *wrong* with you, Velvet?! We *just* got here, and you're being pretty mean against the best girl I know." Velvet doesn't seem to be themselves. In fact, their demeanor seems to grow every twisted, as their body seems to fracture, shatter, break, revealing a black goop underneath. When everything is dissolved, I only have one eye, staring directly into your soul, on an otherwise amorphous mass. You squint at me. I look familiar. Was I the shadow from the mountain? Or was I something else? Am I *you*? Everyone's panicking. You're the only one with a calm state of mind. ### -> [[Engage]] me in combat ### -> [[Run]] for your lives ### -> Attempt [[Negotiation]]