Rune slithered deeper into the underground sewer, the stench of decay and dampness mingling with a pungent, metallic rust and an indescribable, rotting odor he had begun to associate with Vorn's "experiments." The tunnel was narrow, pitch black, illuminated only faintly by Rune's glowing red eyes and the dark crystal patches on his body. He didn't need a flashlight; his night vision was now almost perfect.
As he advanced, the space gradually opened into larger tunnels, hastily constructed from fragments of the old sewer system and crude concrete walls. Here and there, Rune saw puddles of stagnant water emitting a pale purple light – a sign of the chaotic energy that had seeped deep into the earth.
The grotesqueness began to reveal itself.
On the walls, abnormal masses of dark flesh protruded, occasionally pulsing like a heartbeat. They weren't monsters; they were part of a living, transforming architecture. Giant, dark sinews crawled across the walls and ceiling, sometimes twitching as if breathing. They resembled the blood vessels of some colossal organism, nourishing something deep within.
From cracks in the floor, strangely glowing mutated fungi sprouted, nearly head-high, releasing a flickering green pollen into the air. Rune knew that touching them could be poisonous or cause physical mutations. He carefully threaded his way through them, his agile body dodging each growth.
The sounds were the most horrifying. Faint, pathetic whimpers echoed from afar, occasionally interspersed with the shrieks of unknown creatures. Then came the clanking of metal and the rattling of chains, conjuring images of grotesque laboratories. Rune sensed the energy fluctuations of various creatures – some weak, some strong, but all bearing a deformed imprint.
As Rune delved deeper, he discovered makeshift cages constructed from wire mesh and metal bars, filled with lower-level mutants. They weren't like wild monsters; they were twisted semblances of humans, writhing and whimpering in despair. Their faces were distorted, limbs sprouted extra appendages, or skin peeled away, exposing bone. These were "test subjects" that had been mutated too far, no longer useful to Vorn, or awaiting an even more horrific fate.
Rune's gaze swept over them, devoid of pity. He understood this was the consequence of what Vorn and Seraphina had done. He couldn't save them; his mission was to stop the source of this suffering.
He continued on, reaching a tunnel intersection. One path led to fainter whimpers and a stronger smell of decay. The other led to a winding staircase ascending upwards, from which came the clang of metal and whispered conversations, mixed with the crackle of electricity and the scent of chemicals.
Rune chose the upward path. He believed Vorn wouldn't be on the lowest levels, where the failed mutants were kept. He needed to find the heart of the Dark Spire, where the greatest secrets were hidden. Every step he took brought him closer to a more terrible truth, a horror being woven from shadow and manipulation.