Into the Abyss: The Rise of the Malevolent Player

Chapter 6: A Dangerous Gamble

Aiden’s POV

"Don’t do it, Aiden."

Zane’s voice buzzed in my ear, sharp and commanding. He sounded like the leader I knew him to be, but his words grated against the turmoil in my head. Seraph Kain stood across the room, his armored hand clamped on Kara’s arm, her face twisted in barely concealed fury.

"I don’t need a lecture right now, Zane," I muttered, keeping my voice low.

"You’re not thinking clearly. Trading her for that key? It’s exactly what Malrik wants. Don’t play into his hands," Zane continued, his tone edged with urgency.

I clenched my jaw, my eyes locked on Seraph. He was too calm, too in control, and that made my skin crawl.

"What’s it gonna be, Cross?" Seraph asked, tilting his head mockingly. "Tick-tock."

Kara’s gaze darted to me, a mixture of defiance and fear in her expression. "Aiden, don’t you dare," she hissed. "You trade me, and I’ll make your life a living hell. If I survive."

I smirked despite myself. That was Kara—always spitting venom, even with a knife to her throat.

But the truth was, I didn’t have a lot of options.

"You’re wasting my time," Seraph said, his grip tightening on Kara’s arm. She winced, but her glare never wavered. "The key for her life. Final offer."

I took a deep breath, weighing my choices. The key to Rhea Valen wasn’t just a piece of code—it was the only lead I had to Mila, to answers. But giving it up meant trusting Malrik wouldn’t just burn us all to the ground anyway.

And then there were the glitches.

My HUD had been flickering ever since we left the Crimson Hand stronghold. Words and symbols appeared and disappeared like ghostly whispers. Coordinates. Names. Snippets of code I couldn’t make sense of. Someone—or something—was messing with me, and it felt intentional.

"Alright," I said finally, lowering my weapon. "You win."

"Aiden, no!" Zane’s voice roared in my earpiece, but I muted him before he could say anything else.

Seraph’s smile widened. "Smart choice."

I stepped forward, reaching into my inventory and pulling out the data shard I’d swiped from the stronghold. It shimmered faintly in my hand, containing everything I’d risked my life to find.

"Let her go first," I said, keeping my tone steady. "Then you get the key."

Seraph chuckled, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Do I look stupid to you?"

"Honestly? Yes," Kara snapped.

He jerked her arm roughly, making her grimace. "You’ve got five seconds to hand it over, Cross, or I start breaking bones."

I hesitated, my mind racing. If I handed over the shard, I’d lose everything. But if I didn’t…

"Fine," I said, extending the shard. As Seraph reached for it, I flicked my wrist, sending it skittering across the floor.

"Oops," I said dryly.

His eyes narrowed. "You think this is a game?"

"Isn’t it?"

The moment his attention wavered, I moved. Lunging forward, I grabbed Kara’s arm and yanked her away from him. She stumbled but kept her balance, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Run!" I shouted, shoving her toward the exit.

But before we could get far, Seraph raised his hand. A pulse of red light erupted from his gauntlet, slamming into the walls and ceiling. The room shook violently, debris raining down around us.

"You really shouldn’t have done that," he said, his voice echoing unnaturally.

The floor beneath us cracked, and suddenly we were falling.

I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Kara landed beside me with a grunt, coughing as dust filled the air.

"What the hell just happened?" she demanded, her voice sharp and panicked.

I groaned, pushing myself to my feet. "Seraph happened. And we’re in deep shit."

The room we’d fallen into was some kind of underground labyrinth, its walls made of jagged black stone that seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive. The air was heavy, oppressive, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear the faint hum of machinery.

"Great," Kara muttered, brushing dirt off her jacket. "Trapped in a collapsing death maze. Exactly how I wanted to spend my evening."

"Stay close," I said, ignoring her sarcasm. "We need to find a way out before—"

A faint noise interrupted me—a rhythmic clicking sound, growing louder.

Kara froze. "What’s that?"

I didn’t answer. Instead, I raised my weapon, scanning the shadows. The sound grew closer, accompanied by the faint glow of red lights.

"Crimson Hand operatives," I said grimly. "He sent them after us."

Kara swore under her breath. "How many?"

"Does it matter?" I said, gripping my weapon tighter. "We fight, or we die."

She nodded, pulling out her own weapon. "Let’s make it their problem."

The operatives moved with precision, their armor blending into the shadows as they advanced. But I’d fought their kind before—I knew their tactics.

The first one appeared around a corner, his rifle raised. I fired before he could react, the shot hitting him square in the chest. He crumpled, but two more took his place.

Kara was at my side, her movements quick and calculated. She fired a series of shots, taking down one operative and forcing another to retreat.

"We can’t hold them off forever," she said, her voice tight with strain.

"We won’t have to," I replied, my gaze darting around the room. My HUD flickered again, more code flashing across my vision. And then I saw it—a faint marker on the map, indicating a hidden passage.

"This way," I said, grabbing Kara’s arm and pulling her toward the marker.

"You better know what you’re doing," she muttered, but she didn’t resist.

We ran through the twisting corridors, the sound of footsteps and gunfire echoing behind us. The walls seemed to close in, the air growing colder and heavier with each step.

And then we saw it—a door, faintly glowing with the same red light as the labyrinth.

"That’s our way out," I said.

But before we could reach it, Seraph’s voice echoed through the chamber, cold and mocking.

"You’ve come far, Cross. But you’re still just a pawn."

A hologram of Malrik appeared beside the door, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Walking into my design," he said, his voice chilling. "Exactly as I planned."

The ground beneath us began to shake again, and I knew we were out of time.