I heard movement behind me. Nicole, bleary-eyed but alert, crouched beside us. She clearly was listening to the conversation we were having.
"You think it's her?" she murmured.
I didn't answer.
The kid's eyes darted between us. "Do you know them?"
Nicole's lips thinned. "We might."
"I... I didn't catch their names. She never gave one. But the man… the man had a tattoo on his forearm. A veil. Black lines."
Nicole and I exchanged a look.
I stood. "Thank you for telling us. You did the right thing coming back."
He flinched. "I left them."
"You survived," I said. "That means you can help us stop them from doing it again."
He didn't respond, but the tension in his shoulders eased.
Nicole pulled me aside. "It's her. I know it is. That compulsion effect, the voice, Nadia always had that kind of pull even before the system dropped."
"And her friend?"
"If he's with her, then whoever he is... he's dangerous too. They moved like they'd done this before."
I nodded slowly. "But we don't go after them yet."
Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Because we're not ready and because there are still women missing from this kid's group. Our priority is leveling up and finding where the goblins and Nadia's team are taking their victims. We know now they're organized. We know they have a system. That's the bigger threat."
Nicole exhaled hard but didn't argue. "Fine. We do it your way. But if I get a clean lead on her, I'm not hesitating."
I met her gaze. "I wouldn't expect you to."
We turned back toward the camp. The kid, no, the survivor, was watching us.
We still don't know his name.
I stayed crouched beside him, my voice low. "What's your name?"
He hesitated, then murmured, "Eli."
"Alright, Eli," I said, steady and calm. "You're safe now. Just breathe. We'll handle the rest."
He didn't nod, but his shoulders loosened a little.
I turned away, leaving him with Liam still nearby, and started toward the others. The camp was slowly stirring; people checked their gear, shifted bedrolls, and moved about, as if the morning weighed just as much as the day before.
Time to get everyone moving.
I moved through the camp, boots crunching lightly over broken tile and scattered debris. People had begun to wake, those who weren't already up sharpening blades or checking inventory. Some sipped lukewarm water from dented bottles, others just sat still, eyes hollow from another night of survival.
Amber was standing near the makeshift supply pile, arms crossed, hair pulled back tight. She looked tired but alert. I guess she wasn't able to get much sleep.
"Everyone's up," she said when I reached her. "They're waiting on you."
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I've just been having a hard time sleeping, especially with all of this." She said, gesturing around.
I nodded once and stepped toward the center of the camp.
"All right, listen up," I said, loud enough for the dozen or so people in earshot to quiet. "Today, we push harder. We finish clearing the third, fourth, and fifth floors. I want each team to bring back loot, level up, and track goblin activity. No one moves alone."
"We don't know where the main goblin force is nesting yet, but my guess is on the first floor. We'll clear the upper floors so nothing surprises us from behind. From Eli, the young man I rescued last night, it seems like we have an unknown enemy, and they aren't goblins. If you encounter any survivors, proceed with caution. Also, keep a look out for any satanic rituals or markings, this can be a clue from the goblins or hopefully not another cult."
Whispers passed between a few groups. I ignored them.
"Fourth floor is already cleared, but we still need supplies, so loot anything and everything useful. There is a barricade on that floor, so you can try to find an opening to get to the other side, or you can break it down. Either way, I want to know what is on the other side of it," I continued. "Third floor's halfway done too, thanks to Liam, who went last night. That gives us work to do. We stick to teams. Watch your flanks. And if you find any signs of more survivors, or where these women are being taken, you report immediately."
Karen stepped forward, eyes hard. "And if we find goblins?"
"You kill them," I said simply. "Unless they run. Then you follow, quietly. We need to find their base."
A beat of silence followed before Logan gave a short nod from where he stood, sharpening his blade. Nicole joined me at my side, glancing over the map we'd scratched onto a folded tabletop.
"We'll need all teams for the sweep," she murmured.
"You'll finish the third floor," I said, not really asking. "Mitch's group takes the Fifth, and my group will take this floor, and Logan's team takes the Fourth. I'll start preparing for the first-floor breach once we've cleared the upper levels."
Nicole glanced at me. "You're not going down alone."
"No. But I'll scout early. When we're ready, we take it together."
She gave a sharp nod. Then, softer, she added, "You sure about putting Eli on the bench?"
"He's not ready." I looked over my shoulder at where he sat, knees pulled close again, face pale and unreadable. "Let him breathe. If he wants to fight, we'll arm him. If not, he survives. That's enough for me."
"And if not?"
"Then he stays put," I said. "He survived. That's enough, for now."
Nicole didn't argue. She just called for her team to start prepping while I walked toward the gear pile, mind already calculating our next moves.
Before I could head back to the gear pile, Marco approached, fully geared and flanked by his team. His expression was hard, resolved.
"I'm taking my team to the first floor," he said.
I blinked. "What?"
"We're going to clear the dungeon. All of it. If the goblins have a base, it's down there. That's where they took my daughter."
I glanced at his group, tired, underleveled, tense but loyal. He'd armed them like they were preparing for a final stand.
"You're not ready," I said. "None of us are. You go down there now with all that noise and light, and they'll bury you before you take two steps. You'll lead them right back to us."
"I don't care," he snapped. "We've wasted too much time already. You want to sit here and plan while people are dragged off to god-knows-where? Fine. But I'm done waiting. My daughter's in that hellhole, and I'll burn it to the ground if I have to."
"You have no idea how many are down there. You're thinking like a father, not a leader. We all need to level up; that's why I am having my group clear the whole mall. By then, we should be better prepared for the first floor."
He didn't even flinch. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm both."
I stepped forward, voice low. "You rush in now, you're gambling all their lives."
He glanced at his team behind him. "They already chose to come with me. We clear the dungeon, track her down, and if she's not there, we find out where they dragged her. We aren't cowards like some people."
Nothing I said would stop him. His mind was already in the fight.
I'd seen that kind of resolve before. The kind that got people killed.
Jasper, of course, couldn't leave without parting words. He stepped forward with a self-important smirk.
"When this is over," he said, "I'm arresting you and your whole crew. Obstruction, unauthorized leadership, endangerment, you name it." He said in a mocking voice.
I didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
He scoffed, then followed Marco into the stairwell.
Too loud. Too confident. Too desperate.
They may be able to take down some of the goblins, but I don't think they will make it out alive.
I just hoped they'd survive long enough to find his daughter and the other women.