Avocadalia's Las Hope

10.ROOM

"He said ‘the ROOM,’" Ron whispered urgently.

"Yes, that’s what it seems. Lower your voice, or they’ll find us," Alita responded, quickly covering her friend’s mouth with her hand.

"So this is the ROOM… Then we were wrong; it wasn’t the dungeon," Paltio reflected, looking around with concern.

"It appears so, Master," Mok added, nodding slightly.

"But what are they doing to those people with that machine?" Alita asked, horrified by the screams of pain they heard.

"They’re despicable for making people suffer like this… And now they’re electrocuting them just to wake them up. They’re merciless," Paltio said helplessly from their hiding spot, watching as the cruel scientist unleashed his brutality without restraint.

"His name is Meloc," Toco-Toco interjected, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Do you know him?" Paltio asked, surprised.

"No, but I can hear everything. Remember, I have excellent hearing," the feline replied proudly.

The scientist, still standing in front of the cells, continued speaking in an arrogant tone:

"I, the great Meloc, chief scientist of the Blue Shadow navy, am responsible for correcting your behavior and making you more obedient to Lord Tertrol, while using your magic for our master’s benefit. Get up, fools!" he shouted, electrocuting the cells again.

"Line up, all of you! I’ll conduct an inspection, and I’m not leaving until you tell me who did it," Meloc threatened with a cruel smile.

"It wasn’t us, believe us!" several prisoners shouted from the cells.

"Silence!" Meloc ordered. Then he turned to his two guards: "Take them out one by one and put these on them."

The guards, armed with swords, began pulling the prisoners out one by one and placing collars around their necks. Children, young people, adults, and elders—no one was spared.

Once they finished, they lined everyone up in rows. Meloc approached again and said:

"Alright, who was it? I expect an answer. I won’t tolerate a ‘no’ as a response."

"But it wasn’t us!" some prisoners responded.

At that moment, the collars activated, sending an electric current similar to the one used in the cells, causing everyone to writhe in pain.

"I think they need more discipline," Meloc commented coldly. "Here in ‘the ROOM,’ we make people upright and loyal to Lord Tertrol. You all know why you’re here: for disrespecting my lord. The others are in the dungeons, doing forced labor for my lord."

Meloc let out a small, mocking laugh. He was a short man, rat-faced, dressed in a lab coat, and barely taller than Paltio.

"Look! There’s the girl who was at the palace!" Alita exclaimed, pointing to a familiar figure in the distance.

"Yes, it’s her," Ron confirmed, squinting with contained rage. "These bastards will pay for this," the boy muttered, clenching his fists tightly.

"I can’t keep watching this anymore," Paltio murmured through gritted teeth, seething with restrained fury. He wanted to rush out and finish off the scientist and his two guards, but Mok stopped him, firmly placing a hand on his chest.

"Calm down, Prince," Mok said calmly, resting a hand on Paltio’s shoulder. "We’ll find a way to free them. But we can’t act rashly; remember, we’re in enemy territory. One call, and we’ll have all the Blue Shadows on us. They’ll separate us from you, Master, and then force you to continue the journey alone."

Mok spoke seriously, trying to make the prince understand the gravity of the situation. His tone was firm yet respectful, attempting to calm the contained anger burning in Paltio’s eyes.

"We need to think calmly and see what we can do," Mok added, trying to calm the situation.

Alita and Ron were also upset by what they were witnessing. Ron, thoughtful, suggested:

"Hey, Toco-Toco, since you’re so fast… Can’t you knock them out and save these people?"

"If I could, but what does my lord Golden say?" the feline replied, glancing toward Golden’s hologram.

"It’s a bit risky. I don’t know what other things might be behind that door; there could be an alarm or something similar," Golden cautioned carefully.

Meanwhile, the group continued debating how to get the people out of that place.

Pax was communicating with Tejod through a mirror that the Red Shadow lord had given him for emergencies, though he had already sent a firebird as a warning earlier. A light emerged from the mirror, projecting a hologram of Tejod.

"Pax, my loyal soldier, why are you calling me so late? Did you find the piece? And where is the prince and his butler?" Tejod asked seriously.

"Well, sir, I’m in Hassdalia, where Tertrol acts as regent… although it seems he thinks this place is his palace," Pax replied, adjusting his helmet.

"I see. That man always has delusions of grandeur. Go on," Tejod said impatiently, gesturing for Pax to continue.

"Alright, sir. As for the prince, he’s resting below. Tertrol sent us to fetch an Oboros claw."

"That fool can’t send the boy after that monster! If he dies, I won’t get my reward, and our god will be furious!" Tejod exclaimed, visibly irritated.

"I know, sir," Pax responded calmly.

"That useless Tertrol… He’ll see what awaits him. But tell me, how are you still alive?" Tejod asked, intrigued.

"Well, sir, I’m not sure how to explain it exactly, but we defeated the monster—or rather, its creation—and obtained what the Blue Shadow lord requested. We’ll begin searching for the piece tomorrow."

"Interesting… Why would Tertrol want the Oboros claw? Aside from it being durable…" Tejod stroked his chin thoughtfully, suspicion flickering across his face. His mind began racing, more concerned about this detail than about how they had survived and defeated the monster. He sensed that something was being plotted behind his back, something he couldn’t quite decipher. "I’ll call that useless man and see what he’s up to," he muttered finally, making a decision.

With a firm gesture, he added:

"Thank you for the information; I await your report," he said before cutting off the communication, leaving Pax with an uncomfortable feeling that perhaps he hadn’t revealed enough.

"Wait, sir!" Pax interrupted quickly before the hologram disappeared.

"What is it?" Tejod asked, halting the closure of the connection.

"I just wanted to request a bit more powder to make blue fire. Could you send some?"

"Yes, yes, I’ll send it via firebird. Until next time. I expect better news then," Tejod added before vanishing from the hologram.

"Yes, sir," Pax replied just as the communication cut off.

After ending the call, Pax removed his helmet, letting long red hair cascade down his back. He then shed his armor and collapsed onto the bed, covering his face with a pillow.

"Why didn’t I tell him about Paltio and his power?" he muttered to himself, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Am I getting used to him and his team? Or maybe this kid has the potential to defeat the shadows… That’s why I stayed silent. Well, thankfully, he didn’t ask for more."

As he reflected, Pax was completely unaware that Paltio and the others were no longer in the house.

Meanwhile, at the location where Paltio and his friends were hiding:

"Alright," Toco-Toco said, "I’ll go investigate."

In an instant, the feline vanished as he had done before. He scaled the walls rapidly, moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. Upon reaching the door, he slipped inside and discovered a corridor. It led to another door, which, when opened, revealed a sandy expanse. Observing the distant walls, Toco-Toco realized he was on the outskirts of the Hassdalia realm.

He returned swiftly to where the others were waiting. It seemed as though no time had passed, given how fast the cat was. He arrived just as the group continued watching the mad scientist Meloc at work.

"There’s good news," Toco-Toco announced.

"Good, share them with everyone," Golden instructed.

"Beyond this corridor, if we climb up and exit, we’ll reach the outskirts of the palace grounds. This would be ideal for leading these people away from this problem. Plus, there are no guards outside—just those two brutes accompanying Meloc."

"Then we can take them out!" Ron interrupted enthusiastically.

"Can we?" Alita asked, doubtful.

"Well, Mok can," Ron responded, shrugging.

"Then it’s decided. Let’s take them down and free the people!" Paltio declared, determination gleaming in his eyes.