"Finally!" thought the Inquisitor as he watched the explorer return.

The musty stench of those buried, damp corridors was beginning to test his already waning patience.

"Your Excellency! It was... It was terrible! By the holy light..." The man spoke, gasping. He was pale, trembling, his eyes darting frantically in every direction. The Inquisitor repressed his disgust at such a lack of willpower. He wondered if he should tolerate the presence of this coward, then reminded himself that he still needed to gather more clues from the explorer. "Calm down, my son," he said firmly, raising his hand. "Now, speak clearly. Did you follow the fugitive? Where is he?" "I... I did, your excellency. He was easy to follow..." "Of course he was... I interrogated him myself," thought the Inquisitor, on the verge of losing patience. Then, with a stern and imperious voice, he asked again, "So, where is the fugitive?"

"He's in the large room ahead, the one after the statue with three pupils. Your Excellency was right; he ran to his companions as soon as he freed him."The Inquisitor pressed, "Was the summoner with them?" The explorer swallowed hard, scratching his arm nervously with dirty nails. He nodded. An imperceptible smile crept onto the Inquisitor's stern face. "Perfect!" he exclaimed with a grimace. "You did well, my son. Your wife will be released as soon as we return to the surface." "Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you!" The man prostrated himself before the Inquisitor, his head bowing to the ground."Ermenerich!" the Inquisitor shouted. "Prepare your men and torches! We will burn those vile apostates and their idols! This world will be cleansed of their repugnant presence."

The Inquisitor's order was directed at an imposing knight who stood nearby, patiently. The armored man nodded slightly, acknowledging the Inquisitor's command. His cold metal armor clinked as he moved, adorned with sacred symbols and relics hanging from his right side, while a massive two-handed sword was sheathed on his left.The knight then signaled to a group of sturdy men. They were mostly peasants, armed only with makeshift weapons and a hatred for the unknown. If the Inquisitor had his way, each of them would be burned at the stake for one sin or another, but now he needed pawns to sacrifice in the impending confrontation.A terrible scream and a bloody, guttural crunch echoed in the distance from the dark depths of the Temple."Your Excellency, you mustn't go in there! It's terrible! It's so terrible! Too dangerous!" The explorer whimpered, curling up in a corner. The Inquisitor turned to him, a sinister expression on his face. "Are you insinuating that an envoy of the holy Inquisition is not worthy of eradicating those sinners? Remember, peasant, your usefulness has run its course. You'd do well to hold your tongue if you don't want it ripped out!"With that, he rushed forward with his knights, the mob, and the torches that illuminated the stairs leading deep into the abyss.

When the explorer was left alone, he looked around and slowly got up. A shadow patiently awaited in the darkness. The man approached it and whispered, "Tell the master they are coming."