The Orion Project (Rewrite) (indefinite hiatus)

Chapter 43

The next floor wasn't any better than the last. More Chimera corpses had been splayed out, each room seemingly used as a test room for different spells. Floors twelve through fourteen were covered in water, earth, ice, and remnants of wind like attacks dotted the wall.

Floors fifteen through seventeen were practically destroyed from fire, lightning, and shadows. Every time they stumbled upon another corpse, the age would show on how long it had been there. Some seemed fresh while others were so decomposed that the bones were showing.

"Only a few more floors it seems." Eune nodded. "What do you think we'll find on the last few?"

"I hope it's nothing like what we've seen." Alyssa shuddered. "I'm going to take so showers when we get back! Ugh."

"What....what element is she specialized in?" Lucas asked.

"She's a multi-element user." Alyssa said. "But I never knew she could use so many."

"But how?" Rose questioned. "No human has ever been specialized in more than three elements. Any more usually heavily disabled them, or they outright die from the strain of them all."

"I don't know! I was five when I first met her." Alyssa hissed.

"There was that rumor." Eune said.

"Rumor?" Rose asked.

"That rumor? Which one are you talking about?" Alyssa asked.

"The one about her not being human." Eune said as he quickly checked another room.

"Oh, that rumor. It never made any sense to me." Alyssa said.

"What was it?" Lucas asked.

"She always wore a cloak when she would visit, and her hood covered most of her head. Some people were saying that she could have been Anor....or something else." Eune explained.

"Something else?" Devon asked.

"Our town was located on the northern most shore of Zenith. We were pretty close to Irongate for some stories to make their way across the sea. I think the craziest theory was that she was some kind of demon." He chuckled.

"Oh yeah! Old lady Viessa was determined to prove it before she passed away. What a crazy woman." Alyssa laughed.

"I never did like the old hag." Lucas muttered. "But she made some damn good food."

"That's all you think about when it comes to Viessa? Really?" Alyssa asked.

"Well, she and I never really got along."

"We were kids, Lucas. Of course you wouldn't get along with an old lady on death's door." Alyssa said.

"Wrap it up." Devon said. "These are the last two floors, we need to focus."

The nineteenth floor was a massive living space. A spacious kitchen opened up to a dinning room and a living room with various bookshelves, and other trinkets scattered about. It was simple, even for a famous Warlock, it didn't have much to show for it. Another section of the room had more modern technology with a holoscreen and a few computers on a table.

"Wow, how cozy." Rose said sarcastically.

"It's not what I would expect from someone like Larisa." Alyssa said.

"She's not here, so she's gotta be on the last floor." Lucas said, walking into the living room.

"Then let's move." Devon said.

They reached the top of the tower only to be greeted to a set of large, thick metallic doors. Devon and Lucas pushed them open with more effort than they'd have thought. The final room was nothing but a massive empty space that reached up to the roof. There was no furniture, no targets, nothing that would show what the room was used for.