The Piao family had existed for centuries—long enough for history to forget where it began.
"Are you sure… this is safe?"
The whisper barely carried through the dim hallway.
Angela's voice wavered as her gaze flicked along the walls—cold stone fitted too precisely to be natural, their surfaces smooth but worn in places by time or use. Faint seams traced through the structure, almost invisible unless you were looking for them.
"Is this even up to code?"
"It's fine." Angel didn't even glance back.
Her fingers skimmed along the wall with practiced familiarity, pausing at a point that looked no different from the rest.
Click—
A section of stone shifted inward with a low, grinding rumble, dust loosening from the edges as it revealed a dark opening.
Angela hesitated, then stepped closer despite herself. She leaned forward, peering into the void.
Darkness swallowed everything.
"It's so deep…"
A current of cold air drifted upward from the opening, brushing against her skin, slipping beneath her clothes.
It smelled faintly metallic—clean, but old. Her foot hovered at the edge, her body refusing to commit.
"That's because this pit wasn't built for us." Angel's hand closed around hers, firm and steady.
"Intruders drop straight to their deaths." Angel's grip tightened instantly.
"For bloodline members like us," Angel added, a smirk tugging at her lips, "we'd only end up in the underground prison for questioning."
"…That's not comforting."
Before Angela could pull away, Angel stepped forward—
—and dragged her with her.
"Waaaah—!"
The scream tore out of Angela's throat as the world dropped away beneath her.
Air rushed past her ears, sharp and roaring, her stomach lurching as darkness swallowed her whole—
—and then—
Silence.