Run, run, run!

You hurry, though you have no idea where you're going. After a moment, you take a moment to lay the girl down and pull the gag from her lips. As you bring out Lauo to slice her ropes, she speaks.

"I don't know what's happening," she whispers. "But whoever you are, thank you."

You can't respond, but you do free her arms. She has no weapons, but you take a gentle hold of her wrist to make it known you're still here, and you give it a pull as if to say you have to keep moving.

She nods, but then she whispers, "We're on the right path. I don't know if you can or can't speak, but uh... tap me on the cheek if you know where you're going." As she speaks, she curls the rope up around her arm in case she may need it.

Unsure of how to respond, you poke her in the side instead.

Her lips purse as she tries not to giggle. "D-Don't do that. I mean, all right. You earned the right to do that I guess. Still, it sounds like you don't know the way out. I do. We're on the right path moreorless. Follow me. We gotta move fast. I don't know what's going on in here, but we need to make it out so others can be told."

You release her wrist, and she sprints off with you in tow.

It feels like you're weaving through a labyrinth, but perhaps your mind is just struggling to keep up after several days of rationing water and dried snacks, as well as existing in endless darkness the entire time, without even the sun to wake you in the morning. She seems to know where she's going, however. You keep close, taking each turn along with her, and pausing alongside her whenever she halts at a doorway.

"If I don't make it out of here, get the word out," Rinlin speaks quietly. "I found some things. This place is called LAB #2 - DEMON KING. I don't know what that means, but it's like an army down here. I think... Well, when putting things together, I think this has to do with that guy who showed himself at that Sports Festival near Tolis. Of course there'd be a new Demon King in Tivera. As if we didn't have enough of them around these parts. It feels like we're being surrounded."

Yeah. Can't argue with that. But when we get outta here, I'll explain everything. She's impressively close. She must have been scouting for somebody, and ended up falling into this whole mess. If what she said is true, that means the other place was LAB #1. Unless he has more than four of them, we may have found what we've been looking for.

"It's so close to where Demon King Muian used to be though," she continues. "Could it be the same person?"

Not quite. You're doing pretty good though.

She takes a deep inhale before hurrying onward. "It's this way. The other path seems to lead to some kind of natural spring. I guess they care about staying clean at least."

Rinlin abruptly stops, however, as you both come to another doorway. She peeks around the corner to see an ALICE coming this way. Fortunately, your companion decided to hold onto her rope. You slip it from her grasp, and she allows you to do so. It doesn't suddenly turn invisible, but you bring yourself down to the ground and hold it almost like the rope is a snake slithering on the ground.

The ALICE turns the corner and locks eyes with the catfolk. "Hey!" the magical android says. "You are not--What?"

Before she can react, you've pulled her arms back and tied them together. You throw her to the side and run, and Rinlin needs to other signal to do so as well.

"Intruders! Intruders!" the ALICE calls out.

But the two of you are gone. You make it to a small cylindrical room with nothing in it, but the ceiling is so high that you can't even see it. Despite it looking like a dead end, Rinlin seems to appear confident. She's sliding her hands around on the walls, maybe looking for a hidden passageway.

"This is the way they brought me," she says idly as she searches. "Here."

Suddenly, you feel your feet lift off the ground. An unseen **** begins to pull the two of you up the shaft like a magical elevator.