The journey to the capital was never meant to be easy. But what lay beneath it… that was something else entirely.
Franko stood atop the old tramway bridge, overlooking the ruins of the once-glorious capital of Venosa. Wind howled through broken towers, and ash drifted like snow across the skyline.
Savio (squinting):
"So… that glowing point on your mysterious ancient map leads us under that?"
Franko (nodding):
"Zacrota's real heart. A hidden city buried under this wasteland."
Marco:
"If they built a city under a city, you know what that means?"
Luchini:
"Insane paranoia?"
Marco (grinning):
"Bingo."
---
Below the Surface
They reached the access tunnel by nightfall—covered in vines, guarded by an old statue of a crowned serpent. The scanner beeped as they stepped near.
System Voice:
"Unauthorized access detected. Initiating lockdown."
Colombo (wide-eyed):
"Well, that's a warm welcome."
Franko stepped forward, the black crown symbol on his jacket glowing faintly. The scanner paused… then beeped.
System Voice:
"Welcome back, Operator Franko."
Everyone (at once):
"WHAT?!"
Franko:
"I swear, I have no idea why it keeps doing that!"
The gate opened slowly, revealing a spiraling staircase carved into steel and obsidian.
---
The Hidden City of Zacrota
As they descended, lights flickered on—each level more advanced than the last. The group moved cautiously, passing laboratories, data vaults, and strangely… murals. Depictions of history, war, and a crowned figure who looked too much like Franko.
Irena (studying one):
"Why is your face on a mural from 500 years ago?"
Marco (mocking):
"Oh no. Time traveler prince. Plot twist."
Franko (seriously):
"If Zacrota created Napol, they may have designed… successors. Candidates."
Caros (crossing arms):
"You think you're one of them?"
Franko:
"I don't want to be. But maybe I have to be."
---
The Central Core
They reached the main hub—giant circular machinery pulsating with energy. Dozens of robotic guardians stood dormant in chambers around the room. At the center was a towering throne-like chair connected to hundreds of cables.
Luchini:
"Is that… a command center?"
Savio:
"Looks more like an execution seat to me."
Franko approached it, and the system activated.
System Voice:
"Crown interface detected. Begin synchronization?"
Marco (grabbing Franko's shoulder):
"Dude. Think twice. This could fry your brain."
Franko (quietly):
"If this is how we stop Napol… it's worth the risk."
He sat.
Lights surged. Franko's mind was flooded with data—visions of Napol's creation, of Zacrota's early rulers, of the world before Venosa. He saw the truth:
Napol wasn't just a weapon. He was a rebellion. Built to destroy Zacrota from within. But something went wrong. He didn't stop with them—he wanted all of Venosa.
Then came another vision… a room. A prison. Lucino, still alive.
Franko jolted up, gasping.
Franko:
"Lucino… he's not dead. Zacrota kept him."
Marco:
"What?!"
Franko (determined):
"They're using him. Torturing him for knowledge. We have to go deeper."
---
Final Revelation
As the group prepared to move further into the complex, alarms blared. The walls turned red.
System Voice:
"Hostile presence detected."
The ground shook. From the far end of the chamber, doors burst open.
And there he was.
Napol.
Clad in his black armor, the cape of shadows behind him, horned mask gleaming. Behind him, elite robots stepped forward, each one more terrifying than the last.
Napol (voice deep, calm):
"I wondered when you'd come."
Franko (gritting teeth):
"This ends now."
Napol:
"You think you can stop what you were built to become?"
Everyone froze.
Marco (quietly):
"…What did he just say?"