The first thing they saw… was darkness.
Not the kind that came with nightfall—
This was heavier. Thicker.
There were no stars. No clouds. No sky.
It felt like they were buried… deep beneath the soil.
Like the world above had been sealed off completely.
Myth raised his head. It looked like they were inside a hollowed-out cavern, and the darkness above resembled a dense layer of soil.
At the center of that ceiling was something strange—
A structure that looked like a half-buried football, embedded with hexagonal panels.
Each hexagon glowed faintly at the edges, casting a soft, ambient light—
The only illumination in this vast, oppressive underground.
This eerie dome was held up by a massive central pillar—metallic, thick, and unyielding—stretching downward into the abyss.
From the center of each glowing hexagon extended a thinner metallic rod, branching outward and connecting to six vertical levels below.
Each level resembled a giant circular platform, hollow in the middle, its perimeter dotted with lights—
Lights that resembled buildings, homes… entire settlements.
Myth glanced down.
Beneath them was a smaller ring, a level closer to the center.
It was clear now—
Each level above was broader, more expansive.
Each one below, narrower and more compressed.
And at the very bottom...
Far below the final ring...
There was only darkness.
.....
Everyone stood frozen, eyes wide with awe.
Even Victor was speechless.
Myth's voice broke the silence—low, firm, and urgent.
"Let's move. Find the best spot to build a bridge. Stay low. We can't afford to be seen."
The group scattered quietly, each of them moving with careful urgency, scanning the edges and corners for the ideal place.
"Here," Sira called softly, motioning toward a path just beyond the outer gate.
Myth followed her gaze.
The area beyond was rugged—
Strewn with massive rocks, half-buried in the earth, their jagged forms rising like natural barricades.
'They'll know soon enough that the some of the people escaped,' Myth thought grimly.
'Search teams will sweep the area. They'll guess our general direction. That's going to be a problem.'
"I'll start the bridge," Victor said, stepping forward.
At the edge of the terrace, a layer of ice began to form—
Thin at first, then stretching outward in a downward slope.
Four seconds.
The slick ice reached the section just above the barbed wire fence.
"Ashley, Sira, get ready—" Myth started, but Ashley cut him off.
"No time. I hear Walkers. They're close."
Before he could respond, she slid down the still-forming ice slope.
Sira followed without hesitation.
Myth blinked—just a second of shock at their speed—
Then threw himself down the slope right after them.
A second later—
Rushed footsteps thudded behind them.
Walker burst onto the terrace—
Spotted Victor and followed after him.
Ashley, Sira, and Myth hit the ground with a thud—falling about two meters.
They didn't pause.
They scattered, eyes sharp, movements swift, scanning for danger.
Moments later, Victor and Walker landed at the base of the slope, beyond the outer gate.
"This way," Ashley whispered, pointing into the maze of rocks.
No questions. No hesitation.
They followed her.
Darting deeper into the jagged, stone-littered terrain.
Knowing the guards would be right behind. Knowing every nearby settlement would be locked down and searched.
They had one goal now, Get far enough. And do it tonight.
They ran in silence, boots pressing into loose gravel as shadows danced between the jagged rocks. Every breath felt heavier under the weight of the ceiling above them.
The edges of the hexagons dimmed, and soon, the ceiling above was swallowed in complete darkness. It felt like night had fallen—if this place even had such a thing.
They walked. And walked.
Each step echoed in the silence.
Then—after what felt like miles—the edges of the panels began to glow once more. A soft, artificial light spread outward.
It felt like morning had come. Or something pretending to be morning.
"We need a high point," Myth said between breaths. "Somewhere we can see what's ahead—and what's behind."
After walking some more.
Walker pointed toward right side, a narrow path winding between two steep ridges.
"That leads to an overlook. Better vantage point," he said.
The group didn't hesitate. They moved.
The climb was rough—stone slipping beneath their soles, palms scraping against cold, jagged rock. Halfway up, Ashley lost her footing.
Myth caught her wrist in time. "Don't go falling for me," he muttered.
She rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I don't push you off."
At the overlook, they paused—just for a moment.
In the distance, lights. Settlements. Dotted like stars across the land, flickering against the dark cavernous world.
Behind them loomed a massive wall-like structure, stretching across the skyline. It likely led to the higher ring—meaning they were now on the outer edge of their current ring.
To break it down:
Wall > Rocky Zone > Settlements.
Soon, the jagged terrain faded into a barren stretch of land. And just beyond that, the silhouette of a fence.
"Victor, how long until you can use your powers again?" Walker asked.
"Ten minutes. Maybe less," Victor replied, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Then we rest. Ten minutes." Walker nodded.
No one argued. They collapsed into the nearest shade of stone.
Myth settled beside Ashley, a hint of a grin tugging at his lips.
"So… what's up, Ashley?"
She glanced at him, then back toward the fence.
"You here to annoy me again?" she sighed.
"Oh, come on. You like when I bug you."
"Is it that obvious?" she said, voice dripping with theatrical sarcasm.
Myth chuckled. "Yes. It's painfully obvious."
Then his tone shifted, softening.
"How are your feet?"
"They're fine. Don't worry."
"I'm not worried, I'm concerned... for myself." Myth smirked.
"I don't think I'll survive another look at those horrific feet beneath such a pretty face."
Ashley slightly annoy, responded.
"Thank you, Myth. For being such a nice person"
Myth chuckled... he really enjoyed annoying Ashley.
Her feet were mostly wrapped in thick cloth, but faint bruises peeked through the layers.
....
After ten minutes, with Victor's help, the group climbed over the fence.
Inside, the landscape shifted. Factories lined the streets—dark silhouettes belching soft smoke, their structures sprawling in every direction.
They walked deeper in, avoiding attention. Eventually, they rested beside a quiet factory wall, huddled in the shadow to catch their breath and plan their next move.
"How much money do we have?" Myth asked. "I've got 700... whatever currency this is."
"I have 400," Ashley said.
"550," Victor added.
"About 1000," Walker said.
"So… 2,650 total." Myth nodded, thinking. "First, let's buy cheap clothes—can't stay in these rags for long. Guards will spot us easy. And more than anything, I really want to buy her some shoes."
He glanced at Ashley's feet. Everyone agreed without hesitation.
Soon, they reached a main street. People were getting off large public trams in the center, their faces dull with routine—workers headed to the factories. The street was lined with small to medium-sized buildings, shops, and tall black street lamps glowing a faint yellow.
The atmosphere felt like early morning.
They'd begun to notice a pattern: when the edges of the hexagonal panels above glowed, it meant day. By watching which sections were brighter and which were dimming, they could even estimate the time.
"Bye-bye, Ashley," Myth said with a grin. "I'll miss you for the next five minutes."
Ashley rolled her eyes and turned away, refusing to play along.
Grinning wider, Myth walked toward a lone man standing near a streetlamp—an older worker, eyes sunken from years of fatigue. With a confident stride and a faintly mimicked accent, Myth stepped in front of him.
"Where do you work?" he asked in a low, commanding tone.
The man flinched, clearly startled by the military uniform Myth was still wearing.
"Sir—I work on Lane 8, synthetic paper factory."
"Why are you afraid?" Myth asked, narrowing his eyes. "You done something wrong?"
"No, sir! Just... your military dress ... startled me," the man said quickly.
"Hmm... fair enough." Myth let the pause hang, then asked, "Tell me where I can find the cheapest clothing shop. And the nearest one too."
After a few more casual questions, Myth had a rough map in his head—where they were and what was nearby.
"We're near Joeberg, Lane 8. Nearest clothing shop's at Lane 5. Cheapest is at Lane 3—he says there are a lot of factory market there," Myth explained when he returned to the group.
He paused, then looked at each of them seriously. "Alright, remember—don't talk. Your accents will give us away in a heartbeat. Especially you, Sira."
Sira nodded with a faintly offended look, crossing her arms.
"I can stay quiet, you know," she muttered under her breath.
Myth gave her a sly glance. "That was already too many words."
They removed the energy core from the muskets and buried them near the factory.
Now they had to move.