The chamber stank like a grave—wet rot and rusted iron so thick Elias Varn could taste it on his tongue, a bitter tang that made his stomach twist. His boots sank into the muck, the crunch of coal dust and dried blood underfoot sounding too damn loud in the heavy dark, like bones snapping in a quiet room. His jacket hung off him like a soaked rag, the faded fabric sticking to his skin, dragging at his shoulders with every shaky breath. He clutched the notebook in his hands, fingers smudging the grime deeper into Rory's jagged handwriting—those pages were all he had left of her, and they trembled like they knew what was coming. The world blurred without his glasses, shadows smearing into a soupy haze, but his eyes flickered with a glow that cut through it, the ember in his chest kicking like a trapped animal—wild, desperate, alive. Rory's voice was in there, a faint snarl pushing him on, and the Beneath's hum rattled the walls around him, a low, dying growl that made the stone feel like it was breathing down his neck.
Lena slumped against a beam, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps that echoed off the damp walls. Her denim was a mess—torn and stiff with dust—and her dark hair stuck to her face in sweaty clumps. The emerald shard in her hand pulsed green, weak but stubborn, throwing jagged light across her cracked skin. She rubbed her shoulder, wincing hard, and shot Elias a look, her green eyes sharp despite the exhaustion. "Elias, that violet thing—it's not just a beast anymore," she said, voice hoarse but biting. "It's starving, man. Hungry as hell, and we're the damn meal."
Cal was hunched a few feet off, his staff thunking against the stone as he coughed—a wet, ugly sound that spat grit into the air. His leather coat creaked, stretched thin over his bony frame, and his gray hair hung in greasy strands over hollow eyes. The orange glow in his grip flickered like a candle in the wind, but he clung to it, knuckles white. "She's got it," he rasped, voice scraping like gravel. "Felt it—like claws raking my chest, starving for whatever's left."
Mara stood straight as a blade, her gray cloak swaying in the damp air, her staff glowing purple like a bruise against the dark. Her silver hair caught the faint light, and her scarred face was tight, eyes glinting with something old and hard. "It's ravenous," she said, her voice low and rough, like she'd dragged it up from somewhere deep. "Violet's not hunting now—it's feeding. Seen it before, when they ate my family alive, left nothing but husks." She pointed at the walls, slick and trembling like flesh. "This ain't a fight—it's a feast."
Tuck was crouched by a busted crate, his flannel pulled tight across his shoulders, his knife glowing green in his big hands. Dust matted his beard, and his hazel eyes burned like a cornered wolf's. "Felt it clawing," he growled, locking onto Elias. "Like a bear tearing at my guts, desperate to rip something out."
Ruth towered beside him, her overalls stiff with grime, her hammer pulsing green like a heartbeat you could feel in your bones. Her short, brown hair framed dark eyes that blazed, and her voice rolled out deep and steady. "They're famished, Elias. Next bite's gonna strip us to nothing."
Jace leaned against a beam, his canvas jacket creaking, his wrench glowing orange in his shaky grip. Sandy hair flopped over gray eyes, and he spoke fast, voice tight. "It's wild—like a dog gone mad, drooling for us."
Vara stood stiff, her black clothes streaked with muck, her cane pulsing purple like a warning flare. Her raven hair framed pale eyes that cut through the dark, and her voice was thin but sharp. "A leech," she rasped, stepping closer. "Sucking us dry, starving for more."
Gav shifted his bulk, his khaki rustling, his pickaxe glowing green in his fists. His bald head shone with sweat, and his brown eyes sparked fierce. "A hog," he grunted, voice thick. "Snuffling, ready to gorge."
Nora braced against a chain, her denim taut, her crowbar pulsing orange like a live wire. Red hair framed blue eyes that flared, and her voice was a whip-crack. "A vulture, Elias. Picking at us, starving for the scraps."
Silas stood steady, his brown coat streaked with filth, his rod glowing purple in his thin hands. Gray hair framed green eyes that held a quiet fire, and his voice was calm, almost too calm. "A locust," he said, glancing at Elias. "Swarming, eating everything."
Elise stood solid, her gray outfit stiff with dust, her mallet pulsing green like a war drum. Blonde hair framed hazel eyes that burned, and her voice hit like a hammer. "A hyena," she rasped. "Cackling, tearing for the kill."
Rex leaned against a chain, his orange jacket creaking, his pipe glowing amber in his lean grip. Black hair fell over brown eyes that glinted sharp, and his voice was a low snarl. "A rat," he said. "Gnawing, starving for us."
Lila stood frail but fierce, her purple cloak swaying, her staff glowing violet like a fading star. White hair framed gray eyes that shimmered, and her voice was soft but cut deep. "A ghoul," she whispered, locking onto Elias. "Devouring, hungering for our light."
Finn stood by a gear, his green clothes streaked with grime, his hatchet pulsing emerald in his wiry hands. Sweat beaded on his buzzed head, and his gray eyes flared. "A buzzard," he rasped, voice raw. "Circling, ready to feast."
Tara leaned forward, her orange jacket creaking, her wrench glowing amber in her grip. Brown hair stuck to her face, and her hazel eyes blazed with wiry fire. "A piranha," she growled. "Snapping, starving for blood."
Elias's chest burned, the ember kicking hard, and he pushed a pulse out—a rough, warm wave that hit their glows, green, orange, purple flaring up like a middle finger to the dark. "Then we don't feed it," he said, voice cracking but climbing, the Shroud's whisper digging into his skull: "You hold them—I hold you." His eyes lit up, a vision slashing through the haze—faint lights pulsing in the black, purple, green, orange, a ragged web of sparks screaming from beyond the stone, chased by violet shadows gnashing like teeth. "We starve it, burn brighter, find the rest—together."
Lena cracked a grin, tired but sharp, nudging the shard as green flared. "Starve it, huh?" she said, leaning in. "You got a fire hot enough to choke that ghoul, Beacon?"
His throat caught, the ember throbbing as Rory's voice growled: "Kick their ass—for me." He pushed a pulse inward, a shaky wave brushing the gold that lingered—Rory's grin flickering like a match in his head, a spark he'd die before losing. "We burn as one," he muttered, blinking back tears as the ember steadied, a heat he wrestled into shape. "The Shroud's ours, not theirs." He turned to the tunnels, the ember tugging him like a rope—those distant pulses buzzing in his bones, the scattered out there, fighting to be found.
Tara straightened, her wrench tapping the stone, orange flaring fierce. "North," she said, pointing to a tunnel—its mouth gaping, slick with black water, dripping like saliva. "Felt something—purple, maybe. Close—too damn close." Her hazel eyes hit Elias's, a wiry trust burning through the dread. "Your move, Beacon."
Mara nodded, purple pulsing steady, her voice a low warning. "They're coming. Violet's growling—feel it in your teeth."
Elias's heart slammed against his ribs, the ember a heat he gripped tight, and he stepped toward the tunnel, his crew piling in behind—Lena's quick grin, Cal's rough cough, Mara's hard stare, Tuck's low growl, Ruth's steady bulk, Jace's twitchy edge, Vara's sharp calm, Gav's thick grit, Nora's fierce spark, Silas's quiet steel, Elise's solid fire, Rex's lean snarl, Lila's frail fight, Finn's wiry bite, and Tara's blazing defiance. "Then we growl louder," he said, voice shaking but rising, boots thudding hard.
The tunnel twisted north, the air turning thick and cold, walls slick as a throat, water dripping in sharp, uneven plinks that matched the pounding in Elias's chest. It spat them into a chamber—wide and raw, walls weeping with damp, floor a tangle of rusted pipes and splintered crates, the air heavy with wet metal and something sour. A faint pulse hummed—not orange, but purple, steady and deep, and Elias's ember flared, his eyes glowing as he threw a wave—hard, probing, slicing the dark like a knife.
A figure stepped out—not creeping, but striding, clad in faded purple, a man with a lean frame and a stance that dared the world to hit him. Purple glow pulsed from his hands, a baton glowing violet in his grip. "Beacon," he said, voice low and rough, closing the gap as his glow synced with Elias's, purple flaring bright and alive. "Felt your fire shaking the stone." Dust streaked his short, black hair, and his blue eyes sparked, a fire kicking up as he squared his shoulders, breath steady.
Elias's chest tightened, the ember pulsing as the Shroud muttered: "He wakes with you." He shoved a warm wave toward him, purple flaring brighter, a spark shared. "You're with us," he said, voice raw but firm, stepping closer. "The scattered—we're fighting back."
Lena edged up, green flaring as she grinned, weary but sharp. "Purple again? Hell, we're a damn riot now," she said, sizing him up. The crew spread out—Cal, Mara, Tuck, Ruth, Jace, Vara, Gav, Nora, Silas, Elise, Rex, Lila, Finn, and Tara—orange, purple, green pulsing steady, a jagged line ready to bite.
The man's lips quirked, a quick, hard grin breaking his edge. "Name's Kade," he rasped, gripping the baton, purple glowing steady. "Woke a month back, purple light, from the pits. Held 'em off, just." He nodded at the pipes, wet and glinting. "Felt you—burning, hauling us up." His blue eyes locked on Elias's, sharp with a lean fire. "They're here—now."
Elias's gut dropped, the ember surging as the Shroud's vision hit—violet shadows, teeth bared. "The Order," he said, pulse steady in his hands. "They're hitting us with violet—eating us alive." He nudged a pulse toward the baton—blue and purple clashing, sparking wild, a bond kicking in.
Before Kade could answer, the chamber shook—a low, feral snarl ripping through the air, echoing from the tunnel like a beast breaking its chains. Elias's ember roared, his eyes flaring as he spun, throwing a wave—sharp, shaped, cutting the dark like claws. A violet-helmed figure loomed—not alone, but with fifteen more, their armor sleek and pulsing, staffs crackling with violet energy, a starving violet jaws snapping around them, tendrils of light lashing out, sharp and ravenous, visors glowing deep and deadly.
"Beacon," the lead figure snarled, voice a mechanical howl over the growl, staff raised high. "The Silence feeds—the scattered rot!" It pulsed, violet ripping through—a wave slamming Elias back, locking his arms, dimming the ember, the pipes rattling like bones.
Elias's chest burned, the ember surging—a heat he threw, a pulse breaking free, blue and gold smashing into violet, sparking wild. It cracked the lead figure's armor, but the jaws roared, violet flaring—a wave shattering his pulse, hurling him beside Kade, the ember stuttering. Lena lunged, green blazing—a wave smashing the figures, cracking a staff, but a second pulsed, violet slamming her against the wall, dust bursting as she gasped.
"Together!" Cal roared, orange flaring as he swung his staff, a wave crashing into violet, cracking a helm, but a third figure pulsed, violet throwing him down, his glow fading. Mara pulsed, purple blazing—a wave slashing violet, cracking armor, but it pulsed back, violet knocking her flat, her staff skittering. Tuck charged, green roaring—a wave from his knife slicing violet, cracking a visor, but it pulsed, violet slamming him beside Elias, his glow dimming. Ruth swung her hammer, green blazing—a wave smashing violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet hurling her down, her glow fading. Jace swung his wrench, orange roaring—a wave hitting violet, cracking a helm, but it pulsed, violet slamming him beside Elias, his glow dimming. Vara swung her cane, purple blazing—a wave cutting violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet knocking her beside Elias, her glow fading. Gav swung his pickaxe, green roaring—a wave smashing violet, cracking a helm, but it pulsed, violet throwing him beside Elias, his glow dimming. Nora swung her crowbar, orange blazing—a wave crashing violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet slamming her beside Elias, her glow fading. Silas swung his rod, purple roaring—a wave slicing violet, cracking a helm, but it pulsed, violet knocking him beside Elias, his glow dimming. Elise swung her mallet, green blazing—a wave smashing violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet hurling her beside Elias, her glow fading. Rex swung his pipe, orange roaring—a wave hitting violet, cracking a helm, but it pulsed, violet slamming him beside Elias, his glow dimming. Lila swung her staff, purple blazing—a wave cutting violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet knocking her beside Elias, her glow fading. Finn swung his hatchet, green roaring—a wave slashing violet, cracking a helm, but it pulsed, violet throwing him beside Elias, his glow dimming. Tara swung her wrench, orange blazing—a wave smashing violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet hurling her beside Elias, her glow fading. Kade swung his baton, purple roaring—a wave slicing violet, cracking a helm, but it pulsed, violet slamming him beside Elias, his glow dimming.
Elias's eyes blazed, the ember roaring—a heat he shaped, merging with green, orange, purple, and purple in a torrent of light—blue, gold, emerald, flame, and violet crashing into the figures, shattering helms, driving them back. The chamber thundered, violet sparking wild, and the jaws snarled, violet deepening—a wave smashing the torrent, locking Elias's glow, slamming him beside his crew, crates splintering like firewood.
"You burn—only to rot," it snarled, staff raised, violet flaring—a wave flooding the chamber, dimming their sparks, tendrils snapping toward Elias, cold and ravenous, jaws tearing at his ember.
A gold flare cut through—not blue, but Rory's echo, wild and fierce, bursting from Elias's chest—a wave smashing the figure back, cracking its staff, sparking wild. His breath caught, the ember flaring as Rory's voice roared: "Kick their ass—for me." The gold surged, merging with his pulse—blue and gold, green, orange, purple, and purple flaring faint, a torrent of light crashing into violet, cracking staffs, shattering the jaws, driving the figures back into the tunnel, violet winking out.
Elias hauled himself up, the ember pulsing—a rough wave brushing their glows, green, orange, purple, and purple flaring faint but kicking. "We—we starved it," he panted, dragging them to their feet, the notebook clutched tight as Rory's echo growled: "You're enough."
Kade gripped his baton, purple steadying, a spark clawing back. "Starved it—barely," he rasped, blue eyes dark with dread. "That—that hunger—it's bottomless."
Elias's eyes glowed, the ember a heat he wrestled, the Shroud's voice a low rumble: "You hold them—I hold you." "Then we outlast it," he said, voice raw but steady, boots planted hard. "We find the rest—together."
The mines stretched dark and hungry, the Order's violet jaws gnashing, but the spark burned—a flame of defiance kicking, a fight clawing to breathe. And somewhere out there, the next pulse growled back.