The chamber felt like a tomb, the air so thick with damp and rust Elias Varn swore he could chew it. His boots sank into the slop, grinding coal dust and blood into the stone with a wet crunch that scraped his nerves raw. His jacket clung to him, soaked through, the faded fabric heavy as guilt, tugging at his shoulders with every ragged breath. The notebook in his hands was a lifeline, its pages crumpled and smudged, Rory's handwriting a faint scream under the grime—he gripped it like it might slip away. Without his glasses, the dark blurred into a smudgy mess, but his eyes flickered with a glow that punched through, the ember in his chest thumping hard—wild, fragile, a spark that wouldn't quit, fueled by Rory's snarl and a stubborn streak he couldn't shake. The Beneath's hum rattled the walls, a low, desperate groan that buzzed in his teeth, the stone trembling like it was ready to cave.
Lena slumped against a rusted pipe, her breath a sharp hiss cutting the gloom, her denim stiff with muck and sweat. Her dark hair stuck to her face in greasy strands, and the emerald shard in her grip pulsed green—faint but fierce, throwing jagged shadows across her cracked skin. She rubbed her arm, wincing, green eyes glinting like a blade. "Elias," she said, voice rough and urgent, "that violet beast—it's not just hungry anymore. It's a damn pit, bottomless, and we're the scraps it's clawing for."
Cal hunched nearby, his staff thunking the stone, his leather coat creaking as he coughed—a hacking, wet sound that spat dust into the damp air. His gaunt face was sunken, gray hair plastered over hollow eyes, but his orange glow flickered like a dying ember refusing to fade. "She's nailed it," he rasped, gripping the staff tight, orange flaring weak. "Felt it—like a hole sucking me in, starving for every damn spark."
Mara stood stiff, her gray cloak swaying in the thick air, her staff pulsing purple like a bruise you couldn't ignore. Her silver hair caught the dim light, and her scarred face was taut, eyes hard with memory. "It's a chasm," she said, voice low and gritty, like she'd dragged it from the dirt. "Violet's not feeding—it's swallowing. Saw it years back, when they buried my kin in darkness, left nothing but silence." She pointed at the walls, slick and shivering like a living thing. "This ain't a beast—it's a void."
Tuck crouched by a busted crate, his flannel stretched tight, his knife glowing green in his big hands. Dust crusted his beard, and his hazel eyes burned fierce. "Felt it pulling," he growled, locking onto Elias. "Like a maw with no end, dragging me down."
Ruth stood tall, her overalls stiff with grime, her hammer pulsing green like a war drum. Her short, brown hair framed dark eyes that blazed, and her voice hit deep. "They're a sinkhole, Elias. Next pull's gonna bury us alive."
Jace leaned against a pipe, 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 endless—like a well you can't climb out of, sucking us dry."
Vara stood rigid, her black clothes streaked with muck, her cane pulsing purple like a warning flare. Her raven hair framed pale eyes that cut the dark, and her voice was sharp. "A vortex," she rasped, stepping in. "Spinning, swallowing everything."
Gav shifted his bulk, his khaki rustling, his pickaxe glowing green in his fists. His bald head shone with sweat, and his brown eyes flared. "A gullet," he grunted, voice thick. "Choking us down, no bottom."
Nora braced against a chain, her denim taut, her crowbar pulsing orange like a live wire. Red hair framed blue eyes that sparked, and her voice was a snap. "A black hole, Elias. Dragging us in, starving for light."
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 low. "A canyon," he said, glancing at Elias. "Deep, eating us whole."
Elise stood solid, her gray outfit stiff with dust, her mallet pulsing green like a heartbeat. Blonde hair framed hazel eyes that burned, and her voice was a thud. "A pit," she rasped. "Bottomless, clawing for us."
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, and his voice was a snarl. "A grave," he said. "Digging itself deeper, starving for our bones."
Lila stood frail but fierce, her purple cloak swaying, her staff glowing violet like a fading ember. White hair framed gray eyes that shimmered, and her voice was soft but sharp. "An abyss," she whispered, locking onto Elias. "Endless, hungering for our sparks."
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 trench," he rasped, voice raw. "Sinking, ready to swallow."
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. "A stomach," she growled. "Empty, gnawing for us."
Kade stood lean and hard, his purple clothes streaked with muck, his baton glowing violet in his hands. Black hair framed blue eyes that sparked, and his voice was rough. "A maw," he rasped, glancing at Elias. "Wide open, starving for everything."
Elias's chest burned, the ember kicking like a trapped beast, and he shoved a pulse out—a rough, hot wave that hit their glows, green, orange, purple flaring up like a fist in the dark. "Then we don't fall in," he said, voice cracking but climbing, the Shroud's whisper clawing at his skull: "You hold them—I hold you." His eyes lit up, a vision slashing through the blur—faint lights pulsing in the black, purple, green, orange, a ragged web of sparks screaming from beyond the stone, chased by violet shadows gaping like a pit. "We choke it, burn hotter, find the rest—together."
Lena grinned, tired but wicked, nudging the shard as green flared. "Choke it, huh?" she said, leaning closer. "You got a blaze big enough to clog that abyss, Beacon?"
His throat tightened, the ember throbbing as Rory's voice snarled: "Kick their ass—for me." He pushed a pulse inward, a shaky wave brushing the gold that lingered—Rory's grin flickering like a flare in his head, a spark he'd fight to keep. "We burn as one," he muttered, blinking back the sting in his eyes as the ember steadied, a heat he wrestled into shape. "The Shroud's ours, not its." He turned to the tunnels, the ember yanking him—those distant pulses buzzing in his gut, the scattered out there, clawing to be found.
Kade straightened, his baton tapping the stone, purple flaring fierce. "East," he rasped, pointing to a tunnel—its mouth slick and dark, dripping with black water like a drooling jaw. "Felt something—green, maybe. Close—damn close." His blue eyes hit Elias's, a lean trust cutting through the dread. "You're up, Beacon."
Mara nodded, purple pulsing steady, her voice a low growl. "They're here. Violet's humming—feel it in your bones."
Elias's heart slammed, the ember a heat he gripped, and he stepped toward the tunnel, his crew piling in—Lena's quick grin, Cal's rough hack, Mara's hard stare, Tuck's low snarl, 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 bite, Lila's frail fight, Finn's wiry snarl, Tara's blazing defiance, and Kade's lean edge. "Then we hum louder," he said, voice shaking but rising, boots hitting hard.
The tunnel twisted east, the air cold and thick, walls slick as a gullet, water dripping in sharp plinks that matched the thud in Elias's chest. It spat them into a chamber—wide and jagged, walls weeping with damp, floor a mess of rusted chains and busted crates, the air heavy with wet iron and rot. A faint pulse hummed—not purple, but green, steady and deep, and Elias's ember flared, his eyes glowing as he threw a wave—hard, slicing, cutting the dark like a blade.
A figure stepped out—not sneaking, but striding, clad in faded green, a woman with a stocky frame and a stance that screamed defiance. Green glow pulsed from her hands, a crowbar glowing emerald in her grip. "Beacon," she said, voice low and rough, closing the gap as her glow synced with Elias's, green flaring bright and alive. "Felt your fire through the rock." Dust streaked her red hair, and her brown eyes sparked, a fire kicking up as she squared her shoulders, breath steady.
Elias's chest tightened, the ember pulsing as the Shroud muttered: "She wakes with you." He shoved a warm wave toward her, green 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, tired but sharp. "Green again? Hell, we're a damn jungle now," she said, sizing her up. The crew spread out—Cal, Mara, Tuck, Ruth, Jace, Vara, Gav, Nora, Silas, Elise, Rex, Lila, Finn, Tara, and Kade—orange, purple, green pulsing steady, a jagged line ready to bite.
The woman's lips quirked, a quick grin breaking her edge. "Name's Rhea," she rasped, gripping the crowbar, green glowing steady. "Woke weeks back, green light, from the shafts. Held 'em off, just." She nodded at the chains, wet and glinting. "Felt you—burning, dragging us up." Her brown eyes locked on Elias's, sharp with a stocky fire. "They're here—right now."
Elias's gut dropped, the ember surging as the Shroud's vision hit—violet shadows, a pit gaping. "The Order," he said, pulse steady in his hands. "They're hitting us with violet—swallowing us whole." He nudged a pulse toward the crowbar—blue and green clashing, sparking wild, a bond alive.
Before Rhea could answer, the chamber shook—a low, ravenous growl ripping through the air, echoing from the tunnel like a beast breaking free. Elias's ember roared, his eyes flaring as he spun, throwing a wave—sharp, shaped, slashing the dark like claws. A violet-helmed figure loomed—not alone, but with sixteen more, their armor sleek and pulsing, staffs crackling with violet energy, a bottomless violet pit swirling around them, tendrils of light snapping 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 consumes—the scattered dissolve!" It pulsed, violet tearing through—a wave slamming Elias back, locking his arms, dimming the ember, the chains 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 pit roared, violet flaring—a wave shattering his pulse, hurling him beside Rhea, 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. Rhea swung her crowbar, green blazing—a wave smashing violet, cracking a staff, but it pulsed, violet hurling her beside Elias, her glow fading.
Elias's eyes blazed, the ember roaring—a heat he shaped, merging with green, orange, purple, and green 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 pit snarled, violet deepening—a wave smashing the torrent, locking Elias's glow, slamming him beside his crew, crates splintering like kindling.
"You flare—only to sink," it snarled, staff raised, violet flaring—a wave flooding the chamber, dimming their sparks, tendrils snapping toward Elias, cold and ravenous, a pit swallowing his ember.
A gold flare slashed through—not blue, but Rory's echo, fierce and wild, 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 green flaring faint, a torrent of light crashing into violet, cracking staffs, shattering the pit, 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 green flaring faint but kicking. "We—we choked it," he panted, dragging them up, the notebook clutched tight as Rory's echo growled: "You're enough."
Rhea gripped her crowbar, green steadying, a spark clawing back. "Choked it—barely," she rasped, brown eyes dark with dread. "That—that pit—it's endless."
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 outburn it," he said, voice raw but steady, boots planted hard. "We find the rest—together."
The mines stretched dark and ravenous, the Order's violet pit gaping, but the spark burned—a flame of defiance kicking, a fight clawing to breathe. And out there, the next pulse rumbled.