Veyra's arm burned where the tendril had touched her, the skin red and blistered. She tore a strip from her cloak, wrapping it around the wound as she pressed forward through the narrow tunnel. The pain was sharp, but the gene-seeds in her pack pulsed softly, their warmth dulling it slightly. Even so, she could feel the injury slowing her down. She needed to rest, to assess the damage, but the labyrinth offered no such mercy.
The tunnel twisted downward, the air growing colder with each step. Veyra's breath fogged in front of her, the faint glow of her hands the only light in the consuming darkness. Every muscle in her body remained taut, her senses sharp. She listened for any sign of pursuit.
The Gene Lords hadn't followed her—at least, not yet. But she knew they wouldn't give up. The gene-seeds were too valuable, and she was a loose end they couldn't afford to leave alive.
A sound echoed through the tunnel—a low, rhythmic thumping, like a heartbeat. Veyra froze, her hand tightening around her knife. The sound was coming from ahead, growing louder with each passing second.
She crept forward, breath shallow, until the tunnel opened into a chamber. The walls were smooth, carved with strange symbols that pulsed faintly with an eerie green light. In the center of the chamber, atop a stone altar, sat a small crystalline device. Its surface pulsed in perfect rhythm with the thumping sound.
Veyra's gaze flickered across the chamber. The symbols seemed to shift, alive in a way that sent a cold shiver down her spine. The gene-seeds in her pack responded, their energy resonating with the crystal's pulse.
Hesitantly, she reached out. The moment her fingers brushed the crystal, a jolt of energy surged through her. The thumping ceased. The symbols on the walls flared with sudden brightness, and a voice—deep, resonant, ancient—spoke in her mind.
"You bear the seeds of the Void."
Its tone was both curious and commanding.
"Why have you come?"
Veyra stumbled back, heart hammering. The voice was different from the one she had heard before—stronger, more present. She hesitated, but the gene-seeds pulsed again, urging her to respond.
"I… I don't know," she admitted, her voice echoing in the chamber. "I found the gene-seeds. They're changing me. I just want to survive."
Silence stretched, thick and heavy. Then the voice spoke again.
"The seeds are but a fragment of the Void's power. You are not ready to wield them. But you will be."
The crystal glowed brighter, and above it, a holographic map flickered to life, displaying the labyrinth's tunnels.
Veyra's eyes locked onto it. A path was marked, winding deep underground. The voice returned, its presence pressing against her thoughts.
"Follow the path. The answers you seek lie within the Sanctum of Echoes. But beware—the Void watches, and its hunger grows."
The map flickered and vanished, the crystal's glow dimming once more. Veyra memorized the route, her resolve solidifying.
She didn't know what the Sanctum of Echoes was, but it was the only lead she had.
Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she turned and stepped back into the tunnel, following the path laid before her. The air grew colder, the walls narrower, but a strange sense of purpose steadied her steps.
The gene-seeds had led her here. Now, this entity—this presence—was guiding her. She didn't know if she could trust it. But she had no other choice.
The Gene Lords were still out there. The labyrinth held dangers she couldn't yet imagine.
She had to keep moving.
To find the Sanctum.
To uncover the truth about the gene-seeds—and the Void.