LucianWhen I woke, the world was breathing smoke. The air hung heavy, half dust, half blood, and every breath tasted like rusted iron. The aqueduct had caved in around me—stone split open, beams twisted like broken ribs. Somewhere far above, the surface groaned under the weight of the collapsing tunnels.I forced myself up, pain sharp behind my eyes. The torch I’d dropped earlier lay a few feet away, its flame guttered to an orange glow. My leg throbbed where the knife had struck. Each movement left a streak of fire in my bones, but staying still meant dying here.The first sound I heard wasn’t human—it was the hum of the crystal beneath the earth. Faint at first, like a heartbeat echoing through water. Then louder. Steady. Calling.I turned toward it, following the light leaking through the cracks ahead.Every step sent gravel cascading behind me. The tunnels were bleeding themselves out. And through it all, the hum continued, pulling me forward until the air turned from black to bl
Last Updated : 2025-12-04 Read more