Crumbling Mine Oblivion Novels & Stories

The cave was collapsing in on itself. The walls screamed,the earth itself trembling as though in agony. Great shards of crystals broke from the ceiling, shattering into blind fragments that rained down in a storm of light and dust. Hope stumbled through the falling debris, clutching the glowing Crystal of Albion tightly against her chest. It pulsed silently, it’s hum deep and low, resonating through her bones. She didn’t cry out, not even as the ground split within her feet. The crystals rhythm was steady, almost guiding her steps through the chaos.

She gripped the blanket around her, seeking refuge from the mixed emotions flooding her heart. "Mine, are you awake?" Seth asked softly, but with anxiety in his voice. Jasmine didn't answer, just remained silent in uncertainty. Seth, feeling no response, tried again. "You've been crying for too long, Mine. Can such sadness stay with me? Am I not enough for you, Mine?"

The couple swallowed loudly, but the sound of the gulp irritated Madeline even more. “ You had the impetus to stop the two pillars of the Hill family. Pillars of the educational sector of this country. Pillars of the country itself, and you did it loudly too, but you seem to have lost your voices all of a sudden with your shitty I'm-not-worth-two-cents of a family name. How dare you! How dare you even attempt to claim that my sister's children are yours when it's clear that you both conspired with her husband to get rid of her children.”

The small flame cast dancing shadows on concrete walls, revealing more of their surroundings without actually illuminating much. They were in what looked like an underground storage room, filled with cardboard boxes and metal shelving that created a maze of shadows. Heavy footsteps echoed across the concrete floor, approaching slowly and deliberately. Not the hurried pace of someone in a rush, but the measured walk of someone who had all the time in the world. “Show yourselves!” Owen called out, his voice stronger now that he could see something beyond total darkness. “If you want something from us, at least have the courage to face us!”

Theresia asked, halfway through her sauvignon blanc. “If I say no, Claudia will burn my firm to the ground and leak something to Abuelo,” I replied flatly. Jasmine curled her lip. “Ugh. Claudia is literally the villain with a Chanel collection.” Theresia nodded. “We should send her a glitter bomb.” “I’d prefer a real bomb. But glitter works too,” I muttered, shoving another bite of pasta into my mouth. It tasted amazing. Or maybe I was just too starving to be objective.

A deafening subterranean BOOM tore through the mountain. The central courtyard didn't just tilt; it split completely down the middle. A ten-foot-wide chasm opened between Elara and Damon. The black volcanic steam, from the sulfur-springs roared up through the crack. It blinded her vision and cut off her golden light. The kinetic barrier she had been holding shattered into a million golden sparks. The sheer physical force of the mountain's collapse pulled her toward the edge.

​The crater where the obsidian spire once stood had become a site of grim pilgrimage. Rhea stood on the rim of the blackened earth, her white cloak whipping in a wind that finally smelled of damp soil and pine resin. The artificial stillness of the "Archive" was gone, replaced by the messy, chaotic sounds of a mountain reclaiming its territory.

A video loaded. My son’s voice. Soft. Vulnerable. Unaware. “I don’t want to go back there…” My breath caught. No. No, no, no. This wasn’t- This couldn’t be I exited the page. But the damage was already done. My phone started vibrating nonstop now. Messages. Notifications. Unknown numbers. It was spreading. Fast. Too fast. Another message popped up. From someone I barely spoke to anymore. “Girl… what is going on??”

I leaned against my car, unbothered “what does that have to do with me, I don’t work for you remember?.” “This isn’t the time for games Clarissa.” I laughed softly. “ you think i have time to play games with you, I’m too busy for that Blake, please don’t call me again” i said and ended the call. A few seconds later, the phone rang again, I picked. But this time his voice was lower, almost like he was pleading. “Please this is important Clarissa, the company is on the verge of bankruptcy, I’m loosing everything Clarissa, everything we built, I’m sorry I kicked you out, but I really need your help right now.”

I looked out across the bloodstained courtyard, and I saw more than loss. I saw resolve. “We are Obscura Arcanum,” I said. “And we do not fall.” The courtyard was still. Empty. All of us were still. I hadn’t realized before how loud it had been only a few hours ago. Screams, shouts, cracking spells, and magic shattering against magic. Shattering against flesh. Shattering against bone. The courtyard wasn’t silent. It was that kind of quiet that hangs heavy, threaded with echoes. Ash hung in the air like dust from old bones. The sun was fully risen now, but it didn’t warm the stone underfoot.