Tunnels Novels & Stories

The underground tunnels had once been nothing more than a hidden escape route. Now, they were the beating heart of Ariana’s growing dominion. Torchlight flickered across the rough stone walls, their flames fed by shadow-infused quartz. Beneath the mountain, the tunnels were alive with movement. Supply carts rolled over uneven ground, carrying sacks of grain, bundles of medicine, and freshly forged Ironclaw steel. Warriors moved between them, checking weapons and counting supplies before sending everything deeper into the network.

"We use the caves. The ones the elders talked about. The old migration tunnels." Rangga’s expression tightened. "Those tunnels lead directly under the drilling site. They’re unstable. If we cause a detonation down there, we might just finish what the corporation started." "Maybe," Arung said, checking his watch. "Or maybe it’s the only way to reach the heart of the machine without being turned into Swiss cheese by their automated turrets. Are you with me, or are you going to stay here and watch the sky fall?"

I’m shackled, in a cage, underground. I force myself to take a few ragged breaths, trying to keep the rising wave of hysteria from crashing over me. There’s dirt under my feet, not concrete. Damp, cold soil packed beneath my toes. I scan the chamber, throat tight. Tunnels, at least four of them. Hollowed-out holes carved into the eastern walls. They’re wide—easily big enough for someone to crawl through. Some disappear into shadows so deep that I can’t see the end of it.

“You hit the hill too hard. You wake every old defense it has. Some of them don’t care whose side you’re on.” He forced himself to unclench his hand. “Track it,” he said. “Show me where it opens.” Mae arrived at a sprint, breath sharp but steps steady. “The old schematics,” she panted, already pulling a slate from her belt. “If they used a standard tunnel, it’ll connect to one of three trunks. Two go to abandoned Lunaris holds. One goes…” Her mouth twisted. “…right under the Tribunal Court Complex.” Daire’s throat burned.

It was the first time for him using tunnels as well. It is difficult to pin an exact position in this darkness. There were no villages around here with at least some slight lights, helping him to realize where exactly they were. The point of those tunnels is to assure the safety of their people. Each entrance is located in the middle of nowhere, so there shouldn’t be any reason for enemy soldiers to be there when the civilians get out. There are workers to regularly check on those tunnels to assure their stability, but other than that, no one has ever used them until now.

Alec sat up and put his hands on top of his head. “What did you find?” I asked. “We found two tunnels. The only reason we found the second on was because a warrior watched a rat climb out of it. They are about a five miles long. Empties into a random place in the woods outside of our territory. The doors are wooden and covered in vines. No way in hell anyone would know they were there. We probably walked acrossed it multiple times and never known.” “If you need to go find the third, it’s okay.” I said with no expression.

Aria's POV The tunnels were worse than Aldrin had described. Not just narrow and poorly ventilated, but filled with pipes that leaked scalding steam, electrical conduits that sparked ominously, and sections where the concrete walls had cracked from the explosions above. "This way," I said, consulting the schematic I'd memorized while trying not to think about the tons of burning building directly over our heads. "How can you tell?" Kira asked, her voice muffled by the cloth she'd wrapped around her face to filter the smoke.

I drop Mala gently and yank the concealed hatch free. “Single file,” I order. One by one, they descend into the narrow earthen passage. The scent of damp soil and old stone replaces the metallic air outside. I follow last, sealing the hatch behind us. The tunnels are dimly lit by small lanterns placed at intervals along the walls. Generations of our pack have carved and reinforced these paths. They are our veins beneath the earth. We move quickly. Corin groans once. Jace adjusts his grip. “How much farther?” Brynn whispers.

The tunnels were a labyrinth of dripping concrete and rusted pipes. The air was thick with the stench of stagnant water and the hum of high-voltage cables running toward the city center. Every few seconds, the entire structure vibrated as a subway train roared somewhere above them, sending showers of grit and rust onto their heads. Sora led the way. His silver eyes pierced the gloom, turning the pitch-black corridor into a world of sharp, monochromatic edges. "Turn left at the junction," Aidan wheezed. He was being dragged by Vardan, his boots scuffing through the oily sludge on the floor. "The main power conduit for the Citadel's external shield is behind the

“Then we make them wait longer.” We moved in silence until we reached the old transit tunnels beneath the city. Dust and echoes clung to the concrete walls. These tunnels, abandoned for decades, were a labyrinth, but they were ours now. Every turn and hidden passageway, every loose tile or faded marker, had been memorized during childhood visits with my father when he spoke cryptically about “places you’ll only go if you survive the lessons.” Back then, I thought he was being melodramatic. Now, I understood the gravity. These were more than tunnels, they were arteries, veins, lifelines, the skelet