The world above them didn’t know it was breaking.
But beneath its streets, the storm was already moving.
Smoke still rose from the tunnels as Aria Vex led what was left of her pack into the underbelly of New Echelon. The tunnels opened into a vast, forgotten chamber — an old maintenance depot, flooded by pale light filtering through cracked glass high above. Rusted trains lined the tracks like the bones of beasts that had died waiting for resurrection.
The air smelled of metal, blood, and the faint sweetness of oil.
Dominic helped Kellen to the floor beside a broken crate. The boy’s arm was bandaged hastily, his console fused into melted slag. His breathing was shallow but steady.
“I can walk,” Kellen muttered weakly.
“You can shut up and rest,” Vincent said, slumping beside him. His
