Chapter 17: Echoes in the Cut

The ravine twisted ahead like a scar in the earth, its walls rising steep and sheer, cutting the sky into a thin gray strip above. Asha kept her pace steady, half-supporting Milo as they followed the faint trail. His breathing was ragged, each step a fight, but he didn't complain—not out loud, anyway. The rigs' engines thundered behind them, a relentless pulse that echoed off the stone, driving her forward."Faster," she urged, glancing back. The rigs' lights flickered at the ravine's mouth, their bulky frames too wide to follow directly. But she knew better than to relax. The Overseers didn't rely on brute force alone—they'd send drones, scouts, or something to flush them out. Milo stumbled, catching himself against the wall. "This trail," he rasped, nodding at the worn path beneath their feet. "It's not natural. Someone's been here."Asha squinted at the ground. He was right—the dirt was packed, smoothed by time, not just wind or ash. She traced her fingers along the wall beside her, finding more of those spiral carvings from the Spire, faint but deliberate. "Same as inside," she said. "Whoever built that place, they didn't stop there."A sharp whine cut through her words—the drones were back. Two of them darted into the ravine, their red eyes glowing like embers in the gloom. Asha shoved Milo down, flattening herself against the wall as a shot zipped past, splintering rock inches from her head. "Keep moving!" she barked, pulling him up. They broke into a run, the trail sloping downward now, deeper into the earth. The drones followed their lights painting the walls in stark relief. Asha's shoulder throbbed where the earlier shot had grazed her, but adrenaline dulled the pain. She clutched the satchel tighter, the ember stones jostling inside, their heat a steady burn against her side. The trail veered sharply, opening into a wider hollow—a natural chamber carved by some long-dead river. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping ash-tainted water, and in the center stood a structure: a low, circular platform, its edges etched with the same spirals. Five slots marked its surface, each the size of an emberstone. Asha stopped short, staring. "Milo, look at this."He limped up beside her, wiping blood from his cracked goggles. "A lock," he said, voice tight. "For the stones."The drones' whine grew louder—they were seconds away. Asha dropped to her knees beside the platform, yanking the satchel open. The ember stones spilled out, their red glow pulsing faster now as if they sensed where they were. She grabbed one and slotted it into the nearest hole. It clicked into place, and a faint tremor rippled through the ground."Asha—" Milo started, but she was already moving, fitting the second stone, then the third. Each one locked in with a click, the platform humming louder, the carvings beginning to glow blue—like the light from the Spire's entity. The fourth stone snapped in, and the tremor became a quake, dust cascading from the ceiling. The drones burst into the hollow, lights blinding. Asha jammed the fifth stone into place just as a shot rang out, grazing her hand. She cursed, ducking behind the platform as it shuddered violently. The ground split beneath it, revealing a hidden hatch—metal, ancient, groaning as it slid open. A ladder descended into darkness."Go!" she shouted, shoving Milo toward it. He hesitated, then climbed down, his injured arm slowing him. Asha followed, gripping the satchel—empty now, but still a tether to Kael's sacrifice. The drones fired again, shots pinging off the platform as she dropped below its edge. The hatch slammed shut above them, sealing with a hiss. Darkness swallowed them, broken only by the faint blue glow bleeding through the cracks. Asha hit the bottom of the ladder, her boots landing on a smooth stone. Milo slumped beside her, breathing hard."What… did we just do?" he asked, voice echoing in the black. Asha didn't answer right away. She could feel it—a shift, a pulse, like the air itself was alive. The ember stones had unlocked something, just as Kael had said. But what? Ahead, the glow intensified, outlining a tunnel stretching into the unknown."Whatever it is," she said finally, pulling him to his feet, "it's our way out—or our end. Let's find out."Behind them, muffled thuds shook the hatch. The Overseers weren't far behind.