Chapter 26: The Hollow Choir II

The relic-voices swelled, a hollow choir reverberating through the cavern—Kai's mark flared sharper, a searing jolt that aged his arm—veins bulging beneath sagging skin, bones creaking before snapping back with a faint crackle of energy. The stash's light pulsed in his grip, dim but fierce, its warmth a fading ember against the cold stone. Mara's echo cut through the din, clear and raw: "Kai… traded…" Her voice broke, soft and heavy with regret, weaving into the chants—dozens, then hundreds of whispers layered atop hers, lives burned into the breach's fabric, their pleas a mournful hum.

He staggered back a step, the stash trembling—his gray hair fell wild across his face, his breath coming short and ragged as the weight of her words sank in. "Mara—what'd you do?" he rasped, the ache in his chest sharpening, her presence a tangible pull within the cavern's glow. The air thickened, the voices pressing closer—fractured syllables overlapping: "Trade… take…"—each sound a shard of memory piercing through.

Lena grabbed his arm, her bandaged grip shaky but firm—her fingers dug in, her glare fierce as she yanked him upright. "Voss—snap out of it! She's gone—focus!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the chants like a blade, though the echoes drowned her words, rolling over them in waves. Her eyes flicked to the cavern walls, the rune-light pulsing in time with the hum, unease creeping into her scowl despite her defiance.

Kai shook her off, his mark sparking wildly—time bent faintly around him, the cavern's glow dimming as Mara's voice sharpened: "Lives for time—ours for yours." Shadows flickered in the mist—figures materialized, faint and translucent, kneeling in a Syndicate chamber long buried. Their hands pressed against relics—stashes—aging them to dust as light flared, their forms crumbling into ash. "Syndicate burned us—Kael's burning more," Mara whispered, her echo fading into the choir, leaving a hollow sting.

The vision snapped back—Kai's knees hit the stone, the stash dimming in his hands as he gasped, chest heaving. "Traded lives—hers, theirs," he panted, his voice rough, meeting their eyes—Lena's scowl deepened, Markus nodded grimly, quiet woman's gaze held steady, and Tali trembled, frail but rapt. The truth settled like lead: the stash wasn't just power—it was sacrifice, carved from those who'd burned.

Markus tapped his cane against the floor, dust swirling upward in lazy spirals—his aged voice cut low, deliberate. "Stash's origin—breach eats lives, spits out time," he rasped, his eyes narrowing at the glowing runes. "Kael's feeding it now—your mark's proof of the trade, Kai. It's why it pulls you."

Quiet woman knelt beside Tali, her knife resting still in her hand—her whitened hair caught the faint glow, framing her calm face. "She's here—others too," she said, her tone flat but certain, nodding at the frail girl. "Feel them?" Her hand rested on Tali's shoulder, grounding her as the chants deepened, a mournful resonance that seemed to seep from the walls.

Tali nodded, her breath hitching—her voice came soft, barely a whisper. "They're… sad—used," she said, her hands clenching tighter, knuckles whitening as the echoes pressed closer. Her gray hair shimmered faintly in the rune-light, her frail frame swaying as if drawn into the sound, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and recognition.

Lena's dagger tapped faster against her thigh—her tone turned bitter, sharp. "So what—ghosts cry, Kael laughs? We're wasting time—move or we're next," she growled, but her gaze lingered on Kai, a crack of doubt breaking through her anger. The cavern's hum pulsed harder, the air growing dense, and her bravado faltered—she shifted her weight, uneasy.

Kai pushed himself up, the stash flickering in his grip—his mark burned steady now, Mara's echo lingering like a scar: "Stop him…" The cavern pulsed in response, runes glowing brighter along the jagged walls—a low groan echoed, stone shifting beneath their feet, dust cascading in thin streams. "Truth's here," he said, his voice hardening with resolve. "Kael's feeding this thing—it ends now."

The chants spiked—mist thickened around them, a deeper hum rising from the cavern's heart. "Rift—coming," Markus warned, his cane gripping tight as his aged frame tensed—the voices wailed louder, a crescendo of sorrow and rage, the breach stirring alive. Lena's dagger stilled, her scowl tightening—quiet woman rose, pulling Tali close, her knife angled outward—Markus leaned forward, eyes sharp. Kai clutched the stash, its light a faint spark—the cavern trembled, the choir pulling them toward something inevitable.

The air cracked—a jagged hum split the silence, the far wall shuddering as light bled through. The voices peaked, a desperate plea—Kai's mark synced, his pulse racing—and he knew: whatever came next, it was tied to Mara, to the breach, to every life traded. The cavern held its breath, waiting.