Chapter Two – " Through the Gap"
As Nox slipped deeper into the passage, the temperature dropped, the damp air clinging to his fur.
He is almost there…
Some called it the Undercity, others just "Down Below." Whatever name they used, it was always said the same way—like a whispered warning.
Coreline was the city of neon and metal, an endless maze of advertisements, towering skyscrapers, and artificial skies. It was loud, suffocating, but alive. The hum of civilization never stopped, and even in the darkest alleyways, there was still a flicker of light.
But there, down below?
Here, light struggled to exist.
This place was forgotten, abandoned, a graveyard of old industries and broken promises. This was where the first levels of Coreline had once thrived—before the megacorps built higher, before the rich ascended to their glass towers, leaving everything below to rot.
What remained were rusted skeletons of factories, leaking pipelines, and half-buried streets swallowed by shadows.
There was no sky down there.
Just layers upon layers of steel platforms, tangled wires, and collapsed infrastructure stacked so high that daylight never reached this deep.
Coreline is the future.
The Lower District was the corpse it was built on, the past it hast left behind…
And yet, people still find a way to lived here, not because the want… because they had to.
Nox quickly swiped to answer his phone as it buzzed in his pocket.
"Hey buddy, what's up hope you're free?"
Chet-
A deep voice replied through the speakers.
"Hey Nox, you told me to call you back. I'm in the middle of planting a—"
Nox interrupted, his voice steady but rushed.
"Sorry to break it to you, but I need you at the escort point. Gotta visit Millio you know."
Chet groaned. "Okay, man, give me twenty minutes…and next time if you call don't what's up if you interrupt me regardless."
"Yeah im sorry, big guy. I'll pay you back, I promise."
A second of silence but then Chets calming deep voice toned again.
"its alright, I want to tell you so much about this new plant I discovered yesterday anyway. Did you know that—"
"Sorry again…, we'll talk later alright? See ya man!"
"Alright Nox, see you..."
Nox pocketed his phone, his mind already racing through the next steps.
The streetlights cast long shadows as he made his way through the twisting alleys, the air thick with the hum of distant engines and the buzz of underground activity. His footsteps echoed on the cracked pavement, each step pulling him nearer the city's lower districts.
He was heading toward The Chokepoint—Noxes only known access point to the Lower District that wasn't directly controlled by the Hounds around his area.
Probably only because they haven't found out about it yet.
It was a dangerous route, but one he and Chet had used countless times before.
The Chokepoint your usual alleyway you just walk in to and out of again.
Its a narrow passage leading to the forgotten levels of Coreline the entrance blocked off by a huge boulder to maintain this route a secret.
Nox clenched his fists as he waited for Chet, trying to shake the memories creeping into his mind.
Whenever he came here, he thought about that night.
The cold air.
The metallic scent of blood in the air.
The screams.
He was eleven.
Too young to understand, yet old enough to remember.
The Dogs had been ruthless then, just like they were now.
They didn't care about age.
They didn't care about innocence.
No one did, down There.
Nox shook his head, pushing the thoughts away.
Not now. Never again.
The sound of heavy footsteps in the fog snapped him back to reality.
In the misty distance, a giant bull emerged—Chet.
Towering, broad-shouldered, and strong as ever, Chet's presence was both reassuring and grounding. The dim lights barely illuminated his silhouette, but Nox could still make out the familiar glint of determination in his friend's eyes.
Chet was always the dependable one.
Strong.
Unwavering.
Loyal.
Not exactly cut out for the delicate games Nox played, but a rock to lean on when things went sideways.
Chet walked toward Nox now towering above him as he tapped Nox on the shoulder, his deep voice breaking through the quiet.
"Heya, fox."
Nox smirked, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.
"Big guy. Sorry about having to rely on you again with this --"
Chet interrupted Nox waving with his hand
"Is it these Wolf people again…? Lets do this so we can have a good time later without worrying about anything okay?"
Nox looked to the floor
"Yeah the hounds… Wait later?"
Chet raised an eyebrow as his gaze shifted to confusion.
"You didn't forget about later, did you? You're coming with us. Zee's been excited about this for way too long—you know she loves those crazy rides, right?"
Nox smirked, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh no, how could I forget our trip to the CoreCoaster? Don't worry, I'll be there at… uh what was it again…"
Chet crossed his arms. "Seven. "
Nox nodded, forcing a small grin.
"Yeah right"
Chet chuckled for a second, his laugh deep and booming.
" Okay let's do this
Nox clapped his paws together.
" You know it, big guy. Just don't crush any fragile foxes on their way in and out."
Chet smirked.
"I'll try, but no promises."
The two of them made their way toward The Chokepoint.
The air grew heavier with each step, the undercity's stench settling in.
There it is. The Entrance of a former Mine in front of them, a wooden square frame mossy and barley holding it together.
A sign hanging next to it:
⚠ WARNING: RESTRICTED AREA – MINESHAFT AHEAD ⚠
⚠
1. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY – Untrained individuals are prohibited beyond this point.⚠
2. DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT PROPER GEAR – Helmets, breathing masks, and reinforced boots are mandatory.⚠
3. UNSTABLE STRUCTURE – Do not touch or disturb support beams or surrounding walls.⚠
RISK OF SUDDEN COLLAPSE – If you hear creaking, exit immediately.
BY PASSING THIS SIGN, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE RISKS OF ENTRY. THE SITE OWNER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURY.
The entrance was blocked off by a giant boulder, strategically placed to keep outsiders away.
For Nox and Chet, this was routine.
Nox smirked looking at the boulder.
"Alright, here we are. Do your thing muscleman."
Chet rolled his shoulders.
With ease, He grabbed the boulder's edges and lifted it just enough for Nox to slip through.
"Now don't crush me," Nox muttered, squeezing himself into the barely visible gap.
"I'll text you when I need to get out. Thanks, Chet... really."
Chet smirked, straining slightly. "Now hurry. I can't hold it up for too long. Last time, my back was stiff for a whole week."
Nox rolled his eyes, slipping deeper into the passage.
"Maybe if you didn't spend half your time bent over your garden, your back wouldn't hurt so much."
Chet laughed, the sound rumbling through the narrow space as he dropped the boulder back into place behind Nox.
As Nox squeezed through the narrow opening, the damp air hit him first.
Rust.
Oil.
Dust.
The familiar, suffocating scent of the Lower District.
He could barely see, but his hands found the cold, rough walls of the tunnel, guiding him forward.
His boots clanked against the floor, the dusted rocky surface crumbling under his weight as he made his descent. The farther he went, the stronger the smell of oil, mold, and something metallic grew—almost like dried blood.
Then came the sounds.
Distant buzzing generators, the rattling of unseen machines, the echo of someone yelling in the dark. Faint, but there. Always there.
He exhaled, pulling his coat tighter.
No matter how many times he came down here, the weight of it never left his chest.
Nox knew the rules of the undercity well enough.
The deeper you go, the less likely you'll come back up.
The streets change, but the eyes in the dark don't.
And above all—never trust anyone who smiles too easily down here.
Then, a buzzing against his leg.
His phone.
Millio´s Text appears on the screen.
"You in yet? Better be. I'm not waiting forever."
Nox exhaled, relieved Texting.
"I'm in. Hold tight."
The tunnel stretched into the dark.
The undercity was just ahead.