The tunnels swallowed them whole.
The deeper they went, the more the air changed—heavier, colder, tinged with a faint metallic taste. The flickering lights from above faded until only their dim lamps illuminated the forgotten magrail lines.
The silence was unnatural.
They reached an intersection where the old concrete walls were covered in strange golden symbols, faintly glowing like veins. Circular patterns intertwined with halo-like shapes—ritualistic, precise.
Lenny crouched down, tracing one with his fingers without touching it.
Lenny (whispering): "…These aren't just markings. They're conduits—some kind of energy runs through them."
Emilia knelt beside another section of wall, inspecting the pattern.
Emilia: "They're carved too deep to be just graffiti. It's more like… a script. Almost ceremonial."
Henry scanned the area.
Henry: "Ronnie said this place was one of their arteries. Looks more like a shrine."
Jack smirked quietly from the shadows.
Jack: "Creepy shrine, then. Either way, I'm not liking this."
A low, rhythmic chant echoed down from the tunnel.
"The Halo is eternal… the Ascendants will rise…"
Henry motioned for silence. The group pressed against the wall, staying hidden in the shadows as they crept closer.
They peered around the corner.
Below them, in a larger open chamber, a group of Halo Disciples was gathered.
They wore black robes with thin, glowing golden rings embedded in their chests, and some had metallic implants shaped like fragmented halos protruding from their backs. Their eyes gleamed faintly. Drugged? Brainwashed? Or something worse.
In the center of the chamber was a shipment of weapons and strange crates, guarded by armed disciples with sleek black rifles modified with glowing circuits.
Ichiro narrowed his eyes.
Ichiro (quietly): "They're not just fanatics. They're organized. Look at those weapons."
Lenny whispered back.
Lenny: "Custom tech. Way beyond black-market level. They're manufacturing this stuff themselves."
Henry scanned the chamber carefully, noting the paths in and out, the crates, and the strange glowing mural at the far end depicting a massive halo surrounding a human figure with no face.
Henry: "We document everything. Don't engage unless we have no choice."
They moved silently, sticking to the shadows. Emilia shifted into mist form briefly to get closer and scout ahead without being seen. She returned moments later, reforming behind the group.
Emilia (quietly): "There's more. Deeper in. Another chamber with even heavier guards. And something… else."
Henry's brow furrowed.
Henry: "Something else?"
Emilia's voice dropped lower.
Emilia: "I couldn't see clearly. But it felt… wrong. Like the air itself was bending around it."
They decided to retreat carefully and find another vantage point. But as they turned to move—CRACK.
A small piece of rubble slid loose beneath Jack's boot, tumbling down the slope.
The chanting stopped.
The disciples froze for a moment, then turned in perfect unison, their glowing eyes scanning the darkness.
One of the armed guards raised a device that emitted a high-pitched pulse.
Guard: "We're not alone. Find them."
Immediately, a group of Halo Disciples moved toward the upper platform where Henry's group was hiding. Their movements were unnervingly synchronized, like they were connected by one mind.
Henry's eyes sharpened.
Henry: "…They're coming."
Emilia shifted slightly closer to the wall, mist curling around her feet.
Ichiro drew his weapon quietly.
Jack grinned faintly, rolling his shoulders.
Jack: "Guess stealth time's over."
But Henry held up a hand.
Henry: "Not yet. Stay hidden. Let's see how they move."
They watched as the disciples fanned out with precise, almost mechanical coordination, scanning every inch of the platform.
While the search parties spread, the chanting in the chamber below resumed—this time louder, more intense.
Henry risked one more glance down. He saw a new figure entering the chamber—a disciple carrying a sealed black container with faint gravitational distortions around it.
It wasn't Zorath, but it was something tied to him.
Lenny whispered, his voice tense.
Lenny: "… Whatever's in that crate—it's not normal. It's giving off… pressure."
Henry's mind worked quickly.
They needed to get closer information without a full fight, but the disciples were seconds away from discovering them.
The sound of synchronized footsteps grew closer. The Halo Disciples fanned out across the upper platform, their glowing implants flickering faintly in the darkness.
Henry made a split-second decision.
Henry (whispering): "We move. Now. Quiet."
He led the group into a narrow maintenance shaft branching away from the main platform. The shadows swallowed them as they moved silently, staying just ahead of the disciples' search pattern.
The shaft was cramped and claustrophobic, lined with old pipes and flickering warning lights. Dust hung thick in the air, muffling their steps.
Jack muttered under his breath.
Jack (quietly): "Feels like we're crawling into the mouth of something alive."
Emilia shot him a sharp glance to keep him silent.
Lenny checked his handheld scanner, his brow furrowing.
Lenny (whispering): "... There's a strong energy signature ahead. It's pulling toward the lower levels."
Henry nodded, eyes sharp.
Henry: "We follow it. Stay alert."
The shaft opened into another hidden chamber—smaller than the main one they'd seen before, but stranger.
In the center of the room was a large mural carved directly into the wall, depicting a figure with a perfect golden halo around its head, arms outstretched like a deity. Around the base of the mural were faded symbols, glowing faintly in the dark.
More crates sat nearby, some cracked open, revealing devices that looked like a mix of tech and ritual tools—metallic rings, strange amplifiers, and crystalline containers with faint gravitational ripples around them.
Emilia scanned the room with her mistlike gaze.
Emilia: "… This isn't just a hideout. It's a ritual site."
Ichiro's jaw tightened.
Ichiro: "Why would a crime organization need… this?"
Henry crouched by one of the open crates. Inside were small metallic implants shaped like fragmented halos—the same ones the disciples were wearing.
Henry: "…They're not just soldiers. They're being made into something else."
Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed from deeper in the tunnels. Voices—low, chanting voices—were coming closer.
Jack stiffened, looking toward the only exit.
Jack (quietly): "They're coming this way."
Henry scanned the room quickly and pointed to a maintenance ladder leading further down.
Henry: "Down. We go deeper."