The air in the narrow alley grew colder, filled with the smell of damp earth and something metallic that Ren recognized as old stone. The realization that the Stone Breakers were not just in Oakhaven but were tampering with a hidden source of Divine Power beneath the town sent a quiet ripple through his usually steady mind. This was not simple mischief; it was a deliberate operation.
"A nexus point," Lyra whispered. Her voice was tight with awe and fear. "Beneath a general store. This is bold." She traced the faintly glowing outline of the disturbed earth on the alley floor. "They didn't just dig. They used their twisted Divine Power to soften the earth, probably to silence their actions. That's why no one heard them."
Ren ran his fingers along the old, weathered wooden planks of the general store's back wall. "The old texts you mentioned," he prompted Lyra. "Did they talk about specific targets for the Stone Breakers, aside from the main Heartstones?"
Lyra shook her head slowly, her eyes wide as she looked down. "Not directly. The focus was always on the primary Heartstones, the major anchor points. But the texts warned that they would look for 'veins of power,' places where the Divine flow was naturally weaker, easier to manipulate or disrupt without causing immediate issues. A nexus point like this, a smaller artery, would be ideal for experimentation or for extracting power for another purpose without alerting the wider Rune Weaver network."
"Experimentation," Ren echoed, the word tasting bitter. "Or a prelude." He stood up and took in the darkened alley and the rooftops. They couldn't just stand there. The Stone Breakers were likely gone for now, having accomplished whatever goal they had, but they would return. Or they might have left something behind.
"We need to get in there," Ren said firmly. "See what they did. What they took or what they left."
Lyra hesitated. "Breaking into a store in the middle of town, even at night, is risky. The town guard patrols."
"We won't break anything," Ren replied. "They already did." He pointed to the faint scorch marks on the door frame that only his enhanced vision could see clearly. "They forced the frame with power. The wood is weakened. A careful use of Aura can open it quietly."
He approached the back door, moving fluidly and with control. He placed his palms flat against the old wood, closing his eyes for a moment. He drew on his internal Aura, not to force the door open but to gently push against the weakened points, feeling for the faint structural cracks the Stone Breakers had made. It was like searching for a hairline crack in a large, solid surface. It required great control and a subtle touch.
A faint, almost inaudible creak echoed in the quiet alley. Lyra watched, mesmerized, as the ancient wood slowly shifted. After a minute of intense concentration, a soft click, like a sigh, came from the door. The old bolt had finally given way. Ren eased the door open a crack, then wider, just enough for them to slip through. No alarms, no splintered wood, just a silent, almost magical entrance.
They stepped inside, and the air was thick with the scent of dried herbs, dust, and aged fabric. The general store was dark and quiet, feeling strangely still, as if it were holding its breath. Moonlight streamed through the front window, casting long, distorted shadows of shelves and barrels.
"Hold," Ren murmured, raising his hand. He closed his eyes again, extending his senses. He searched not just with sight and hearing but with his Aura, feeling the energies in the room. He looked for traps, lingering energy signatures, or anything unusual. He sensed the faint, disturbed hum of the nexus below, a discordant note beneath the floorboards.
Lyra, too, closed her eyes, trying to focus on the traces of Divine Power. "The surface is clear," she whispered after a moment. "No obvious wards inside the store. They were focused on below."
Ren nodded and moved cautiously between shelves filled with goods, his steps silent. He reached the center of the store where the floorboards appeared slightly newer, marked with subtle discoloration compared to the older wood. This was where the disturbance in the alley pointed.
He knelt and ran his hand over the floorboards. "They replaced these," he said flatly. "Carefully. Trying to hide their work." He pressed down on one of the boards. It felt solid, but there was a faint give, a softness that hinted at recently disturbed earth beneath.
"We need to lift them," Lyra said, her voice serious.
Ren took out a thin, flat piece of hardened steel from a hidden pouch on his belt, designed for prying. He worked slowly and carefully. He inserted the tool into the narrow gap between two boards and, using his Aura to enhance his grip and provide precise leverage, he began to pry. There was no loud splintering or sudden cracks. Just a gradual, slow separation of wood from nails.
After several minutes, a section of the floorboards, about the size of a small table, came loose. Ren carefully lifted it, revealing a dark hole beneath. A cool, damp draft rose from the darkness, carrying a faint, earthy smell and a much stronger, unsettling pulse of Divine Power. This was it.
"Below," Lyra breathed, peering into the dark void. "It feels vast. I can sense the nexus now. It's like a silent, vibrating heart buried deep in the earth."
Ren pulled out a small, hooded lantern from his pack. With a flick of his thumb, a tiny Mana spark ignited the wick, casting a dim, flickering light into the hole. The light revealed rough-hewn steps leading down into the darkness, clearly not part of the original store. This was an excavation, recently dug. The walls looked too clean and fresh for an ancient passage.
"They dug this," Ren stated, his voice steady. "Not a natural passage. They made it to reach the nexus."
He swung the lantern into the gloom below. The steps led down to a narrow tunnel, hastily supported with rough timbers. It sloped deeper into the earth. The air grew colder and thicker, the hum of the Divine Power nexus growing stronger yet still discordant.
"What do you think they found down there?" Lyra whispered, her voice low.
Ren didn't answer right away. He had a theory that chilled him despite his usual calm. If the Stone Breakers were fanatical about 'liberating' Divine Power and if they were creating warped creatures…
He took a deep breath, his Aura settling into a defensive stance. "Stay close," he instructed Lyra, his tone sharper than usual. "And be ready. If they left anything behind, it won't be friendly."
He lowered himself into the hole, his boots finding the first step. Lyra followed, her small pack bumping against the wooden frame. The silence of the tunnel enveloped them, thick and heavy. Only the soft scuff of their boots and the flicker of the lantern broke the oppressive stillness. They were descending into the heart of the disturbance, into the secrets the Stone Breakers had unearthed. Ren could feel the raw power of the nexus now, closer than ever. It hummed, not with natural harmony but with a wounded, agitated tremor. The true purpose of the Stone Breakers in Oakhaven was about to be revealed.