The realization sank into me like a cold blade—there really was no one I could be sure of anymore. The thought was more terrifying than anything else, worse even than the sense of alienation I’d felt when I first came through the Layers of Cyclos. At least back then, I’d had hope. Hope I’d find my people, my place, my found family.
Now, that hope was no more than a distant memory. I could feel my tears welling up, hot and unbidden, blurring my vision. But I wouldn’t let them fall. Not when Caden could be back any moment and witness a temporary moment of weakness.
He already took up a permanent role in your nightmares. You don’t give the asshole anything more.
I shook my head until the tears receded, forcing them back into the depths of my mind.
I’d been waiting outside for what felt like hours, pacing back and forth along the rocky ridge, trying to keep my blood flowing. Caden and Sean had been gone quite a while.
The site was eerily quiet, its contours barely visible. My breath fogged in the air, and I shivered for the hundredth time, realizing if I stayed out here much longer, I’d risk hypothermia. I needed to find shelter, at least until they got back.
Reluctantly, I made my way to one of the nearby entrances, hidden below a cluster of rocks. The heavy, rusted door groaned as I pushed it open, the sound echoing down the narrow stairwell. The air inside was stale and musty, but at least it was warmer. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, plunging the underground passage into the darkest night.
The bunker was cramped and claustrophobic, with low ceilings and walls that seemed to press in from all sides.
I berated myself for not telling Sean or Caden about my translation being traceable inside a Metasphere, realizing again I couldn’t use any magic until I was certain Radicals didn’t possess any LiaPrisms.
Pulling out a small flashlight, its beam cut through the gloom as I made my way deeper into the underground labyrinth. Thefurther I went, the more uneasy I felt—something wasn’t right. The panels were too clean, the floors too clear, as if someone had been here recently.
Aside from nobody actually being here, it didn’t look very abandoned.
Then I heard it—a faint, rhythmic clicking sound. It was subtle at first, almost drowned out by the sound of my own footsteps, but it grew louder as I approached a junction in the corridor. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. My hand moved to my side, pulling out the knife I’d strapped on.
How the hell had Sean and Caden missed that sound?
“Hello?” I called out softly, the shadows swallowing my voice.
Silence answered back. I tried again, my tone more urgent. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
The clicking continued, growing faster and more erratic, like the ticking of a bomb. My mind raced—if the Radicals were here, I had to be smart, and I had to be quick.
I edged closer to the sound, my breaths shallow and controlled. The passage split into several smaller passages, each one leading deeper into the maze of the shelter. The clicking was louder now, coming from right around the corner. I pressed myself against the wall, peering around the edge.
Which is when I saw it—a small, compact device attached to the wall, its metal surface gleaming in the dim light. Wires snaked out from it, disappearing into the structure. My stomach dropped as I realized what it was. Explosives. Good old human explosives. And by the sound of it, they were armed.
I had to get out.Now.
Just as I made the decision to bolt for the exit, the ground below me began to tremble, a deep, rumbling vibration reverberating through the tunnel. The clicking was drowned out by the growing roar, like an earthquake building up to a catastrophic release. Dust and debris rained down from theceiling, and I knew I had seconds, maybe less, before this entire place came down on top of me.
Panic surged, but I forced it down, my thoughts racing. I couldn’t afford to hesitate. I sprinted back the way I’d come, the rumbling growing louder with each step. The corridor began to crack and split, the sides shaking as if they were alive. I pushed harder, my legs burning as I ran for the entrance, but the shaking intensified, throwing me off balance.
Portaling out would be safer but the exit was right ahead! I could make it without translating!
Just before I reached it, a massive jolt threw me to the ground. I hit the cold, hard floor, the impact knocking the wind out of me. The barriers groaned, and I knew the whole thing was seconds away from collapsing entirely.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up, my muscles screaming in protest. The door was within reach, but as I grabbed the handle, the passage behind me gave a final, shuddering convulsion.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, but the gloom swallowed the sound whole, like it had been waiting to devour me. Panic clawed up my throat, my breath coming in short, desperate bursts as the walls seemed to close in, pressing against my skin, crushing me.
Then—light. A blinding, searing flash that burned away the shadows, forcing me to slam my eyelids shut. Before I could even process what was happening, a strong hand clamped around my arm and yanked me down with enough force to steal the air from my lungs. My body hit the ground hard, my senses reeling—thenCaden.
I barely had time to see his face, set in fierce determination, before he threw his entire body over mine.
A barrier shimmered to life around us, cocooning us in a desperate shield. The moment it snapped into place, anexplosion tore through the building, sending debris slamming into the glowing orb.
I flinched at every impact, heart pounding against my ribs as jagged shards ricocheted around us. Caden held firm, his broad frame pressing me into the ground, absorbing the brunt of the storm. His muscles were taut, every inch of him locked in raw, unyielding effort.
I could feel his breath against my neck, quick and shallow, his heartbeat hammering through his chest, a frantic mirror of my own. The bunker roared around us, groaning, crumbling, collapsing in on itself. Dust and heat surrounded us, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the moment everything caved completely.
