“I think we should have the orcs on the surface as well,” Nova said.
“With two groups breaking off along the way for distraction,” I added.
Nova moved closer. “I will come below, while Ardetia and Bella stay above ground.”
My dad walked over. “I’ll travel with the shifters.”
Caleb stood in the large group of wolves, and our eyes met as he gave a slight nod.
I hugged my dad extra tight as he whispered he loved me and gave me a wink for the road. I watched them congregate as Twobble motioned for us to all follow him to the entrance of the UnderLoom, and without overthinking for another second, we followed our interim leader because there was no other way.
The opening he led us to wasn’t grand. It never had been. It was merely a narrow break in the earth tucked behind the hedges, half-hidden by roots and old stone like the ground itself had tried to forget it existed. I had passed it before without noticing, which now felt intentional.
“Stay close,” Twobble said, his voice a touch quieter than usual as he ducked inside. “And don’t touch anything unless you want to explain yourself to a goblin council that has far too much time on their hands.”
“That’s comforting,” Stella murmured as she stepped in behind him, her hand brushing lightly along the wall without quite making contact. “Wait. Wasn’t I supposed to stay back at the Academy?”
But before any of us could say another word, we slid down a tunnel at high speed. Mud, roots, and stone slid by at unstoppable speeds, or maybe that was me moving like a bullet. I hit the ground with a thud, and Keegan moved in beside me, his shoulder close, not crowding, just there. I didn’t look at him, but I felt it.
The air changed almost immediately.
The place was cooler and damp. It felt heavy, settling in your lungs and making you aware of every breath you took. The faint scent of earth and something older lingered.
The tunnel sloped downward, twisting just enough that the light from above faded quickly, replaced by a soft glow thatseemed to come from the walls themselves. Thin veins of something faintly luminous ran through the stone, pulsing just slightly as we passed.
“UnderLoom,” Twobble said, glancing back at us. “It listens. So keep your thoughts tidy.”
“Where did the goblin bazaar go? Wasn’t it close?” I asked Twobble, remembering from the last time.
“Things move in the UnderLoom.” Twobble shrugged. “That was the traveling bazaar.”
We moved deeper, the sound of our steps echoing softly, not loud, but enough to remind me that this place wasn’t empty.
It never was.
A low drone threaded through the space, subtle, almost easy to miss, but once I noticed it, I couldn’t unhear it. It felt like something just beneath the surface, shifting, watching, waiting.
The shadow mark stirred.
Keegan noticed.
“You feel it here,” he said, low enough that only I could hear.
“I do,” I replied.
Ahead of us, the tunnel dipped again, the glow deepening, shadows shifting in ways that didn’t quite follow the light.
Twobble stopped at the edge and looked back at all of us, his usual grin softer now.
“Alright,” he said. “From here on out, we’re guests. We get in, and we get out.”
Those words settled more heavily than I expected.
Guests.
Not welcome.
Not unwelcome.
