The rusted metal door shuddered under Zindra's palm. With a deep breath, he pushed it open. A stale, musty air drifted out, carrying the faintest hum — like a whisper vibrating through stone.
Inside, old train tracks vanished into the dark. Pools of stagnant water mirrored flickers of Zindra's runes and Liyaya's trembling flashlight beam.
They stepped carefully, every splash echoing like thunder. Deeper in, they found it — a smear of darkness clinging to the tunnel wall, pulsing like a wound. Zindra raised his hand, feeling the cold hunger radiating from it.
"It's here," Liyaya breathed.
Zindra nodded. "A fragment. Small, but feeding. If it grows—"
A sudden sound cut him off — a scraping, like claws on concrete. Zindra spun around, ready to shield Liyaya. Out of the shadows stepped a tall figure cloaked in a tattered gray robe, face hidden by a cracked mask marked with the ancient symbols of Cyne.
Before Zindra could react, the figure spoke in a low, echoing voice: "Sentinel Zindra. You should not be here alone."
Zindra tensed. "Who are you?"
The figure lifted a hand and pulled away the mask. Underneath was a young woman with sharp, alien eyes that shimmered with the same light as Zindra's runes.
"I am Kethra. Scout of Cyne. I followed Meakery Senlord to your world. The elders fear you have grown soft — but I believe they are wrong."
Liyaya stepped closer, suspicious. "If you're one of his people, why hide?"
Kethra gave Liyaya a curious look. "Humans are noisy creatures. Some truths are better kept in shadow — until needed." She glanced at the fragment pulsing on the wall. "Sanavak's piece is weak now. Together, we can destroy it before it finds a host."
Zindra studied Kethra's face, searching for lies. He saw only determination — and a trace of fear.
"Alright," he said finally. "We end it now."
Kethra stepped forward, raising her hands. Strange symbols burned across her fingers — older than Zindra's own. The tunnel filled with a faint hum as her energy joined his. Liyaya stayed behind them, watching shadows twist and quiver like living smoke.
The fragment hissed and pulsed, fighting back. Shadows lashed at the trio. Liyaya dropped her flashlight and grabbed a steel rod from the ground, swinging wildly to keep the darkness at bay.
Together, Zindra and Kethra poured their power into the fragment. Light split the tunnel in blinding arcs. There was a sound — not quite a scream, more like the wind tearing itself apart — and then silence.
When it was over, the darkness on the wall had vanished, leaving only a charred scar.
Breathing hard, Zindra turned to Kethra. "Why help me? The elders think I've failed."
Kethra lowered her hands, eyes steady. "Because you are the only one Sanavak truly fears. And this world… is worth saving."
Liyaya tightened her grip on Zindra's arm. "Then we do it together. All of us."
In the dark tunnels beneath the sleeping city, the hunters of the shadows found a new ally. And Sanavak — somewhere in the black corners of the world — felt the threat grow stronger.