The morning sun was not yet high enough to reach the bottom of the narrow streets when we finally woke up. The room in Hanashighi's hidden wing was cool and quiet, and the soft light from the glowing floor stones was the only thing that let me know the day had started. I felt a familiar warmth against my side, and when I looked down, Elphyete was still there. She was curled up next to me, her silver hair looking a bit messy but beautiful in the dim light. She had a small smile on her face, like she was having a very good dream. I stayed very still for a few minutes, not wanting to wake her up just yet. My body still felt a little heavy from the big meal we had yesterday, but my mind was already racing. Today was the day we would finally go to the underground business city.
I moved slightly, and Elphyete let out a soft sound before opening her eyes. She looked up at me, and I immediately noticed her long ears. They gave a quick little twitch, turning toward me like they were trying to catch the sound of my heartbeat. As she realized I was looking at her, the tips of her ears began to turn a soft, pretty pink. She didn't look tired at all; instead, she looked very happy. She leaned in closer and rested her chin on my chest, her eyes searching mine with a playful spark. She reached up and touched my face with her fingers, her touch feeling very warm and gentle. It was a nice way to start a day that I knew was going to be very hard.
"Good morning, Sogha," she whispered, her voice sounding low and sweet. Her ears twitched again, and the pink color spread a little further down toward the base of them. She didn't say anything else for a moment, just looking at me with that same intense gaze she had last night. She leaned up and gave me a quick, soft kiss on the cheek before sitting up. She stretched her arms over her head, and her ears moved back and forth with every movement she made. "I hope you're ready for today. I don't think I'm going to let you out of my sight for even a second."
We both got out of bed and straightened our clothes. The room was quiet as we prepared ourselves. I could hear the sounds of the others waking up in the nearby rooms—the thud of boots hitting the floor and the quiet murmur of voices. We left our room and walked back down the long hallway toward the main laboratory. The glowing stones in the floor guided us, and the air grew warmer as we got closer to the center of the base.
When we entered the lab, it was already full of life. Hanashighi was moving around behind one of her long tables, her energy as high as it had been yesterday. She was wearing her thick glasses and was busy packing things into a small bag. Ishighi was standing by the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, looking as calm and serious as ever. The morning we ate food and headed out was finally here, but first, we had to fuel up. Hanashighi had set out a large spread of bread, fruit, and hot soup on the main table. The smell was incredible, and even though I had eaten so much yesterday, my stomach let out a loud growl.
"Morning, everyone! Eat up, eat up!" Hanashighi shouted without looking up from her bag. She was tossing small glass vials and metal tools into the bag with a speed that was almost hard to follow. "We have a very big day ahead of us! The underground city doesn't have a lot of good breakfast spots, so you better fill your stomachs while you can! Also, the soup has a little bit of extra pepper to wake you up! It's good for the circulation!"
We all sat down at the table. Euphyne was already there, tearing into a large piece of bread with a look of pure joy. Zhandra was eating her soup quietly, her eyes moving around the lab as if she was memorizing every detail. Celdrich was sitting next to Hanashighi, still asking her a few last-minute questions about the mana atomic particle cores, though Hanashighi was mostly answering him with quick nods and short sentences as she packed. Tokine and Alea were sitting together, sharing a bowl of fruit and talking in low voices. It felt like a family breakfast, even though we were all preparing to go into one of the most dangerous places in the region.
The food was simple but very good. The soup was warm and spicy, just like Hanashighi said, and it definitely helped clear my head. Elphyete sat right next to me, her shoulder touching mine. She kept sneaking looks at me while she ate, and every time I looked back, her ears would do that little twitch and turn a deeper shade of pink. She was definitely in a good mood, despite the seriousness of our mission. Once we were all finished and the table was cleared, Hanashighi grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She looked at us with a wide, confident grin.
"Alright, the morning we ate food is done!" she announced, clapping her hands together. "It's time to go! Stay close, keep your eyes open, and try not to look too much like tourists! We're heading for the back entrance, and it's not exactly on the main map!"
We followed Hanashighi out of the lab. She led us back through the secret stone wall and into the dark alleyway where we had first entered her home. The air outside was crisp and cool, and the morning fog was still hanging low over the cobblestones. The town was starting to wake up now. We could hear the distant sound of shopkeepers opening their doors and the clatter of carts on the main streets. But Hanashighi didn't take us toward the noise. Instead, she led us deeper into the maze of old buildings, moving through the shadows with a quick and steady pace.
We walked for about ten minutes, turning through several small, quiet streets that I hadn't seen before. The buildings here were very tall and sat very close together, making the paths feel like tunnels. Ishighi walked at the back of the group, his eyes constantly scanning the rooftops and the spaces behind us. He was making sure we weren't being followed. Elphyete stayed right by my side, her hand occasionally brushing against mine as we walked. Her ears were moving constantly now, turning toward the sounds of the town as we moved closer to our destination.
Finally, we followed Hanashighi and we went to another alley. This one was even smaller and darker than the first one. It was a dead end, blocked by a high wall made of dark, mossy stones. There were no windows looking out into this alley, and the only sound was the drip of water from a nearby pipe. Hanashighi stopped right in front of the wall and turned to look at us. She had a serious look on her face, her glasses reflecting the dim light that filtered down from above.
"This is it," she whispered, her voice sounding much more focused than usual. "The path to the underground city isn't a physical road. It's a shortcut through the fabric of the town itself. Just stay behind me and don't stop moving once the door is open. If you stop in the middle, things can get a little... messy."
She turned back to the wall. She took a deep breath and raised her hand. Hanashighi smacked another wall with a firm, sharp strike. For a second, nothing happened. Then, a thin line of bright blue light appeared on the surface of the stones. The light grew wider and brighter, spreading out from the center of the wall until it formed a large, glowing circle. The air in the alley started to hum with a low, vibrating sound that made my teeth ache. Suddenly, the center of the circle turned into a swirling pool of liquid light. A blue portal appeared, casting a brilliant, shimmering glow over all of us. It looked like a hole in reality itself, showing a flickering view of a much darker, busier place on the other side.
"There it is!" Hanashighi said, her voice full of excitement. "The gateway to the business city! It doesn't stay open long, so move it, move it, move it!"
She didn't wait for us to respond. She took a step forward and vanished into the blue light without a single hesitation. Ishighi followed her immediately, his figure disappearing into the swirl of energy. One by one, the rest of the group stepped forward. Euphyne went next, looking a bit nervous, followed by Zhandra and the others. Soon, it was just me and Elphyete left in the alley.
I looked at the portal, feeling a strange mix of fear and determination. This was it. There was no turning back now. Elphyete grabbed my hand, her fingers locking with mine. I looked at her, and her ears were a bright, vivid pink, twitching rapidly in the humming air. She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and looked at me with a steady, brave expression.
"Together, Sogha," she said.
I nodded, took a deep breath, and we went in. Stepping into the blue portal felt like jumping into a pool of ice water. The world around me vanished, replaced by a rushing sensation of light and sound. My body felt light, almost like I was floating, and the blue light was so bright I had to close my eyes. It only lasted for a second, but it felt like a lifetime. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the rushing feeling stopped. My boots hit solid ground with a heavy thud, and the bright light faded away. I opened my eyes and looked around, and I realized that we were no longer in the quiet, foggy alleyway. We had arrived.