The tunnel narrowed, forced into single file. Behind them, the whine of drones grew louder.
"In here!" Zeeshaan pulled her into a jagged fissure in the rock. He stood in front of her, bracing against the stone to shield her. The drones zoomed past, red scanning lasers missing them by inches.
In the silence, the box began to vibrate. A voice echoed inside their minds: "Seeker... the path is narrow, but the heart is wide."
"It's speaking to us," Zhuo gasped.
Zeeshaan looked down at her. The calculations were gone. "I've spent my whole life being safe, Zhuo. It was boring. I'd rather be here, in the dark, with you."
The box flared with a sudden, blinding violet light. The rock wall behind them dissolved.