The first spark caught with a hiss, streaking across the oiled fuse like lightning finding its path. For an instant, all was still—then the world began to burn.
Fire raced outward from their position, leaping from one oil vein to the next in a perfect chain reaction.
Each streak of flame illuminated the tunnel for a heartbeat before vanishing around the bend, carrying the flames deeper into the cave from where they were.
The sound followed close behind—first a deep rumble, then a thunderclap that devoured everything.
The pressure wave rolled back toward them, a living storm of heat and debris. Bennet and Kieran braced themselves against the stone wall, the impact slamming through their bones.
The tunnels groaned as though the ridge itself cried out. Behind them, oil jars burst like cannon fire, spraying the walls with liquid flame.
The blaze moved with unnatural precision, guided by the path they'd planned—snaking through the corridors, consuming air, light, and men alike.
