The Runewell vault entrance was maybe three meters below street level, accessed through what looked like a routine steam maintenance hatch that most people would have walked past without noticing, The brass plate covering the access point had corroded from constant exposure to moisture and heat but the runic lock underneath was still active, pulsing with amber light that marked it as Coalition property.
"The lock pattern is Thread 2 complexity" Alucent said examining the inscription while trying to ignore the guilt that kept dragging his concentration back to Mira's death "Basic security rune, should take about 30 seconds to bypass if environmental interference doesn't mess with the unlock sequence"
30 seconds felt like way too long when they could hear Forge Coalition guards searching the nearby alleys with systematic efficiency, but rushing the unlock process would trigger defensive mechanisms that might alert every enemy unit within 200 meters, The kind of tactical decision where both options were terrible and he just had to pick the least bad one.
"I can provide cover while you work" Raya said positioning herself between the hatch and the nearest approach route "But if those guards get close enough to see what we're doing, the concealment advantage disappears"
Her Weaveblade was still drawn from the earlier fight, the enhanced edge showing faint traces of blood that probably belonged to the guard she had disarmed, and her facial scar was still flushed with that anger that seemed mostly aimed at him but was starting to include their entire situation.
Alucent pulled out his Runequill and started etching the bypass pattern, gray light cutting through smog as he channeled Runeforce from his internal reserves rather than risking connection to the Runewell before they had secured access, The unlock inscription was about five square centimeters of carefully aligned symbols designed to mimic the original security key.
Come on, just need steady lines and proper power distribution, can't let emotional interference mess this up when we're this close to getting underground.
But his hand was shaking from adrenaline and guilt, making the inscription lines waver as Shadowcage Taboos pressed against his consciousness with whispers that sounded way too much like Mira's voice asking why he had prioritized weapon enhancement over protection, The kind of reality distortion that made precision rune work really difficult.
"Bypass is fluctuating" he whispered as the gray glow flickered and the lock mechanism started resisting his unlock attempt "Emotional interference plus atmospheric corruption, this might take longer than expected"
"We don't have longer than expected" Gryan said as the sound of approaching boots got closer "Those guards are maybe 50 meters away and moving with search patterns that will bring them past this location in about two minutes"
Two minutes to complete an unlock sequence that was fighting him at every step, reality distortion making the inscription matrix unstable as guilt and fear compromised his ability to maintain steady Runeforce flow, This is exactly what Sir Vorn was warning about, emotional interference turning straightforward magical work into dangerous improvisation.
"Almost there" he said, though the bypass rune felt weaker than it should have "Just need to stabilize the final connection and the lock should release"
The amber light of the security rune pulsed three times as his bypass pattern synchronized with the original inscription, then the brass plate clicked and swung open to reveal narrow stairs descending into darkness that smelled like machine oil and stagnant water, The kind of underground space that probably flooded during heavy rain and never fully dried out.
"Inside, quickly" Raya ordered as the first guard appeared at the end of their alley "And seal the hatch behind us"
They descended into the vault with Alucent adding a basic concealment rune to the hatch cover, Thread 1 level work that should hide evidence of their passage for maybe an hour before environmental interference degraded the inscription, Not perfect but hopefully sufficient to buy them time to secure the Runewell and figure out their next move.
The vault was about 100 square meters of underground chamber, brass walls showing heavy corrosion from moisture and magical residue, and the Runewell itself was a two meter diameter pool of glowing energy that pulsed with erratic rhythm that suggested either damaged infrastructure or deliberate Coalition tampering, The kind of power source that could fuel extensive runic operations but might also be really unstable.
"Temperature down here is maybe 15°C" Gryan observed checking his mechanical arm's environmental sensors "Humidity at 80 percent, air quality poor from limited ventilation"
15°C was actually warmer than the surface temperature despite being underground, probably because the Runewell was generating excess heat as magical energy leaked through containment systems that were not maintaining proper efficiency, The pulsing glow cast weird shadows across brass walls that made the whole space feel like it was breathing.
But Tavin was already pressing against the far wall, his Runetoken pulsing with rapid light as visions came in chaotic bursts that left him trembling and gasping, His hazel eyes were bright with tears that definitely were not from smog irritation this time.
"I can see the Void Rune source" he whispered touching the copper disc "Eloha's power comes from something way older than the Coalition, something that was buried beneath the fortress before Iron Vale even existed"
Something older than the Coalition meant pre-war magical infrastructure, the kind of ancient rune work that nobody fully understood anymore because the techniques had been lost during centuries of conflict and knowledge suppression, Really dangerous stuff if Eloha had figured out how to tap into it for his Void Rune enhancement.
"How old are we talking about?" Alucent asked though he was pretty sure he did not want to know the answer "And what kind of power levels would ancient infrastructure provide?"
"Old enough that the inscriptions use symbols I don't recognize" Tavin replied as the vision continued "Power levels maybe 10 times what a normal Runewell can provide, enough to fuel fortress-wide defensive systems plus whatever combat enhancement Eloha is using"
10 times normal Runewell output meant they were facing way more serious opposition than he had realized, the kind of magical advantage that could not be overcome through clever tactics or superior skill, They would need something equally powerful just to survive the final confrontation, which probably explained why Mira had been so focused on securing those Voidshard crystals.
But the sound of clicking metal was coming from the shadows near the Runewell, multiple sources arranged in a pattern that suggested deliberate placement rather than random debris, and Alucent could see faint blue-white glows that marked active Voidshard traps.
"The Runewell is rigged" he said pulling out his Runequill despite his hands still shaking from earlier combat stress "Voidshard trap orbs, maybe six of them positioned to control all approaches to the power source"
Voidshard trap orbs were about five centimeters in diameter, containing compressed magical energy that would explode in a 0.3 square meter blast if disturbed or if their proximity triggers detected unauthorized approach, Worth about 200 Silverweaves for the complete trap setup but way more valuable as a tactical deterrent that made the Runewell basically unusable without proper disarmament procedures.
"Can you disable them without triggering the explosions?" Raya asked though her tone suggested she already knew the answer would be complicated "Because if those traps go off in this confined space, we're all dead"
"I can etch a disruption rune" Alucent said examining the trap configuration while trying to calculate the safest approach "Thread 3 level work, should disable the proximity triggers and vent the compressed energy safely"
Thread 3 was the peak of Silverline Scribe capability, the kind of advanced inscription that required perfect focus and steady Runeforce flow, exactly the sort of precision work that emotional interference made really difficult, But they did not have any other options unless they wanted to abandon the Runewell and lose their best source of magical power for the fortress assault.
This is a terrible idea, attempting peak-level rune work when I'm still dealing with guilt from Mira's death and reality distortion from Shadowcage Taboos, but what else can we do?
"Disruption pattern will be about 10 square centimeters" he said finding a section of brass wall near the first trap orb "Red glow instead of gray, designed to create controlled instability that counteracts the trap's compression matrix"
Red glow meant he was working with chaos-aligned runic principles rather than the stability-focused patterns he normally used, the kind of advanced technique that could backfire spectacularly if the inscription matrix was not perfectly balanced, Maybe 25 percent chance of Taboo corruption if he pushed too hard, shadowy limbs manifesting as reality distortion overwhelmed his ability to maintain safe magical practices.
Alucent started etching the disruption rune, red light cutting through the vault's gloom as he channeled Runeforce directly from the unstable Runewell, The power flow was erratic and difficult to control, pulsing in waves that made it really hard to maintain consistent inscription depth.
But panic was creeping in around the edges of his concentration, the knowledge that one mistake would trigger an explosion that might kill everyone in the confined vault space, and guilt over Mira's death kept dragging his focus away from the precise work that required absolute attention to detail.
The disruption rune wavered as his hand shook, red light flickering as the inscription matrix started to collapse from emotional interference, This is exactly what happened with the concealment rune, letting guilt compromise magical work when people's lives depend on getting it right.
"Rune stability is failing" he said as shadows started moving independently around the edges of the red glow "I might need to abort and try a different approach"
"There is no different approach" Raya snapped positioning herself to shield Tavin from potential blast radius "Either you finish that disruption rune or we find another route that probably doesn't exist"
The pressure was not helping his concentration but she was right, they were committed to this vault and this Runewell because every other option had been eliminated by Coalition search patterns and tactical positioning, He had to make the disruption work even if panic was making it nearly impossible to maintain focus.
Alucent forced himself to complete the final inscription lines, red light stabilizing as he poured everything he had into maintaining the chaos-aligned pattern despite reality distortion pressing harder against his consciousness, The disruption rune pulsed three times as it synchronized with the trap orb's compression matrix.
Then the Voidshard trap simply went dark, its blue-white glow fading as the compressed energy vented safely through channels created by the disruption pattern, Five minutes of work that felt like five hours, leaving him shaking and exhausted but at least not dead from a catastrophic explosion.
"One down, five to go" Gryan said. though his mechanical arm was ready to provide shielding if the next attempt went wrong "And those guards are probably in the alleys right above us by now"
Alucent moved to the second trap orb and started another disruption rune, red light cutting through shadows as he tried to ignore the way his hands were shaking and his vision was getting blurry from Runeforce exhaustion, Thread 3 work was supposed to be done in controlled conditions with proper rest between inscriptions, not rushed through panic in a compromised vault.
But as he worked on the third disruption rune, something went wrong with the inscription alignment, his hand slipping just enough that the chaos-aligned pattern misaligned with the trap's compression matrix by maybe two degrees, The kind of error that would not matter with stable rune work but was really dangerous when dealing with explosive magical containment.
The trap orb pulsed once with unstable blue-white light, then detonated in a 0.3 square meter blast that sent shrapnel and compressed energy expanding outward at speeds that normal human reflexes could not track, Alucent dove sideways as Gryan's mechanical arm extended to shield Tavin in a two second movement that probably saved the child's life.
But there was someone else in the vault, a civilian worker maybe 5'7" who had been hiding in the shadows near the far wall, probably a maintenance technician who had taken shelter when Coalition forces started their systematic searches, The blast caught him directly in a two second explosion that left nothing but scattered remains and the smell of burned flesh.
Oh god, I just killed someone, another person dead because I couldn't maintain focus, because I let panic compromise precision work.
"Civilian casualty" Raya said pulling Alucent to his feet with probably more force than necessary "We need to finish disabling these traps and get out before more people die from your mistakes"
The remaining trap orbs were clicking with agitated rhythm, proximity triggers detecting the explosion and preparing to detonate in sympathetic cascade that would destroy the entire vault, Alucent staggered to the fourth orb and started etching another disruption rune despite his hands shaking so badly the red light was barely visible.
Raya was already moving with enhanced speed, her Weaveblade slashing through trap orbs in a 10 second sequence that sent disabled components scattering across the brass floor, Not the safest disarmament method but way faster than waiting for him to etch more disruption runes that might misalign and kill additional people.
"Runewell is clear" she announced as the final trap orb went dark "And we need to move because I can hear Rune-Armor units approaching from multiple directions"
Rune-Armor units meant elite Coalition forces, soldiers wearing full runic enhancement with capabilities that made regular guards look like amateurs, The kind of enemies that required serious tactical planning or overwhelming magical advantage to defeat in direct combat.
But scattered around the dead civilian's hiding spot were personal belongings that included a small pouch containing 25 Silverweaves, probably savings that the worker had been carrying for some specific purchase or family support, The kind of money that felt really wrong to take from a corpse but might be essential for mission survival.
"We should secure the funds" Gryan said even though he did not sound happy about it "25 Silverweaves could buy supplies and equipment we'll need for the fortress assault"
25 Silverweaves felt like blood money, compensation for a death that was entirely his fault, but Gryan was right that they needed every resource they could get if they were going to survive long enough to complete their impossible mission, Alucent picked up the pouch with hands that were still shaking from guilt and exhaustion.
Near the Runewell someone had left a coil of rope, maybe 10 meters worth about 10 Copperweaves in normal market conditions, The kind of basic equipment that might be useful for navigating the fortress's vertical spaces or setting up emergency escape routes.
"I can trade 10 Copperweaves for this rope" Tavin said examining the coil "Good quality, should support our combined weight if we need to descend through interior shafts"
The barter made sense in wartime economy where physical goods were often more reliable than currency that might become worthless if Coalition occupation extended indefinitely, Practical thinking that Mira would have approved of, which just made the guilt worse.
As they prepared to leave the vault through a secondary exit that Tavin's visions had revealed, Alucent could feel the weight of two deaths pressing down on his consciousness, Mira killed because he prioritized wrong during combat, and now a civilian worker dead because panic had compromised his precision rune work.
I'm supposed to be getting better at this, supposed to be learning from mistakes, but people keep dying because I can't maintain focus when it matters most.
"The guilt is going to get more people killed" Raya said as they moved toward the exit tunnel "You need to figure out how to function despite emotional interference or you're useless as a team member"
"I know that" he replied though knowing it did not make actually doing it any easier "But acting like these deaths don't matter seems worse than letting them affect my work"
"Nobody said they don't matter" Gryan said as the sound of Rune-Armor units got closer "But Mira and that worker are already dead, and dwelling on it during active combat situations just adds more bodies to the count"
The secondary tunnel was narrow and dark, maybe one meter wide and descending at a steep angle that suggested it connected to deeper sections of Iron Vale's underground infrastructure, The brass walls were slick with condensation and the air smelled like rust and old blood.
"Rune-Armors are entering the vault" Tavin said as his Runetoken pulsed with warning visions "Maybe six units, full enhancement, they'll be on us in less than a minute"
Less than a minute to disappear into tunnels that might lead anywhere or might dead-end in some forgotten maintenance chamber, The kind of desperate flight where every decision was a gamble and all the options were terrible.
Behind them the vault filled with the sound of armored boots on brass gratings, professional search patterns executed with mechanical precision as Rune-Armor units began systematic clearance of the underground space, ahead the tunnel descended into darkness that might conceal salvation or just different ways to die.
"Whatever happens next" Raya said as they fled deeper into the tunnels "remember that emotional control is what separates useful team members from liabilities that get everyone killed"
The shadows swallowed them as they disappeared into Iron Vale's depths, carrying the weight of recent failures and the knowledge that Rune-Armor units were closing fast behind them.