The next day, after class ended, I found Elara waiting by the courtyard steps. Seren was beside her, with her arms folded.
Elara looked different, more prepared now. Hanging at her belt was a short wand, its tip narrowing to a sharp point of silvered steel. The handle was wrapped in white leather, etched with faint rune.
"It's a catalyst," Elara said when she noticed me looking. "The tip focuses the spell. I can channel light through it and fire it as a projectile.
It also works for inscribing rune without burning through my mana too fast. And… if I have to, I can use it as a knife."
Seren glanced at it for a moment longer. "That's not something you see every day. It's rare, expensive, and hard to get. How did you manage to find one?"
Elara gave a small, awkward smile. "My uncle knew someone."
Seren muttered, "Oh… so you're one of the Royal noble types." Then she caught herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean that in a bad way. I've just never seen one in person before."
"Let's go," I said quickly, pulling Elara forward before the topic could drag on.
We made our way toward one of the Lowrise gates, the noise of the Upper District fading as the streets grew narrower and the light dimmer. The guards barely looked at us, more interested in a street brawl breaking out near the edge of the plaza.
Elara broke the silence first. "Do you come down here often?" she asked Seren.
"Enough to know where not to step," Seren replied. "Some passages collapse if you breathe too hard."
"That's because the foundations haven't been reinforced in decades," Elara said. "The Temple prioritizes the Upper layers. Down here, it's just patchwork repairs."
"That's generous," Seren muttered. "Most of the time they just wall off a section and pretend it doesn't exist."
We passed a shuttered shop, its windows boarded from the inside. Faded lettering above the door still bore the sigil of Luminis, but grime had dulled the gold to brown.
"Was this a shrine?" Elara asked.
"Once," Seren said. "When donations dried up, they closed it. Better to keep faith concentrated where it looks impressive."
It was a small exchange, but it said more about the city than any sermon I'd heard in the Upper District.
We reached the same tunnel entrance from the day before.
The talking stopped, and their expressions grew serious.
Elara glanced toward the darkness ahead. "Do you think we'll run into that thing again? Do you see them often?"
Seren shook her head. "No. It's rare. Honestly, it was my first time seeing one. The last time I was in that room, there was nothing unusual."
I let out a slow breath, the pieces fitting together in my head. "So it was the rune," I muttered under my breath. "Figures. Shame for a regressor… if only I had access to all my memories."
'Anything you can tell me?' I asked silently.
Echo didn't answer.
Seren looked back at us. "Come on. Follow me."
We moved deeper into the tunnel, our footsteps echoing off damp stone. The air grew colder with each turn. Seren led without hesitation, taking left and right turns through narrow passages that all looked the same to me.
After what felt like dozens of twists, she suddenly raised a hand, stopping us. "From here on… I've never been this way," she said quietly.
Elara glanced back the way we came, eyes wide. "You've remembered every turn until now? I lost track after the third split."
Seren gave a faint shrug. "You learn to keep track if you don't want to get trapped down here."
We kept moving, slower now. Elara stayed near the walls, running her fingers lightly over the stone, pausing to inspect cracks and markings. She checked each branching passage before we committed to it, careful not to leave signs of our presence.
After a while, we found something… cuff marks on the ground, fresh enough that the dust hadn't settled back. There was a faint imprint of a boot, pointing deeper into the dark.
"Someone's been through here recently," Elara said, crouching to examine it.
Seren leaned closer, frowning. "More than one, and not long ago."
Elara straightened, brushing the dust from her hands. "Should we report this?"
"No," Seren and I said at the same time.
Our eyes met briefly before we both looked away.
"Anyway," I said, breaking the pause, "let's keep moving. We don't know for sure who they are yet, or who's involved. For all we know, some of the officials could be part of this too."
Seren gave a small nod and started forward again without another word. Elara hesitated for a moment, then followed.
We moved deeper into the tunnel, the air growing heavier with every step. Before long, faint footsteps echoed ahead.
Seren raised a hand for us to stop. Shapes appeared ahead in the dim light. A group of figures in black hooded cloaks moved in single file, each carrying a small child slung over their shoulder.
"That mark…" Elara whispered, her voice tight.
"…Umbralis," I finished for her.
I turned to Seren. "Do you know more about them?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she gave a sharp gesture for silence, then began moving slowly, keeping to the shadows as she followed the group.
"Still not enough?" one of them muttered. "How many brats do they want this time?"
"Don't ask me," another replied. "Orders are orders. We grab whoever we can. The more the better."
A third voice, rough and impatient, added, "If they keep struggling, just knock them out. The masters won't care if they wake up bruised."
I felt Elara stiffen beside me. Her hands clenched, and even Seren's eyes hardened.
We kept our distance, careful not to make any noise.
The group ahead didn't bother with stealth. One man shifted the weight of the boy on his shoulder and grumbled, "Feels like the last batch all died too soon. Waste of time."
"Not our problem," another said. "As long as they pay, they can do whatever they want with them."
The words were casual, but the meaning was enough to make Elara's breath catch. I put a hand on her arm before she could speak.
The tunnel opened into a wider chamber ahead, faint light spilling from an archway.
The hooded men passed through without slowing. Seren gestured for us to wait a moment, then moved silently toward the wall, keeping her eyes on the entrance.