Somewhere else in the ruins
The shaking still hadn't stopped. Dust trickled down from the ceiling like sand from a broken hourglass. Strange ripples of light pulsed through the stone walls, resonating with a low hum that made the air feel alive.
Shu stumbled slightly, clutching his bag. "Wh-what's with all these quakes and tremors?! The whole place feels like it's about to fall apart!"
Rees, crouched beside a console of gadgets, didn't even look up. His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, I don't know, Shu—maybe the ancient, cursed ruins don't like us breaking into their sacred chamber?"
Shu scowled. "That's not funny!"
Jen steadied herself, eyes locked ahead with fiery determination. "Whatever this is, it's not stopping us. We're too close now. Rees, how far does the map say?"
Rees tapped on his wrist gadget, the faint blue light reflecting off his glasses. "Not far. I synced the map with my scouting camera earlier." He smirked. "Technology always beats superstition."
He turned the screen toward them. A holographic projection flickered into view — a grainy live feed from his drone camera as it hovered through the labyrinthine ruins. Twisting tunnels, broken statues, glowing sigils — all displayed in ghostly blue light.
Rees narrated as it moved. "See here? That's the lower chamber. The coordinates match up with the readings from the Nexus core. If my math's right—"
Jen rolled her eyes. "You hope your math's right."
"—we're almost there," he finished with a grin.
But before Jen could reply, the image on the hologram flickered. The camera turned a corner, and for a moment, a bright flash of light filled the feed — blinding white, then static.
Jen straightened instantly. "Hey—what was that? I was watching!"
Rees frowned, typing rapidly. "I don't know. Something just interfered with the signal." His voice dropped a note lower, unease creeping in. "Could be an energy surge, or… something else down there."
Shu's face paled. "S-something else?"
Jen crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Forget the camera. Can you track where it stopped?"
Rees glanced at his device, fingers dancing across the interface. "Yeah… I can trace its last coordinates." He pointed toward a narrow tunnel ahead, faint light pulsing deep inside. "It's not far from here."
Jen cracked her knuckles, smirking. "Good. Then let's move. Whatever's down there—it's what we came for."
Shu sighed shakily. "You say that like it's a good thing…"
Rees adjusted his satchel and gave a lopsided grin. "Relax, Shu. If something did fry my camera, that just means it's worth finding."