The bell rang late that morning.
Not the harsh clang that summoned miners to work — this one was softer, almost respectful.
A farewell toll.
The Undercity gathered near the central shaft, where echoes clung to every surface. Steam hissed from pipes, and pale light filtered through cracked conduits. For once, the miners weren't bent over their work — they stood in rows, faces shadowed, watching as the lift gates opened.
Reina Voss stood on the platform, boots polished, coat newly pressed, badge gleaming like a promise. Her eyes swept over the crowd — not out of pride, but habit. She had spent years memorizing every name, every face beneath the Crown's shadow.
Luke and Elias stood among them, dusty from the morning shift.
"She's really leaving," Elias said quietly.
Luke folded his arms. "Guess even she gets to see the sky."
Reina raised her voice. "By decree of the Nova's office, I've been reassigned to logistics in the Mid City. Effective today."
The words hung there — another order from above, another reminder that no one truly belonged down here forever.
A few miners clapped. Most didn't.
She hesitated, eyes flicking toward the lift cables stretching endlessly upward. Then she looked back, her voice softer now.
"You've endured more than anyone above could understand. Whatever they call you — vermin, shadowfolk — you've kept this city alive."
Her words landed heavy. Even the guards shifted uncomfortably.
Luke felt something tighten in his chest. He'd cursed her countless times for her rules, her inspections, her endless demands — but seeing her go felt wrong. Like the Undercity was losing its only anchor.
---
When the lift began to rise, she found him in the crowd — Luke — and gave a faint nod. It wasn't approval. Maybe recognition.
Then the chains rattled, and she was gone.
Elias exhaled. "And just like that… no one left who knows our names."
Luke didn't answer. His eyes stayed on the ceiling, watching the last flicker of the lift's light fade into the distance.
---
By dusk, the new Overseer arrived — a man in his thirties, clean-shaven, voice clipped like a blade.
"From this day forward," he declared, "curfews will be enforced. Unauthorized movement near lift sectors is punishable by confinement."
Whispers rippled through the miners. The man continued as if reciting scripture.
"Efficiency is loyalty. Loyalty is faith. Faith is survival."
Elias muttered under his breath, "Sounds like a sermon."
Luke gave a faint smirk. "Yeah. One without an ending."
---
The following night grew stricter. Patrols doubled. Spotlights scanned the upper shafts. Even their usual shortcut access point now had a new lock — one Luke had to break carefully using a pried-off nail and half an hour of patience.
Their trips to the Mid City would became rarer, shorter, but not impossible.
Still, they went — stealing fruit, swapping scraps for trinkets, testing pieces of armor behind closed stalls.
They laughed quietly under the artificial sun, pretending for a moment they belonged there.
---
That night, as they lay hidden behind a derelict vent overlooking the glowing sprawl of the Mid City, Elias broke the silence.
"You think she made it? Reina?"
Luke shrugged. "She's probably sitting somewhere clean, eating food that isn't gray."
Elias smirked. "Think she misses us?"
Luke chuckled. "Not a chance."
But his smile faded as he looked at the bright towers above — the same towers that decided who lived in light and who mined in dust.
The tournament banners fluttered far overhead, bold letters gleaming:
"The Grand Nova's Tournament — A Tournament of Ascension."
Luke whispered, almost to himself,
"Let's make it count ."