A Whisper of Ruin

The air was heavy. Faint metallic tangs of rust and decay stuck to their lungs, the oppressive silence threatening to drown them if they paused long enough to listen. Only, the sound of their boots clanging against the resonant ground kept the void at bay. 

It was a stark contrast to the commotion they'd left behind. The sounds of screams, stamping feet and crackling electricity. It was unnatural, unforgiving and it haunted Dusk's thoughts. She kept trying to convince herself to turn back, but something was pulling her forwards; and it had no intent on stopping.

Her feet were drawn in with each passing step, her eyes relishing in the wonderful void. The darkness was comforting, it embraced them, it loved her. 

“Its... quite something” April’s voice broke the silence, her tone light and undaunted.

Dusk shook herself out of her trance, glancing at April striding gleefully along. “That's one way to put it."

Dusk stopped tilting her head back, properly taking in the vast expanse around them. Upon finding the cavern she'd been too dazed to properly observe it, now she had all the time in the world. 

Stretched far above was the cave’s ceiling, a metal lattice that seemed to span out in every direction, holding up the layers of earth pressing above. Tiny points of faint light flickered in the rafters, like stars trapped behind the webbing of the ceiling’s supports. The shadows played tricks on her eyes, toying with the illusion of life. 

The floor was littered with ruins: collapsed walls, skeletal structures that looked like the remains of long-forgotten machinery, and drooping, rusted cables that hung like overgrown vines. A few swayed gently, as if stirred by a nonexistent breeze. The scattered wreckage hinted at a forgotten purpose—something ancient, something unknown. Contrasting against the suffocating emptiness that confined them.

Ahead loomed a cluster of distant shapes. At first glance, they seemed modest, almost forgettable, but as Dusk focused on them, the enormity of their scale began to dawn on her. Each 'block' seemed even larger than Thermoa, their angular frames catching the faint light that filtered through gaps in the cavern's roof. The cube-like edifices that had initially seemed like inconsequential structures resolved themselves into monolithic silhouettes, casting a watchful eye over their journey.

"Those... are some big buildings" Dusk gasped under her breath. “There must be... dozens of them...”

“Yeah, not small that's for sure. Should be fun to explore though.” April said. 

"Agreed!" Dusk's joy shocked her as it subconsciously escaped her lips. As though something else had been behind the exclamation. It unsettled her.

Yet it wasn’t the massive towers that truly held Dusk’s attention. Beyond them, still faint but undeniable, was their destination. A perfectly cylindrical monument, almost too small to matter from this distance, a dark mossy texture covering part of its otherwise smooth surface. And yet, Dusk couldn’t look away. Her thoughts tightened around it like a coiled spring, a dull ache settling in her chest. 

§

The journey through the hollow expanse before them was gruelling. The terrain was deceptively treacherous; what sometimes looked like a simple path was often interrupted by jagged edges or piles of debris. 

Together, they clambered over collapsed beams and scaled towering walls of corroded metal. They climbed up endless sheets of metal, slowly inching their way up, one pained groan at a time. When faced with a gap too large to cross, they slingshotted through the air; April's delighted cries streaking behind them.

"You're really addicted to the grappling hook aren't you..." Dusk initially had been thankful of April's relative silence throughout their journey so far. They'd been able to make substantial progress without even a whisper from her at times. Though in the unending quiet, Dusk found herself wanting to speak with her.

"I can't help it!" April laughed. "I've never had so much fun in my life. I get to fly through the air with my best friend!" She continued to grin at the thought.

"Fair enough I guess..." Dusk eked out the response, her cheeks burning with embarrassment from the compliment.

Dusk looked away, trying to avoid April's joyous eyes. So Dusk didn't notice when she stepped directly into a gapping hole. She felt herself falling as she started to slip deeper into the Abyss. Fear took over as she continued to fall, but this time, things were different. An arm reached out, grabbing her hand on instinct. 

Dusk lay on her back, starring blankly at April's worried face above. 

"Dusk? Hello? You ok there?" April's panic was entertaining to watch, as she frantically scoured the area for any more unsuspecting holes; all the while checking back on Dusk to make sure she was still alive.

Dusk looked on in shock, although the fear had been quickly replaced with relief. At this point she was just watching for her own amusement. "Thanks April, for everything."

April looked back at her, slightly confused at what she meant, but smiled in response anyway. The two of them continuing on their perilous journey.

§

Progressing further, they came across a gargantuan vault door, its edges rusted shut. 

"This may take some effort..." Dusk groaned. It had already been a painful day with how much climbing they'd done. The door otherwise being too thick to cut through with their laser knife.

"Don't worry, you have Thermoa's number one reactor guard to help you!" April beamed, sporting complete faith in her abilities. Leaving Dusk unsure if she was actually competent or just stupidly confidant.

Dusk planted her feet firmly, using the staff to wedge in-between the ancient metal. April latched herself behind, using her weight to tear a small opening into the door. It cried out in a wail, the sound screaming through the cavern in a haunting echo that made Dusk’s skin prickle. 

"Mission accomplished." April exclaimed, triumphantly put her hands on her hips. As though to say Dusk should never have worried in the first place. 

“You’re.... weirdly good at this,” said Dusk panting as they climbed another slope.

April’s movements were bold and confident as she threw herself up the slope with ease in response. Smiling back with the grin of a devil.

Dusk rolled her eyes, pulling herself up with more grace, but in a far less enthused manner. “One of us had to practice for weeks to not look stupid you know...”

“I think you're doing great” April teased. “Almost as good as me even.”

Dusk sighed, though a faint smirk tugged at her lips. “Thanks, April. Real motivational.”

The chaotic duo pressed on, their banter softening the tension as the vacuum of the Abyss bore down on them. The further they went, the more the silence ate at them—listening, watching, waiting.

§

Then they reached a chasm. Not some small insignificant space they could grapple over, no, a genuine chasm.

Dusk froze as the ground abruptly ended before her, giving way to a sheer drop that stretched into the deep. Across the gap was the faint outline of the other side, a wall of metal that continued into the gloom. It was impossible to gauge how far it went, the void swallowing any sense of depth. The enormity of it was overwhelming, and Dusk’s breath caught as her stomach turned.

April leaned over the edge, peering into the abyss. “Okay, that’s... a bit much.”

“No kidding.” Dusk followed her gaze, gripping her staff tightly as vertigo threatened to pull her forward. Then her eyes caught something—a groove carved into the opposing wall, faint but unmistakable. “There’s a hole over there. Could’ve been for a bridge or something.”

April squinted, following Dusk’s line of sight. “I guess so... but then... where’s the bridge?”

“I guess we'll have to find out.” Dusk replied, her eyes readying themselves for a search.

Dusk scoured the area, weaving between the scattered remains of electronics and machinery. As April sporadically looked around the floor, paying no heed to Dusk's methodical search. After some time, Dusk found what she was looking for. Tucked against a crumbling wall was a massive lever, practically dwarfing her in size. It was caked in decay, but beneath it ran countless wires that seemed to connect between Thermoa and the central cylinder.

Dusk placed a hand on it. “I hope this works...”

April shrugged. “If those lights outside are still flickering, then there must be power coming from somewhere.”

With a deep breath, Dusk pushed on the lever: using her full body weight to push it over the edge.

The response was immediate. A low rumble, a sound that vibrated deep in their chests. The ground trembled, and the cavern came alive. Machinery buried beneath layers of dust and grime started to move, gears grinding and pistons hissing. Rust shook free from the walls, cascading in cataclysmic waterfalls of debris. The chasm lighting up with a faint, ominous glow as massive metal panels began extending into place, forming a bridge.

Dusk and April stood frozen. The sound had enveloped them, like a giant crushing a pebble between its fingers. Emulating a whirring machine's demonic symphony, each noise sharper and more unnatural than the last.

“This is...” April murmured, her voice drowned by the oppressive noise.

Dusk didn’t respond. Mesmerised as she watched the bridge complete itself, connecting the two sides of the chasm with a final, resonant clang. 

They stood for a moment, stunned. Mutually deciding to cross the bridge, without a whisper between them.

§

The bridge led them to yet another stretch of unexplored metal wilderness. By now, exhaustion was beginning to creep in. Arms numb from the climbing, feet sore from the hard floor; but the vast emptiness offered no respite. 

To alleviate the pain, they decided to rest for the first time. Dusk cleared a small space among the debris as April unrolled their sleeping mats. They had brought a pair of simple Thermoan mattresses that Quill had fashioned to be easily rolled up and carried.

Some time passed as they ate their precious food supplies, the soft glow of their lantern cast long shadows in the quiet. April finally broke the silence. “Do you think everyone's okay?”

Dusk shrugged, poking at her rations. “I... don't know," the thought had kept gnawing at the back of her mind all day. Yet the feeling had grown weaker, as though something else was eating away at it.

“Yeah.” April frowned as she lingered on the chaos they’d left behind. Then noticing her friends oddly emotionless face. "You ok there Dusk?" 

"Ah.... yeah, I'm fine." Dusk's uncertainty continued to build, something didn't feel right.

"We should head to sleep, you should feel better after some rest." April had ended the conversation.

A voice whispered back a quiet "goodnight."

§

As their journey continued, the looming presence of the cubed structures grew larger with each step; their gargantuan frames roaring their imposing might.

The once small and insignificant design now towered above them, its shadow stretching far into the distance. The walls were blackened with soot and streaked with corrosion, yet it loomed over them like a god.

They stepped inside.