Beneath the Empire

Renjiro sat with his back against a wall, his breathing steadied after their frantic escape. Emi and Taro paced nearby, while Kairro leaned against a pillar, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Kana stood apart, her gaze scanning the dim corridors as if expecting soldiers to burst through at any moment.

“How did it come to this?” Kairro muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. “The whole city’s hunting us, and we’re stuck down here like rats.”

“They talked with the red clan,” Yumeru said evenly, sitting on a crate. “You think that the yellow clan cares about fairness? This is all a setup.”

“Still doesn’t explain why she helped us,” Kairro shot back, toward Kana.

Kana bristled, her expression hardening. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Emi sighed, stepping between them. “Kairro, not now. Kana, he’s just stressed.” She turned toward Kana, her tone softening. “But he’s right about one thing. Why did you help us? You risked everything back there.”

Kana hesitated, her arms crossing defensively. “Honestly? I don’t even know. Maybe I just couldn’t stand by and watch them haul you off like criminals when you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Come on,” Kairro pressed, his eyes narrowing. “That’s it? You barely know us.”

Kana exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair.“Fine. Do you want the truth? I’m sick of this place.” She gestured to the dim corridor around them. “The Solaris Empire. The council. All of it. They preach about unity, but it’s all lies. It’s just selfishness and greed—kill or be killed. People like me? We don’t matter here. I’m just another cog in their machine.”

The group fell silent, her words hanging in the air.

“Back at the Horizon Centre, I’m nothing. Just an assistant. But out there? Maybe I can do something that matters.” Kana’s voice softened as she looked away. “Or maybe I’m just tired of playing by their rules.”

Kairro let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Damn… that’s rough.”

Kana waved him off,  “Don’t get sappy on me, Blueberry.”

“Would you stop calling me that?! Seriously!

Emi quickly changed the subject. “Alright, so we’re stuck under a floating city. How exactly do we get out of here?”

The group turned their attention to Kana, who was already pacing.

“The Solaris Empire is suspended in the air” Kana began, “Every exit point is probably locked down, and even if we reach the surface, the guards will be everywhere.”

“So what do we do?” Taro asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Kana stopped pacing, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “The core.”

Yumeru tilted her head. “What about it?”

“The core powers everything in the city,” Kana explained. “The lights, the vehicles,  the lot. If we disrupt it, even for a short time, it may be enough of a distraction to get us out.”

Emi furrowed her brow. “Wait, I thought technology here could only work when someone from the Yellow Clan interacts with it. How does the core power everything on its own?”

Kana hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “That’s the thing—it’s a miracle. We were told that, many years ago, our ancestors created it using knowledge we don’t fully understand. It’s been running ever since, and no one’s dared to question it.”

Kairro raised an eyebrow. “You’re talking about sabotaging the most important part of the city?”

Kana shrugged. “Desperate times, Blueberry.”

“Getting to the core isn’t as easy as walking in. The site is heavily secured, and only high-ranking officers have access.”

Renjiro glared. “So how do we get in?”

“There’s a ceremony later,” Kana said. “All the top-ranking officers will be there—every big name in the Solaris Empire. If we can get close enough, all we need to do is lift one of their access keys.”

Taro looked skeptical. “Steal from the highest-ranking officers in the city? That sounds like a death sentence.”

Kana smirked faintly. “Not if we’re smart about it.”

Emi tilted her head. “And once we have the key?”

“Then we make our way to the core,” Kana replied. “The key will get us through the initial security, but we’ll have to move fast. Once we disrupt the core, it’ll only be a matter of time before they figure out what we’re doing.”

Kairro crossed his arms. “Great. A foolproof plan. What could go wrong?”

“We don’t have another choice,” Yumeru said calmly. “It’s this or stay here and wait to be caught.”

Renjiro nodded. “Then it’s settled. We hit the ceremony, get the key, and head for the core.”

Kana’s expression grew serious. “Just remember—if we mess this up, there’s no second chance.”

“But how do we even leave this place without getting caught?” Emi asked, glancing toward the corridor. “There are guards everywhere.”

Kana rummaged through a nearby crate, pulling out a bundle of neatly folded uniforms. They were standard-issue Solaris Empire attire, marked with the bright yellow insignia of the Yellow Clan.

“Disguises,” Kana said, tossing a uniform to each of them. “We go topside, blend in, and make our way to the core. Easy.”

Kairro held up the uniform, a look of distaste crossing his face. “You’re kidding.”

“You got a better idea?” Kana shot back.

Renjiro placed a hand on Kairro’s shoulder. “We’ll make it work. Let’s get moving.”

Kairro sighed, reluctantly pulling on the uniform. “This better not be one of those plans where we all die horribly.”

“Alright,” she said. “Let’s move. Stay close, and don’t do anything stupid.”

With that, the group made their way toward the surface, their hearts pounded as they prepared to face the most dangerous part of their journey yet.