Purgatory of the Blue Flame: Eve Krüger

Eve Krüger had never known what it felt like to have a home.

She remembered fragments of places. A narrow alley behind a butcher's shop where the smell of spoiled meat attracted stray animals. An abandoned storage room with a broken window that let the winter wind through. A staircase beneath a merchant's residence where she could sleep without being noticed, provided she left before the servants arrived in the morning.

None of those places belonged to her.

She'd learned early that staying somewhere for too long was a mistake. People noticed. Some chased her away. Others offered help with conditions she couldn't understand until it was too late. There were even a few who'd smiled at her, called her a poor thing, and promised to find her somewhere safe. Eve had learned to recognize those smiles.

She stopped trusting them.

Most days, survival came down to simple things. Finding food before the markets closed, keeping her belongings close, and knowing which streets to avoid after sunset. She'd become familiar with the sounds of Vallcera long before she understood its geography. The clatter of carts on the stone roads, the calls of merchants selling their goods, the bells marking the opening and closing of the canal gates. She knew which taverns threw away enough food to make searching their rubbish worthwhile and which guards would turn a blind eye when they caught her sleeping beneath a bridge.

She'd also learned that names could be dangerous.

Eve didn't remember who'd given her hers. She didn't know whether Krüger was the name she'd been born with or one she'd picked up from somebody who'd forgotten her. It was written on the only piece of paper she'd managed to keep through the years, though the ink had faded enough that she could barely make out the letters.

She'd never bothered asking anyone about it.

A name was useful when someone demanded one. Beyond that, it didn't mean much.

At least, that was what she'd told herself.

                         …

The underground waterways smelled of wet stone, rust, and stagnant water.

Tatsuchi Kuroainaru crouched near the edge of a narrow passage, holding a small lantern over the surface. Its light spread across the water in a trembling circle, revealing pale sediment and the occasional ripple caused by droplets falling from the ceiling. The channel was only a few feet deep, but the darkness beneath it made it difficult to judge how far the passage extended.

She listened.

Above them, the muffled sounds of Vallcera continued. The city hadn't stopped moving, even with Silas and his followers occupying its streets. Somewhere beyond the stone ceiling, a bell rang twice. A few seconds later, the sound of distant shouting followed.

Tatsuchi lowered the lantern.

"How far does this passage go?"

One of the remaining Thirteenth Gate Guards checked the damp map in his hands. It'd been copied from an old municipal record, and several sections were either missing or too damaged to read. The paper had already started curling from the moisture.

"According to this, it connects to the eastern drainage system. There's another junction ahead, then a route toward the old reservoir."

"According to the map," Zhenyu Mori repeated. He stood behind Tatsuchi with his hands tucked into his pockets, headphones resting around his neck. "That's reassuring."

The guard glanced at him. "It's the best information we've got."

"Didn't say it wasn't."

Tatsuchi rose and looked farther down the passage. The ceiling was low enough that she'd have to duck in several places, and the water was already reaching the bottom of her boots. She wasn't particularly concerned about getting wet. She was more concerned about what might be waiting around the next bend.

They'd spent the last several hours moving through Vallcera's underground network, guiding the remaining civilians toward safer sections of the city while avoiding the Liberation followers above. The evacuation had been underway for two days, but the situation had become increasingly difficult to manage. Streets that had been cleared earlier were being occupied again. Patrols were disappearing from their assigned routes. Some evacuation points had gone silent entirely.

The Gate Guards couldn't afford to assume that any path remained safe simply because it had been safe an hour earlier.

The underground waterways offered another option. They were old, poorly maintained, and difficult to navigate, but they allowed smaller groups to move without attracting the attention of the hundreds of white-hooded figures surrounding City Hall.

Tatsuchi had agreed to investigate them after Eve mentioned that she'd seen people using one of the lower entrances.

The girl was now standing a few steps behind her, watching the water.

She hadn't complained once about the cold. Her clothes were worn, her sleeves were too long, and her shoes looked as though they'd been repaired more times than they could reasonably survive. She kept a small cloth bag pressed against her side, holding it close whenever someone moved too near.

Tatsuchi had noticed that habit almost immediately.

Eve didn't like being crowded.

"Is something wrong?" Tatsuchi asked.

Eve looked up. "No."

"You've been staring at the water."

"There's something moving."

Everyone went quiet.

Zhenyu leaned forward, trying to see past the lantern's reflection. "Where?"

Eve pointed toward the opposite wall.

A thin stream of water ran down the stone, disappearing beneath the surface. At first, Tatsuchi saw nothing unusual. Then a small shape shifted beneath the waterline.

She reached for the hilt of Shinkoku.

The shape moved again.

A rat climbed out of a crack in the wall, shook the water from its fur, and hurried into the darkness.

Zhenyu straightened. "Great. Our first enemy."

"Keep your voice down," Tatsuchi muttered.

"I'm whispering."

"You're not."

The guard holding the map cleared his throat. "We should keep moving, Captain."

Tatsuchi gave the passage one last look before turning away. "Stay close. Nobody moves ahead without telling me."

Eve fell into step behind her.

The group continued through the waterway, their lanterns casting long shadows over the walls. The passage gradually widened, and the ceiling rose high enough for Tatsuchi to stand comfortably. Old pipes ran along the upper sections of the stonework, some broken open and others covered in thick layers of mineral deposits. Several had been repaired with newer materials, suggesting that parts of the system had remained in use long after the original construction.

Tatsuchi ran her fingers along one of the pipes.

"These aren't from the same period," she said.

Zhenyu looked over. "You can tell?"

"The material's different. The newer pipes were installed over the old ones."

"So someone kept using this place."

"Or tried to."

They reached a junction where three channels met. The water flowing through the left passage was relatively clear, while the right passage carried a thin layer of dark sediment. The central route was almost completely dry.

The guard checked his map again.

"This should be the eastern junction."

Tatsuchi looked at the walls.

There were markings carved into the stone.

She stopped.

At first, they appeared to be scratches left by tools or perhaps damage from the construction of the newer drainage system. But as she brought the lantern closer, the shapes became clearer. Thin lines intersected at unusual angles, forming patterns that seemed deliberately arranged. Some resembled circles broken by narrow cuts. Others looked like overlapping branches, with smaller symbols carved into the spaces between them.

Tatsuchi recognized them.

Not all of them, but enough.

She'd seen similar markings in Victor Combs' basement.

The memory came back immediately. The damp office beneath the building, the rows of captives, the strange symbols surrounding the room, and the grimoire they'd discovered among the other materials. Gyakushoku. Reverse Eating. The name had remained in her thoughts ever since.

Those markings hadn't been ordinary decorations. They'd been part of something.

"Captain?" the guard asked.

Tatsuchi moved closer to the wall.

"Get the others over here."

Zhenyu stepped beside her, examining the carvings. "These are the same ones?"

"Similar."

"That's not exactly comforting."

"They were in Combs' basement. I don't know what they mean, but I know they weren't placed there randomly."

Eve approached, stopping just behind Zhenyu. Her eyes moved over the markings, following the lines from one shape to another.

"Those are old."

Tatsuchi glanced down at her. "You've seen them before?"

Eve shook her head. "Not these. But I've seen writing on walls that looked like this."

"Where?"

"Somewhere people aren't supposed to go."

Zhenyu crouched slightly to look at her. "That's a pretty broad description."

"It's where I used to sleep."

Tatsuchi looked at the girl again. "You slept near these waterways?"

"Sometimes."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Eve shrugged. "Nobody asked."

There wasn't much to say to that.

Tatsuchi returned her attention to the wall. The carvings continued beyond the junction, disappearing beneath a section of newer masonry. She could see where someone had attempted to cover them. The stonework was uneven, and the mortar had been applied over the older surface without removing the original markings.

She touched the edge of one carving.

It was deeper than she'd expected.

"These weren't made by the people who built the drainage system," she said.

Zhenyu looked toward the passage ahead. "Then who made them?"

"I don't know."

"That's becoming a pattern."

Tatsuchi ignored him and stepped toward the right-hand channel. The markings continued along the wall, growing more elaborate as the passage widened. Several were arranged around a large circular carving that had been partially obscured by mineral deposits.

She raised the lantern.

The circle wasn't complete. Four separate shapes extended outward from its center, each connected to a smaller pattern near the edge. The design reminded her of something, though she couldn't immediately place it.

Then she remembered the symbols from the Ten Fates festival.

The thought made her stomach tighten.

"Zhenyu."

He looked over.

"Take a closer look at this."

He moved beside her, and his expression changed as he examined the carving.

"That looks familiar."

"From the festival?"

"Maybe. I don't remember the symbols being arranged like this."

"Neither do I."

Eve leaned around them.

"Are those people?"

Tatsuchi followed her gaze. Several of the smaller markings did resemble figures, though their bodies were represented by little more than curved lines and narrow shapes. One had what looked like a circle above its head. Another appeared to be kneeling.

Zhenyu tilted his head.

"Could be a language. Could be religious markings. Could be someone's idea of decoration."

"That's a lot of possibilities," Tatsuchi said.

"Trying to be helpful."

"Try being quiet."

He gave her a flat look before turning back toward the passage.

A distant sound echoed through the waterway.

Metal striking stone.

Everyone stopped.

The sound came again, followed by a faint scraping noise. Tatsuchi raised one hand, signaling the guards to remain where they were. She moved toward the nearest corner and extinguished the lantern.

Darkness swallowed the passage.

For a few seconds, nobody moved.

Then voices drifted through the stone corridors.

"...the lower route?"

"Already checked."

"Then keep going. We're not going to leave anyone behind."

Tatsuchi recognized the tone of the second speaker. It wasn't someone she knew, but the words were spoken with the flat certainty of someone repeating an order.

Liberation followers.

She slowly drew Shinkoku.

Zhenyu's fingers shifted at his side. A faint distortion passed through the air around his hand, bending the light from the distant passage.

Eve moved closer to the wall.

The footsteps grew louder, then stopped.

A small beam of light swept across the junction.

Tatsuchi held her breath.

The beam moved over the opposite wall, catching the carved symbols for a brief moment before sliding away. Someone muttered something about the passage being flooded. Another voice answered that they'd check the next entrance.

The footsteps began moving again.

They waited until the sounds faded before Tatsuchi lowered her sword.

"We can't stay here," she whispered.

Zhenyu nodded toward the markings. "And we can't assume they're only looking for civilians."

"Which is why we're leaving."

The guard with the map approached. "The central passage should connect to the old reservoir. If the records are accurate, there'll be another exit on the western side."

"Then that's where we're going."

Tatsuchi turned toward Eve.

"Stay between us. Don't wander off."

Eve nodded.

The girl looked once more at the wall before following the others.

                         …

Across Vallcera, Asumi Yamikumei was having a similar problem.

The western side of the city had become increasingly difficult to navigate. Several of the main streets were blocked by overturned carts and broken masonry, while the smaller roads were being watched by Liberation followers. The Gate Guards had managed to establish a temporary route through a series of abandoned service tunnels, but the entrances were narrow and poorly marked.

Asumi had been assigned to investigate the lower sections with a small group of guards. Their objective was to locate another evacuation route and determine whether the underground passages connected to the waterways on the eastern side.

She hadn't expected to find anything unusual.

That assumption lasted until they reached a collapsed section of tunnel.

The passage had been damaged years earlier, perhaps by flooding or a structural failure. The upper portion of the wall had fallen inward, leaving a narrow opening beneath the rubble. One of the guards moved a broken stone aside, revealing a dark space beyond.

Asumi crouched and looked through it.

"There's another room."

"Can you see an exit?" one of the guards asked.

"Not from here."

She extended a thin strand of shadow through the opening. It slipped between the stones, stretching into the darkness before widening into a small shape that could sense the space beyond.

The room was larger than she'd expected.

There was a floor beneath the rubble, and the walls appeared to be intact. More importantly, the passage continued beyond it.

Asumi withdrew her shadow.

"We're going in."

The guard looked at the opening. "It's barely wide enough."

"Then don't get stuck."

She slipped through first, turning her shoulders to fit between the stones. The room beyond was cold and smelled faintly of wet earth. Her boots landed on a layer of dust that hadn't been disturbed in a long time.

She looked around.

The walls were covered in markings.

Asumi stood still.

Unlike the carvings Tatsuchi had found, these were more symmetrical. Several shapes were arranged in circular patterns, with thin lines extending outward from a central point. Others were carved into vertical rows, each one slightly different from the last.

She approached the nearest wall.

The symbols reminded her of the Ten Fates.

Not exactly. The shapes were distorted, their lines bent and broken in ways that made them difficult to recognize. But there was something familiar about the arrangement. She'd seen similar designs during the festival, painted across banners and carved into the decorations surrounding the public shrines.

These looked older.

Much older.

Asumi raised her hand, letting a strand of shadow move across the surface. The darkness traced the carvings without touching them, following the narrow grooves and revealing details hidden beneath the dust.

"Captain?"

She glanced over her shoulder.

One of the guards had entered the room. He was examining the opposite wall, where several markings had been carved around a narrow doorway.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I think these are related to the Fates."

He stepped closer. "You recognize them?"

"Some of the shapes. Not the entire pattern."

"Could this be an old shrine?"

"Maybe."

Asumi looked at the doorway.

There were no hinges. No handle. Just a narrow gap between two sections of stone, almost invisible beneath the markings.

She placed her palm against the wall.

A faint vibration passed through the stone.

Asumi pulled her hand away.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

The guard shook his head.

She tried again, this time allowing her shadow to spread across the surface. The darkness slipped into the narrow grooves, following the pattern until it reached the center of the design.

Something clicked.

A section of the wall shifted inward.

The guard immediately stepped back, drawing his weapon. Asumi remained still as the stone slowly moved, revealing a passage barely wide enough for one person.

Cold air flowed out.

It carried the smell of damp stone and something else. Something old and metallic.

Asumi looked into the darkness.

"Nobody goes in alone," she said.

The guard nodded.

They entered together.

                           …

The eastern passage eventually opened into a chamber that was far larger than the drainage system surrounding it.

Tatsuchi stopped at the entrance.

The lantern light barely reached the far wall. Massive stone columns stood in rows across the chamber, their surfaces covered in carvings and worn patterns. Some had cracked down the middle, while others leaned at uneven angles, as though the ground beneath them had shifted.

Water filled the lower portion of the room.

It moved slowly through a series of channels cut into the floor, passing beneath broken bridges and disappearing into dark openings along the walls. Several stone platforms rose above the waterline, connecting the columns to what appeared to be a central walkway.

Tatsuchi stepped forward.

"This isn't part of the drainage system."

Zhenyu looked around. "No kidding."

The guard unfolded the map again, comparing it to the chamber.

"This isn't on here."

"Maybe the records are incomplete," Tatsuchi said.

"These columns are too large for a maintenance tunnel," Zhenyu added. "Look at the construction. Whoever built this wasn't trying to move water."

Tatsuchi approached one of the nearest columns.

Its base was covered in the same markings they'd seen earlier. Unlike the carvings in the junction, however, these were much more detailed. Several lines extended around the column, connecting different symbols in a continuous pattern.

The stone itself was dark, almost black in places. It didn't resemble the pale material used in Vallcera's newer buildings.

Tatsuchi ran her fingers over the surface.

The carvings were worn, but they hadn't been made carelessly. Each line followed a deliberate path, intersecting with others at precise angles.

"How old do you think this is?" Zhenyu asked.

"I couldn't tell you."

"Older than the city?"

Tatsuchi looked toward the chamber.

The columns extended into the darkness, and the walls seemed to continue far beyond the area illuminated by their lanterns. She could make out the remains of what might've been a staircase on the opposite side, along with a row of collapsed structures built into the stone.

The possibility occurred to her slowly.

"Maybe the city's built over something."

Zhenyu followed her gaze.

"An older city?"

"That's what it looks like."

The guard lowered his map. "Why would anyone build over an entire settlement?"

Tatsuchi looked at the water flowing beneath the platforms.

"Maybe they didn't know it was here."

"How do you build a city without knowing what's underneath it?"

"I don't know. I'm not a historian."

Zhenyu leaned against the column, studying the markings. "Could've been buried by a flood. Or an earthquake. Maybe the people who built Vallcera found the ruins and decided to use them."

"Or cover them," Tatsuchi said.

That possibility settled between them.

Eve had remained unusually quiet since entering the chamber. She stood near the edge of the walkway, staring at a section of wall covered in overlapping carvings.

Tatsuchi noticed her expression.

"What is it?"

Eve pointed.

"That one looks different."

Tatsuchi moved toward her.

The carving was partially hidden behind a broken section of masonry. Unlike the other markings, it appeared to have been made much more recently. The lines were shallower, and the stone around them hadn't weathered in the same way.

Tatsuchi brought the lantern closer.

There was a narrow symbol carved into the center, surrounded by several smaller shapes.

Zhenyu examined it.

"Someone added this later."

"How much later?" Tatsuchi asked.

"Couldn't say. But it's not the same work."

Eve crouched and brushed away some of the dust near the bottom.

A name appeared.

Not a complete one. Just a few letters, scratched into the stone with something sharp.

K R Ü...

Tatsuchi leaned closer.

"Move the lantern."

Zhenyu adjusted its position, allowing the light to fall directly across the carving.

The letters became clearer.

KRÜGER.

Tatsuchi stared at them.

Eve looked between the carving and Tatsuchi.

"That's my name."

For a moment, the only sound in the chamber was the movement of water beneath the stone walkway.

Tatsuchi crouched beside her.

"Where did you say you got your name?"

"I didn't."

"Do you remember who gave it to you?"

Eve shook her head.

"Have you ever seen this name written somewhere else?"

"On my paper."

"What paper?"

Eve reached into the cloth bag at her side. She hesitated before pulling out a small folded scrap, its edges frayed and stained. The paper had been folded so many times that the creases were beginning to split.

She held it out.

Tatsuchi took it carefully.

The writing was faded, but the name was still visible. Beneath it were a few lines that had become almost impossible to read.

KRÜGER.

The letters were written in a different hand than the ones carved into the wall, but the spelling was the same.

Tatsuchi looked back at the stone.

"Where'd you find this?"

"In a box."

"What box?"

"An old one. It was near the place I used to sleep."

"Do you remember where?"

Eve shook her head again. "It was a long time ago."

Tatsuchi didn't press her.

She studied the paper for another moment before handing it back. The name brought someone to mind. Someone she'd met through the Gate Guards, though she'd never had much reason to think about her outside official matters.

Liezel Krüger.

The captain of the Second Gate Guard.

Tatsuchi knew little about Liezel's personal life. Their paths had crossed during meetings and formal assignments, but the other captain wasn't someone she could claim to know well. Still, the surname was uncommon enough that seeing it here, connected to a child who couldn't remember her family, was difficult to dismiss.

‘Could Eve be related to her?’

A daughter? A younger sister? Some other relative?

There wasn't enough information to make any of those conclusions.

Tatsuchi looked at the girl.

"Have you ever met someone named Liezel?"

Eve shook her head.

"Liezel Krüger?"

"No."

"Does the name sound familiar?"

"No?"

Tatsuchi nodded slowly.

"All right."

Zhenyu glanced at her. "You know someone with that name?"

"She's the Second Gate Guard Captain."

Eve's eyes shifted toward Tatsuchi.

"Is she here?"

"Not that I know of."

"Could she know me?"

Tatsuchi hesitated.

"I don't know."

Eve looked down at the paper in her hands.

The question had been simple, but Tatsuchi could tell the answer mattered to her. For someone who'd spent most of her life alone, the possibility of having a family could be difficult to ignore.

Tatsuchi didn't want to give her false hope.

"We'll find out when we can contact her," she said. "But I can't promise anything."

Eve nodded.

"Okay."

Zhenyu looked toward the far side of the chamber.

"There's another passage over there."

Tatsuchi followed his gaze.

Beyond the columns, a narrow walkway led toward a section of wall that appeared to have been built differently from the rest. It was made from darker stone, and several large slabs had been fitted together to create a sealed entrance.

The markings continued across its surface.

Tatsuchi approached slowly.

The design was more complex than anything they'd found so far. Several circular patterns overlapped, with narrow lines extending from their centers. At the bottom, a series of smaller carvings formed what looked like a sequence.

Zhenyu stopped beside her.

"That's a door."

"Looks like it."

"Any idea how to open it?"

Tatsuchi examined the stone.

There was no handle, no visible hinge, and no obvious mechanism. She ran her hand along the edge, feeling for a gap.

Nothing.

Eve moved closer.

"There's something here."

She pointed toward the lower right corner.

Tatsuchi crouched.

A narrow groove ran along the stone, almost hidden beneath the surrounding carvings. It extended toward the center of the door, where it disappeared beneath a circular symbol.

Tatsuchi touched it.

The stone shifted slightly.

She pulled her hand back.

"Everyone step away."

The guards moved behind her. Zhenyu raised one hand, ready to use his ability if the door began moving unexpectedly.

Tatsuchi pressed the groove again.

A low grinding sound echoed through the chamber.

The circular symbol rotated.

Dust fell from the upper edge as the stone door slowly moved inward, revealing a narrow passage beyond. The air that emerged was colder than the air in the chamber, carrying a faint smell of smoke.

Tatsuchi raised her lantern.

The passage wasn't natural. Its walls were smooth, and the floor had been cut into a series of shallow steps. The same markings covered both sides, but these were arranged in a more deliberate pattern.

They continued toward a small chamber at the end.

"Stay behind me," Tatsuchi said.

She entered first.

The others followed.

The chamber beyond was almost completely empty.

There were no columns or waterways, no broken furniture or collapsed structures. Just a flat stone floor and a wall at the far end.

Something had been carved into it.

Tatsuchi approached.

The message was written in a language she couldn't read, but the words beneath it had been carved in a more familiar script.

She stopped.

Zhenyu stepped beside her, reading the inscription aloud.

"When the flame burns, the world will remember."

Nobody spoke.

Tatsuchi looked at the words again.

The carving was old. The edges had worn down, and a thin layer of dust had settled inside the letters. Yet the message remained clear enough to read.

"When the flame burns," Zhenyu repeated quietly. "That's a little specific."

Tatsuchi didn't answer.

She studied the surrounding markings. The symbols were arranged around the inscription in a circular pattern, with several lines extending toward the edges of the wall. One of them resembled the shape they'd seen in Victor Combs' basement.

Another looked almost identical to the symbol she'd seen carved into the column outside.

She couldn't tell whether the inscription was a warning, a prophecy, or simply a phrase whose meaning had been lost.

But someone had gone to considerable effort to preserve it.

"Captain."

One of the guards stood near the entrance.

Tatsuchi turned.

"We've got a problem."

"What is it?"

He pointed toward the passage behind them.

A faint vibration had begun traveling through the floor. It was subtle at first, almost indistinguishable from the movement of the water outside. Then the sound grew louder.

A deep rumble echoed through the chamber.

Zhenyu looked toward the ceiling.

"That doesn't sound good."

The guard raised his lantern.

"Water pressure?"

Tatsuchi moved toward the doorway.

The rumbling continued, followed by a sharp cracking noise somewhere beyond the chamber.

She looked at the others.

"We're leaving. Now."

                          …

Asumi had found something similar.

The passage beyond the hidden door was narrower than the chamber she'd entered, and the air was noticeably colder. Her shadow moved ahead of her, slipping across the floor and climbing the walls. It revealed several markings that hadn't been visible from the entrance.

She stopped beside one of them.

The symbol was arranged around a central circle, with four narrow shapes extending outward. Each shape had been distorted in a slightly different way, making it difficult to determine what the original design had looked like.

Asumi recognized the general arrangement.

The Ten Fates.

She'd seen their symbols in churches, religious decorations, and the banners used during the annual festival. But this wasn't a proper representation of any of them. The markings were warped, as though someone had attempted to recreate the designs from memory and deliberately changed certain details.

She moved closer.

"Captain?" one of the guards asked.

"Look at this."

He examined the wall.

"Are those Fate symbols?"

"Some of them."

"Then this could be a shrine."

"Maybe. But why would someone distort them?"

The guard shrugged.

"Could be an old interpretation."

Asumi ran her fingers along the edge of the carving without touching its center.

The lines were uneven. Some had been cut deeply into the stone, while others were barely visible. A few appeared to overlap, forming shapes that didn't seem to belong to the same pattern.

She looked toward the next section of wall.

There were more.

Dozens of them.

Some were arranged in circles, others in long vertical rows. A few had been crossed out, while others had been carved over with entirely different symbols.

Asumi felt a faint pressure behind her eyes.

She blinked and looked away.

"Let's keep moving."

The guard nodded.

They continued through the passage until they reached another chamber. This one contained several broken stone platforms and a shallow pool of water. A staircase climbed along the far wall, disappearing into darkness.

Asumi stepped onto the nearest platform.

Her shadow spread across the floor, revealing a narrow line beneath the water. It continued toward the staircase, following a pattern carved into the stone.

She crouched.

The markings beneath the water were almost identical to the ones they'd seen earlier.

Except for one.

A small symbol had been carved into the center of the pattern. It resembled a flame.

Asumi stared at it.

The image from the wall came back to her.

When the flame burns, the world will remember.

She hadn't heard the message herself, but the thought had been sitting in the back of her mind ever since she found the distorted Fate symbols.

"Captain?"

Asumi looked up.

The guard was standing near the staircase, holding his lantern toward the darkness.

"There's another passage."

She rose and joined him.

Beyond the staircase, a narrow opening led toward what appeared to be another section of the ancient structure. The markings continued along the walls, growing denser as they moved farther inside.

Asumi glanced back at the pool.

The flame symbol had disappeared beneath the shifting water.

                             …

The rumbling in the eastern chamber grew louder.

Tatsuchi hurried through the passage with Shinkoku drawn, keeping the lantern raised in her left hand. The others followed close behind, their footsteps splashing through the shallow water. Zhenyu stayed near Eve, making sure she didn't fall behind.

The stone door they'd opened was still in place, but the chamber beyond it had begun to vibrate. Dust drifted from the ceiling, and several small pieces of masonry had fallen into the water.

"What's happening?" one of the guards asked.

"I don't know," Tatsuchi answered. "Keep moving."

They reached the main chamber just as another tremor passed through the floor.

A section of the upper walkway cracked.

Stone dropped into the water below, sending a wave against the platforms. Tatsuchi grabbed the nearest column to steady herself.

Zhenyu caught Eve by the shoulder before she slipped.

"Careful!"

"I'm fine," she said.

"Didn't say you weren't."

Tatsuchi looked toward the entrance they'd used earlier.

The water was rising.

Not quickly, but enough to notice. The level had climbed several inches since they'd entered the chamber, and the channels that had been carrying a steady current were now flowing in the opposite direction.

She looked at the guard with the map.

"Is there another exit?"

"There's supposed to be one near the reservoir."

"Supposed to be?"

"The records are incomplete!"

Tatsuchi exhaled.

"Then we'll find it."

They crossed the chamber, moving along the raised platforms. The columns groaned as the water pressed against their bases. One of the guards stumbled when a section of stone shifted beneath his boot, but Zhenyu caught him before he fell.

Eve kept her eyes on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Tatsuchi asked.

"There's water coming from the other side."

Tatsuchi looked ahead.

A thin stream was spilling through a crack in the wall.

It wasn't much, but the pressure behind it was enough to make the water spray across the stone.

"That's not supposed to happen," the guard muttered.

"Nothing about this place is supposed to happen," Zhenyu replied.

Tatsuchi approached the wall.

The crack extended upward, disappearing behind a large section of masonry. Water continued to leak through it, and the stone around the opening had begun to crumble.

She could hear something beyond it.

A distant rush.

Like a river moving through a narrow channel.

"Everyone back."

She stepped away from the wall.

A few seconds later, the crack widened.

Water burst through.

The pressure knocked several loose stones from the wall and sent them skidding across the platform. Tatsuchi raised her arm to shield her face as the water rushed past, flooding the lower walkway.

Zhenyu grabbed Eve and pulled her toward the nearest column.

"Move!"

The group scrambled toward higher ground.

Tatsuchi reached the staircase first and turned, making sure everyone was following. The water was already spreading across the chamber, swallowing the lower platforms and pushing debris toward the far wall.

She looked back at the ancient columns.

For a brief moment, the lantern light caught the markings carved into their surfaces.

The lines seemed to stretch across the stone, disappearing beneath the rising water.

Then the current swept over them.

"Captain!" Zhenyu shouted.

Tatsuchi turned and ran.

                            …

The western passage had become difficult to navigate.

Asumi and the guards had found another route toward the surface, but the staircase was partially blocked by collapsed masonry. They'd managed to clear enough space for one person to pass at a time, though the process had taken longer than she'd wanted.

A distant rumble interrupted their work. Asumi looked toward the floor. The vibration passed through her boots. "Was that an earthquake?" One of the guards shook his head. "I don't think so." Another sound followed. This one was closer.

Water.

Asumi turned toward the passage they'd come from. A thin stream had begun flowing along the floor, carrying dust and small pieces of debris with it. The current was moving faster than it should've been.

"Everyone out!" she said.

The guards abandoned the rubble and moved toward the staircase. Asumi stayed behind long enough to make sure nobody was trapped near the entrance.

She looked once more at the carvings.

The distorted Fate symbols stretched across the wall, their lines almost completely covered by the shadow of the doorway.

Something about them bothered her.

She couldn't explain why.

She'd seen the symbols before, but not in this arrangement. Not with these strange alterations. They seemed familiar in a way she couldn't quite place, as though she'd once known what they meant and had forgotten.

The thought lasted only a moment.

Then the water rushed around her boots.

Asumi turned and followed the others.

                           …

By the time Tatsuchi reached the upper section of the waterways, the passage behind them had begun to fill.

The guards were breathing heavily, their clothes soaked and their weapons dripping with water. Zhenyu had Eve's bag in one hand, while the girl kept close to his side.

Tatsuchi stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Everyone accounted for?"

The guard with the map checked the group.

"All present."

"Any injuries?"

"Nothing serious."

Tatsuchi nodded.

She looked toward the passage ahead.

A narrow opening led to another section of the underground network, where a series of stone arches supported the ceiling. Beyond them, she could see a faint glow.

An exit.

"Let's get out of here."

They moved through the arches.

The passage opened into a larger underground corridor, where several civilians were waiting beside a group of Gate Guards. Some were carrying small bags, while others had blankets wrapped around their shoulders. A few children were sitting on the floor near the wall, trying to stay out of the way.

A guard approached Tatsuchi.

"Captain Kuroainaru."

"What happened?"

"We've been moving people through this route for the last hour. The eastern entrance is still open, but we're expecting it to flood."

"How many civilians are left?"

"Not many. Most of the families in this section have already been evacuated."

Tatsuchi looked toward the civilians.

"Keep them moving. Don't let anyone stop here."

The guard nodded.

A woman approached, holding the hand of a young boy. Her face was pale, and her clothes were damp from the water. She looked at Tatsuchi's uniform, then at the sword at her side.

"Are we safe?"

Tatsuchi lowered her voice.

"We're getting you out of here."

"Where are they taking us?"

"Somewhere away from the fighting."

The woman looked toward the passage behind them.

"What about the others?"

Tatsuchi glanced back.

"Which others?"

"The people who were supposed to come with us. They said they'd be here."

Tatsuchi frowned.

"Who told you that?"

"A man. White hair. He said he'd help us find the way."

She looked toward the corridor.

"He was here a little while ago."

Tatsuchi didn't recognize the description.

"Did he have a uniform?"

"No. Just a white coat."

The woman hesitated.

"He was kind to the children."

Tatsuchi looked toward the guard beside her.

"Did anyone else see him?"

The guard shook his head.

"We've had several people moving through these routes. I can't say."

Tatsuchi nodded.

"Keep the civilians moving. We'll check the remaining passages."

The woman thanked her before following the others.

Tatsuchi watched them disappear through the next corridor.

Something about the description bothered her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. There were plenty of people wearing white in Vallcera. The Liberation followers had made sure of that.

Still, the woman hadn't described a hood or a mask.

Just a white coat.

"Captain," Zhenyu said.

She turned.

He was looking at Eve.

The girl had been unusually quiet since they'd left the ancient chamber. Her eyes were fixed on the civilians moving through the corridor, following each person until they disappeared around the bend.

Tatsuchi approached her.

"Are you all right?"

Eve nodded.

"You're sure?"

"I've seen people leave before."

Tatsuchi didn't know what to say.

Eve looked down at her bag.

"They always say they'll come back."

The words were spoken without anger. That somehow made them harder to hear.

Tatsuchi crouched so they were at the same height.

"Not everyone who leaves is coming back for the same reason."

Eve looked at her.

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

The girl waited.

Tatsuchi rested one hand on her knee.

"But I know we're not leaving you behind."

Eve didn't answer immediately. She looked toward the passage again, then nodded.

"Okay."

Zhenyu watched them for a moment before looking away.

"Captain, we should keep moving."

Tatsuchi stood.

"Right."

She turned toward the remaining guards.

"Split into pairs. Check the side passages and make sure nobody's still waiting down here. If you find anyone, bring them to this corridor."

One of the guards frowned.

"What about the eastern section?"

"We'll deal with it once the civilians are clear."

"And if the water reaches this route?"

"Then we move faster."

The guards began separating.

Tatsuchi looked toward the far end of the corridor, where the faint sound of running water was growing louder.

She didn't like how quickly the situation was changing.

Silas had kept the city under pressure for two days. His followers had occupied the streets, blocked evacuation routes, and forced the Gate Guards to divide their attention between protecting civilians and maintaining their positions.

But the underground structures were becoming increasingly dangerous.

And someone had known about them.

Someone had known enough to use them.

Tatsuchi looked down at Eve's paper, which the girl had tucked back into her bag.

Krüger.

Liezel Krüger.

She still needed answers.

                              …

On the opposite side of Vallcera, Asumi emerged from the underground passage into a narrow courtyard.

The air aboveground felt warmer, though the afternoon had become overcast. Several buildings stood around the courtyard, their upper windows boarded shut. A pair of Gate Guards were waiting near the entrance, watching the surrounding streets.

Asumi stepped into the open.

"Any movement?"

One of the guards shook his head.

"Nothing nearby."

"Have the civilians been moved?"

"Most of them. There are a few groups still waiting at the next evacuation point."

Asumi nodded.

She looked back toward the entrance.

The symbols she'd seen underground were still bothering her. The resemblance to the Ten Fates had been too strong to ignore, but the distortions made it difficult to determine what the original carvings had represented.

She pulled a small notebook from her pocket.

The pages were already filled with rough sketches and brief notes. She turned to a blank page and began drawing the central symbol.

A circle.

Four extending shapes.

Several lines connecting them.

She paused, then added the distortions she'd noticed around the edges.

The result looked unfamiliar.

"Captain?" one of the guards asked.

Asumi looked up.

"Do you think the Fates were worshipped before Vallcera was built?"

The guard considered the question.

"Probably. Their symbols are everywhere."

"That's not what I mean. I think these carvings might be older than the city."

He glanced toward the entrance.

"Then perhaps the people who built Vallcera found them."

"Maybe."

Asumi closed the notebook.

She looked toward the distant rooftops.

Beyond them, the central district was still surrounded by Liberation followers. The city remained trapped beneath their presence, and the Gate Guards were running out of time to evacuate everyone.

"Let's go," she said.

The guards followed her into the street.

                             …

The white-haired man had been helping people for nearly an hour.

He'd appeared in the underground corridors without announcing himself, offering directions and carrying supplies whenever the evacuation groups needed assistance. He knew the passages better than most of the Gate Guards, and he seemed to understand which routes were still usable.

He didn't ask for payment.

He didn't ask for names.

When frightened children refused to move, he knelt beside them and spoke quietly until they were willing to follow the adults. When an elderly man struggled to walk, he helped him along the corridor without showing any impatience.

His white coat was damp at the bottom, and the sleeves had become stained with dust.

The civilians didn't know who he was.

Some assumed he was a member of the Gate Guards. Others thought he was a local who'd volunteered to help.

He never corrected them.

At the final junction, a woman stopped and looked back toward the passage.

"Are there more people down there?"

The white-haired man glanced over his shoulder.

"Not civilians."

She frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you should keep moving."

His voice was calm.

The woman hesitated before following the others.

He watched until the last civilian disappeared through the exit.

Then he turned toward the underground passage.

Several Gate Guards remained farther inside, checking the side corridors and making sure no one had been left behind. He could hear their voices echoing through the stone.

"Nothing here."

"Check the next room."

"Captain Kuroainaru's group should be on the other side."

He lowered his gaze.

For a moment, he stood completely still.

Then he walked toward the exit.

The passage was quiet now. The civilians had been moved out, and the remaining people were all armed. Gate Guards and their allies. People who'd been sent to protect Vallcera.

He stopped beside the stone archway.

A few steps away, a narrow support column held the ceiling above the entrance. Its surface was cracked, and the surrounding masonry had already begun to shift from the pressure building beneath the city.

He placed one hand against it.

The markings on the stone were old.

He recognized them.

His fingers moved across the surface, following the carved lines until they reached the center of the design.

The sound came first.

A deep crack echoed through the passage.

Then the column split.

Stone broke apart as the support gave way, sending a wave of debris across the entrance. The ceiling above it groaned, and a section of masonry collapsed into the corridor.

The white-haired man stepped away.

Dust filled the air.

On the other side of the passage, someone shouted.

"What was that?"

Another voice followed.

"Collapse! The exit's blocked!"

The man didn't answer.

He moved toward the second entrance.

It was farther down the corridor, beyond a narrow staircase that connected the underground waterways to the lower streets. Several Gate Guards were still moving through the area, checking the remaining rooms.

He waited until their voices faded.

Then he raised his hand.

A sharp crack split the air.

The staircase shuddered.

Stone collapsed from the upper section, blocking the route to the surface. The impact sent loose debris tumbling down the steps, followed by a rush of water that spilled through the broken masonry.

The white-haired man watched the current spread.

It moved slowly at first, filling the lower steps and flowing into the narrow channels beneath the corridor. Then the pressure increased.

Water began pouring through the damaged entrance.

The man turned toward the remaining passageways.

There were more exits.

He knew where they were.

He also knew which ones the Gate Guards would try to use.

He walked deeper into the underground network, his coat trailing behind him. The sound of rushing water grew louder with every step.

Behind him, the first corridor began to flood.

A Gate Guard appeared at the far end of the passage, shouting for the others to move. Another voice answered from somewhere beyond the collapsed entrance.

The man didn't look back.

He reached the next junction and placed his hand against the wall.

A moment later, the stone gave way.

Water burst through the opening, sweeping across the floor and rushing into the lower passages. It carried broken pieces of masonry with it, pushing them through the narrow channels and filling the spaces between the ancient foundations.

The white-haired man continued walking.

Abovegro

und, Vallcera's evacuation was still underway. Civilians were being guided through streets and courtyards, away from the fighting and toward the safer districts beyond the city center.

Belowground, the Gate Guards were beginning to realize that their routes were disappearing.

The water reached the first junction.

Then the second.

And somewhere beneath the city, the ancient waterways began to fill.