I'll Follow You Down Now

Elias slumped against the cold metal beside her, his lungs burning, his boots ruined. He reached out and took her hand.

"You don't have to do this," the drone hovering over his shoulder buzzed. Its optic lens flickered blue, a cold imitation of concern. "The atmospheric pressure alone will crush your lungs before you hit the mid-levels. Statutory law says she’s already processed." I'll Follow You Down

Hours bled into a fever dream of grime. The air grew thick, tasting of ozone and ancient rot. He passed the 'Hollows,' where people with translucent skin watched him with wide, unblinking eyes. He didn't stop. He followed the faint, rhythmic pulse on his tracker—the beacon he’d tucked into Lena’s pocket weeks ago "just in case." Elias slumped against the cold metal beside her,

"I know," he said, the weight of the miles above them finally feeling light. "I told you. Wherever you go, " Its optic lens flickered blue, a cold imitation of concern

The fall wasn't a clean drop; it was a desperate scramble. He caught a rusted service rail, the jolt nearly tearing his arm from its socket, and began the long climb into the belly of the world.