To shower or not to shower—that was the question.

Kai stood on the rooftop, staring at the simple, makeshift shower system in front of him. A rusted pipe, a small showerhead, and a large tarp stretched above, supported by four metal rods. It acted as a rain collector.

Rain… Kai looked up. There was no sky—not really. He was buried beneath layers upon layers of man-made structures, an artificial world that had long since blocked out any natural light. And yet, it wasn’t completely dark. Dim illumination filtered through the gaps between structures, casting a hazy glow over everything.

A droplet hit the tarp above, sending ripples through the small pool of water it had collected.

Kai traced the movement, following it down to what looked like a basic filtration system. Derniere had rigged up something surprisingly functional. It reminded Kai of the water purification kits he had used as a kid—basic survival training for tough planetary environments.

At the end of the line, directly above his head, was the water tank. One simple switch would turn it on.

Kai hesitated. His immune system might not appreciate whatever was in that water. But then again, Derniere had been using it, and he seemed fine.

Screw it.

He turned it on.

---

Hot water streamed down Eliana’s bare back, steam filling the shower. She stood still, letting it run over her, unmoving.

She didn’t come here because she needed a shower. She just needed a private place to process what Isaac had told them.

She had wanted to storm into the galley under everyone’s watch, demand answers, scream, break something—anything. But she wasn’t that kind of person. She wasn’t reckless.

Years of martial arts training had taught her discipline, control. She needed to calm down. She needed to think.

The news had hit her like a bullet to the gut. She could still hear Isaac’s voice, frantic, out of breath.

It had been midday, most of the crew gathered in the galley, finishing their tasks. Eliana had just finished brewing two cups of hot tea—one for herself, one for Kai.

She had been humming one of Aria’s songs, relaxed, waiting for him to return. They were supposed to be leaving soon, heading toward the Dead Zone. She was still nervous about it, but as long as Kai was with her, she knew she could handle it.

Then Isaac had burst through the door.

His suitcase slammed onto the table, knocking over Baiyan’s cup, spilling liquid everywhere. Baiyan stood to protest, but Isaac cut him off.

"Kai! Kai’s been shot!" Isaac was panting, his face pale.

Eliana’s entire body went cold. The tea slipped from her grip, burning her hand as it spilled—but she didn’t even feel it.

"What did you just say?" her voice came out deadly quiet.

Isaac hesitated, clearly seeing the fire in her eyes.

"Go on," she ordered, her voice flat, cold.

Isaac swallowed. "We were at the Archive… we were just going to copy some files… Kai was keeping watch for me… There was no one else there—oh, wait, I think I saw a couple earlier, but then—"

"GET TO THE POINT."

Isaac flinched. "Someone came in last minute. They shot Kai. Put a bullet in his chest. I—I don’t know what happened after that."

Eliana’s nails dug into her palms. "Describe the man."

Isaac’s face twisted in discomfort. "He was… tall, covered in scars, burned marks—"

"Inquisitor," Baiyan interrupted, his voice grim.

Eliana snapped her gaze to him. "You know him?"

"He’s True Kin. Works for the Council. Assassin—highest level." Baiyan hesitated, his jaw tightening.

"Continue."

Baiyan exhaled, then met her eyes. "The Inquisitor doesn’t leave survivors."

---

Kai used the bare minimum amount of water to shower—more of a quick rinse than anything else. But even that helped.

The water was cold, stale, and didn’t do much to make him feel cleaner—but at least he no longer smelled like a dumpster.

He used just a little more to clean his uniform, though the material was already designed to resist dirt. Still, he could tell Isaac’s design choices were paying off. With just a small cup of water, the suit looked brand new—well, except for the bullet hole.

Kai exhaled, flexing his hands. The pain in his chest was barely noticeable now. His body had healed itself. If he wasn’t sure before, he was now—the liquid inside him wasn’t just a one-time miracle. It was alive. It was part of him.

Dressed once again, Kai headed downstairs, where he found Derniere in the kitchen, cooking.

Kai wasn’t sure if it was because he was too hungry or if Derniere was actually a decent cook, but it smelled surprisingly good.

Still, he had to wonder… where the hell did the food come from?

Kai had seen nothing but trash and abandoned ruins since he got here. There hadn’t been a single sign of food sources.

Derniere set a plate on the table. The dish looked… odd. Kai couldn’t tell if it was meat or some kind of vegetable—it looked like something in between.

Kai hesitated. Then again… it smelled good.

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His stomach growled.

Kai took a bite. The food was simple, seasoned with just salt, but to his surprise, it was delicious. It had a meaty texture, soft yet firm, with no bones and a smooth mouthfeel. He liked it.

His pace quickened. He was starving. After everything he had been through, his body had burned through whatever energy reserves he had left. The liquid inside him had used his own energy to heal him, and now, his body was demanding more.

By the time he finished the entire plate, he still wasn’t full.

Derniere, noticing his hunger, slid another plate toward him without a word. Kai gratefully accepted, barely pausing before shoveling another bite into his mouth.

"This stuff is good. What is it?" he asked, speaking between mouthfuls.

"Mushroom," Derniere answered casually, eating at a much slower pace. "A type of organism that can grow even in darkness."

Kai glanced up. Mushrooms? He had never heard of it.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement. A tiny head peeked out from a small hole in the wall. It was the small creature from before. It raised its nose, sniffing the air, its tiny hands pressed together to keep its balance. Its round, beady eyes locked onto the food, and without hesitation, it bolted forward.

Derniere reached out, patting the small creature’s head before breaking off a small piece of mushroom and handing it to it. The creature eagerly nibbled on it.

"So... this is basically a vegetable too?" Kai asked as he finished his second plate.

"Not quite," Derniere said. "Mushrooms aren’t meat or vegetables. They’re fungi. Tiny organisms that join together and thrive in the dark." He set his fork down. "You’d be surprised how big they can grow. What you see above ground is just a small part—beneath the surface, they can spread out as large as a city."

Kai nodded, chewing over that thought. His gaze shifted to the small creature still munching happily beside Derniere.

"And what about this little guy? What is he called?"

"That’s a rat," Derniere said, scratching behind its ears. "There used to be a lot of them down here. Now, not so many. I keep this one as my companion. You’d be surprised at how useful they are for detecting danger."

"Does it have a name?"

"Yeah. I call this one Bell."

As if understanding, Bell the rat raised his head at the sound of his name, his googly eyes twitching slightly under the dim light.

Kai watched the interaction, imagining what it must be like for Derniere to live here. Alone, quite literally in the dark, spending every day surviving against machine patrols.

"You seem to know a lot about a lot of things," Kai said. "Where did you learn all of this?"

Derniere’s gaze flickered toward a pile of books stacked in the corner.

"I love reading," she said, her expression brightening slightly. "Books are how I keep myself entertained down here. Although… I’m running out of things to read."

Kai followed her gaze. On top of the pile was a book titled Explorer of Edregon, the cover depicting a glossy sphere with hexagon tiles reflecting light. The book's edges were worn, slightly faded, but he could tell it had been printed with care.

"So, how did you end up here?" Derniere asked casually.

"Well, I think someone wanted me dead and hired an assassin to kill me. Only by some miracle, I survived," Kai said.

"You’re the first one to ever make it down here alive." Derniere let Bell climb onto her arm.

"So..." Derniere continued, "you think you can get used to this?"

"Used to?" Kai chuckled. "I’m getting out of here first thing in the morning."

Derniere laughed for the first time, shaking her head. "Out of here? Do you even know how high the next level is?"

"No?"

"Well, it’s as tall as the tallest building you can imagine. And there’s no way up." She set her fork down, collecting Kai’s empty plate along with hers.

Kai nodded in thanks, but her words lingered in his mind. What if she was right? What if there really was no way out? Would the Black Swan come looking for him, or would they assume he was already dead?

Derniere rinsed the plates, using as little water as possible to clean them. She stopped, realization hitting her. "You think someone will come for you?"

Kai didn’t hesitate. "I know they will."

Derniere didn’t speak, and the room fell into silence. The only sound was the soft clinking of dishes as she put them away.

Kai leaned forward slightly. "What about you?" he asked. "How did you get here?"

"I was born here," Derniere said simply.

Kai blinked, momentarily speechless. He had assumed she had been stranded here somehow, like him. But to be born down here? He couldn’t even imagine it.

"My parents were among the last few down here," she continued, her voice steady, almost detached. "And I was the last child. They taught me everything I needed to know before... before passing away."

"I'm sorry," Kai said, not knowing what else to say.

"It was a long time ago," Derniere said, shaking her head. "This is just my life."

Kai studied her for a moment. She was calm, accepting of her situation in a way that unsettled him. He had spent less than a day down here and already felt isolated. Yet she had survived her whole life in the dark.

"So... if you don’t mind me asking," Kai hesitated, choosing his words carefully. What he was about to ask could be hurtful. "Why did some people stay down here? Why didn’t your parents, or their parents, live in the upper levels?"

Derniere lowered her head.

Kai immediately regretted asking. He was about to take it back, to say something to change the subject, but she spoke first.

"I asked my parents the same thing…" she said, her voice quieter now. The light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by something heavier.

"They told me the people in the upper levels were liars. Traitors to the human race." She exhaled, looking down at her hands. "I asked them why, but they never wanted to talk about it."

Kai could sense the anger in her now, bubbling beneath the surface.

"They were afraid of us. Afraid the truth would get out." She clenched her fists. "So they made sure we stayed down here. Made sure we never got out."

Her voice shook, but she didn’t let the tears fall. She just sat there, holding them in.

"I’ve tried before…"

"To get out?" Kai leaned forward.

"Yes," she said, nodding. "I think there’s something beyond the trash piles. There’s a reason they dump everything there—to build a wall, to block us in…"

Kai was on the edge of his seat now. She hadn’t just found him by chance. No, she had been searching for a way out her whole life.

Her shoulders trembled slightly before she chuckled to herself. "The more they told me not to, the more I wanted to," she muttered. "Isn’t that funny?" She sighed, slumping slightly.

Without her overalls, she looked smaller. More vulnerable.

And it made Kai angry.

"I’m getting you out of here," he said, the words coming out before he could even think them through.

Derniere looked up, meeting his gaze. "You won’t be able to," she said quietly. "You saw the machines out there."

Kai smiled. "I will..."

Before he could continue, she stopped him. With a single motion, she pressed a finger to her lips.

She quietly set down the utensils she had just picked up and, without a word, shut off the only light in the room.

Bell was on its hind legs again, ears twitching, eyes locked toward the door. Listening.

Kai listened too.

At first, he heard nothing. But then, he closed his eyes and focused. Hard.

A warmth spread through his ears. The world sharpened.

He could hear everything—the soft drip of water hitting the sink, the faint shift of Derniere’s breathing… And something else.

A low, steady hum.

The hum of a machine.