“Welcome everyone!”

Walking from a small door to the side was a rather short man. Gray eyes met the group and cordial smile bordered by a fading beard. He was dressed rather casually with a bucket hat, brown jacket over a white shirt, and jeans. The backpack he had on seemed filled to bursting with tools and papers.

“My name is Marc and I’ll be your guide for the evening. Everyone please remember to grab a flashlight as you leave. Now, it is a rather short walk to the catacombs so you shouldn’t get lost. But, just in case, please stick close to the group. Especially when inside. Now come on!”

He spoke English with a rather heavy yet joyful French accent. It seemed, as this was a proper tourist spot, he assumed everyone would be speaking English.

…

Stopping in front of an ominous looking entrance, everyone grouped up.

"Welcome to the start of the tour! The Catacombs of Paris! Before we begin our descent into the depths below, let us take a moment to look above the entrance. You'll see the famous inscription: 'Arrête, c'est ici l'empire de la mort' - 'Stop, this is the empire of death.' "

‘I’ve read about this before but still… That’s rather on the nose.’

The tour began rather slowly. More a short historical walk than an exploration but that was to be expected. Only a small portion of the catacombs were officially released to the public as safety was a major concern. Nearly 14,000 square yards of tunnels and no proper lighting or mapping meant people could legitimately get lost and stuck down here.

Entering the dimly lit tunnel they descended down the stairs deeper into the catacombs proper.

"Along the way, you'll notice these signs, providing insights into this catacomb's history and significance. It was here in the late 18th century that the bones of millions were relocated from overcrowded cemeteries..."

While Luca enjoyed listening to the tour guides explanations, it wasn’t something he didn’t already know. Years as a history buff and yearly trips to Paris will do that to you. No, he was here to actually see it. Experience it. He let his gaze wander through the entire tour. Reading the old signs and small facts on the wall. Absorbing the atmosphere and weirdly artistic touch that graced the walls of bones.

Especially when they entered the Chamber of Bones~ as the guide so spookily said. One of the many circular rooms that surrounded you in a wall of bones and skulls that stared at you ominously. A large stone pedestal sat in the center of the room, a brazier. Used during the construction of the ossuary for lighting but also as a measure of oxygen within the tunnel.

“Now as we go down a little bit more we reach the deepest part of this tour. We are currently a little more than 20 meters below ground. Right here is the last marked grave we have mapped out. The bones here were moved after another wave of plague swept the country. The increased weight caused the collapse of a mass grave over an underground aqueduct.”

The hallway fit the mingling 20 or so people rather snugly. Although many meandered quite a bit, looking past the gates into the dark un-lit paths. Luca was one such person, ‘I wonder how quickly I would get lost.’

“Hey, Luca. Did the catacombs deliver?”

Jumping only a little, Luca sighed before he turned. A small smile on his lips.

“Yo Will. And yeah, it’s ominous for sure but I can admire the… artistry.”

“Agreed! The way they arranged the bones is almost perfect. They fit together like building blocks.”

Clara and Hunter joined them as they spoke. Clara was a rather short blonde and Hunter towered over them all with his large frame and brown hair much like Will himself.

Clara was the first of the pair to speak, “Yeah, the way they hid that pillar was amazing. It almost reminded me of a vase.”

Right behind her Hunter nodded, “I almost can’t believe how many bones they fit in here. Although, with all these side paths I am beginning to understand.”

Luca turned to look back out the gate, “Can’t imagine people actually come down here on a dare or something else that stupid. There aren’t many reported deaths but it's not like anyone is really sweeping the halls-”

The lights around them flickered. There was a tense silence before they turned back on again. An unknown breath they had collectively held was released.

Up in front the tour guide smiled shakily, “Alright everyone. I think we should call it a night here.”

Everyone bunched up behind the guide as he began the walk back up the tunnels. Standing side by side Luca and Will spoke while Clara and Hunter stayed back a bit.

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“Oh yeah, I guess I know about Will but I never asked about you guys. Are you guys also from here?”

“Oh, Hunter and me? All of us are from the same university, but I was born here. Hunter is from America though, right?”

“Yeah, not an exchange student but my family moved while I was in high school.”

Luca answered with a slight nod, “That’s nice. How many years has it been?”

“Second year of Uni… so around 5 years.”

“Why’d your family move anyways?”

“Mom just liked Paris and they always planned to move. They were just waiting for the right time.”

“I’m glad you’re here but I still don’t think it was a good idea to just uproot your life like that.” Will cut in.

“Yeah, but it’s not like I had many friends back then anyways. Not the most sociable person.”

“Aw~. You’re just being hard on yourself.” Clara intoned.

The lights flickered and the silence returned. Longer this time. Everyone turned their gazes up to the lights hoping they would turn back on. The bones lining the walls taking a rather terrifying turn in the darkness.

“Everyone! Please, don’t panic. Remember to turn on your flash-”

The tunnels shook and dust rained down on their heads as people began to scream.

“Calm down everyone! Panicking only makes things worse. Please, let us try to leave quickly but safely. It seems like it's already over!”

Luca huddled with Will's group near the back, and strained his neck watching the supports and light fixtures.

With his voice tinged with both fear and annoyance he whispered, “What the hell. There weren’t any earthquake warnings today.”

Clara, a little more shook, answered, “There was only that weird weather notice. I don’t think it has anything to do with this… right?”

“Who knows, maybe? We just need to get out of here.”

The tunnels rocked around them, throwing everyone to the right as the ground itself cracked open. Bones flew off the walls while the corridors began to shift and expand around them. A few of the tourists were buried under the landslide of bones, their fates best left unknown; some even tumbled into the fissure, screaming with hysteria as they fell to their doom. Suddenly, the world seemed to glow around them, an almost blueish tint covering the stones. It was as if someone applied a filter over their own eyes.

In the panic, however, no one seemed to notice the anomaly. People began to rush past the halls, attempting to save themselves. Luca’s gaze beheld the chaos. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the beams of light emanating from flashlights chaotically.

‘What’s happening?!’

Panic laden in his voice, Luca screamed out. “Are you guys ok!? Will! Clara!”

“Luca! We’re here!”

Worry bloomed in his heart as he looked around. Searching the area with his flashlight he spotted them on the floor, squinting as the bright light hit their eyes. They seemed fine overall but Hunter had hit his head after tripping, a slight trickle of blood running down his neck.

“Let’s get out of here! Hunter, can you walk?”

“Yeah! I’m fine. Just get going.”

Thankfully the path the tour led them down was rather straightforward. With many of the side paths blocked or gated off. They could only hope the way out was still the same as when they entered, as such a large shift could have collapsed or blocked the tunnels.

The tremors had decreased for now, but they hadn’t completely subsided. Trying not to let the panic set in, Luca quickly swept one of Hunter’s arms over his shoulders as they made their escape. While the tunnels weren’t necessarily complicated in this section, there were still a variety of turns and spaces they had to go through before they made it out. A 20 minute walk maybe, but they didn’t know how long they had.

People sprinted past them. Pushing them to the side even as they tried to help Hunter out. Others attempted to help their friends as well.

“SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! MY SON IS PINNED UNDER A ROCK!”

A crying mother wept over the body of her son. His prone form unmoving under the rock that covered his lower body. Luca looked to the side for a second, remorse filling his heart, but didn’t stop.

Will, even with fear and desperation beginning to take hold, spoke out, “Shouldn’t we at least try to help?!”

“You think I don’t want to? If we don’t save ourselves… that could be us.”

Will stood rooted in place, looking back in regret, but ultimately ran with the others. Passing through a series of tunnels, multiple turns, and up a few flights of stairs they made it nearly half way up. It was only a few more chambers and hallways before they reached the main staircase that connected the surface to the catacombs.

Hobbling past the last few people still in disarray, they found themselves back in the Chamber of Bones. It was now much less orderly than before. The array of bones hidden behind the perfectly manicured walls now strewn about in a swathe nearly reaching their knees in height. Strangely enough, the brazier in the center was nearly untouched by the chaos surrounding it.

Luca could feel his lungs beginning to burn. A combination of panic and stress from helping support Hunter's weight made even the seemingly short tour route feel like a marathon. It wasn’t helped by the heaps of dust he must’ve been inhaling.

Taking a tentative step forward, Will lead them through the seas of bones. Bones crunched and crumbled under his feet as he tried to follow the paths created from people before them. The bones however made for annoyingly difficult terrain however. Slowing the group down enough for Luca to start pulling Hunter along. No longer taking as much care for his new friend's injury.

‘Come on! FASTER!’

Another tremor, somehow even larger than the last, rocked the room. Cracking open the chamber and connecting it to other paths around it as the ceiling caved in. A spray of blood hit Luca’s face as he crumpled to the ground. A massive slab of stone had fallen from the roof. His mind blanked.

“Hunter!”

A scream rang out through the chamber but Luca couldn’t place who said it. Bracing himself against the ground, he raised his head. His vision was blurry as he saw two figures, one pulling the other away while the world around them fell apart. With shaky arms, he collapsed. A feeling of weakness ran through his body as shock flooded his veins. A second later he felt another thump and his vision went back.

…