Chapter 4 - The City Beneath the CityThe hatch opened.
Alex expected tunnels.
Instead she saw a city.
A real one.
Thousands of lights stretched across a cavern so enormous that she couldn't see the ceiling.
Buildings carved into stone.
Bridges crossing endless darkness.
Machines moving silently through the air.
The Vael had built an entire civilization beneath humanity.
Alex's first thought was simple.
They had never been fighting for survival.
They had been living in luxury.
"How many people live here?" she whispered.
"Twenty million," Daren said.
Alex stared.
"Twenty million?"
"Vael."
"How many humans?"
Daren didn't answer.
She understood.
None.
They entered through a maintenance corridor.
Kael moved quickly.
"Don't touch anything."
"Why?"
"Because half the city can detect human DNA."
Alex looked at him.
"That's comforting."
They passed laboratories.
Hospitals.
Factories.
Schools.
Children walked beside adults.
Vael children.
Alex stopped.
One of them noticed her.
The child stared.
Alex expected fear.
Instead the child smiled.
Then her mother pulled her away.
Alex felt something unfamiliar.
Guilt.
"They don't know," Daren said.
"Know what?"
"What their government does."
"You mean their government lies to them."
"Just like yours did."
Alex turned.
"Don't compare us."
"Why?"
"We didn't enslave an entire species."
"No."
Daren's expression was cold.
"You destroyed half your planet fighting yourselves."
Alex had no answer.
They reached a hidden apartment.
Kael locked the door.
"Sleep."
"I don't trust this place."
"Good."
Alex sat on the floor.
"You keep saying that."
"Because trusting blindly gets people killed."
She looked at him.
"You said my mother survived the Roar."
"Yes."
"What happened to her?"
Kael hesitated.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I know where she went."
Alex stood.
"Where?"
"The coast."
Silence.
The coast.
The same place they were heading.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"Since before we entered your camp."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wasn't sure."
"About what?"
Kael walked toward the window.
"The woman who sent the signal called you the key."
He turned.
"But my superiors called you something else."
Alex waited.
"The Daughter."
A metallic sound came from the wall.
Kael froze.
Daren raised his weapon.
The door unlocked itself.
Nobody moved.
Then a voice came through the apartment.
"Kael."
The voice was deep.
Old.
Familiar to him.
He lowered his weapon.
"Commander."
The wall opened.
A Vael in ceremonial armor entered.
Behind him stood twelve soldiers.
Alex knew immediately.
This was not an enemy.
It was worse.
This was family.
The commander looked at her.
"Human."
Alex glared.
"Monster."
The commander smiled.
"Exactly."
Kael stepped between them.
"Leave her."
The commander ignored him.
"The king wants the woman alive."
Daren raised his rifle.
"He can want."
The commander sighed.
"Still loyal to your little rebellion."
Kael's hand moved toward his weapon.
"You know why we left."
"I know."
The commander's eyes darkened.
"And you know what happens when traitors are caught."
A distant mechanical tone sounded.
Every light in the apartment turned red.
The commander looked toward Alex.
"She has activated it."
"Activated what?" Kael asked.
The commander smiled.
"The signal."
Alex's body went cold.
May you like
"What signal?"
Then every human in the underground city began screaming.
