MEMELAND

The deeper they went, the quieter the sewers became.

Which somehow felt worse.

Kai preferred hearing things.

Water.

Footsteps.

Voices.

Anything.

Silence usually meant trouble.

Eric walked in front this time.

Partly because he knew the layout.

Partly because Andre had somehow gotten distracted trying to throw pebbles at sleeping alligators.

"You know those things can eat you, right?"

Kai whispered.

Andre shrugged.

"They haven't yet."

One of the alligators opened an eye.

Andre immediately stopped throwing pebbles.

"Smart creature."

The alligator closed its eye again.

The trio continued onward.

The sewer tunnels gradually changed.

The old stone walls disappeared.

Newer construction appeared instead.

Metal supports.

Reinforced pillars.

Maintenance markings.

Eric slowed.

His expression becoming more serious.

Kai noticed immediately.

"You recognize something?"

"Unfortunately."

Eric pointed at a support beam.

"I designed this section."

Andre looked around.

"You designed sewers?"

"I designed half the city."

Andre whistled.

"Show off."

Eric ignored him.

The architect walked toward one of the pillars.

Running his fingers along the metal surface.

The moment he touched it, his expression darkened.

"Someone's been modifying these."

Kai stepped closer.

"What do you mean?"

Eric pointed.

Small scratches.

Fresh weld marks.

Metal plates that clearly weren't part of the original design.

"This wasn't here before."

Andre leaned closer.

"Is that bad?"

Eric looked at him.

"Someone secretly altering structural supports beneath a city?"

A pause.

"Yes."

"That sounds bad."

Andre nodded.

"Fair."

The group continued deeper.

More modifications appeared.

More hidden markings.

More signs that somebody had been working down here for a long time.

Kai frowned.

"They've been here awhile."

Eric nodded.

"Years probably."

"Nobody noticed?"

Eric laughed.

"They're sewers."

"Nobody wants to come down here."

That was difficult to argue with.

Eventually the tunnel widened.

Large pipes crossed overhead.

Massive support columns stretched toward the ceiling.

This part looked less like a sewer.

And more like the foundation of an entire city.

Kai looked upward.

"How big is this place?"

Eric answered immediately.

"Very."

"Helpful."

"I try."

The architect walked toward a large support column.

Unlike the others, this one had several metal braces attached to it.

Eric stared at it for several seconds.

Then sighed.

"Oh no."

Kai immediately disliked those words.

"What?"

Eric pointed upward.

"This support."

"Yeah?"

"If enough force is applied here..."

He pointed at another support.

"Then there..."

Then another.

"And there..."

Andre slowly lowered the pebble he was holding.

"What happens?"

Eric looked around the massive chamber.

Then answered.

"The entire section collapses."

Silence.

Andre blinked.

Kai blinked.

Eric blinked.

Nobody liked that answer.

"How much collapses?"

Kai asked.

Eric thought about it.

Then pointed vaguely.

"A lot."

"A lot?"

"A lot."

Andre looked around.

"Can we stop talking about collapsing things while standing underneath them?"

"Good idea."

The trio immediately moved on.

The tunnel narrowed again.

The atmosphere changed.

Something felt different.

Kai couldn't explain it.

But he could feel it.

The further they walked—

The more signs of human activity appeared.

Footprints.

Discarded food wrappers.

Boot prints.

Fresh torch marks.

People had been here recently.

Very recently.

Andre crouched.

Touched the ground.

Then pointed forward.

"They went that way."

Kai nodded.

The escaped cultist.

The hideout.

Everything was finally connecting.

The three followed the trail.

One turn.

Then another.

Then a third.

Eventually they reached an old maintenance corridor.

The lights were gone.

The walls were cracked.

The air felt heavier.

Nobody spoke.

Then Eric suddenly stopped.

"What now?"

Kai whispered.

Eric slowly pointed ahead.

The others followed his gaze.

Far in the darkness—

A faint orange glow flickered.

Light.

Not sewer light.

Not maintenance lamps.

A fire.

Or lanterns.

Someone was down there.

Andre grinned.

Kai narrowed his eyes.

Eric swallowed nervously.

At the end of the corridor—

They had finally found something.

Or perhaps—

Someone.

And none of them realized they were only a few steps away from uncovering something far larger than a stolen blueprint.