Roger was the first to arrive at Lift 07.
The platform jutted out from a ledge of alloyed obsidian, suspended above a man-made cliff that fell into nothingness. Below, the shaft extended into pure darkness, its reinforced walls breathing faint arcs of blue light — protective wards that pulsed like the heartbeat of a sleeping god. Mist rose slowly from the depths, curling around the edges of the lift like fingers trying to reach up and drag something down.
He stood still, silent, the air thick with metal and ozone. The last time he'd stood here, he'd watched five out of eight soldiers fail to return. Their names were etched on a plaque that hung above the lift's entrance — a quiet reminder that heroism did not guarantee survival.
A soft hum approached from above, and Roger turned.
A sleek transport disk drifted into view, its magnetic field parting the mist like water. From it stepped Aria.
She landed lightly, blade strapped across her back, arms crossed as her eyes swept the lift and its surroundings with surgical precision.
"Aria Seln," Roger offered a nod, his voice calm but respectful. "We've never met, but I've read your work."
She didn't return the nod. "I know you," she said. "You led the evac off Floor 14 during the collapse. No casualties."
He gave a modest shrug. "Got lucky."
She raised an eyebrow, the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth betraying a flicker of amusement. "I doubt that."
A sharp whine of magnetic brakes cut through the mist again as a drone shuttle touched down awkwardly, swaying slightly before settling. A young boy stumbled off, nearly tripping on the edge of the pad. His oversized satchel clanked with rune plates and scribbled diagrams, half of which were sticking out like confused wings.
"Sorry I'm late — am I late?" Kai blurted, looking between the two older operatives.
Roger stepped forward and steadied him with a hand. "You must be Kai. I've seen your rune sequences. Good work."
"Y-you did?" Kai pushed his glasses up, eyes wide. "I didn't think anyone outside the theory board looked at them…"
Aria raised an eyebrow. "You're younger than I expected."
Kai flushed. "Technically, I'm advanced placement."
Roger chuckled lightly. "No pressure."
They shared a short laugh — not forced, but fragile. A flicker of levity in a place where even humor seemed to hesitate.
Then the lift shimmered, light bending at its center like heat haze. Without a sound, the Director stepped into existence.
He emerged from nothing, as though the air had decided to produce him. His robes drifted behind him as he walked, patterned with subtle celestial diagrams that shimmered with unseen runes. His bare feet made no sound on the metal platform.
"You're late," Roger said, not unkindly.
"I arrived precisely when I meant to," the boy replied, his voice as calm and composed as ever.
Aria folded her arms. "You always do."
The Director gave her a glance — not unkind, but unreadable. "Thank you for coming."
Without waiting for further ceremony, he stepped to the lift's central console and waved a hand over it. A low chime responded, followed by the heavy grind of gears locking into place. The runes around the lift's edge lit up one by one — red, then orange, then green.
The entire platform gave a soft jolt and began to descend.
---
None of them spoke for the first few minutes. The air thickened with descent pressure, the temperature dropping as the light above faded. Around them, the elevator's translucent panels revealed a world of darkness pierced only by flickering glyphs etched deep into the stone walls — remnants of ancient protective enchantments.
Kai shifted nervously, clutching his satchel tighter.
"Do you think the rumors are true?" he asked into the silence. "That the Pit is alive?"
Roger didn't answer immediately. His eyes scanned the descending shaft, muscles tense.
The Director finally spoke. "That's the wrong question," he said softly. "You should ask whether it's aware."
A shiver moved across the group like wind through tall grass.
Aria broke the silence, her voice low. "How far are we going today?"
"Four floors," the Director said. "We'll set camp at the rim of Floor One, scout, then proceed down. It will test your readiness."
Kai frowned. "Test us how? Combat?"
"Not always," the Director said. "The Pit doesn't just test your strength. It tests your intent. It reveals things you've tried to hide — even from yourself."
The silence returned, but this time it carried weight.
---
Eventually, the platform slowed, coming to a halt in a massive stone chamber. A single gate stood before them, its arch traced with silver runes that pulsed as the lift approached. The air was warmer here, thick with spores and the earthy scent of wet moss. Strange bioluminescent plants clung to the walls like veins, glowing in pale green and deep violet.
"This is it," the Director said. "Floor One."
They stepped off the lift as a team, boots echoing on wet stone. Their surroundings opened into a vast underground forest — twisted trees with glowing bark, enormous mushrooms rising like towers, and pools of viscous liquid that shimmered with unnatural color.
"This isn't a floor," Kai murmured. "It's a whole ecosystem."
Roger knelt to inspect the ground. "It's humid. Some kind of geothermal system must regulate this place."
Aria stood with her back to a fungal pillar, scanning for movement. "No known maps of this area," she said. "Not even partials."
"Correct," the Director said. "From this point forward, you are the cartographers."
He reached into a container and removed a small, folded projection pad. When activated, it displayed a rough, 3D layout of what little was known — mostly blank space.
"This will auto-update based on your observations. Mark anything you encounter. Structures, creatures, traps. But more importantly — behavior."
"Behavior?" Kai asked, already scribbling notes on a holo-slate.
"Yes. The Pit changes. Adapts. Learns. If a creature retreats, mark that. If it avoids light, mark that. If the moss sings when you bleed — mark that."
A beat of silence passed.
"...It sings?" Kai asked.
Roger looked sideways at the Director. "You're not joking, are you?"
"No," he said simply. "Never joke below Floor One."
---
They moved out from the lift gate in formation: Roger in front, Aria flanking, Kai in the center, and the Director drifting behind like a ghost child in ceremonial robes.
They passed beneath arching vines and under the gaze of strange creatures watching from within trees. Nothing attacked. Not yet.
At one point, a cluster of moss pulsed as they passed, releasing a faint static hum. Kai paused, leaned in, and tapped a finger against it. The moss recoiled, then shuddered and glowed faintly in his presence.
"Do you think it's aware?" he whispered.
Aria didn't look back. "It's the Pit. Everything's aware."
---
They found a clearing by a cluster of massive, bulbous fungi that radiated faint heat — a good place for camp. Roger and Aria set up defensive glyphs and an automatic perimeter drone. Kai began cataloging ambient mana signatures and soil compositions.
The Director sat cross-legged at the center of camp, eyes closed, listening. Always listening.
"You've all done well so far," he said at last. "Rest. The real descent begins tomorrow."
He didn't elaborate.
Kai lay back on his sleeping mat, staring up at the bioluminescent canopy. Strange stars blinked from the upper branches — not reflections, but something else. Something living.
Roger stayed seated, sharpening his blade with methodical care. "You trust him?" he asked Aria quietly.
She didn't answer at first. Then: "I trust he knows more than he's saying. And I trust that whatever's coming… we'll need him."
They both glanced toward the Director.
He sat still, utterly composed. But his eyes — though closed — seemed to see far beyond the forest, beyond the Pit, beyond even the world.