Adrian crouched near the entrance. The markings were unmistakable — geometric, mechanical, like part of a ventilation system. He ran his fingers across the grooves and felt a faint vibration beneath the surface.
"Still powered," he whispered.
Kaela raised an eyebrow. "Powered? After all this time?"
Adrian's heart pounded. "If this is what I think it is, there's an energy source down there still running. Maybe a fusion cell. Maybe something worse."
Rurik grinned. "Then you'll fit right in, Builder. Go on — let's see what you make of it."
Inside, the air was dry and metallic. The deeper they went, the clearer it became — this wasn't a cave.
It was a facility.
The tunnels turned into corridors lined with metal plating. Rusted consoles blinked faintly in the dark. Symbols and warnings written in English marked the walls: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY … PROJECT VIGILANT … MAIN SYSTEM NODE.
Adrian froze.
Project Vigilant.
That name tugged at a corner of his memory — something from his old world. A research proposal.
Energy efficiency. AI-assisted construction.
A project he'd once turned down because it was "too experimental."
"What is this place?" Kaela whispered.
Adrian's voice was barely a murmur. "Something I was never supposed to see again."