The tunnel trembled with a deep metallic hum.
"You shouldn't have come here," Kance said.
His voice echoed through the underground corridor. The air pulsed with tension, thick enough to taste. The mech behind him glowed faintly, its orange visors flaring like four suns trapped in metal. The guards hesitated. Their hands gripped their weapons tightly, hearts beating fast.
A heavy step broke the silence.
Then another.
Thud… thud…
A figure appeared from the shadows, his boots clinking against the stone. He looked to be in his forties, with a thick beard and arms built like iron. The sword at his side gleamed even in the dim light. His gaze was sharp and weary, the eyes of a man who had seen too many fights.
"Magnus Crowe," muttered the tall guard at the front.
Kance turned, his expression unreadable. "Geezer?"
Magnus frowned. "Huh? Who are you, brat?"
The tall guard smirked. "I know you. The washed-up swordsman who used to call himself SteelHand. D-Rank, right?"
Magnus grinned, his tone mocking. "Oh really? Then I must have left quite an impression. Tell me, who are you again?"
The tall guard stepped forward, his sheath glowing faintly blue. "Captain Veyric Creed. Remember it when you crawl back into the gutter."
Magnus let out a low chuckle. "I'll try, but I'm not the one hiding behind nine men to feel important."
The guards shifted uneasily. The air tightened again. The mech's hum grew louder.
Whrrr… click…
Lyra whispered, "Kance…"
Kance raised his hand slightly, his eyes calm. "Stay back."
Veyric's smile vanished. "They are thieves," he said coldly.
Magnus scoffed. "Proof?"
"This slum is proof enough," Veyric replied.
Magnus's tone hardened. "You talk like the nobles above. Always assuming, never thinking."
For a moment, no one spoke. The sound of dripping water echoed from the ceiling.
Veyric finally exhaled and raised his hand. "Stand down."
The other guards hesitated, then lowered their weapons.
Magnus relaxed, though his eyes stayed sharp. "That's better."
"Why defend them?" Veyric asked.
Magnus looked at him evenly. "Because I have a duty. Not as a swordsman, but as a father."
Veyric studied him in silence, then sighed. "I'll let it slide this time. But there won't be a next." He patted Magnus's shoulder before turning away. His men followed, the clinking of armor fading into the dark.
Magnus muttered quietly, "Pathetic fool."
He turned toward Kance and Lyra. "Didn't I tell you stealing would lead to nothing good?"
Lyra looked down. "But—"
Magnus cut her off. "No buts. If you get caught again, I won't be here next time."
As he turned to leave, his eyes caught something behind them. The towering mech loomed like a silent beast. Its eyes glowed faintly, breathing light into the tunnel.
"What is that thing?" Magnus asked.
Kance shrugged. "Oh, this? Nothing important."
Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Nothing, huh? Looks more like trouble. But fine, keep your secrets." He smirked and began to walk away. "Good luck, kid."
Lyra exhaled shakily once he was gone. "That was close. If not for the old man, we would have been caught."
Kance watched the darkness ahead. "Yeah," he murmured. "A pity."
Above, the night was quiet. The guards marched through the narrow streets, their boots echoing against stone.
One of the younger guards hesitated before speaking. "Sir, may I ask something?"
The others glanced at him with unease. Veyric did not turn. "Go ahead."
The young guard swallowed. "Why did we retreat? We had nine men. I think we could have handled them."
Veyric stopped walking. The street lamps flickered faintly as a gust of wind passed.
"Handled them?" he asked softly.
The young guard nodded quickly. "If you fought Magnus, sir, and four of us kept the crowd back, the other five could have taken care of the kids."
For a moment, there was silence. Then a low chuckle escaped Veyric's throat.
"Ha… ha ha."
He turned slowly, the corner of his mouth curling. "You think I was afraid of Magnus Crowe? That washed-up SteelHand?"
The guard stammered, "Then why, sir?"
Veyric's grin widened slightly. "Because of that kid."
The guard blinked. "The boy?"
"Yes," Veyric said, his tone lowering. "Did you see his eyes? That wasn't panic. That was confidence. The kind that only comes from something dangerous."
The young guard frowned. "But he's just a child."
Veyric chuckled again, quieter this time. "Exactly. That's what makes it terrifying."
He looked back toward the slums. A faint orange glow flickered in the distance, where Kance's mech still pulsed softly in the dark. "When that machine's eyes lit up, I felt it. The air changed. My instincts told me to leave."
The young guard shifted nervously. "Do you think that thing could fight a D-Rank SteelHand? Maybe even a C-Rank IronFang?"
Veyric's expression hardened. "I don't know." He turned away, his voice low. "But I don't want to find out here."
They walked in silence for a while. The only sound was the steady rhythm of boots against cobblestone.
Finally, Veyric spoke again. "Keep watch on that boy. If he's still down there after a week, we report it. Eldara cannot afford another unknown rising from the shadows."
"Yes, sir," the guard replied quietly.
As they vanished into the misty streets, the sound of machinery faintly echoed from below.
Vrrrm… click…
Deep in the tunnels, Kance stood in front of his mech. Its light reflected across his eyes like twin embers.
"System," he said. "Record today's event."
> [Data log created. Observation: Emotional disturbance detected. Keyword: Fear.]
Kance smiled faintly. "Fear means I'm doing something right."
Lyra glanced at him nervously. "You're not planning to test that thing again, right?"
He didn't answer. The hum of the mech filled the silence like a heartbeat.
"Not yet," Kance whispered. "But soon."
The light dimmed, and the slums of Ashrift fell back into silence except for the low, rhythmic sound of metal breathing beneath the earth.