Steam choked the narrow descent route. Kikaru drove her boots into the crumbling rock.
The dungeon was losing structure beneath her. It melted away like cotton candy dropped in water. Pockets of superheated air warped the dark tunnel. Her carbon-fiber leg brace clicked a frantic, uneven rhythm against the steep incline.
Her prototype armor fought the environment. The visor tried to correct her balance on the dissolving terrain. A brace-load warning flashed red twice across her HUD before static ate the icon. The high-end gear could not compensate for the vanishing floor.
A shadow dropped through the vapor behind her.
Kikaru spun around, raising her plasma rifle.
Soma bypassed her without a word. He wore no armor. A white trench coat with a heavy fur-lined collar hung past his knees. The dark blue lining caught the ambient heat-glow of the cavern. Silver-white hair fell over pale, elegant features.
