The shaft swallowed them whole.Wind screamed; red light strobed across walls of glass-smooth stone—too slick for fingers, too steep for boots.
"Stick to the wall!" Marcus barked.
He punched outward with both fists.Stone erupted around his forearms, slamming into the wall and caving it inward.Each blow left a shallow, slanted crater—just wide enough for a foothold.
Ethan moved next.A torrent of frost raced through the craters, flash-freezing them into a rough spiral.The sudden chill cracked the molten glass Damian's fire had left behind, carving instant grip into the surface.
Damian kicked off.White flame burst from his boots, the recoil shoving them sideways onto the new track.Fire kissed ice—steam exploded beneath them, turning the air into a white geyser.
"Hold that line," Caleb growled.A translucent force field shimmered under their boots, welding the five of them into a single, bullet-shaped mass.For a heartbeat, they were one comet—five silhouettes scraping the earth in a spiral of fire and frost.
Noah's voice cut through the roar, low and steady."Next turn… now."
Marcus punched again, opening the next curve.Ethan flash-froze it.Damian's flames kept the whole thing from shattering.Below them, the wall curved away into black.
Wind tore at their coats; sparks danced in their wake.Adrian's head lolled against Damian's shoulder.
A boulder the size of a truck broke loose above—hurtling straight toward their curve.
For an instant, its shadow swallowed them whole—then it shattered soundlessly into drifting ash.
Adrian flinched, eyes flying wide. He stared at his own hands, mouth half open in disbelief.A quick, guilty glance around—no one had seen.Relief washed over him. He immediately ducked forward, burying his face against Damian's shoulder.His fingers curled into the fabric of Damian's shirt, clinging tight enough to whiten the knuckles.The tips of his ears burned red, the color seeping into his silver hair.
The shaft roared on, swallowing even the evidence.
They spiraled faster, the track unfolding beneath them—a glowing helix of fire, ice, and force.Every pulse of motion dragged them deeper, smoother, faster.
Then Noah's tone sharpened."End of wall—brace!"
The spiral ended.Weight dropped out of their stomachs—free fall now, nothing but darkness below.
They braced as one, a streak of light and shadow diving through the void.