Author's note:  
Have you ever had one of those nights where everything that could go wrong absolutely does—and then, just when you think it’s over, you realize the universe has other plans? That’s exactly where Lena finds herself in this chapter.

Between unstable ley lines, malfunctioning inventions, and enforcers with zero sense of humor, she’s juggling more chaos than anyone really should.

I hope you enjoy this glimpse into Lena’s world, even if she’d probably recommend you keep a fire extinguisher handy. 

***

Lena

In a city balanced on volatile ley lines, Old Arcana didn't whisper—it shouted. And when it shouted, the entire city listened. Tonight, the Resonator was louder than ever, its shard pulsing on my workbench, thrumming with restless energy.

"Anything?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay calm even as my pulse rattled in my ears.

My fingers hovered over the Resonator's controls, itching to adjust something—anything—to regain a sense of control. Across the cramped space, Karis rested her fingertips against a metal strut—the only support keeping the wall from collapsing. Threads of silvery light shimmered in her dark curls, reacting to the ley lines’ surges.

The glow seemed brighter tonight, almost as if the lines themselves were trying to speak through her. She tilted her head, her gaze distant, listening to something I couldn't hear.

"The energy is fluctuating more than usual," she said. "The lines are unstable. They're... upset."

"What does that even mean?"

Karis shot me a sharp look. "It means the ley lines are throwing tantrums, Lena. And when they lash out, it ripples across the whole city. Magic becomes slippery—harder to focus, harder to wield. Maybe this isn't the best time to test your gadget."

I leaned in and adjusted a dial on the Resonator. The controls were stiff, as if the machine itself were resisting me. I'd promised myself I'd make it safer, but every tweak felt like gambling with my life. "We'll go slow—just enough power to see if the feedback loop stabilizes."

Karis snorted, crossing her arms. "Since when do you ever go slow? You're about as cautious as a drunk alchemist with a barrel of black powder."

I shot her a glare over my shoulder. "Would it kill you to be optimistic for once?"

"Optimism doesn't stop things from exploding."

Before I could reply, sparks leapt from the Resonator's core. The generator let out an ominous whine before flaring brighter.

I yanked my hand back from the Resonator's frame and slammed a switch to cut the power. But arcs of magic still jumped along the cables, crackling and snapping like angry snakes.

Karis staggered away from the wall, pressing her hand to her temple. "They're going to feel that," she said through clenched teeth, her voice tight with pain. The silvery glow in her hair pulsed, each surge of light causing her to wince. "The lines are screaming."

A chill raced through me, colder than the damp air of the Underworks. This was exactly what I had wanted to avoid—a surge of unregulated power that any decent Nexus mage could sense from miles away.

Cables sparked near my ankles, and I cursed under my breath. I grabbed an old rag and, ignoring the jolt of energy that shot up my arm, yanked the cables aside. The shard inside the Resonator flickered in a chaotic rhythm, as if it couldn't decide whether to flare brighter or blow everything to pieces. My chest tightened at the thought of the latter. If the meltdown continued, it might flatten half the Underworks.

"Shut it down, Lena!" Karis yelled, her voice echoing off the walls. She gripped the strut so tightly her knuckles turned white. The silvery glow in her hair flared again, and she hissed through her teeth. "I can't—I can't block the resonance much longer!"

"I'm trying!" I snapped, my voice sharper than intended. My hands scrambled over the Resonator's frame, searching for the emergency release switch, which was pinned under a thick knot of cords. "Come on… come on…"

"Anytime now would be great!" Karis shot back, her voice strained.

Another pulse of energy rippled through the room, sending a shudder through the metal walls. A pipe overhead groaned, dripping water that hissed as it hit the sparking cables. I shoved a tangle of cables aside and wrenched the power feed free.

The Resonator sputtered with a sharp hiss, its frantic thrumming fading into eerie silence. The air reeked of burnt metal and ozone, heavy and acrid in my lungs.

For a moment, the only sound was our ragged breathing. Then distant shouts reached my ears—low, guttural voices mingling with the clang of heavy boots on metal walkways. My gut twisted with dread.

"They're coming," Karis said, grimacing. She straightened, one hand braced against the wall. Her gaze was sharp now, her earlier pain pushed aside by something colder, harder.

My stomach dropped. "Who?"

A humorless twitch played at her lips. "Council enforcers, Fane's Sentinels—take your pick," she said, her tone biting. "They're crawling through the Underworks like rats in a granary."

If they traced the ley line disturbance back to me, I might as well tie a rope around my neck. My mind raced, calculating the odds and searching for a way out. "Great," I muttered, raking a hand through my hair. "As if this night wasn't already a disaster."

Karis arched an eyebrow. "You're the one who decided to play mad scientist with the Resonator. Don't pin this on me."

"I wasn't—" I stopped myself, taking a deep breath. I looked at the Resonator, now sputtering out a few feeble sparks. There was no time to haul the entire apparatus. If we stayed here, we'd be cornered.

I snatched the shard from its housing, the faint warmth of its magic buzzing against my skin even through the protective gloves. Without it, the Resonator was just a heap of junk. The shard was the key. I stuffed it into a protective pouch and slung the strap across my chest.

"Time to move," I said, guiding Karis by the wrist into a narrow corridor through the half-broken doorway. The metal frame groaned as we passed, the sound setting my teeth on edge.

Flickering lanterns cast dim, shifting shadows, and pipes overhead dripped water that reeked of rust.

"Do you even have a plan?" Karis asked, glancing back at me. Her voice was low, but I caught the tension in it.

"Working on it," I replied, my eyes scanning the corridor ahead. "Step one: don't get caught. Step two: figure out how to fix this mess."

Karis muttered something under her breath, but she didn't pull away. The shouts behind us grew louder and closer. I tightened my grip on her wrist; there was no room for second-guessing now. A few figures huddled in side passages, but nobody made eye contact. People down here knew better than to get involved when enforcers came around.

"Which way?" Karis whispered, shaking off the last remnants of her daze.

"The Market. We'll have a better chance of losing them in a crowd."

She frowned, but a crash from behind urged us forward. The corridor opened into the fringes of the Market of Whims, the Undercity's sprawling bazaar. Even at this hour, vendors haggled and shouted over each other, illuminated by glowing runes and sputtering lamps. The smell of incense mingled with boiled cabbage.

We squeezed through two stalls filled with brightly colored potions and small mechanical gadgets. Then I spotted four enforcers weaving through the crowd, wielding baton-like devices that detected magical surges. A pulse of panic rolled through me; the raw energy from my shard would set those batons humming like angry hornets.

Karis saw them too. "Split up?"

"If we split, we'll get picked off."

I pushed toward the denser section of the Market, where clashing music and voices might mask our presence. I pressed my back against a wooden post, hiding behind a tower of rusted gear. Two enforcers hurried past, scanning the faces of bystanders in the flickering light. Somewhere behind them, a vendor shouted protests: "You can't just stomp through here!"

Karis let out a shaky exhale. "That was close."

I leaned around the corner just in time to see a third enforcer step down an adjacent row. My chest constricted. If they locked down the Market, we’d be caught within minutes. Karis's nails dug into my arm. "We can't stay hidden forever."

We needed to find a quick escape route—maybe a side corridor leading into the older tunnels. But if I chose the wrong path, we'd be trapped or lost in pitch darkness. A few rows over, someone knocked over a table of trinkets. The enforcer near us cursed and rushed off, baton raised high. Karis met my gaze. "Now."

We darted into the open aisle, winding deeper into the maze of stalls. An irate hawker nearly tripped me, but I ducked away, dragging Karis behind me. The pungent stench of overcooked street food clung to the air, enveloping us in greasy fumes.

We broke free of the crowd, emerging at a flight of cracked stone steps leading into a disused maintenance corridor. Unsteady greenish lights flickered along the walls, and pipes hissed with trapped steam. I paused; there was no immediate sign of the enforcers.

My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. Karis braced herself against the wall, her breath uneven. "We should hide," she said. "Wait it out until they pull back."

I nodded, swallowing a lump in my throat. The shard pulsed through the protective pouch, as if reminding me it was there. "Lie low, fix the Resonator, then figure out a way to do this without blowing up half the Underworks," I muttered. "No big deal."

Karis let out a shaky laugh as she slid down to sit on the steps. "You're insane."

"Yeah, that's what keeps me alive." If I weren't half out of my mind, the Council would have locked me up already—assuming they didn't shoot me on sight. Peering back up the stairs, I caught a glimpse of the Market's flickering lights and frantic silhouettes. Somewhere in that chaos, the Enforcers were prowling.

I breathed in the stale air of the Undercity, trying not to dwell on how close we had come to disaster. So many people were already on edge after the last surge. My invention was dangerous, yes, but it was also our only shot at leveling the playing field. The question was whether I would survive long enough to make it work.

"Ready?" Karis's voice broke through my thoughts. I glanced down at her. She looked exhausted, but there was a spark of determination in her eyes. She was as much a part of the underclass struggle as I was.

"Yeah," I said. "Let's keep moving. They'll do a sweep soon."

Karis pushed to her feet, and together we crept deeper down the corridor. My pulse thudded in my ears, but at least we were out of the Sentinels' immediate line of sight. At some point, I would have to face them again—or worse, confront the Council if they caught me with the shard. But for now, all I could do was keep running.

One step, one heartbeat at a time. If I stopped, if I hesitated too long, the Council would ensure I never saw daylight again.

***

What did you think of Lena and Karis's escape? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear what you think!

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