Beneath the surface II

They moved with terrifying speed,emerging like shadows from the depths, each step of the keepers causing the ground to tremble beneath their weight. Their forms were hulking masses of stone and energy, with glowing blue veins pulsing across their rocky exteriors, as if they were one with the planet itself. Their eyes, blazing with the same eerie light, locked onto Lyra and Thalor with single-minded intensity.

Lyra’s heart raced as she took in the sight of them. These creatures—guardians of the planet’s secrets—were unlike anything she had ever encountered. They radiated power, and their presence made the air feel thick and oppressive.

“We can’t outrun them,” Lyra gasped, glancing at Thalor, who was still pulling her through the tunnel.

“We won’t,” Thalor said sharply, his glowing eyes fixed ahead. “But there’s another way.”

Lyra wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what that ‘other way’ entailed, but she had no choice but to trust him. They darted into the narrow passage, the walls pressing close on either side. The sounds of the keepers grew louder, their footsteps thunderous and relentless. Lyra could hear their guttural growls echoing through the tunnel, growing closer with each second.

Suddenly, Thalor veered to the left, pulling Lyra toward an alcove hidden by a curtain of shimmering moss. He pushed her into the small space, then stood guard at the entrance, his body tense and ready. His glowing gaze flicked to the passage behind them, watching as the keepers approached. The air crackled with tension, and Lyra held her breath, her pulse pounding in her ears.

“They’ll find us here,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the approaching footsteps.

“They won’t,” Thalor said firmly. “Not if you trust me.”

Lyra’s chest tightened. Trust him? She had barely known him for a day, and already she was supposed to put her life in his hands? But what other choice did she have? They were surrounded by alien creatures on a planet that wanted them dead. She had to trust him, or she was as good as gone.

Thalor raised one hand, his fingers glowing with the same blue energy that seemed to pulse through everything on this planet. The energy flowed from him into the walls around them, causing the air to shimmer and hum with power. The moss at the entrance thickened, weaving itself into a dense curtain that concealed them completely. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.

Lyra’s breath caught in her throat as the keepers passed by, their massive forms lumbering through the tunnel just inches from where they hid. She could feel the heat radiating from them, hear the low, rumbling growls that reverberated through the stone walls. Her muscles tensed, every instinct telling her to run, but she stayed still, trusting Thalor’s strange magic to keep them hidden.

Minutes stretched on like hours, and Lyra didn’t dare move. She barely even breathed as the creatures searched the tunnel, their glowing eyes sweeping the space in search of intruders. One of the keepers paused right in front of their hiding spot, its massive stone arm brushing against the wall where Thalor had cast his protective energy.

Lyra’s heart pounded in her chest, fear tightening her throat. Would they be discovered? Was this it?

But after a tense moment, the keeper turned and continued down the tunnel, its footsteps fading into the distance.

Lyra exhaled a shaky breath, her body trembling with the release of tension. Thalor’s shoulders relaxed slightly, the glow in his eyes dimming as he lowered his hand. The moss curtain fell away, revealing the empty tunnel once more.

“They’re gone,” he said softly, turning to face her.

Lyra nodded, trying to calm her racing heart. “What… what did you do?”

“I hid us,” Thalor said, his voice low. “I can channel the energy of this planet, manipulate it to a degree. It’s how I’ve survived here for so long.”

Lyra stared at him, the weight of his words settling in. This planet, its energy, and the connection between them—it was all starting to make a twisted kind of sense. Thalor had lived here for who knows how long, using the planet’s power to keep himself hidden from the keepers, from the dangers that lurked in every shadow.

And now, she was part of that power, too.

Lyra let out a slow breath, her mind still reeling. “How long have you been here?”

Thalor’s gaze darkened, and for a moment, he didn’t answer. Then, quietly, he said, “Long enough to forget the feel of my home world. Long enough to know there’s no escape from this place.”

Lyra’s heart sank at his words. She had known, deep down, that the situation was dire, but hearing it from him—hearing how long he had been trapped here, just like she was now—made it feel all too real.

“But there has to be a way,” Lyra insisted, her voice rising with desperation. “We can’t just stay here, hiding forever. There must be something we can do.”

Thalor studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “Perhaps,” he said softly. “But if there is, it won’t be easy. This planet is alive, and it doesn’t let go of what it claims.”

Lyra clenched her fists, the frustration and fear threatening to overwhelm her. “I’m not giving up,” she said, her voice fierce. “I’m going to find a way off this rock, whether the planet likes it or not.”

Thalor’s eyes gleamed with something she couldn’t quite place—admiration, perhaps, or something deeper. “You are strong, Lyra,” he said quietly. “Stronger than most who have been brought here. But strength alone won’t be enough. You’ll need to understand the bond between us if we are to survive.”

Lyra frowned, the mention of their bond sending another jolt of confusion through her. “You keep talking about this bond, but what does it actually mean?”

Thalor stepped closer, his presence overwhelming in the confined space. “It means that our fates are intertwined. The power of this planet flows through us, and together, we can harness it. But it requires trust, Lyra. A bond that cannot be broken.”

Lyra swallowed hard, her heart pounding as she met his gaze. There was something in his eyes—something ancient and powerful, but also gentle, like the calm before a storm. She didn’t understand the full extent of what he was saying, but a part of her—deep inside—felt the truth of it.

“I don’t know if I can do that,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know if I can trust you like that.”

Thalor’s expression softened, and he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I understand,” he said quietly. “But when the time comes, you will know. You will feel it.”

Lyra’s breath caught in her throat at the gentleness of his touch, the strange warmth that spread through her at his proximity. Despite everything—the fear, the uncertainty, the danger—there was something undeniable between them, something that felt both terrifying and comforting all at once.

The rumble of the keepers had faded completely now, leaving them in silence. But the danger wasn’t over. Lyra knew that this was only the beginning. Whatever secrets this planet held, whatever force had brought her here, was still waiting in the shadows. And she would have to face it.

Together with Thalor.