Chapter Eight
Lily sat by her tent, watching as the camp came to life.
Researchers unpacked crates, guardsmen checked their weapons, and soft conversations hummed through the cool air. Laughter occasionally bubbled up from small groups of people scattered around the foyer, as though these ruins were merely the backdrop to an ordinary day. The sense of camaraderie, the easy familiarity of people who had worked together countless times, made her feel like an outsider looking in. That was to be expected though, she supposed; she was new. She didn’t know these people, hadn’t found her place, hadn’t even showed them the glorious device nestled in her lap.
Her fingers traced the edge of the camera, its weight both comforting and daunting. This small yet powerful device would soon capture the wonders that this expedition would uncover — and maybe, just maybe, help her become one with these people and find her place among them.
Across the way, a couple of researchers stood by a wide, black staircase that led to the floor above. One of them, an older man with greying hair, ran a hand along the rail, shaking his head to himself.
“It’s just like the one we found at the last site,” he mused. “Yet another transportation system, moving people from floor to floor automatically. Just imagine.”
The researcher next to him laughed.
“I’m beginning to think every building had these things. How lazy would you have to be?”
The others nearby chuckled, but their amusement was overshadowed by the wonder on their faces. These stairs were more impressive than anything else — the ancients had clearly lived a life of luxury, with machines to perform even the most mundane tasks. Why walk up stairs when the stairs can simply carry you?
Lily’s gaze lingered on the stairs, her mind wandering. Automated machines that did everything… what would that have been like? What other kinds of marvels had they left behind? She found herself thinking about the bakery back home, wondering if the ancients had machines for baking too. Was there a machine for kneading dough, for shaping bread, for sprinkling flour across the counter? The thought was both enchanting and strange — a world where the hands that baked the bread never had to touch it.
A shadow moved beside her and she glanced up to find Xander plopping down with a lopsided grin. His presence was warm, comforting — a friendly face amongst these strangers. He stretched out his legs and leaned back on his arms, casting her a curious look.
“You look deep in thought,” he said, a teasing tone to his voice.
“And you look far too relaxed to be a guardsman on duty,” she smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever happened to my protector?”
Xander chuckled softly and shook his head. “I guess I feel more at ease up here,” he admitted, shrugging as if it were something he couldn’t quite explain. “It’s dangerous, sure, but… I don’t know. There’s something about being up here with the research teams, the open space, the sky overhead. It feels right. Like I can breathe.” He trailed off for a moment, his eyes lifting to the fractured ceiling above them, where thin streaks of fading daylight still filtered through the cracks. “I can’t quite put it into words, but… it’s different up here. I feel more… myself.”
Lily glanced at him, surprised by his candidness. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before — casual, honest, vulnerable in a way that made her heart stir. She liked it. She liked that she was here to witness it, learning more about the man who frequented her bakery every morning. She could spend all day just sitting here, speaking with him like this.
“I can see that,” she said with a soft smile. “It suits you.”
Xander smiled at her, his green eyes warm and open in a way that made her heart skip a beat. For a moment, she was lost in them, the rest of the camp fading into a blur around her… she blinked and forced herself to look away before she embarrassed herself again, her pulse racing with the thought that he might’ve caught her staring. Again.
Sighing, she turned back to the camp and focused on the researchers and guardsmen. The contrast between the two groups was striking — the researchers were animated, gesturing excitedly as they discussed tomorrow’s plans, while the guardsmen stood watchful and alert. Yet somehow, it felt balanced. The researchers’ enthusiasm fed the energy of the camp, and the guardsmen’s vigilance grounded it.
A gentle nudge at her side broke her thoughts, and she turned to see Xander grinning at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“You still look deep in thought,” he teased. “Want to share?”
“I guess,” she paused, then looked at him, feeling a little bolder after his previous candour. “I guess the expedition isn’t quite what I imagined it would be.”
Xander raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? What did you expect?”
“I’m not really sure,” she admitted with a soft laugh. “I thought there’d be more… action. More digging up ancient artifacts and less walking for hours and setting up camp.”
“Don’t worry, what you imagined will come soon enough.” Xander chuckled. “Tomorrow, you’ll have more digging and discovery than you’ll know what to do with. You’ll be wishing for a quiet day like today before long.”
“I doubt that.” She grinned, feeling the excitement build inside her once more. “I live for discovery!”
It was hard to subdue that excitement with the thrill of the camp settling in and the researchers’ animated discussion floating through the air like a current. She glanced over at Lorrick. He wandered the foyer, inspecting the structure as if he were in deep conversation with the ruins themselves, and suddenly she remembered his warning earlier that day.
Turning to Xander, she finally asked, “What was the subway incident?”
His smile faltered for a moment, and when it returned it was softer, and devoid of the humour that had been there moments ago. “The subway incident…” his voice now carried a weight to it. “It’s something all guardsmen are educated with when we join the surface rotation. It happened about ten years back, when the team was exploring an old subway station. The guardsmen — well, they hadn’t done the proper structural checks before bringing in the equipment… with the added weight, the whole placed caved.”
Lily’s breath caught, her excitement replaced with dread as Xander continued.
“Several researchers… they were buried alive,” he said quietly, his eyes darkening. “Only one survived, and he’s not a researcher anymore… he retired… anyway, that’s why Lorrick doesn’t take any chances. That accident… it could’ve been avoided. So we double-check, triple-check everything before anyone else steps inside these sites.”
Lily sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his words pressing down on her. It was a reminder of just how fragile this surface world was, and how easily everything could change.
“Well,” she said after a beat, offering a weak smile she struggled to summon. “I’m glad you’re all being careful. I’d rather not experience a cave-in on my first expedition.”
Xander’s grin returned, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
“Don’t worry. We haven’t had a cave-in since then. It’s far more likely we’ll be attacked by rabid beasts!”
Before she could stop herself, she playfully punched Xander’s arm, her smile growing wider.
“By the stars! Don’t tell me that.”
He rubbed at his arm with a mock-pained expression and fell back against the crates behind them, wincing.
“Hey, I’m just saying. Keeps it exciting, doesn’t it?”
Lily giggled, and for a brief moment the weight of the conversation lifted as they shared in the levity. Then, as the laughter faded, a comfortable silence settled between them. They didn’t need to fill it; the world around them was enough to occupy their thoughts.
As time passed, the energy in the camp began to wane. Conversations quietened, and the soft glow of lanterns replaced the daylight, casting long shadows on the cracked walls. Guardsmen, ever vigilant, organised into small teams, taking up watch shifts as the camp settled for the night.
Lily hugged her knees to her chest, contemplating the unfamiliar world she found herself in. It was strange, wild, and so unlike anything else underground. The birdsong that had accompanied them through the day now faded, replaced by a pure symphony of singing insects. Occasionally, distant growls and grunts echoed through the wind, too far to cause alarm yet still close enough to remind her of the dangers that lurked in the ruins.
Across the camp, her attention was suddenly drawn to Lorrick. He stood with the captain, engaged in a quiet, intense discussion with three guardsmen. Their conversation was too far for her to hear, but the way the men nodded in unison before slipping into the darkness beyond the mall set her nerves alight.
Quickly, she nudged Xander.
“Where are those men going?” She asked quietly. “Is there some danger outside they’re checking on?”
Xander’s eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the guardsmen before they vanished into the outside world. For a moment, a flicker of unease crossed his face. After a pause, he carefully replied, his tone measured. “Sometimes… the Curator gives individual tasks to some of the men during these expeditions. Nothing dangerous, though,” he added quickly, sensing her concern. “Just things that need handling. Nothing to worry about.”
His words felt rehearsed, careful, as if he didn’t want to say too much. Lily narrowed her eyes, searching his face for any hint that he was holding something back, but… she trusted Xander. He wouldn’t hide anything that could put them in danger.
“Alright,” she said, though the uneasy glint in his eyes still lingered in her mind. “If you say so.”
Xander nodded, offering her a smile before looking away, his gaze returning to the now-empty doorway the guardsmen had disappeared through. Lily settled back into the silence, though her thoughts now raced with questions she didn’t know how to ask.
What sort of tasks did the Curator set that the whole expedition couldn’t accomplish? And why? She straightened her posture, her mind wandering back to her brief conversation with Sammy’s brother, Hunter, back in the tavern. He had been vague, cryptic, but there was a distinct unease when she had mentioned she was now a part of the surface expeditions. Could he have been warning her about these individual tasks? The thought of being trusted enough to be sent on one seemed far-fetched, especially after her last conversation with the Curator, but it gnawed at her all the same. Hunter clearly knew something, but what?
Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, she reminded herself that it wasn’t important. Not really. Tomorrow was a new day — the first day of her new life as chronicler — and she would have her own part to play.
Without a word, Xander suddenly reached into a crate behind them and pulled out a blanket. He offered it to her with a gentle smile, and their fingers momentarily brushed as she took it from him.
“Thanks,” she said softly, her cheeks warming slightly from their contact.
“No problem,” Xander replied, standing up and stretching out his arms. “I’m going to get some sleep before my watch starts.” He tilted his head at her and nodded towards the tent. “You should, too. Big day tomorrow.”
Lily hugged the blanket close to her chest and smiled. “Doubt I’ll be able to… too excited.” She glanced toward the front entrance of the mall, into the outside world. “Too… unfamiliar.”
Xander paused, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "Hey, don't worry," he said, his voice low and steady. "You’ll get used to it. And I'll be close by if anything feels off." He gave her a reassuring smile, the kind that made her nerves melt away, before turning and heading toward his tent, his casual demeanour slipping back into the more familiar, stoic posture of a guardsman as he prepared himself for the upcoming night shift.
Lily watched him walk away, her lips curving into a small, fond smile. She let herself relax, sinking back into the blanket, pulling it tight around her shoulders as she stared up at the fractured ceiling above. Through the cracks, she could see faint stars twinkling in the night sky, distant and small, but still beautiful. She wondered what the stars would look like without the ruins in the way, without the broken beams and crumbling stone obscuring the view.
Before this expedition was over, she promised herself that she would see the full sky — every single star, stretching out across the heavens like a vast tapestry of light.
Her thoughts wandered briefly to her mum, and she hoped she wasn’t worrying too much. She could almost picture her mum standing at the bakery’s counter, hands dusted with flour, frowning with concern over her daughter being up on the surface, imagining all sorts of dangers. If only she could see this — the quiet, the stars, the promise of discovery. Maybe then she’d understand why Lily had to be here.
As the camp grew quieter, the soft snores of fellow researchers and the occasional murmur of conversation fading into the background, Lily let her eyes flutter shut. The distant hum of insects filled the night air, accompanied by the soft rustle of the wind. Tomorrow was going to be a big day and she needed to be ready for it.
With one final glance at the few specks of starlight peeking through the ceiling, she closed her eyes and allowed the calm of the moment carry her into sleep.