The ride felt like it lasted forever, but when the car finally slowed and the tinted glass opened to a different world, Xavier leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he took it all in.
The underworld wasn't anything like the city above. He had expected shadows, grit, the usual underground scene painted with smoke and whispers. But this? This was alive.
The streets were carved into wide arcs, glowing with veins of blue and red light that pulsed like living things. Buildings weren't built in blocks like the Astraeus city, but spiraled upwards, glass and steel twined with crystal-like material that shimmered faintly under the dim glow of lanterns strung across the sky.
Strange beasts prowled at the edges, tamed yet proud, their eyes reflecting the lights like gemstones. Market stalls ran along the main roads, selling things that couldn't even exist above—skins that shifted colors, fruits that dripped glowing nectar, weapons that hummed like they had souls in them.
