The pathways spiraled downward like the coils of a serpent. The walls pulsed faintly, casting a red glow that shifted as they moved. Every step deeper pressed a weight on their chests, as though the air thickened with memory.
Hayes muttered, "This whole place feels like it's breathing."
Okafor glanced at the veins of light coursing along the walls. "Maybe it is."
The shadows moved ahead, never touching the walls, never speaking. They simply led. Daniel's chest crystal burned brighter, guiding him like a compass toward the unknown.
---
The Murals in Light
Marquez stopped suddenly, hand raised. "Look."
Across one wall, the light-veins twisted into images. Not random patterns—stories. Figures etched in radiant crimson: tall beings with elongated heads, holding crystals in their palms, raising them to the sky. Below, smaller forms bowed before them, shadows spilling from their feet like rivers.
"It's a record," Okafor whispered. "A civilization carved in light."
Hayes frowned. "Or a warning."
Daniel reached out but hesitated. The moment his fingers hovered close, the mural shifted. The figures turned, their faceless heads aligning toward him. The veins rippled, and for a heartbeat, Daniel felt them watching.
---
The Chamber of Whispers
They entered a wider hall where the ceiling dipped low. Here the shadows halted. They pressed themselves against the walls, flickering, their bodies shivering like smoke against wind.
Marquez's voice shook. "Why did they stop?"
Daniel stepped forward, listening. At first it was silence—then faint whispers, threading through his skull. Words too ancient to understand but heavy with intent.
Hayes shook his head. "I hear it too. Not voices. More like… memories."
Daniel closed his eyes. The crystal throbbed. The whispers focused into one phrase, spoken in a tongue older than humanity but translated directly in his mind:
Go deeper. The heart remembers.
---
The shadows parted, opening the way into another passage—this one narrower, darker, and humming with a low vibration that rattled their bones.
Daniel exhaled slowly. "It wants us to continue."
Hayes spat on the ground, jaw clenched. "Yeah, well, I'm starting to think Mars has a mind of its own. And I don't like where it's leading."
Still, none of them turned back. The pull forward was stronger than fear.
And as they entered the next passage, the corridor behind them sealed shut, trapping them deeper in the red heart of Mars.