The spiral staircase stretched downward, impossibly vast, as if the planet itself had hollowed out its own heart. Each step glowed faintly under their boots, lighting the way with a pale blue shimmer that faded behind them the moment they passed.
For a long while, there was only the sound of their breathing, their boots tapping against the crystalline surface, and the distant hum that never stopped vibrating through the walls.
Daniel walked first, though no one had voted him leader. The crystal in his chest guided him—pulling, urging, resonating with every step deeper into the planet's arteries.
Behind him, Hayes's rifle never left its ready grip. His voice cut through the silence, low and sharp. "You're enjoying this too much, kid."
Daniel glanced back, his glowing eyes faint in the gloom. "I don't enjoy it. I just… know the way."
"That's the problem." Hayes muttered.
Marquez, walking between them, sighed. "Can you both stop? We're in the middle of a planet that's clearly alive, and the last thing we need is you two tearing each other apart."
Okafor's voice came over the comm, calm but uneasy. "Focus on the environment. These walls… they're layered with energy conduits. It's like we're inside the nervous system of a giant organism."
---
The Murmurs
Halfway down, the stairwell widened into a landing. The walls there shifted with light, forming rippling shapes—figures locked in war, repeating endlessly like a recording.
They froze, watching as shadows and crystal-armored beings clashed. Weapons of light collided with waves of darkness, explosions tearing across alien landscapes. The images moved without sound, but the meaning was clear.
Daniel touched the wall. His pupils widened, glowing brighter. "They fought to protect this place… and they lost."
Hayes yanked him back. "Don't touch it! You don't know what it'll do to you."
"I do," Daniel whispered. "It's memory. That's all. Fragments left behind."
Okafor frowned. "No. Look closer."
The wall shifted again. This time, the images showed Earth—primitive humans, gazing up at the stars, unaware of the war raging just beyond their reach. Then the vision faded, leaving only the hum of the stairwell.
Marquez's voice shook. "They were watching us. Even back then."
The silence that followed was heavy, filled only by the thrum of the living planet.
---
The Descent Continues
They pressed on, deeper and deeper. The air grew thicker, vibrating with each heartbeat of the crystal buried in the world's core.
Daniel stumbled once, gripping the railing. His veins glowed faintly, the light pulsing faster now.
Marquez caught him. "You okay?"
He nodded, though his skin was pale. "It's just… getting stronger. The closer we get, the louder it is."
Hayes muttered, "Or the less human you're becoming."
But Daniel didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the glow rising below.
At last, after what felt like hours, the staircase ended. They stepped into a cavern so vast the ceiling was lost in darkness. At its center floated a colossal crystal—dwarfing mountains—suspended in midair, beating with the rhythm of a heart.
The glow washed over them, and for the first time, even Hayes fell silent.
This was not just Mars.
This was its soul.