The silence beneath

he Mouth o

gaping mouth of a dead god-collapsed timber te

Carter said, adjusting his headlamp. "We

sitated at the threshold. "May

e's always a reason.

rian-scanned the entrance with her handheld rig. Nash,

but the mine exhaled cold

bre

-

: Into

heir lights slicing the dark. Walls narrowed.

tstep ech

y o

vanished, eat

uiet?" Elise as

uncing back. No reverb. Like

like acou

ead. "Like som

went, the more unnatural the silen

-

The Forgo

it three

acked table, rusting tin cups, p

le chair t

abandoned. It l

thing's clean. No dust. No decay

le. "This i

ed. They tried not to feel

hing was

-

he Voice i

aring to launch it down the nex

radio-decades dead

one f

rough. Not loud. Not

belo

ught it

. "It's not

is deep," Arj

chilled. Carter stepped bac

know what's

-

5: V

eeping bags and lights. Elise w

s passed.

lise?" Car

en her leave

lled. Echoed shou

mera. No sound. Just

far," Nash said, th

. "She didn't wander.

settle

elt

-

6: The

Jagged. Fresh. Like t

al shaft, too s

nkhole?" Ca

"This wasn't made

opped a

f

fe

er hit

from t

cre

ort. N

e's

sil

-

: Desce

ued. Car

r. One by one, they l

y descended, th

round them. The rock

n't hear anything. No

opped. "K

pale hand that bru

Nash's bre

e they were b

ben

-

inued in P