The moment came on the fourth day. A harsh metallic screech echoed from the drilling shaft—then, suddenly, the bit dropped forward, slicing into open space. The torque gauge plummeted.

  “We have contact!” Echo’s voice crackled through the comms, sharp with excitement. ??“The drill just broke through—pressure dropped. We’ve hit a cavity!”

  For a second, silence reigned. Then it erupted. Cheers. Shouts. Laughter. Cps on shoulders. Hugs. Fists to the air. They’d done it. The first barrier was down.

  “Everyone quiet!” Ren’s voice cut through the celebration like a scalpel. ??“Echo, report. Now.”

  Echo was already pouring over the numbers. ??“Depth: approximately three kilometers. Pressure stable… wait…” He paused. ??“We’re receiving air samples from the shaft. Oxygen and nitrogen—almost a perfect match to Earth’s surface atmosphere.”

  A hush fell again. Doc stepped forward, squinting at the monitor. ??“A sealed ecosystem, three kilometers underground… and it’s still functioning?” He rubbed his beard, visibly unsettled. ??“If that air is breathable… this changes everything.”

  “Wait a second…” Pixel leaned over the adjacent panel. ??“Temperature drop. And… bioaerosol traces in the incoming airflow.” ??“What kind of bioaerosols?” Doc’s voice sharpened. ??“Spores. Maybe pollen. Some kind of airborne organics.” Pixel’s fingers danced over the controls. ??“High concentration.”

  Mamba was already moving before he finished. She stalked across the b, eyes lit with a hunter’s gleam. ??“Chemical composition?” she demanded. ??“Any signs of microbial activity? We need samples. Now.”

  “Hold on,” Doc raised a hand, his expression calm but firm. ??“We don’t know what kind of risks we’re dealing with. Pathogens, toxins…” ??“Which is exactly why we need those samples in containment,” Mamba shot back coldly. ??“Open the intake valve. I’ll handle the collection myself.”

  She was already suiting up—snapping on a respirator, sealing gloves, moving with practiced precision. Sky turned to Ren, her expression unreadable. He gave a short nod.

  There was no turning back now. They had to understand what was down there—before stepping inside. Within minutes, several sealed canisters had been filled with air siphoned directly from the breach. Mamba clutched them like precious relics. ??“First specimens from Atntis,” she murmured, eyes glittering.

  Doc held one of the vials to the light. Even unaided, the contents sparkled—dust-like particles catching in the beam like stardust.

  “Well then,” Ren finally said, breaking the silence. ??“Time to see it for ourselves.”

  His voice was level—almost too calm. But everyone heard what y beneath: they’d waited for this moment four long days. Sky stepped to the comms. ??“Base to surface ship. Entry confirmed. ??Main research team is beginning descent.” She turned to the team. ??“Gear up. ??From this point forward, the expedition enters its next phase.”

  They suited up quickly. Lightweight exosuits. Oxygen tanks. Sealed helmets. Tools. Lights. Instruments. A little fear.

  The drill rig had already been converted into a makeshift elevator—a steel cage bolted to the primary shaft cable, enough for ten at a time. Ren stepped into the lift first, steady hands moving across the controls. The motor whirred. The ptform shuddered—then began its slow descent into the freshly cut tunnel.

  What took minutes felt like hours. Tense silence bnketed the group. The only sound: the growl of the winch and their own breathing inside helmets. Headmps wavered against the shaft walls. Their shadows twisted in steel and stone.

  Ren gnced around at his team. Sky gripped the side rail tight. Her face was hidden, but her knuckles were white. Sphinx stood unmoving, but his breathing came fast—too fast. Doc whispered something softly. A prayer? Mamba tapped the container at her hip, eyes restless. Pixel’s fingers fidgeted with his gear. He muttered under his breath: ??“Welcome to the abyss…” Echo adjusted his cam feed, double-checking the uplink. Thunder was stone-still. Anchored. Ready. And Shade—silent as ever—stood just out of the light. Watching. Measuring the dark.

  The lift jolted to a halt. Harsh lights spilled forward, catching the round end of the shaft. Drilled stone glistened with moisture—walls slick and smooth like molten gss.

  Ahead yawned a tunnel. Perfectly round. Bck as pitch.

  “We’re here,” Ren said softly, stepping out first. He raised one hand—caution. And crossed into the dark.

  Headmps flickered against obsidian walls. Too smooth for erosion. Too perfect to be natural.

  “This wasn’t carved,” Sky murmured behind him. ??“It was… built.”

  The others followed, fshlights cutting into the dark like bdes. Their footfalls echoed down the corridor—amplified by silence. The air was cold. Still. No mold. No rot. No life. Just dust underfoot, soft and ancient.

  The tunnel widened. Walls bowed out. And then—suddenly—emptiness.

  The team stumbled into a cavern so vast their lights vanished into bck.

  “Activate auxiliary lights,” Sky ordered sharply.

  A dozen floodlights bzed at once. And what they saw stole their breath.