The first figure vanished straight down, dropping through the dark cut with impossible speed. The second followed in the same motion, pulling something after them. A panel slid or swung shut beneath the growth with a low metal knock. By the time Elias lurched to the spot, stumbling once as pain knifed through his bruised side and leaving him limping harder than he had meant to, there was only disturbed leaf litter, the fading warmth of opened air, and darkness packed tight between the roots.

He stood over the hidden shaft, bent and listening, but the only sound now was the long buried hum of the world below him.

Above him, the lit gardens glowed soft and harmless. Under his feet, unseen people moved through the dark to keep them alive.