The Secret Route Under Rock
Alpha’s head bowed once more, the darkness of his hood concealing all but the unyielding lean of duty. "Imdiately, my lady."
Later, glancing in Leon’s direction, the burden of his hidden stare fell like a wordless sword.
Leon blinked in surprise and delight before a slow smile crept onto his lips. "So you’d been keeping this up your sleeve the whole ti, eh?" His tone held no resentnt, rely curiosity. Standing up from the bed, he was taller than she rembered, broad shoulders squaring as he stood. His golden eyes softened as they rested on Nova, picking up the warmth of her smile. "Thank you, love. I’ll be back soon.
She smiled faintly, though the fire in her eyes held firm. "You’d better."
Alpha stepped forward without another word. His movents were precise, devoid of waste, his cloak brushing silently across the polished floor. As he reached the door, his hand lifted, brushing the fra as though sealing an oath. He pushed it open, then turned with perfect formality, his hand extended slightly—a wordless invitation for Leon to follow.
Leon smiled, facing back to the won on the bed. Their gazes—so many different shades of crimson, purple, green, black, and brown—were on him. "Don’t wait for ," he said with a light tone, his smile playful but tinged with sothing more. "Talk, laugh, fight—whatever you please. I’ll be back before you even begin to miss ."
Rias smiled, one crimson eyebrow rising. "That’s a confident threat."
Aria tilted her head elegantly, purple locks encompassing her imperial face. "Then make sure you hold onto it."
The maids and others nodded, a few smiling, so quietly sighing. The air held both encouragent and a subtle pain as he finally moved towards the door.
Leon walked steadily, externally tranquil, though inwardly expectation writhed. He was leaving their heat, their glee, to enter sothing new. Alpha ca after him, unspoken and keen as the shadow of a blade.
The corridor engulfed them. High windows admitted shafts of sunlight, dust motes suspended in the golden rays. Marble floor rang beneath their boots, the sound of each step being unnecessarily loud in the increasing stillness. Leon caught a single look at Alpha, who moved with careful poise, posture never wavering, cloak flowing in asured rhythm.
No words were exchanged.
Their footsteps did the talking. Step by step. Turn by turn. The hall grew narrower, the sun dying with each step, until they ca to the end—no doors, no windows. Just a massive wall of rough stone with a single iron door fixed into it.
Leon slowed, golden brows furrowing. "Why are we here?"
Alpha didn’t flinch. His tone was low, steady, but with gravity. "Lord Leon. That is the entrance to the basent. Where your people are currently housed."
Leon’s expression soured, suspicion flowered. "What are you talking about?"
Alpha shifted, his cloak whispering. "Just as I explained, my lord."
Leon’s brow arched higher, suspicion keen in his eyes. His gut yelled at him—secrets lay here, things Nova had not uttered. He began to open his mouth, but Alpha acted first.
The hooded man moved towards the corner of the hallway, where there stood on a pedestal a tall vase of flowers. He took it in one gloved hand. The stone and water weight did not intimidate him. He hefted it slowly, putting it down on the floor.
Leon’s brows drew together, intense with interest. "A vase?"
But then the wall itself creaked.
Stone shook. A spasm of cold ran through the floorboards, dust dripping in weak ribbons from the ceiling. A thin crack gaped, widening, vertical on the wall. With a screeching crunch, the seam yawned wider, showing darkness beyond.
Leon’s golden eyes went wide. His heart pounded against his ribs. A secret passage? Here?
The wall split open completely, and a stairway cut from rough stone ca into view. Torches burned along its walls, their flas roaring to life as if awakened by the commotion. Darkness fell away from the abyss.
Leon released a slow breath, his lips curling slightly. "So this is what you said."
Alpha’s voice sliced through the stillness. "My lord, follow . This path leads to the basent—where Silver City ascends.
Leon’s brows rose once more, suspicion and curiosity fighting in his chest. "Silver City..." His mind ran. Nova kept this from ... why? Trust? Or protection?
Alpha did not tarry. Two steps and he went down into the stairway, his boots thudding on stone with muffled weight. Leon ca behind him, his hand tracing the cold wall as he stepped into the tunnel. The atmosphere changed at once, cooler, denser, replete with the sll of earth and smoke.
The stairway dropped deep. Torches flared at intervals, their fire curving in the draft. The ring of their footsteps echoed hollow, each footstep a reminder of how far down they were. Leon’s golden eyes swept the walls—he could see dim carvings, marks that seed like sigils, protection seals worn thin with age.
"Sealed," Leon said under his breath. "Not hidden—protected."
Alpha said nothing. His quiet was intentional, the quiet of a soldier who didn’t need to speak.
The stair twisted once, twisting again. Ti dissolved, steps lengthening into a steady beat until at last the space yawned open. The echo died.
They erged into enormity.
Leon stopped. His breath had snagged.
Before him lay an underground city. Not rough caves, not simple shelters—but a world under stone. Overhead, the ceiling rose high, jagged rock glowing softly with veins of crystal that throbbed with a natural, silver light. Houses were excavated in the wall of the cavern, others constructed with stone and wood, like a shifting maze. Streets were narrow, twisting between them, lit with torches and lanterns.
The humans—his humans—strolled. So bore baskets, so repaired tools, others strolled with children holding onto their hands. Silver-armored soldiers paced at the periphery, the flash of spears in torchlight. The gentle hum of voices filled the cavern, rging with the far-off sound of subterranean water.
Leon’s golden eyes grew even wider, his chest constricting. They lived. They made it. all these years, here, in secret.
Alpha paced at his side, his head lowering in respect. "My lord. Welco. This is Silver City—the sanctuary your people were given."
Leon’s throat moved, his jaw clenched as emotion surged. His fists clenched, then relaxed. He took a breath, centering himself, but his voice was rough. "They... they dug all this out?"
"Yes," Alpha said, voice even. "It is safety. Hidden from eyes above, protected by secrecy and stone.
As they stepped further in, a few nearby guards noticed them. Their eyes widened, recognition dawning. A young soldier dropped the crate he carried, wood clattering against stone.
"L-Lord Leon...?"
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