The metal hatch creaked as it slowly opened.
Kai carefully lowered himself into the darkness below.
The smell hit immediately.
Rotten water.
Mold.
Something dead.
And something far worse.
---
Eric climbed down after him and nearly gagged.
"Oh gods."
"You people live like this?"
Kai looked around.
"Who are 'you people'?"
"I don't know."
"Sewer people."
"There shouldn't be sewer people."
The architect covered his nose.
"This place is disgusting."
Above them, the hatch quietly closed.
The small beam of sunlight disappeared.
Darkness swallowed the tunnel.
Only scattered maintenance lamps illuminated parts of the sewer.
Water flowed through channels beside the walkway.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The sounds echoed endlessly.
Kai motioned forward.
"Let's move."
Eric nodded.
The two proceeded deeper into the tunnels.
For a while, nothing happened.
No cultists.
No monsters.
No clues.
Only the endless maze of stone pathways.
Eventually Eric pointed ahead.
"Wait."
Kai immediately stopped.
Voices.
Two of them.
Coming from around a corner.
The pair quickly ducked behind a support pillar.
The voices grew closer.
"...this thing smells horrible."
"Keep your voice down."
"I'm serious."
The first speaker sounded miserable.
Kai carefully peeked around the corner.
Two hooded figures.