𝕽𝖊𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 - 𝕳𝖎3𝖗𝖉 𝖝 𝕳𝕾𝕽 [Inspired by @KeysOfVoid]

Ones Fallen Into The Abyss - Chapter VIII

"Hey, you came. That was fast.", Seele chuckled. 

"What trouble has Wildfire run into?", Stelle asked.

"Didn't I tell you? ...Long story short..", she breathed in, preparing herself for the frustration of explaining it again. "The underground used to have many mines. However, in recent years, some sort of corrosion called the "Fragmentum" started to spread. It's ruined a lot of mines."

"The one we're heading into is relatively unaffected. A bunch of vagrants made it their home after their old turf was consumed by the Fragmentum. Actually, most of them are pretty honest folks...", she sighed.

"But with such a large group, it's inevitable that troublemakers will find their way in. They've been stealing from the miners and picking fights. And that's not the worst of it.", Seele said. "Things are much more serious this time... For two days now, huge clashes have been breaking out between the miners and the vagrants. It isn't pretty. Mines are our lifeline in the Underworld. We have to keep providing Geomarrow to the Overworld in exchange for supplies."

"In order to quell the situation, Chief Oleg brought Wildfire into the mine and left me in charge of security for the towns. But the situation in the mine is critical — I have to back him up."

"Understood, let's go.", Kevin sighed.

"Oh, and as for your fate..", Seele looked at Bronya with slight contempt. "The Chief will decide your fate when we see him."

"Good.", Bronya said, not wanting to back down. "I've always wanted to come face-to-face with the leader of the Underworld."

"Hmph. You're about to come face-to-face to reality."

Seele led the way into the Great Mine, where a lot of miners and their families were standing at the entrance. Makeshift tents were set up, and Natasha was there too.

One thing on Seele's mind: This was more dire than she thought it would be.

"What's Natasha doing here..? Things must've been worse than I thought.", she rushed to the commotion, forcing everyone else to run as well. 

"Nat! I didn't think you'd be here. Where's Oleg?"

"Hey Seele, and... Sampo's guests. So, it looks like you've already met.", Natasha smiled. "I haven't seen Oleg. The miners say he took a group deeper in."

"These people..", Stelle looked around.

"Miners and their family members. They want an explanation from the instigators."
"This area up ahead is a vagrant dwelling, but they've sealed off the entrance. I guess they're afraid that angry miners might try to take revenge.". 

"How could the situation here become such a mess?", Seele looked around. The miners were petrified, some had a bunch of bruises, and others just looked plain scared.

"I heard that First Mining Team found a Geomarrow vein with incredible deposits... The initial estimate put it at the largest discovery in the last thirty years."

"Are you serious? That's big news. How come I never heard about it?"

"Well, they weren't in a hurry to make it known. Most of the mines have been contaminated by the Fragmentum — many people are out of work. They were afraid of being overwhelmed if they let the word out. But the vagrants here have keen eyes — they couldn't keep it hidden from them. Some local gangs wanted to profit from the situation, so they blackmailed the mining team for hush money... and that was the final straw.", Nat sighed.

"The vein should belong to those that found it.", Kevin replied.

"As it happens, that's exactly the law we have down here. But the vagrants have their own custom: See it, share it. ..And that's how the clash started. Now both sides are dealing with heavy losses. So, are you guys here to help resolve the conflict?", Nat asked. If you looked closely, a faint sparkle of hope could be seen in those magenta eyes.