The air in the western drainage arterial grew thick with the acrid stench of sulfur, coal dust, and stagnant canal water.
Three miles west of the cathedral’s shattered foundations, the quiet, subterranean tunnels widened into a gargantuan brick archway. Beyond it lay the subterranean underbelly of the Black Iron District”the city’s industrial engine, where factory runoff hissed into the murky waters of the Grand Canal, choking out both light and life.
Cattleya stepped out onto the narrow stone ledge running alongside the dark water, her medical satchel resting firmly against her ribs. Behind her, Rusty leaned heavily against the damp brickwork, his breath coming in shallow, wheezing gasps as his body buckled under the sheer physical toll of the escape.
"We... we can't stay near the main
