Eternal Rain: The Sunbringer

Light in the Deep

Cold water engulfed me as I slid through the drainage tunnel. The passage narrowed, barely wide enough for my shoulders. Each breath came in shallow gasps while the current pushed me forward. Echoes of Vex's voice faded behind me, replaced by the rush of water through ancient pipes.

Just when the darkness threatened to become absolute, I spotted a faint glow ahead. When I finally emerged, I found Lucinda waiting, a small globe of golden light hovering above her palm.

"I thought you might have decided to rejoin your Guild," she said.

I pulled myself from the tunnel, dripping with water fouler than the usual undercity rain. "The Guild and I have irreconcilable differences now."

She offered a hand, which I took after a moment's hesitation. Her grip was surprisingly strong as she helped me to my feet.

We stood in an ancient maintenance chamber. Rusted pipes lined the walls, and faded markings in a script I did not recognize adorned the floor. Several tunnels branched off from the central area, most partially collapsed.

"Where are we?" I asked, wringing water from my coat.

"The in-between," Lucinda replied. "Not quite the undercity, not yet the deep ruins. These maintenance tunnels run throughout the old city."

"You seem to know your way around."

She smiled. "My people have mapped most of these passages over the years."

With a flick of her wrist, she sent the light floating higher, illuminating more of the chamber. The ceiling arched above us, supported by ribbed columns of corroded metal and stone.

"Your people," I repeated. "How many sunbringers are there?"

"Few," she admitted. "Perhaps a dozen with fully manifested abilities like mine. Others show minor talents—glimpses of what humanity once was."

Lucinda motioned toward one of the tunnels. "Let us walk. Standing still will only make the chill worse."

I followed her into a tunnel that sloped gently downward, the light floating ahead to guide our way.

"Before the eternal rain," she began, "humans lived in harmony with natural forces. The old texts speak of abilities that would seem miraculous today—controlling elements, healing with a touch, communicating across vast distances with thought."

"Sounds like fantasy," I said.

"The rain was engineered," she continued. "A climate modification gone wrong, or perhaps sabotage. Records from that time are fragmented. What we know is that the machine was created to control it, but something happened. The machine was abandoned, and knowledge of its purpose faded into myth."

Her light revealed elaborate murals on the tunnel walls—scenes of a world I scarcely recognized. Clear skies, vast fields of growing things, people gathered outdoors without the constant shroud of rain.

"These paintings," I said, "they cannot be that old. The water would have destroyed them."

"These tunnels were designed to stay dry," Lucinda explained. "And the paint contains compounds that resist moisture. Our ancestors were not fools."

We walked in silence for a time. The tunnel widened gradually, opening into another chamber, larger than the first. Here, the walls were lined with metal cabinets, their contents long since rusted or looted.

"What happens now?" I asked. "The Guild will not stop hunting us."

"Now we find my people," Lucinda said. "There is a sanctuary deeper still, where those like me gather."

"And then what? You expect me to join your crusade based on paintings and stories?"

Lucinda turned to face me fully. The golden light cast her features in sharp relief.

"I expect nothing," she said. "You have already done more than most would by sparing my life. If you wish to go your own way after we reach the sanctuary, no one will stop you."

"Your sanctuary," I said. "How far?"

"Another hour's walk, if we encounter no obstacles."

I nodded. "Then lead on. I have burned my bridges."

We continued through tunnels and chambers, each bearing signs of a civilization far more advanced than the present hodgepodge of survival in the undercity.

"The Highlanders discovered some of this technology," she said as we passed the remains of a massive pump. "They repurposed it for their towers without understanding its original function."

"They kept the knowledge to themselves," I guessed.

"Knowledge is power," Lucinda agreed. "And the rain ensures that power remains concentrated in their hands."

The path continued downward. The air grew warmer, surprisingly so given how deep we had traveled.

"We are approaching the heart of the old city," she said. "Where power still flows."

The tunnel ended at a solid metal door. No handle or keyhole marred its surface. Lucinda placed her palm against it and closed her eyes. The light above her other hand pulsed brighter, and with a hydraulic hiss, the door slid open.

Beyond the door lay something I had never imagined possible. A vast cavern stretched before us, illuminated by massive glowing panels embedded in the ceiling. The space was larger than any structure I had seen in the undercity.

People moved about the cavern floor. Dozens of them engaged in various activities—tending to plants growing in containers, working at tables covered with equipment, studying texts. None wore the perpetually damp, ragged clothing of undercity dwellers. Their garments appeared clean and dry.

"Welcome to Haven," Lucinda said.

The air tasted different—cleaner, with none of the mildew and rot that pervaded the world above.

My hand instinctively moved to my sword. Old habits died hard.

Lucinda noticed the gesture. "You are safe here, Cyrus."

A man approached us. Tall and lean, with a close-cropped silver beard and evaluating eyes. He wore a long coat of deep blue material that shimmered slightly in the artificial light.

"Lucinda," he greeted her. "We were concerned when you did not return on schedule."

"I encountered some complications," she replied. "Multiple assassins, not just from the Guild."

The man's eyes narrowed. "The Highlanders are growing bold." His gaze shifted to me. "And who is this? He bears the mark of the Howling Voice."

I instinctively covered the tattoo on my wrist.

"This is Cyrus Aurelius," Lucinda said. "He was sent to kill me, but chose differently."

"Did he indeed?" The man circled me slowly. "The Guild does not train its assassins to show mercy, particularly not its best."

"You know who I am," I stated.

"Your reputation precedes you," the man confirmed. "Eighteen confirmed eliminations in two years. The youngest assassin ever to achieve the rank of Silencer."

"Cyrus, this is Thaddeus," Lucinda introduced us. "He leads our efforts here."

I nodded stiffly. "Your information network is impressive."

"Necessity," Thaddeus replied. "When one lives beneath the boot, one must know when it plans to step down."

"Cyrus destroyed the vial of blue poison," Lucinda informed Thaddeus. "The one designed specifically for sunbringers."

This news seemed to interest Thaddeus more than anything else. "Did you indeed? Interesting. Do you recall its appearance? Its consistency?"

"Blue, slightly luminescent," I described. "Viscous, about the thickness of honey. The Guildmaster claimed a single drop on my blade would be lethal, even with a minor wound."

Thaddeus exchanged a look with Lucinda. "They have refined it, then. This confirms our worst fears."

"Which are?" I asked.

Instead of answering, Thaddeus gestured toward the heart of the cavern. "You must be exhausted from your journey. Food, dry clothes, and rest first. Questions later."

The center of the cavern held long tables where people gathered to eat. The food was unlike anything available in the undercity—fresh vegetables, bread that was not soggy with ambient moisture, even properly cooked meat.

As I ate, I observed my surroundings more carefully. What I had initially taken as a unified group revealed itself as a diverse collection of individuals. A functioning society, hidden beneath the feet of those who would destroy it.

"How long has this place existed?" I asked Lucinda, who sat beside me.

"In its current form, about thirty years," she replied. "But the space itself has been used by those with abilities for much longer. Generations have sheltered here, passing down knowledge that would otherwise be lost."

"And no one from above has discovered it?"

"There have been close calls. The Guild ventured deep a decade ago, searching for rumors of sunbringers. We collapsed tunnels, redirected them. The undercity is a labyrinth by design—both the original architects and our modifications ensure that only those who know the way can find this place."

The meal concluded, and Lucinda showed me to a small alcove partitioned from the main cavern by hanging fabric. Inside was a simple bed, a basin of clean water, and a set of dry clothes.

"Rest," she said. "Tomorrow, Thaddeus will want to speak with you about what you know of the Guild's operations."

I caught her arm as she turned to leave. "The poison vial seemed to concern him greatly. Why?"

Lucinda hesitated. "The Highlanders have been developing methods to identify and neutralize people with abilities. The poison is just one aspect. We have lost many of our kind in recent months—some to assassins, others to a sickness that affects only those with the gift. We suspect the two are connected."

"The Guildmaster spoke of balance," I recalled. "Of the danger your kind represents to the established order."

"The rain serves those in power," Lucinda said. "If we succeed in stopping it, their control crumbles. They will do anything to prevent that."

After she left, I changed into the provided clothes—simple but clean, with none of the perpetual dampness that had been my constant companion. The bed, though basic, offered more comfort than I had known in years.

As I lay down, the weight of all that had transpired settled upon me. In a single day, I had abandoned my life's purpose, betrayed the only organization I had ever belonged to, and aligned myself with their enemies. The Guild would never stop hunting me now. If captured, my death would be neither quick nor merciful.

Yet despite this knowledge, a strange sense of peace washed over me. For the first time since childhood, I fell asleep without the sound of rain drumming above me.