Chapter Text
Kaveh crossed his arms and scoffed as he stared at the mission details listed before him. The one listed as his partner had to be the one person he hated most. The same person who made Kaveh want to rip his hair out more than when clients with no architectural sense corrects his designs over and over. His roomate, Alhaitham of the Akademiya.
"Of course. Of all people in Sumeru why him?" Kaveh grumbled. Behind him someone approached Kaveh didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"You're late." Alhaitham said, his voice breaking the silence in the room. " I suppose punctuality was never your strong suit" Kaveh spun around his eyes lit with a firey glare.
"And I suppose emotional intelligence was never yours." Alhaitham turned away.
"Emoltions are irrelevant to the mission. we're investigating seismic anomalies not your fragile ego."
"Oh please." Kaveh snapped back. " You think you're above everyone else just because you can read obscure texts and walk around like you are the Akademiya's gift of logic. Newsflash you are insufferable."
"yet here you are." Alhaitham replied unfazed." assigned to work with me again. Perhaps the Akademiya sees value in pairing brilliance with dramatics." Kaveh's jaw clenched.
"Brilliance? You mean your ability to bulldoze through problems without considering the cost?" Alhaithem tilted his head toward Kaveh slightly.
"And your solution is to cru over blueprints and hope the sand rearranges itself?"The silence between them stretched out before Alhaitham broke it. "we leave at dawn don't be late this time." Kaveh didn't respond he simply turned away, his eyes scanning the map of the desert. Somewhere beyond the horizon there was ancient secrets that waited to be unearthed.
SCENE TWO: The Ruins
The desert stretched endlessly, a canvas of gold meeting the horizon. The journey was silent besides the wind occasionally picking up. Kaveh wiped sweat from his forehead squinting at the crumbling structure before them.
" That place looks like its one gust of wind from crumbling to dust." Alhitham didn't lok up from his notes.
" Judging by the inscriptions its likely a post-Khaenri'ahn sect focused with seismic maniplulation. Fascinating really."
"Fascinating? were about to walk into some ruins that looks like it wil become my grave if i breathe too close to the walls and you're over here admiring the architecture." Alhaitham glanced at him unbothered by the complaints.
"You're the architect i assumed you'd appriciate the craftmanship."
" Oh i do." Kaveh scoffed. " I also appriciate not being cruhed to death by ruins that caved in." When nothing else was said they stepped into the ruins . The air was cooler but thick with dust. The walls were etched with unknown symbols that pulsed faintly with residual energy. Kaveh paused gently brushing one of the patterns. "They seem to be channeling something." Alhaitham nodded.
" possibly leylines maybe built to harness them. its likely what triggered the seismic anomalies"
" and you didnt think to mention that before we walked into a potentially unstable leyline nexus.
"i assumed you would notice." Alhaitham said his voice dry. "you do claim to be perceptive."
" You know what. when this place collapses on us i hope your precious logic keeps you warm." Alhaitham didnt respond but for just a moment his gaze lingered on Kaveh. The ground trembled as a low rumble echoed through the passage and dust rained down from the cracks in the ceiling. Kaveh stumbled, catching himself on the wall. Alhaitham's eyes shot to the floor scanning for the source.
"Trap." he shouted. "Triggered by movement we need to-" Another tremor shot through the floor and a deafening crack slpit the air. the ceiling groaned and then it collapsed.
SCENE THREE: The Desent
The ceiling gave way with a roar. Stone and sand crashed down like a tidal wave. Kaveh barely had time to shout before the ground below him crumbled, and sent him plummetting into darkness. He hit the ground hard his left side taking most of the impact. pain laced through his ribs and his thigh, and Kaveh could feel the blood seeping through his clothes. Kaveh's ears rung, as the silence that followed the fall became deafening. He gritted his teeth as he dragged himself upright with one arm and leaned against the wall. The chamber he had fallen inro was dimly lit by a faint eerie blue light running through the patterns on the wall.
"Alhaitham." he called out. His voice echoed throughout the chamber. As he expected there was no response. After what felt like forever Kaveh began to limp forward deeper down through the tunnel, using the wall for support. The farther he desended the brighter the patterns glowed. The hallway narrowed into a tight walkway before merging into a massive room. It was partly collapsed with large cracks streaking the walls and ther was a pedastal in the center of the room. As Kaveh got closer to the structure he began to get a nagging headache. Ignoring the growing pain he reached out to touch the pedastal, but then a surge of energy shot out of it and knocked him back. The pain was blinding and he felt as if his mind was slipping into unconsciousness.
"Kaveh." A voice called out. Kaveh could barely lift his head. Alhaitham was there, his eyes scanning the room. "you idiot, you should have stayed put." Alhaitham said crouching down next to him. Kaveh trued to laugh but it came out as a wheeze.
"Wow. You sure took your sweet time." Alhaitham checked Kaveh's wounds ignoring the remark. Another rumble went through the ruins.
"We're getting out of here..." Kaveh was unable to hear the rest, as he fell unconsious.
SCENE FOUR: Aftershock
Kaveh lay motionless, blood dripping onto the stone. Alhaitham had wrapped the worst of the bleeding and now sat studying the room. The ground shook again and a chunk of the far wall fell to the floor. It wouldn't be long before the whole place collapsed and the sorce of the tremors was still unknown. Alhaithem wasn't sure why but when another shockwave hit he instantly moved to sheild Kaveh from any falling debris. Alhaitham hoisted Kaveh into his arms and stood up. The architects head fell against his shoulder. His golden hair was streaked with dust and blood. Alhaitham left the chamber following the walls deeper into the ruins. After some time of walking he heard the room behind them cave in with a distant crash.
SCENE FIVE: The Seal
Eventually Alhaitham emerged into a small room behind a fractured archway. Unlike before the walls held no cracks and the structure itself didn't seem damaged. he lowered Kaveh onto an area of smooth stone. Alhaitham sat down and thought through what had happened. After an hour had nearly passed Kaveh stirred. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glassy. He blinked slowly.
"Alhaitham?" he groaned his voice barely audible. Alhaitham leaned closer to him.
"Don't move. Your injured." Kaveh's brow furrowed.
"You think?" He winced as he tried to sit up. "Why is it so quiet."
"We're sealed in."
"Wow. What did I say. I knew we were going to get stuck in here, but you didn't listen to me did you!" Kaveh shouted.
"It was unlikely for it to collapse." Alhaitham retorted.
"Oh really. How many times has this place almost killed me? And you say it was unlikely?" Kaveh pause to take a breath. " You have no care for anyone around you look around you we are trapped with possibly no way out!"
"I will be able to find a way out. Stop complaining, it's annoying."