𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

Keira momentarily forgot the imminent threat from Apollo for losing his golden motorcycle.

She was focusing her attention on inspecting the abandoned car wash. The dilapidated state of the place caught her eye. Considering that its advertisement was on the map, anyone would have thought it would be newer. But upon giving it a closer look, it was obvious that it was out of use.

Once a luxurious car wash, the neighborhood's modesty and the apparent scarcity of cars, or their owners' inability to afford frequent cleaning, likely contributed to its decline. Covered machines, broken windows in what used to be the office, and missing parts from the cleaning devices hinted at prolonged disuse.

The small office yielded little of interest. It seemed unlikely to be a sanctuary. The only remaining area to explore, aside from the empty parking lot, was the cleaning tunnel.

Years ago, it must have been a modern facility, but rusted metal, clogged and dusty bristles, and loose parts indicated extended neglect and attempted theft. Keira ventured into the tunnel, as if she were a car, as it was her only remaining option.

The darkness inside made it challenging to see much. Keira refrained from using Shadowedge as a flashlight, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention from curious neighbors.

Upon reaching the tunnel's end, she discovered a rock blocking the way. Odd, considering it should have had an open exit for cars when the car wash was operational. It became evident that the car wash had been empty for longer than she initially thought.

She felt around the rock with her fingers, searching for a secret button or engraved inscription. Keira noticed a small gap, resembling a letterbox, and hesitated for a moment. Finally, holding the map in her hands, she carefully inserted it into the slot, squinting in the darkness.

Initially, nothing happened.

Keira lamented the loss of the map, the only gift from Athena that was supposed to be useful on the quest. However, after a few seconds, the gap seemed to widen, expanding both sideways and upwards. Eventually, a hole opened in the rock, and Keira had to crouch to pass through. Below, a set of stairs led downward.

The sanctuary of the Lord of the Underworld was logically underground.

Slowly and cautiously, Keira descended the stairs. The staircase was long and narrow, leading into an incredibly humid corridor. The air felt warm, making it difficult to breathe, akin to a humid summer day in New York. Down there, it seemed not to be winter.

As Keira walked, she heard the sound of dripping moisture from behind and in front of her. Murmurs of people seemingly lamenting echoed off the walls. She wondered if these sounds emanated from the Underworld or if they were the cries of souls who had met their demise while washing their cars.

Despite the eerie atmosphere and the likelihood of encountering great dangers ahead, Keira couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement as she descended. She had always wondered about the Underworld, and the stories she had read and Chiron had told her seemed fascinating. She couldn't help but wonder how similar this sanctuary would be to the actual Underworld.

When she finally reached the bottom, she found herself on a smooth rocky surface, judging by the noise her boots made. However, she couldn't see anything due to the darkness. Quickly, she retrieved Shadowedge from her pocket and attempted to use it as a flashlight.

It didn't work.

Changing her plan, she tried turning it into a sword to see if the celestial bronze blade's glow could illuminate something. The flashlight transformed into a sword, but the blade's glow didn't reflect, leaving her still in the dark. It was as if someone had switched off the electricity, and absolutely nothing could make the light turn on.