CHAPTER 2: THRESHOLD

The dropship rocketed over the city of Craton, beaming through the night sky.

Rane sat strapped into her seat, the steel harnes holding her in was bitting at her collarbone through her worn green jacket. She looked out the porthole only to be met by thick dark clouds that semed as if they were folding in on themselves, veined with dark blue lightning. The world outside of Craton was gone, cloud-chocked, radioactive and utterly in ruins. All that remained was the city.

Rane had never been in a dropship, she never had to, she always made an effort to stay within a good perimetre of the city. Breathing within the ship felt dry, recycled, too thick to be a rapid flow of pure oxygen. The hum of the air and pressure stabilizers vibrated throughout the metal walls and flooring, it felt like a second heartbeat. 

Across from Rane sat the rest of her team.

Korrin was fiddling with a strap across his metal chestplate. His entire body was covered in armouring and heavy looking gear, his eyes focused on his wrist showing a green tinted holographic map. He hasnt spoken much since boarding the ship but something about the way his fingers were twitching gave Rane the feeling he didn't like the look of where they were headed.

Sat next to him was Sil, she was adjusting her earpiece and scrolling through previous STRATA-1 logs, she was there during the assault that captured STRATA-1 and thwarted off the creatures that named it home, Rane couldnt imagine what was going through her head being forced to return to such a traumatic place for her. The tech rig strapped to her body was bulky, it had wired that flowed and trailed out from her neck to her wrist. Her fingers wer stailed with oil and gunk. She looked way too tired to be only 24.

Juno sat alone in the corner, he was silent, but still. His akimbo pistols strapped firmly to his weist in holsters he had modified himself. His arms were crossed over his metal chestpiece. Ever since boarding the ship he had put on a hi-tech helmet that completely covered his face. Rane could see the reflection of a H.U.D showing a map of STRATA-1 and all his vitals within his full face visor.

Then there was Eren.

Rane felt bad, he was much younger than the rest, only 19. He was extremely jittery, pale, and mumbling to himself contantly. He was hunched over fiddling with vials of addrenaline-stim's probably trying to take his mind off things. His eyes were constantly flickering around the ship as if he was waiting for somebody to tell him to relax a bit.

"ETA STRATA-1: 90 SECONDS" the voice of the automated ship crackled over the comms

Sil looked up, "So far ground scan is clear. No signs of any anomaly's, Security systems are online, all seems well"

"Any contact with security sectors patroling STRATA-1?" Eren said.

"No." Sil replied

"Weird. you would thi-" Said Eren before being cut off by the red lights above their heads lighting up signaling their descent.

Rane rested her head back against the cold metal walls and looked up at the ceiling.

It felt to her like this mission was gonna get them all killed.

The bottom thrusters kicked on, hissing loudly as is slowed their decent. Not fast enough though as their dropship slammed onto the ground, scraping for atleast a 100 metres from their landing spot before finally coming to a full stop.

"Everyone okay!" shouted Korrin, Unstrapping his harness and immediately checking on the team.

The ramp to the dropship hissed open, greeting the team with a cold musky air.

Stepping out Ash and dust swirled the stale cold air. STRATA-1 was the surface of The Labrynth, the concrete was cracked and jagged. Concrete bones sticking out and pertruding from the ground, Half destroyed recon towers, storage buildings and hangers that had been eaten by time. Looking around the place seemed stranded which was strange as it was only secured a year prior and all threats had been "Neutralized". 

Rane tapped her earpiece and stated "STRATA-1 Recon and Scout crew this is Black Echo Unit 9 tasked to decend into STRATA-2 do you copy?" 

Nobody responded.

"I repeat this is Black Echo Unit 9 tasked with descent into STRATA-2. STRATA-1 Recon and Scout crew do you copy?"

Still, no answer.

"They've been overrun they didnt tell us they had been overrun!" Said Eren his voice filled with panic.

"We dont know that" shouted Korrin "This might just be a bad signal point."

They walked the ruins, weapons raised.

Juno scanned the ruins ahead, his visor picking up nothing, no heat scans, nothing.

Rane scanned the ruins ahead, her visor picking up heat ghosts—old flare patterns, no longer active.

“Looks like the last recon team tried to hold here,” she muttered.

Sil tapped her pad, data spilling across her HUD.

“Comms tower’s still here. Damaged, but salvageable.”

Korrin knelt near a row of blackened bones, what might’ve once been a checkpoint line. “Check for tags.”

Eren walked past an old vending terminal fused into a wall. The screen still blinked: SEVERE HAZARD: ZONE CLOSED. Graffiti scrawled over the top in blood-colored paint read: “NOTHING BELOW IS DEAD.”

“What the hell happened here?” Eren whispered.

Juno pointed ahead toward a collapsed rail junction partially buried in rubble. A rusted sign was barely visible, flaking away:

ACCESS: STRATA-2 | WARNING: PERMANENT LOCKDOWN INITIATED

The junction was pitch black.

It took Sil five minutes to bypass the military-grade seal. The entrance was crusted with sediment and scorched plating, like something had tried to weld it shut from the inside.

As the door hissed open, a wave of heat rushed out—moist and dense, carrying a foul metallic tang. The lights in the tunnel flickered once and then died.

“This tunnel predates the City’s current map layers,” Sil said, her voice tight. “The signal grid cuts off once we go under.”

“How far down is Strata Two?” Eren asked.

“Far enough,” Korrin said. He gestured forward. “Helmets on. Gas rebreathers. Tight formation.”

They descended one by one.

Down through a long, ribbed tunnel—past dangling power cables and corroded rail lines. The air grew thicker. Rane could hear her own breath echoing in her helmet. Her boots scraped the steel rungs as they dropped into the dark.

Halfway down, she glanced back.

The hatch to the surface was already sealed.

The rail platform that marked the gateway to Strata Two was lit by only a single emergency light—spinning red and slow, like a dying eye.

Fungus spread across the walls in thin, pulsing veins. Scraps of old scavenger tags littered the ground—symbols etched into steel, warnings left behind.

Rane knelt and picked one up. It read:

“Strata 2 breathes. Don’t let it notice you.”

She swallowed hard.

“We're in it now,” Korrin said, his voice distorted through static. “Stay sharp. We’re not alone down here.”

Something distant moved in the dark beyond the platform—just a flicker.

A shape. Or a shadow.

Or maybe the beginning of something worse.