Episode 10 ~ The Lost Hours

The descent into the underground was unpleasant. Calliope abhorred the thought of going below the surface, and her discomfort was evident. Gideon took the lead, with Sumit following close behind. Calliope clung to his belt loop, unsettled by the oppressive darkness. Behind her, Kuresh muttered anxiously, sounding once again terrified for his life. She was unsure where, Arlo, Arnos, and Elizabeth were. 

The tunnel was easy to navigate—dark, damp, and filled with the stale scent of old air. A faint noise caught Calliope's attention, making her jump. It came from a crack in the wall. Her heart began to tick rapidly in response, each beat almost as loud as the sound that startled her. She exhaled, feeling the tiny gears of her heart whirring with anxiety, mirroring the tension that tightened in her chest.

They soon encountered a hungry, skittish goblin—an unusual sight, as goblins were more common on the East Coast. The creature hesitated before snatching food from Gideon’s outstretched hand and darting into the shadows.

Pressing forward, they eventually reached a subway tunnel, where they met up with the caravan. The leader, Roy Wellington, informed them they would be traveling at the rear. The caravan was transporting rare herbs and spices, which tended to attract kobolds, but the journey was expected to be uneventful. It wouldn’t be a long trip—they were headed to Zeenthala. The wagons themselves were being pulled by large, sightless basilisks. Calliope looked them over with a curious stare. They were enormous, their scales glistening in the dim light, and their eerie, empty eyes gave them an almost otherworldly presence.

For a while, the journey remained steady and uneventful—until they were suddenly attacked by kobolds. The skirmish didn’t last long, with Sumit and Gideon making quick work of their attackers, tossing them aside with ease. Calliope attempted to tie one up but failed spectacularly, somehow binding her own hands in the process. Kuresh had to step in, securing the kobold properly while Gideon casually slung it over his shoulder like a purse.

The captured kobold had a foul mouth, spewing obscenities and vowing that its pack would kill them all. Gideon, unimpressed, knocked the creature out, and they continued.They found out that those who took point on the caravan had taken out twenty-seven kobolds they lay in dead heaps. As one of these warriors wore a mask and said nothing, they called her Doc. The way she looked at Calliope almost made her skin crawl,

Later, as they reached a stopping point for the day, Calliope watched as Gideon spoke to a strange, shadowy creature, while Kuresh observed in silence. The creature demanded blood, and Gideon obliged, trapping the kobold within a small, glass-like marble.

As soon as she saw it happen, the world around her shifted. She was no longer in the subway tunnel. Instead, she found herself in a room that smelled of library dust and petrichor.

There he was—playing the piano again. It was as if she were watching from a distance, an observer rather than a participant.

“Do you have a name?” she asked, her tone calm.

“I have had many names, Calliope.” The way he spoke her name was silky, almost tempting.

“Can I call you something other than ‘The Puppeteer’?” She raised an eyebrow, only then realizing that she was now wearing a crimson silk dress. The curtains around her swayed with a phantom breeze.

“Call me what you like, darling,” he said, running a hand through his white locks as he studied her with a bemused smile.

“Orion, then,” she decided, as if she had known all along that’s what she would call him. Orion—the hunter, the one who chased the stars. Whether he was hunting or stalking her, she wasn’t sure. She still wasn’t certain about what agreed to this arrangement, nor did she fully understand what they were doing.

“Orion,” he echoed, amusement flickering in his gaze. “Very well, then.”

With a subtle caress of her cheek, he sent her back to her friends. She could barely process what had happened as the wall before she shifted, revealing an opening. A wave of scent rolled through—deli meat and freshly baked cookies.

As she stepped through, her companions turned to stare in disbelief. Deep in the depths of this abandoned subway, a door had just opened—leading straight into a bustling Subway sandwich shop.

The lights were bright, the counters spotless, and the smell of fresh bread filled the air. Customers stood in line, chatting casually as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Employees worked behind the counter, assembling sandwiches with practiced ease. The menu boards were up to date, glowing as if they had never been touched by dust or time.

“The hell…?” Sumit muttered.

Calliope’s mind struggled to catch up. This shop wasn’t abandoned. It wasn’t forgotten. It was open, running, and somehow magically connected to the world above. She could see the street through windows.

Next Episode 11 ~ The Puppeteer’s Melody