After meeting on the old bridge, Tayo and Lyra made their plan. Based on the times Lyra had learned, they would try to get into the underground tunnels the next night, when the guards at the service entrance were fewer. It was a small chance, but it was the only one they had.
Getting ready was another challenge. Tayo needed dark clothes, not the nice, light ones he wore in the House of Solaris. He managed to take some dark work clothes from the laundry area late at night, hiding them in his room. He also found a small, old light that workers sometimes used, the kind that could be covered to make the light small. He hid these things carefully. Lyra brought a simple bag with a few tools, some energy bars to eat, and a bottle of water.
Tayo felt a knot of fear in his stomach. This was nothing like reading books. This was real, and dangerous. But there was also a strange feeling of purpose, something he never felt in his easy life in the big house.
The next night felt very long. Tayo waited in his room, listening to the sounds of the house getting quiet. When it was very late, he put on the dark clothes and climbed out his window again. He met Lyra a few blocks away, in a dark alley behind some shops. They didn't speak much, just nodded at each other, their faces hard to see in the dim light.
They walked towards the Energy Spire, but not towards the bright, main entrance. They went through back streets and service areas, past tall buildings that had no windows on the ground floor. The air here felt colder and smelled of oil and metal. The low hum of the city's energy felt stronger, vibrating in the ground beneath their feet.
Lyra led the way. She knew the paths better. They reached a wide alley behind the Spire where large delivery trucks sometimes went. There was a big metal door set into the wall. It looked heavy and strong. This was the less-watched entrance Lyra had heard about.
They waited in the shadows, watching. After a few minutes, a cart came out, taking trash away, driven by a tired-looking worker. The metal door opened, the cart came out, and the door started to close slowly. This was their chance.
"Now!" Lyra whispered.
They ran from the shadows, low to the ground. They slipped through the closing metal door just before it sealed shut with a heavy thump. They were inside.
It was dark and smelled of machines and waste. The low hum of energy was very loud here, a deep vibration that went through their bodies. The tunnel was wide enough for the carts, with concrete walls and pipes running along the ceiling. Lights were spaced far apart, casting long, moving shadows as carts rumbled by in the distance.
"Okay," Lyra whispered, her voice a little shaky. "We're in the delivery tunnels. Now we need to find the old ones."
They turned on Tayo's small light, keeping it pointed down at the ground. They walked slowly, looking at the walls, the floor, the ceiling. They were looking for anything that looked different – older stone, different materials, or the strange symbols Tayo had seen on the old map.
The tunnels seemed to go on and on, all looking the same. They heard the sounds of the carts getting closer sometimes and had to quickly hide in side openings until they passed. The air felt thick and cold.
After what felt like a long time, they came to a section where the concrete of the wall looked cracked and uneven. And there, almost hidden by a large pipe, was a symbol carved into the stone beneath the concrete. It was one of the symbols from Tayo's old map.
"Look!" Tayo whispered, pointing his light.
Lyra saw it. Her eyes were bright with excitement and caution. They pushed against the cracked concrete near the symbol. It felt loose. With a bit of effort and using one of Lyra's tools to pry, a piece of the concrete wall moved inward.
Behind it was not more concrete, but rough, dark stone. It looked like a passage, smaller than the delivery tunnels, leading into deeper darkness. It looked like the old, forgotten tunnels.
But from down the dark passage, they heard a new sound. Not the rumble of carts, but a faint, rhythmic clank... clank... clank. Someone, or something, was down there. They were not alone.