“Heh,” Basil chuckled. “Neat trick.”

“Right?” Touya chirped at him excitedly.

The two looked about their surroundings before sighing disappointedly. Both had been expecting to see something cool – a giant statue, super tall ceilings, a stained glass window that spelled their fate, just something besides plain ol' rock and stone.

“Well,” Basil sighed louder. “Let's keep going.” He pointed left. “Looks like it's that way.”

“Yeah, more boring and the same boring walls and the boring stone and the boring darkness!” Touya grumbled as he followed while slouching.

The next series of rooms were indeed boring. Hallways, smaller rooms, larger rooms, rooms that seemed to be dead-ends. Finally, Basil held up his hand as they step foot into a huge room. It's ceiling was tall and impressive causing the two to gape with open mouths as the little sparks of lightning following Touya like a shadow spread forward into the room to light up the area. High above them was a chandelier made of four women made of stone each pointing a different direction with their outstretched arms as if they were a compass.

“Ya think maybe this place used to be above ground?” Basil asked nervously.

“And the earthquake sent it down here?”

“Or like, it was sealed?” Basil looked around cautiously. “Something about this place feels off.”

A rumble shook the place as another earthquake happened. Touya cursed Basil for bringing it up but the two grabbed hands all the same in case they were separated again like before. After falling to their knees, the rumbling grew louder and dust fell from above. The structure remained the same however. No crumbling walls, or stone pillars collapsing on them.

“Whew,” Touya cheered as he stood up. “Seems this place at least was made sound. Not a single rock in the wall out of joint.”

“Yeah.” Basil brushed his knees off as he stood up. Looking around, the lightning sparkle snowflakes had stayed still during the shaking. “I still...have this sinking feeling.” He said before he started to dig through his bag. “I think you should eat something.”

“How come you never eat anything?”

“I thought you knew?” Basil asked as he pulled out the wrapped eclair. “The boosting effect of the food doesn't work on my magic.”

“It doesn't?” Touya took the treat, tilting his head to the side.

“Nope.” The blond shook his head and closed his bag. “I mean, if it does, it probably only works if my powers get really out of whack and create like, a hurricane force.”

“That... sounds cool...?” was the question as Touya thought over being smacked in the gut by a sharp burst of wind that strong from an emotionally unstable companion. He decided not to comment on it and instead took a bite of the eclair. “I dun wanna eat alone. Have a bite.”

As Touya handed Basil back the eclair, another quake rocked the room. Just as Basil had a grip on the pastry, the ground crumbled just to the side of him.

“Behind you!” Touya barked.

Stupidly, Basil hopped backwards as if he thought he could jump over whatever it was.

He was wrong.

Instead of jumping over the hole, he fell straight into it with a yelp.