A whole army hidden in the volcano's tunnels was waiting for the starting signal.
A lonely soul, trapped in a routine it had been repeating for decades, approached the designated entrance. Coal sixteen. One of the volcano's eastern entrances.
Arriving at the exchange point, a few steps after passing the beastcore guarding the entrance, he saw no one. Strange. He took a few more steps, calling out to his contact inside, but only heard his voice's echo.
He felt something in the air that was pleasant to him, that made him want to go a little further. His eyes indicated that he wanted to turn back just as much, but his curiosity drove him on.
A slight current of air gave him the impression of being in the throat of a gigantic beast, the tunnel breathing and swallowing light as it advanced.
