Just as the darkness settled in the wisps started to form again. Bits of color made of light, flowing and weaving together to create the screen of consciousness.

As the colors finally came to an image the memory took shape, a memory of earth and stone. Now, both the boys were working in the mines deep under the Ironspike mountains. Every day, hour after hour, bringing down the pick onto another bit of stone to try and find anything more than just coal. The income was low but they were able to slowly save up, buying very little food and a tiny shelter with cots.

They had been mining mineral deep within a black mountain. Maybe one day their lives would be saved and they would find a gem they could give to the mining co for a better contract or even a rune. They worked for Derrend mining Co. a company that mined rare ores and minerals to sell to weapon makers. Although only one in a thousand workers would find a useful mineral, it was still more than enough for the giant conglomerate to make a steady profit. Ores were filtered out and sent up to the refineries if you were lucky enough to find anything the pay would increase almost tenfold. It kept the workers mining hard, and if you could smuggle the ore past the guards it sold for a very generous amount on the market.

"How stable is it up ahead." the older brother asked. They both had short hair now and were almost identical in height. They had taken a ship to the mainland and left their birth home in Ionia behind. This was their lives now.

"Stable enough, yesterday we used a single stick, but it didn't cave." The younger one replied, taking off his helmet to wipe his brow before moving to a machine they had propped against the mineshaft. Courtesy of working under Derrend, tools were easy to get, as long as you didn't break it and gave it back in the same shape, they paid for the expenses. The younger one pulled it up and placed it facing the end of the tunnel they had been digging for quite some time. They had finally hit a solid surface that their simple pickaxes could not get through. It was a hard mineral, maybe obsidian, maybe something else, but the harder the better, the more likely they were to find a vein of much rarer material.

A grinding started to reverberate around the deep cavern and the loud sound of machinery echoed in the darkness. They both leaned against the side of the cavern, checking the ground for debris or their if their tools had been damaged at all.

Once the machine stopped buzzing the younger one removed it and started carrying it back down the mine shaft. The older one stood here the machine was, reaching into a pouch at his side and removing a large stick of infused dynamite, they usually didn't use more than one a day, these things were expensive and one of the few materials that they bought themselves, it was worth it though for the amount they were able to blow through. The dynamite was painted a neon orange and had a large symbol etched on its side indicating danger and fire hazard. He started to unravel the detonation cord and set it by his feet.

Carefully he positioned the dynamite in the cylindrical hole the machine had made, making sure that everything was set he started running to opposite direction, letting the unravel as he went. His headlamp illuminating the trail ahead of him. After about a minute of clambering through the dark tunnel, he came to a bend and turned to find his younger brother crouched and waiting for him. They had made this their daily resting spot for the past week, it was curved so that anything that came down the tunnel would continue upwards instead of flying inside of it. The older brother took the lighter out of his pocket and brought it to the end of the chord. He brought his hands over his ears. clamping them so the sound wouldn't make him go deaf. Both huddled in the corner as fire snaked down the tunnel, hissing and spitting sparks as it descended.

A giant explosion rocketed down the tunnel, spitting fire almost all the way up to the bend where they were hiding. The shock wave traveled through the walls as dust fell from the ceiling. Pieces of debris flew past. The debris was traveling so fast that they would have impaled anyone standing in their way. The rumbling lasted between five to ten seconds before it finally quieted down. They removed their hands from their heads and turned their lamp lights back on, slowly making their way back down the mineshaft.

"There was promise of some good mining this way, we might even be paid some extra if something special turns up." The younger one said.

"Let me lead." Replied the older one, the younger one glanced at him before complying, trailing behind the circle of light created by the headlamp.

They had made it to the original place where the dynamite had been set. There was a wide cavern stretching forward. They had to be cautious, it could still cave in and then they would be in deep shit. They were able to step downwards in the newly created cavern, the floor was only a couple feet below them. That stick of dynamite had been able to blow forwards quite a way.

They hopped down onto the cold jagged stone. A rumble shook the ground and they steadied themselves, gripping onto protruding rocks. The rumble stopped and they hesitantly continued forward, careful where they were stepping. The older one squinted, "I see something ahead." The younger one looked over his shoulder but the light did not shine far. "I think it's glowing turn your lamp off." They both reached up and flicked the switch on the side of their helmets.

They both blinked rapidly, adjusting their eyes to the darkness. A steady red glow was emanating from the end of the tunnel. It grew as they got closer and eventually they were able to spot the source. There was a neat round hole in the floor about five feet across, the tunnel that led downwards, the red glow coming from it.

"Give me a sec, and be careful it might not be stable where the hole is." The younger one rested a hand on the older one's shoulder. He reached around to his satchel and pulled out a cord of rope, it was frayed in a couple of places but better than nothing. He tied it to a section of rock that was protruding from the ground. The older brother took off his gloves and reached for the end of the rope. He wound it tightly around his waist before hooking through the ring of metal on his waist. Tugged the rope a few times before continuing.

"Okay stay back, the less weight the better." The older on said before shuffling towards the opening, testing the ground with his feet. He moved closer to the hole and leaned forward, trying to look further down into the abyss. Another step, a little more forward. Now he was directly above the round hole, feet almost hanging off the edge.

He peered downwards, the large pit went down as far as he could see, and at the very bottom was a tiny glowing red dot.

"I think it's just a magma pit." The older one said. "Nothing to see down there."

"But the glow isn't growing or fading, and magma I don't think would be this bright if it was really that far down." The younger one said. The ground started rumbling, another shock wave reverberated through the floor.

"There was not supposed to be another mining patrol within three miles of here." The younger one hissed. Another rumble ran through the floor this one a bit louder, both crouched low waiting to see if any damage had affected the tunnel. If someone else that they didn't know about was using dynamite to mine the tunnels, it could spell their doom.

They waited a couple of seconds, the shaking had stopped, they stood on bent legs, waiting for anything to happen. There was the eerie silence caused by the cavern and nothing else. "Well, everything seems fine." The older one said, before fully standing up. He looked down before his face blanched and he started moving slowly backward. A crack had formed around the edge of the hole and started quickly snaking down the tunnel. "Oh shi-" The floor under him crumbled and he started to topple backward. The younger one took a giant stride then dove forward to slide along his stomach against the rough floor.

He reached his hand out towards his falling brother, gripping onto his wrist and coming to a stop near the edge on his stomach. He panted heavily, trying to pull himself backward but sliding against the gravel on the floor. He felt for any rocks that would help him get purchase but there was none. He glanced down at his brother now also gripping onto his arm, looking down into the red abyss below. The younger brother had his teeth clenched, feet scrambling, maybe he could get a hold with his other hand, maybe there was a hold somewhere.

The older one looked into his brother's face, fear in his eyes. The rope that was holding his waist up was starting to fray even further, stretching on small threads. The weight became heavier on the younger one and he started to slide further forward. In desperation, he shuffled his feet against the floor before finding a small crevice that halted the descent.

The older one looked down again towards the light.

"Hold on I can pull us up just wait." The younger one was panicked, thinking of any way to get them out of the situation. He could only use one arm and if he moved his legs they would both be cast down into the fiery pit. He ran through all of the scenarios, panicking, there had to be a way out, there just had to be. The shaking started once again and rocks started to tumble from the ceiling and into the glowing abyss. The longer they held onto each other's hands the more desperate the younger one became, he wouldn't be able to hold much longer.

When the older brother looked up after a solid minute a calm demeanor had taken over his face, he was smiling a sad smile. "No no no no, we are going to get out of here." The younger one said. "Remember we are in this together I'm not letting go."

"Sadly you don't have a choice the older one said." His grip seemed to loosen and the younger one clung tighter. Tears welled at his cheeks and turned black from the soot staining his face. "Hey, it's okay, I made it this far and you carry out the rest." The older one said with regret. "It's ok, soon I am going to pull you up, cmon." The younger one lifted and the older one gave a small tug but it only started to slide the younger one further forward so he stopped.

He ran through the situation in his head, panicking, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE" The younger one screamed in anguish, the rope was only hanging by a couple of loose strands ready to snap.

"Hey… Hey." The older one said calmingly, looking up into the eyes of the one person he had left. The echoing of the cavern seemed to be crying along with the younger one. "You still have somewhere to go, a place to live, a way to escape this hell." The older one choked out, still smiling. Tears were now running down freely from both of their cheeks.

"No, please I can't go on without you."

The younger one looked into the eyes of his brother for any sign of hope, all he saw was sadness. "Hey." The older one said.

"Y-yeah." The younger let out a sniffle.

"Live your life for the both of us." His grip loosened a little more and he started to slip through his younger brothers grasp, the rope was just about gone. "No, please"

"One more thing." They held eye contact for one long, drawn-out second.

"Remember me," they were his final words.

The older one let go, the rope snapped its final strength gone. He was smiling as he fell, falling forever into the abyss.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" The younger one reached after him, watching his brother engulfed by the red light. He stayed there letting his arm stretch downwards before shuffling back to the mineshaft. He put his hands on his face and sobbed, letting his tears run through his fingers and plink onto the floor. "No" The cries of anguish were greeted by silence within the cavern. He started to rock back and forth "No nononono, you promised." He cried, "you promised." Nothing but his echoes replied.

'Remember me'

He fell down, down, down the light below him getting brighter as he looked up to where he had let go. he was engulfed in bright red light and it faded to white all around him. This is the part where he would see the faces of Kindred. If there was really an end of it all then maybe he would just disappear. Nothing happened as he waited in the blank canvas in front of him. The older brother was floating in white emptiness.

All of a sudden his vision flooded with red and voices started to call out, getting slowly louder and chanting. The tendrils of red wrapped around him and stabbed into his body.

"yes, yes, Yes, Yes, YES." The whispering rang out in his head and he tried to make it stop. It felt like a pike was being driven into his skull. He clutched his ears and swung his head around in circles screaming. He bent backward, writing, everything was red, nothing but pain and red. Red tendrils seemed to descend down his throat and meld with his insides, a pain he felt like never before wracked his body. He needed to escape this hell, to get out, but it was all too much. Darkness clouded the edges of his vision, he felt his consciousness disappearing. 'Help, me.' He asked the receding light but was only met by a malicious response.

"Hunt"