**Josie''s POV **


    I can''t think of my daughter living in this ce for weeks, and the thought of other kids living here even longer is breaking my heart. Children need warmth and a clean living space. They need a safe ce to sleep that is not a thin mat on a filthy floor underground. All these teens should have been at the academy, where they could be free


    to roam with the sun on their faces. Their biggest worry should be what''s on the menu in the academy dining hall.


    I doubt any of the kids are here by choice. I just can''t imagine any of them choosing to live this way, and I''m not going to stop until we have saved every one of them.


    Luke ports out with another two teen boys as we move into the next tunnel. I pull open a curtain and find the small cut-out space empty.


    "Clear," I say to my guys as I move to the next one.


    I reach out for the next curtain and as I pull it back, somethingnds on the top of my head, my knees buckle under the weight and it takes me a moment before I realise what is happening. The tunnels are copsing and burying us alive inside. I open my mouth to shout a warning, which is a huge mistake because I end up silenced by a mouth full of soil.


    I try to move, but quickly realise I can''t. I ampletely engulfed in the earth.


    Even breathing is difficult. Panic floods the bond and everyone talks at once in a chaotic blur of noise.


    "Everyone calm down, we are going to get out of this, but we need to work together," Deacon shouts into the mind link.


    "Easy for you to say, you can port out," Theo snaps back.


    "I''m not going to do that, not yet at least. If I do, I''ll not be able toe back, and


    I''m not leaving anyone behind. Mason, Josie, start moving the earth. Go slowly in a horizontal path. I''m going to go vertically. If I can get to the surface, I can see where we are and bring in more molecr maniptors to open up this whole area. We have no idea how much of the underground system has copsed or if there are still teens trapped down here," Deacon exins.


    "Okay,” I say, fighting off the panic attack that is trying to w at me.


    Axel and Theo need me. They can''t get out of this without us. They never


    mastered the porting and maniption skills.


    "Axe, are you good?" Mason asks.


    "Yeah, I was right behind you," he responds.


    "I''m not sure if I got turned around. I''m going to start slowly moving the earth out


    in a circr pattern around me. Tell me if you feel any movement, so I can work out which direction you are in," Mace says.


    "I''ll do the same," I tell them.


    "No rush, Babe, I''ll just be here chilling in the dirt right next to the huge pile of mud, you can''t miss me," Theo


    huffs.


    I re my eyes, so I can see and begin moving the earth, slowly opening up a circr cavern around me. I am not as skilled at this as Mason, but I have a stronger gift for it than he does, he just wields it better than me. I have a tendency to overdo it. My gift is too powerful for my limited experience of using it. There is not really a ce I can


    practice this level of gift without causing mass destruction


    "I feel movement," Axel says, and I stop what I''m doing, waiting to see if it''s me or


    Mason that is moving the surrounding dirt.


    "Do you still feel it?" Mason asks.


    "No."


    "Okay, let me go back... how about now?" Mace asks.


    "Yes, I feel it," Axe says, and I let out a relieved breath, this is progress.


    A few momentster Mason has Axel free, and I''m more determined than ever to get to Theo. We can do this, we aren''t going to give up until we are all safe.


    I continue moving, making the cavernrger. I find one of the makeshift beds, and as I open up more space, movement in the dirt catches my eye.


    At first, I think it''s some kind of underground creature like a mole, but as the dirt falls away, I realise it''s a hand. I step back with a gasp, startled at what looks like it should be in a scene of a horror movie.


    "Theo, is that you?" I ask into the mind link as I reach for the hand.


    "Is what me?" He responds, but I already know it''s not him as soon as I touch the hand that grips me in desperation.


    "I''ve found someone," I say as I frantically start moving the earth around the hand to reveal an arm and then a body, then the blue glow of their eyes.


    When Ipletely free the person from the dirt, I have no idea if it''s someone I know or not, but when they throw/ their arms around me in a desperate hug, I return their embrace. They''re so filthy, and it''s so dark that I can''t make out any of their features. I think it''s a teen boy by their stature, but I can''t be sure.


    "Thank you," they say in a raspy voice before breaking down in floods of tears. "I thought... I thought... I was going to die like that, buried and abandoned."


    "It was scary, I know, but I''m going to get you out of here. What''


    "Harrison," he says.


    "I''m Josie. Do you know Harper?"


    "Yes, not well because she hasn''t been here long," he says.


    your name?" I ask.


    "I''m Harper''s mum and her dad''s are here too. We are going to get everyone safe.


    I promise. Just stay by me whilst I keep searching. Were you alone when it


    copsed?" I ask.


    "Yes, we were told to hide. I ended up alone," Harrison says.


    "Okay, do you know how many are down here?" I ask as I begin moving dirt


    again.


    "No, some were ported out already. I have no idea how many were left," he exins.


    "I''m out," Deacon says into the mind link, "I''m going to port back and get some help to move this ground faster."


    We all acknowledge his words and then something dawns on me, I have not heard Luke since the tunnels copsed.


    "Luke?" I ask into the mind link, trying not to let everyone feel my dread as I realise I can''t feel my connection to Luke at all.