The absolute blackness was not a void, but a suffocating pressure that screamed with the roar of displaced air.
Kale felt his internal organs lurch toward his throat as gravity took hold, his white coat snapping violently in the gale. Beside his chest, he could feel the frantic, rapid thumping of Neo's four hearts through the shared bond.
"Neo, transform back!" Kale shouted, his voice instantly swallowed by the rushing wind. "The chameleon form is useless here! Shift to the hydra state and give us some lift!" He didn't wait for a verbal response, instead forcing the command through the soul tether with the weight of his absolute authority.
He tried to activate the tactical overlay of the system to calculate their descent speed and the depth of the shaft. However, his vision was met only with a chaotic mess of flickering blue artefacts and scrolling nonsense.
