Victor

"Curiouser and curiouser..."

Ever since they'd discovered them, Victor had spent every moment of every day trying to unearth their secrets. It was beginning to verge on unhealthy obsession.
Unease nestled deep in Neon's stomach as he overlooked the Trench dig site. It almost felt like the water around here was completely still, silent, wrong. But despite it, he pushed himself onwards down down deep to the site, towards the small blinking lanterns that shone in the darkness.

"Victor? You aren't still here, are you?"

No answer. It almost seemed like the water was too thick to carry his voice. Carefully, he skittered around the site- a wary eye kept firmly on the looming dark figures he didn't care to think much of.

"Victor! Everyone else has gone home!"

A true enough fact. The only life around him he saw were small creatures who dashed off when faced by his presence. The further he ventured in, the more he was sure he could....hear something. Hushed chatter perhaps, the hurried scratching of quill against scroll. Victor.
Neon dashed towards the noise, paying no mind to the way the path seemed to crumble beneath his claws, mind focused only on finding the wayward researcher. So it was (almost) a relief to see his dark form hunched over a pile of scrolls, scribbling away madly- not even noticing his presence.
"Victor?"
"Neon!" The spiral turned on him suddenly as he approached, eyes wide and jittery. "I've done it, Neon. I've discovered their secret."
"Please, you're tired we need to go-"

"There is no stopping what has been woken, Neon. Not anymore."