The sound below grew louder. Kate's voice was tense. "Tell me we can get out."
Ryan pulled up a loose floorboard, revealing a small shaft to a maintenance tunnel. "Go."
She climbed down, and Ryan followed, pulling the board back into place.
The tunnel was dark. The only light came from the diary, glowing softly inside Ryan's jacket.
Kate stared. "Your book is glowing."
Before Ryan could reply, the tunnel vanished.
They were standing in a vast space filled with golden threads stretching into the darkness. The air shimmered with drifting light.
Kate turned slowly. "Where are we?"
Ryan's voice was quiet. "The Loom."
In the distance, a figure appeared, walking toward them. Its form shifted through colors, and the sound of its steps made the air hum.
Ryan's breath caught. "The Archivist."
The figure stopped a few feet away, holding a page. "This belongs to you," it said. "And it's why Lucien hunts you."
Ryan reached for it.
The Loom rippled like water
and Lucien stepped out of the golden threads, his porcelain mask gleaming.