The chute felt endless.
Metal scraped against my boots as I slid down, Horace crushed tightly against my chest. His limp weight nearly threw me off-balance more than once, but I never loosened my grip—not for a second.
The air rushing past was cold and sharp, carrying the stale scent of dust, rust, and something faintly chemical.
Above us, the hatch slammed shut with a deafening clang.
Then—
BOOM—!!
The ceiling above the hatch buckled.
The sound of metal twisting filled the shaft.
Rowan screamed somewhere below, echoed by Chandler's frantic voice.
"Elleanore—HOLD ON—!!"
"I've got him—!"
My voice broke with strain.
The chute curved suddenly—
and we were spit out of the end like bullets.
I landed hard, tucking Horace's body against mine to shield him from the impact.
Chandler and Rowan crashed into a pile of old cables, the noise echoing through the empty mechanical hall.
Lucian slid out last, hitting the floor with a sharp groan.
We were in—
a massive underground space.
Dark.
Wide.
Full of twisted machinery and broken conveyor rails.
The metal catwalk above us was half-collapsed.
Rust flaked off beams like snow.
Loose wires dangled like dead vines.
It felt like the skeleton of some forgotten industrial beast.
Rowan whimpered softly in Chandler's arms.
"I… I don't like this place…"
Chandler stroked his hair.
"I know. We're not staying long."
Rowan's voice shook harder.
"It feels… wrong… down here."
Lucian stood, wiping dust from his face.
"That makes two of us."
He looked up.
The chute entrance was already cracking again.
Dust fell in steady streams.
Lucian's expression froze.
"It's digging through."
Rowan's breathing hitched into small choked gasps.
"Chandler—it's following—it's following—"
Chandler quickly wrapped his arms around him.
"Don't look up. Eyes on me. Always me."
Rowan nodded weakly, burying his face in Chandler's shoulder.
Lucian knelt beside me.
"Elleanore. Horace's pulse."
I lowered him gently to the floor, pressing my trembling fingers to his neck.
Too faint.
Too slow.
Too fragile.
Lucian cursed under his breath.
"We don't have time. We must get him to a medbay."
"But where?" Chandler asked.
Lucian pointed to a distant doorway across the mechanical hall.
"Maintenance records said there's an auxiliary first-aid station beyond that door. Not a full medbay, but enough to keep him stable."
I stood—legs shaking—and lifted Horace again.
His head rolled against my shoulder.
His breath ghosted faintly.
His pulse quivered like it was barely holding onto the world.
My throat tightened painfully.
"Horace… don't leave me…"
His lips parted weakly.
"…El… lea…"
Tears burned behind my eyes.
Lucian touched my shoulder gently.
"Come on."
THE HALL OF MACHINES
We moved quickly through the mechanical hall.
The scent down here was colder.
Thinner.
Stale.
Like the air hadn't circulated in years.
Rowan's steps were uneven even in Chandler's arms.
"Chandler… it's too dark…"
Chandler cupped the back of his head.
"You're okay. I can see. Just hold on."
Rowan buried his face in Chandler's neck.
His voice trembled.
"I can smell the metal… the blood… the chemicals… I feel like I'm back in that cage—"
Chandler stopped in his tracks.
He held Rowan's face gently between his hands.
"Look at me."
Rowan's watery eyes lifted slowly.
"This isn't a cage. This isn't the lab. This isn't the past.
This is now. And now, you have me."
Rowan exhaled shakily, fingers curling in Chandler's shirt.
"Promise…?"
Chandler nodded.
"With everything I have."
Rowan pressed his forehead to Chandler's chest.
"Okay…"
Lucian paused beside a set of dead control terminals.
"Something's wrong."
Chandler frowned.
"Define wrong."
Lucian pointed upward.
The ceiling was vibrating—
subtle at first, then unmistakable.
SCRAAPE—SCRAAAPE—
Rowan shuddered violently.
"No—no—no—no—"
Chandler hugged him close.
"Don't listen. Don't listen."
Lucian's tone sharpened.
"It's above us."
Then—
a faint whisper filtered through the ventilation shafts.
"…Elleanore…"
Rowan clamped his hands over his ears and sobbed.
"MAKE IT STOP—"
Chandler pressed kisses to the side of his head.
"Shh—shh—I've got you—stay with me—breathe—please breathe—"
But the Prototype wasn't done.
"…you cannot hide…"
Lucian's hands tightened.
"Elleanore—we have to MOVE. Now."
I nodded and hurried forward, keeping Horace close.
His heartbeat flickered beneath my fingers—
like a candle in a storm.
"Stay with me… stay…"
Lucian pushed open the next door—
THE SERVICE CORRIDOR
The hallway beyond was narrow, dim, and lined with cracked pipes and exposed wiring.
The overhead lights flickered erratically, buzzing like dying insects.
We stepped inside—
And Rowan froze.
Dead still.
Chandler looked down at him.
"Rowan? What's wrong?"
Rowan's eyes widened, tears forming instantly.
"I… I've been here before."
My blood froze.
Lucian's brow furrowed.
"When?"
Rowan's voice trembled.
"When they moved me between tests."
Chandler's grip tightened around him.
Rowan whimpered.
"They dragged me down this hall.
I remember the smell.
The sounds.
The strips of light.
The cold walls."
Lucian looked around.
"Elleanore. This corridor is part of the original Prime facility."
I swallowed hard.
"And you didn't say anything earlier?!"
Lucian shook his head.
"It was sealed off decades ago. I thought the tunnel system rerouted around it. I didn't know we ended up here."
Rowan whimpered again.
Chandler shook his head, furious and scared.
"You should have known!"
Lucian's jaw tightened.
"I'm sorry."
Chandler turned back to Rowan, cupping his cheeks.
"Hey. Look at me."
Rowan's breaths were sharp and uneven.
"I can't—I can't—Chandler—it hurts—"
Chandler rested his forehead against Rowan's.
"Breathe with me."
Rowan sobbed softly.
"Please don't let them take me—"
"They won't," Chandler whispered fiercely.
"Because I would tear this entire place apart before I let anyone touch you."
Rowan's breath caught.
His trembling eased just slightly.
Lucian turned urgently.
"Elleanore, we need to keep going."
I nodded and adjusted my hold on Horace.
His breathing was so light, I had to press my ear against his chest to hear it.
"Horace…? Horace, wake up… please…"
No response.
Lucian placed two fingers against his neck.
He swore quietly.
"Elleanore—he has maybe eight minutes of stability left."
My blood ran cold.
Chandler cursed violently.
Rowan cried harder.
"Eight minutes…?" I whispered.
"That's not enough—"
"It HAS to be," Lucian snapped.
His voice shook.
"Elleanore… the bond is the only thing anchoring him. And you.
If he slips, you will feel it first."
My knees weakened.
"But—"
Lucian shook his head.
"No. Don't think. Walk."
I took a shaky breath.
"Right."
We pushed deeper into the corridor.
Rowan clung to Chandler's neck.
Chandler whispered reassurance with every step.
"It's okay. I'm here. You're doing so good."
Lucian stopped abruptly at an intersection.
"Wait."
Chandler stiffened.
"What now?"
Lucian closed his eyes.
"Listen."
We all listened.
Silence—
Then—
…tap… tap… tap…
A slow, rhythmic tapping echoed from somewhere behind the walls.
Rowan immediately lost it.
"No—no—Chandler, that's what they did—that's what they did when they wanted to—"
Chandler hugged him.
"Don't think about it. Don't think about it."
Lucian's eyes widened.
"It's signaling."
"What?" I whispered.
Lucian pointed at the pipes.
"That sound—it's not random. It's communication."
My stomach twisted.
"From what?!"
Lucian swallowed.
"The Prototype is tapping through the old ventilation grid."
The tapping grew louder.
tap
tap
tap
tap
Then—
SLAM—!!
The wall behind us dented inward.
Rowan screamed.
Chandler grabbed him tighter.
Lucian shouted:
"RUN!"
THE LAST SPRINT
We bolted.
The corridor twisted in sharp angles, every turn echoing with the Prototype's claws scraping against metal.
SCRAAPE—SCRAAAAPE—
Rowan sobbed in terror, gripping Chandler like he was the only solid thing left in the world.
The light above flickered.
The floor shook.
Horace's breathing faltered.
I held him closer.
"Don't leave me—don't leave me—HORACE—"
His fingers twitched.
A faint sound escaped him.
"…El… lea…"
It shattered me.
"Stay awake. Stay. Please."
Chandler shouted over the noise.
"LUCIIIIAN—WHERE—??"
Lucian pointed ahead.
"THAT DOOR—GO—GO—GO—!!"
We reached it—
Lucian slammed his hand against the manual valve.
The door groaned—
then slowly slid open.
"INSIDE—NOW—!!"
Chandler dove through, carrying Rowan.
I followed, clutching Horace.
Lucian rushed in last.
The Prototype slammed into the other side of the wall.
BOOOOOM—!!
The lights flickered violently.
Lucian sealed the door.
The metal warped instantly—
as if something was clawing at it from the other side.
Rowan screamed and threw himself into Chandler's arms.
Chandler held him so tightly his knuckles whitened.
"It's okay—it's okay—I've got you—I won't let it in—"
Lucian leaned against the door, panting.
"It knows where we are."
I looked down at Horace—
his body limp
his breathing shallow
his pulse fading like embers in dying light.
My voice cracked.
"Horace… please… don't leave me…"
His eyelids fluttered.
He whispered—
barely audible—
"…Elleanore…
don't…
be…
scared…"
Then his hand went slack.
Completely.
I screamed his name.
Heartbeat Threshold
Horace's hand slipped from mine.
Just… fell.
Limp.
Cold.
Empty.
Like the last thread holding him to the world had frayed apart.
My breath stopped.
My vision tunneled.
Everything inside me snapped at once.
"Horace—? Horace—NO—"
I shook him, voice cracking so violently it hurt.
He didn't answer.
Didn't move.
Didn't even twitch.
Lucian sprinted to my side.
"Elleanore—DON'T—DON'T PANIC—"
But I was already panicking.
My hands trembled violently as I grabbed Horace's face.
"Horace—PLEASE—PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES—"
His head lolled to the side.
He didn't breathe.
My heart shattered.
"No—no—NO—HORACE—!!"
Lucian's voice cut in sharply, trembling:
"Elleanore—STOP—YOUR SCENT—!"
But I couldn't stop.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't think.
My scent detonated outward—
not like a blast—
but like a crushing tidal wave.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Desperate.
A scent of grief so raw it scraped the air.
Rowan screamed and collapsed against Chandler's chest, shaking violently.
"Chandler—it hurts—!!"
Chandler hugged him tighter, voice breaking.
"Elleanore—you have to calm down—you're hurting him—!"
"I CAN'T—!!"
I sobbed.
"HE'S DYING—!!"
Lucian grabbed my shoulders so hard it hurt.
"Elleanore—LISTEN TO ME—
your bond is reacting.
If you spike again—
YOU will kill him."
I froze.
My scent choked back into my lungs.
Kill him?
"My emotions—my scent— it's hurting him?" I whispered, horrified.
Lucian nodded, voice trembling.
"Your bond is linked.
If you overload…
he can't survive the shock."
Tears surged again.
"I didn't— I didn't mean—"
"Then breathe," Lucian whispered sharply.
"NOW. Before the collapse begins."
Collapse.
A Prime collapse.
A fatal one.
I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood and forced myself to inhale—
slow
shaky
barely controlled.
Horace's pulse fluttered faintly—
a ghost of a heartbeat.
Lucian pressed trembling fingers to his neck.
"His heart hasn't stopped—yet.
But it's slow. Too slow."
I broke.
"Please… please save him—"
Lucian swallowed hard.
"There may be one way."
I whipped toward him.
"What?! Tell me!"
Lucian glanced at Horace, at me, then at Rowan and Chandler.
"This—this is incredibly dangerous."
"I DON'T CARE!"
Lucian exhaled shakily.
"Elleanore…
I can try to stabilize him using your bond."
I blinked, confused.
"My… my bond?"
"Yes," Lucian said.
"Your pheromone output is too strong, too unstable.
But if I channel a portion of it through regulated suppressants—
it might trigger a stabilizer response in Horace."
Chandler frowned.
"Wait—you can transfer scent output?"
Lucian nodded.
"Only in emergency Prime research protocols.
It's crude. It's risky. And—"
He swallowed.
"…if it fails, Elleanore, it could send you into Stage Four."
Stage Four.
The point of no return.
I looked at Horace's pale face.
Then at Lucian.
"I'll do it."
Lucian grabbed my wrist.
"No—listen—this isn't something we can undo.
If you spike, you could die.
Or the Prototype could track your surge instantly.
Or—"
"LUCIAN."
He froze.
"I don't care." My voice broke.
"I'd rather die than let him."
Chandler closed his eyes, jaw tight.
Rowan's soft sobs echoed in the background.
Lucian trembled.
Then nodded.
"Okay.
We do it now."
THE STABILIZER TRANSFER
Lucian snapped open one of the broken wall panels and ripped out an old, cracked suppressant unit.
He worked quickly—hands moving with instinctive precision.
Chandler whispered:
"Please don't die. Please don't die."
He was talking to both of us.
Rowan's eyes fluttered open weakly.
"Chandler…?"
"I'm here," Chandler murmured, touching his cheek gently.
"I'm right here."
Lucian returned, holding a makeshift device attached to frayed wiring.
He knelt in front of me.
"Give me your hand."
I offered it immediately.
He clipped a small regulator unit around my wrist.
Then another around Horace's.
Rowan whimpered.
"Is that going to hurt him—?"
Lucian shook his head.
"No. He won't feel a thing.
But Elleanore will."
I didn't flinch.
"Do it."
Lucian hesitated—
then activated the device.
THUMP.
Something inside me seized.
Not my body—
my scent.
It was pulled outward—
like a thread unraveling from my chest.
My breath hitched.
Then ripped out of me.
I gasped, doubling over as pain shot through my senses.
Chandler cursed.
"Elleanore—!"
Rowan clutched at Chandler in panic.
"It's hurting her—!!"
"I know—I know—just look at me—look at me—don't watch—" Chandler whispered into his hair.
Lucian's voice shook.
"Elleanore—stay with me—stay focused—don't let the surge take over—"
My vision blurred.
My scent poured outward—
half of it pulled toward Horace,
half of it threatening to spike upward—
toward Stage Four.
I clenched my teeth.
"Horace…"
His pulse flickered—
then steadied by an inch.
Barely enough to register.
Lucian nodded sharply.
"Good—GOOD—keep going—"
I gritted my teeth harder.
"Horace—come back—please—come back—"
A tear slid down my cheek.
His finger twitched against mine.
Lucian gasped.
"Elleanore—IT'S WORKING—!!"
I sobbed.
"Horace—please—stay—please—"
His pulse grew a fraction stronger.
Chandler held Rowan tight as the boy trembled violently.
"Don't look—don't look—just breathe—"
Rowan whimpered.
"Elleanore's hurting—Chandler—"
"I know. But she's saving him."
My chest burned.
My body shook.
My scent spiraled wildly.
Lucian shouted:
"ELLEANORE—DON'T LET IT SPIKE—!!"
"I—I'm trying—!!"
The device crackled.
My instincts roared.
My vision went white at the edges.
Horace's pulse fluttered—
then caught.
Steady.
Weak.
But steady.
Lucian ripped the regulator off my wrist before the surge pushed too far.
My body collapsed forward.
Horace fell into my arms—
his chest rising with slow, shaky breaths.
He was alive.
Not stable.
Not safe.
But alive.
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
"Horace…? Horace—can you hear me…?"
His eyelids fluttered.
Just barely.
"El… lea…"
A sob tore out of me.
"YES—I'm here—I'm here—"
He squeezed my fingers weakly.
"…don't… cry…"
I pressed my forehead to his.
"I love—"
A violent crash tore through the wall.
We all froze.
Lucian looked up in horror.
"No—
NO—
IT'S HERE—!!"
Rowan screamed.
Chandler grabbed him, shielding him.
The Prototype slammed into the wall again.
BOOM—!!
The concrete cracked.
A metallic claw punched through.
Lucian yelled:
"MOVE—RUN—NOW!"
The corridor shook.
Horace coughed weakly.
"El… lea… go…"
"No."
I lifted him in my arms.
"We're leaving together."
Lucian grabbed my arm.
"Elleanore—THIS WAY—!!"
We sprinted toward the back exit—
The Prototype roared behind us.
"…ELLEANORE…"
Rowan sobbed hysterically.
Chandler shouted:
"I'VE GOT YOU—DON'T LOOK—DON'T LOOK—!!"
Lucian threw open the last door.
Light spilled in—
and we ran for our lives.