The corridor grew narrower.
The low ceiling forced them to duck slightly as they moved. The walls on either side were lined with old pipes some leaking, dripping water in an irregular rhythm.
Each drop echoed clearly.
Too clearly.
As if the world above had drifted away, leaving them in a separate space.
The child walked ahead.
Their steps were steadier now.
The cables on their back crept along the contours of the walls, sometimes sticking, sometimes trembling as if reading something invisible.
Daniel followed close behind.
"How much farther?" he asked softly.
The child did not answer right away.
They paused for a moment.
Their head tilted slightly.
As if listening.
"Close… but not safe."
Leonard Graves let out a long breath.
"My favorite phrase of the day."
Richard Blackwood stayed at the back, keeping the last position.
His eyes occasionally glanced back at the corridor they had passed.
No sounds.
Yet his instincts were uneasy.
