The room swallowed us whole.
Not literally, obviously. But the darkness beyond that threshold was so complete and so total that stepping through felt less like entering a room and more like walking off the edge of the known world into something ancient and forgotten. The air hit my face cold and stale, carrying the weight of years. Nobody had opened this door since Richard Valentine sealed it shut.
Cassidy's hand found mine in the dark. Her fingers laced through mine and squeezed hard enough to grind the bones together. She wouldn't admit to being scared. She'd rather chew glass. But her palm was damp and her pulse hammered through her skin where it pressed against my wrist, and that told me everything her mouth refused to say.
"Light switch has to be somewhere," I said.
"No kidding, genius."
"I'm just saying, if your dad built a secret room, he probably also installed—"
