The silence didn't last long.

A deep, resonant hum pulsed through the Control Room, vibrating in the floor beneath their feet. The air itself felt charged, thick with something unseen but undeniably present. Trench could still feel the cold grip of the entity's touch lingering in his bones.

Darling was already at the console, his fingers flying over the keys, desperate to analyze what had just happened. "The Control Point is destabilizing. We severed the connection, but—" His voice hitched as a new reading flashed across the screen. "Something else is pushing through."

Emily staggered back, hands on her temples. "They're still speaking," she whispered. "Quieter now, but they're still there."

Trench moved beside her, steadying her with a firm grip on her shoulder. "What are they saying?"

Emily shook her head, eyes unfocused. "Not words this time. Images. Shapes. Fractals. It's like they're trying to show me something." She exhaled sharply, her breath shaky. "Something that hasn't happened yet."

A deep dread settled in Trench's gut. "They're trying to warn you again?"

Darling turned from the console, looking pale. "Or manipulate her. We can't take anything they show her at face value."

Before Trench could respond, the emergency lights flickered again, casting the room into momentary darkness. A low, grinding noise rumbled from the hallway outside. Not an alarm—something physical, something moving.

Trench raised his gun. "We're not alone."

Darling hesitated, then reached for his handheld scanner. The device crackled as he adjusted the settings, its small screen flickering with data. "I don't understand. There's no active resonance signature, but there's something out there."

Emily took a slow, unsteady breath. "I can feel it. It's watching, just like they were."

A shadow passed across the hallway entrance. It was subtle, just a flicker, but enough to send Trench's pulse into overdrive.

Darling swallowed hard. "We need to move. Now."

Trench nodded, signaling them to stay close. "Stick together. Whatever's waiting for us out there, we're not facing it unprepared."

He took the first step toward the door, gun at the ready, muscles coiled for whatever came next. The hum in the air grew stronger, pressing against them like an invisible tide.

Then, just as they reached the threshold, the lights went out entirely.