Darkness swallowed the Control Room.
For a few agonizing seconds, the only sound was their breathing—sharp, uneven, edged with anticipation. Then, the emergency lights stuttered back to life, dim and flickering like a failing heartbeat. Shadows danced along the walls, stretching unnaturally.
Trench moved first, guiding Emily and Darling into the hallway with a practiced sweep of his gun. His instincts screamed that whatever had been outside the room was still there—waiting.
"Stay close," he ordered, voice low but firm.
Darling clutched his scanner like a lifeline, the screen barely illuminating his anxious face. "Something shifted when the lights went out. The Control Point's energy signature is fluctuating again."
Emily, still clutching her temples, inhaled sharply. "It's stronger now. Closer."
A distant metallic groan echoed through the corridor, the sound reverberating like something massive shifting within the Oldest House's unknowable depths. The Bureau's walls had always been unpredictable, but this felt different—like something was actively bending them to its will.
Trench's grip on his service weapon tightened. "Move. We need to get to a safe zone."
They pressed forward, navigating the dimly lit hallways with hurried steps. The Bureau's usual hum of unseen machinery felt subdued, like the entire building was holding its breath.
Then—
A sharp burst of static shrieked through their radios, followed by a fragmented voice:
"—Director Trench—Do not—repeat, do not—"
The message cut off, replaced by a thick wall of distortion.
Darling paled. "That was Executive Command."
Emily looked back over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. "They know something we don't."
Trench exhaled sharply, forcing down the growing sense of unease. He had been in the Bureau long enough to recognize when they were on the precipice of something dangerous. The Control Point, the entities, the distortions—it was all connected.
Another metallic groan reverberated through the halls, closer this time.
Trench stepped forward. "We're running out of time."
They moved as one, deeper into the twisting corridors of the Oldest House, toward whatever fate awaited them.