Zachariah Trench sat alone in his office, the dim light casting long shadows across the walls. He stared at the map of the Oldest House glowing faintly on the central monitor, the labyrinthine corridors twisting and shifting like veins. Darling's research team was working nonstop to find a way into the entity's world, but progress was slow, and the constant hum of the resonance weighed heavily on everyone.
For Trench, it had been days since he'd seen the world outside the Bureau. He ran a hand over his face, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. As critical as the mission was, he couldn't shake the gnawing thought of his wife, Kate, and their six-year-old daughter, Susanna, waiting for him at home.
He leaned back in his chair, his mind made up. The Bureau demanded much, but his family deserved more than fleeting memories of him in between crises. He had to step away, if only for a night.
Trench parked his car in the driveway, the sight of his modest two-story home stirring a mix of relief and guilt. The porch light was on, and through the window, he could see Susanna darting around the living room with her favorite stuffed rabbit. Kate sat on the couch, her gaze flicking to the window as she noticed him.
"Daddy!" Susanna cried, running to the door as Trench stepped inside. She threw herself into his arms, her laughter melting away the tension he hadn't realized he was carrying.
"Hey, sweetheart," Trench said, his voice softer than usual. He kissed the top of her head before looking up at Kate, who stood in the doorway, arms crossed but smiling.
"You've been gone longer than usual," she said, her tone light but with an edge of concern.
Trench sighed, setting Susanna down. "It's been… complicated at work. But I'm here now. Let's enjoy the evening, alright?"
Kate nodded, stepping forward to kiss him on the cheek. "We missed you."
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of warmth and normalcy. They had dinner together, Kate teasing him about his inability to help Susanna with her math homework, and later they played board games, Susanna giggling uncontrollably every time Trench lost.
For a few hours, the Oldest House and its impossible horrors felt like another world.
Trench woke early, the first light of dawn filtering through the curtains. He moved quietly, not wanting to wake Kate or Susanna as he prepared to leave. But as he reached for the door, he felt it—a faint, almost imperceptible vibration beneath his skin.
He froze, his hand on the doorknob. The sensation was familiar, and it sent a chill through him. Slowly, he turned his hand over, staring at the faint shimmer of resonance that danced along his palm.
"No," he whispered, his voice tight. "Not here."
He rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind him as he examined himself in the mirror. His reflection stared back, haggard and pale, with faint tendrils of resonance flickering around his eyes.
A soft knock at the door startled him. "Daddy?"
It was Susanna's voice, small and sleepy. Trench's stomach turned as he opened the door, his daughter standing there in her pajamas, clutching her stuffed rabbit.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked, crouching to her level.
Susanna rubbed her eyes, her face flushed. "I don't feel good," she murmured.
Trench's blood ran cold. He placed a hand on her forehead—it was burning.
"Kate!" he called, panic rising in his voice.
Kate appeared moments later, her expression shifting from confusion to alarm as she saw Susanna. "What's wrong?"
"She's sick," Trench said, lifting Susanna into his arms. "Fever. Fast onset."
Susanna whimpered, her small frame trembling against him. But it wasn't just the fever—it was the faint glow radiating from her skin, the same resonance that had followed him home.
"Zachariah," Kate said, her voice trembling. "What's happening to her?"
"I… I don't know," Trench admitted, his mind racing. But he did know. Deep down, he knew.
The entity. It had followed him. And now it had found a new host.
Trench drove faster than he ever had, the streets blurring as Kate sat beside him, holding Susanna in her arms. The child's breathing was shallow, her skin pallid and covered in faint traces of glowing patterns.
"Stay with me, sweetheart," Trench said, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "We're going to fix this. I promise."
Kate looked at him, her eyes filled with fear and anger. "Fix this? Zachariah, what did you bring into our house?"
Trench couldn't answer.
When they reached the Oldest House, Trench carried Susanna through the entrance, Kate trailing behind him. The moment the doors closed, the atmosphere shifted. The House seemed to hum louder, almost resonating in tune with Susanna's fevered breaths.
Darling met them in the lobby, his expression shifting from surprise to horror as he saw the child in Trench's arms.
"Director," Darling said, his voice breaking. "What… what happened?"
"No time," Trench snapped. "The entity—part of it attached itself to me when I left. Now it's in her."
Darling's face paled, but he nodded, already motioning for a team to prepare the medical lab.
"Can you save her?" Kate demanded, her voice sharp with desperation.
Darling hesitated, his gaze flicking between her and Trench. "We'll do everything we can."
As they rushed to the lab, Trench felt the weight of his failure pressing down on him. The Oldest House had invaded his life, his family, and now it threatened to take the most precious thing in the world to him.
But he wouldn't let it.
No matter the cost.
