Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Dark
Clara caught Lily’s eye, a silent language passing between the twins. They took a subtle step back, placing the heavy oak worktable between themselves and the woman who claimed to be Julian’s ally. The flame in the lantern flickered as cold air drifted through an overhead grating.
"He didn't give us anything," Clara lied, holding her sister's hand tighter. "He just fell. We only have our toy phone."
Evelyn smiled, but the warmth did not reach her eyes. She took another deliberate step forward, pulling her hand from her pocket. She held not a weapon, but an identical ouroboros insignia stamped upon a black keycard. "Julian was brilliant, but he underestimated how deep the roots ran. Give me the key, Clara. It will buy your father twelve hours of life."
Lily didn't wait. She grabbed the glass kerosene lamp off the table edge and threw it onto the dry floorboards between them. Shattered glass erupted, followed immediately by a wall of yellow flame.
Evelyn cursed, leaping backward to protect her clothing from the fire. Clara yanked the emergency latch on the iron fire exit door behind them. The rusted mechanism shrieked as it gave way, opening into the damp darkness of an underground drainage tunnel.
May you like
They slipped through the threshold just as Evelyn lunged through the smoke. Clara slammed the heavy metal latch shut, plunging them into total subterranean blackness.
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