Chapter 10 - The Underground Vault
Arthur led Clara down a narrow, forgotten service corridor behind the pantry that led directly beneath the main foundation of the sprawling estate. The air down here was damp and smelled of old earth and forgotten history, lit only by the weak beam of Arthur’s pocket flashlight.
"Keep close to me, Clara," Arthur muttered, his boots crunching softly on the gravel floor as they navigated the labyrinth of concrete pillars.
"Is my mommy really gone forever?" Clara asked in a small, breaking voice that nearly shattered the old man's resolute composure.
"She loved you more than anything in this world, Clara," Arthur answered gently, stopping before a heavy steel door set directly into the natural rock wall. "And the proof of what happened to her is right behind this door."
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Arthur slid the largest iron key into the ancient lock, turning it with a metallic groan that echoed through the subterranean chamber. As the heavy steel door swung open, the flashlight beam swept across a room filled with filing cabinets, digital servers, and boxes labeled with Margaret’s handwriting. But before Arthur could step inside to retrieve the hard drives, the dim lights of the corridor suddenly flickered and died, plunging them into absolute, pitch-black darkness.
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