The entrance was hidden beneath Blackwood.
An old service tunnel.
Forgotten.
Sealed.
But not completely.
Cold air rushed out as Ryan forced the metal gate open.
Behind him, Elena and Adrian stood in silence.
No one spoke.
Because all of them felt it—
They were stepping into something they might not come back from.
"Once we go in," Ryan said quietly,
"there's no turning back."
Elena nodded.
"I'm already in."
Adrian smirked slightly.
"Lead the way."
Ryan stepped forward.
Into the darkness.
The tunnel stretched downward.
Deep.
Endless.
Each step echoed louder than the last.
The further they went—
The colder it became.
After several minutes, they reached a reinforced door.
Metal.
Heavy.
Locked.
Adrian stepped forward.
"Let me."
Within seconds, he bypassed the lock.
The door opened with a low mechanical sound.
And then—
They saw it.
A facility.
Hidden beneath the city.
White lights.
Metal walls.
Long corridors stretching in every direction.
It was too clean.
Too controlled.
Too alive.
Elena whispered—
"This… has been here the whole time?"
Ryan's eyes scanned everything.
"They never left Blackwood."
Footsteps echoed in the distance.
"Move," Ryan said.
They slipped inside.
Staying close to the shadows.
Watching.
Listening.
Through glass panels, they saw rooms.
Inside them—
People.
Standing still.
Connected to machines.
Silent.
Unmoving.
Elena's voice trembled.
"What are they doing to them…?"
Ryan didn't answer.
Because he already knew—
This wasn't rescue anymore.
This was transformation.
Suddenly—
A screen lit up on the wall.
All three stopped.
A message appeared:
"Welcome, Ryan."
Silence.
Then another line—
"You finally reached the Core."
Adrian's expression changed.
"This isn't good…"
Ryan stepped closer.
His eyes dark.
Focused.
"They wanted me here."
Before anyone could react—
A loud alarm echoed through the facility.
Red lights flashed.
"Unauthorized entry detected."
Doors began locking.
Systems activating.
Elena stepped back.
"They know we're here!"
Ryan didn't move.
Because deep down—
He already knew.
This wasn't an accident.
This wasn't infiltration.
This was invitation.
And now—
There was no way out. 🌑📖