Deborah's POV
The shadow of a newcomer loomed in NO.7.
"Mark?" I exclaimed, staring at the man before me in utter surprise.
As soon as Cora spotted Mark, her gaze lingered on him a fraction longer than usual.
There was something in the way she looked—like a fleeting spark of curiosity and perhaps something more.
Standing quietly in the corner, Mark seemed detached from the rest of us, immersed in his own thoughts.
His calm, scholarly demeanor contrasted sharply with the tense atmosphere in the room, exuding an air of certainty that was hard to ignore.
Despite his restraint, I could see that Cora's presence didn't go unnoticed by him.
He lifted his eyes briefly, and in that instant, their gazes locked.
Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be absorbed in something else.
Mark's eyes softened momentarily, but he quickly blinked, as if chastising himself for the lapse. He cleared his throat softly, as if to bring himself back to reality.
"You're here?" I asked, my voice cutting through the thick silence.
Mark was usually a low-profile researcher at EI, more suited to data and analysis than underground meetings like that.
Matthew stepped forward, smiling lightly. "Mark has a report on Murias' seismic activity that he thinks we should all see."
"Seismic activity?" I repeated incredulously, my mind reeling. Murias was known for its minor tremors, but no one had ever taken these small disturbances seriously—not even the researchers with a geological focus.
Mark nodded solemnly and reached into his satchel, pulling out a thick binder filled with graphs, charts, and what seemed like years of data.
"This is the culmination of everything I've been working on over the past few years. It's unofficial—no one at EI knows about it. But I've compiled seismic data for over 22 years, studying shockwaves, pre-quake signals, and shifts in the Earth's core frequencies."
"You did this on your own?" David's brow furrowed in surprise.
"Yes," Mark replied with a steady gaze. "EI refused to allocate resources to investigate Murias' geologic instability. All they care about is extraction and maximizing resource output. But I'm convinced that the seismic patterns I've found are warning signs. If these trends continue, we could be facing something catastrophic."
David waved a hand impatiently. "Get to the point."
Mark inhaled deeply, spreading the maps and spreadsheets before us.
"The data shows that the tectonic activity around Murias is increasing at an alarming rate. Minor quakes, tremors, small shifts… these are just the beginning. If you follow the patterns—"
He traced a red line that spiked sharply on the graph. "—it's clear that the energy is building up. I estimate that a major seismic event is imminent."
A cold chill crept down my spine. "What kind of event?"
Mark's voice dropped. "A massive earthquake that could trigger a volcanic eruption, sending magma flooding through the underground. It would destroy Murias completely."
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of his words pressing down on us.
"You're sure?" Cora's voice trembled slightly.
"I can't pinpoint the exact timing," Mark admitted, his shoulders tense. "Our equipment isn't advanced enough. But based on the increasing frequency and magnitude of the tremors, I believe the catastrophe is closer than we think."
My heart pounded as memories of my dream resurfaced—the dream where Maeve warned me to get everyone out of Murias.
Was that just a nightmare?
Or… was it something more?
"I had a dream," I began slowly. Everyone turned to look at me, faces taut with curiosity and disbelief. "It was… more like a vision. In it, someone told me—told Deborah—to evacuate the people of Murias."
Mark looked taken aback. "A vision?"
"Yes." I swallowed hard and described the dream in detail, Maeve's warning echoing through my retelling.
When I finished, an uneasy silence enveloped the room.
I could see the disbelief etched on David's face, the concern in Cora's eyes, and the furrowed brow of Matthew as he processed my words.
"Do we believe a dream now?" David scoffed weakly, trying to inject some humor.
"No, but I believe in scientific evidence." Mark's voice was firm. "And if what she saw matches the patterns I've uncovered… then we're in more danger than I thought."
"So, what's the worst-case scenario?" Cora whispered, her voice trembling slightly..
"Murias would be obliterated," Mark replied grimly. "Lava would surge through every tunnel, every corridor, and every street. There would be no escape."
The atmosphere grew heavy with dread.
"We have to evacuate everyone," Mark insisted. "We need a plan—a way out."
"But the surface is uninhabitable," I reminded him. "Ordinary people can't survive in that environment… how do we lead a mass exodus?"
Mark fell silent, clearly grappling with the same question.
"Then we have to scout the surface," David suggested. His voice was low but resolute.
Cora's eyebrows arched in surprise.
"Who would you send?"