Strength in Numbers
Lara's apartment was now a makeshift war room. Jack leaned against the table, his arms crossed, while Becca sat stiffly on the couch, the journal resting uneasily in her lap. Margot moved about the apartment, reinforcing windows with heavy furniture and taping the seams of the doors with duct tape she'd found in a cabinet.
The tension was palpable, hanging over the group like a storm cloud.
Lara stood at the center of the room, her gaze moving between Jack and Becca. She hated to admit it, but Margot had a point. Trust wasn't something they could afford to give freely, not when the City's tricks could mimic their faces and voices.
Her eyes settled on Jack first. "You said you saw a shadow near my apartment last night. Why didn't you mention it earlier?"
Jack's brows furrowed. "Because I didn't think it was real. I thought I was imagining things. But after the dreams started—"
"Dreams?" Margot interrupted, her voice sharp.
Jack nodded. "Same as hers." He gestured toward Becca. "A dark shape. Hollow eyes. It kept following me, and then last night I saw it for real. That's when I knew I had to talk to you."
Lara folded her arms, her voice soft but firm. "And what makes you think it's not after you specifically?"
Jack's jaw tightened. "I don't know. But if it is, I'd rather not fight it alone."
Satisfied for now, Lara turned to Becca. The younger woman shifted nervously under her gaze, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the journal.
"Why come to us?" Lara asked. "What made you think we could help?"
Becca hesitated, her eyes flicking to Margot and then back to Lara. "I've seen you two," she said quietly. "You're not like the others in the building. The way you act, the way you look at people… it's like you know something the rest of us don't."
"She's observant," Margot muttered, smirking faintly. "That's dangerous."
Becca swallowed hard. "I just thought… maybe you knew what was happening. Maybe you'd believe me."
Lara sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. Becca's fear seemed genuine, but fear could also be a mask.
"Margot," Lara said softly, "do you think they're clean?"
Margot eyed them both, her sharp green gaze like a scalpel. Finally, she nodded. "For now. But if either of you start acting strange, don't expect mercy."
With some of the tension eased, the group focused on making the apartment as secure as possible.
Jack helped Margot push a heavy bookcase against the main door, grunting with effort. "Think this will stop them?" he asked.
Margot smirked faintly. "Probably not. But it'll slow them down."
Becca taped thick curtains over the windows, blocking out the faint sunlight. "Do they come during the day?" she asked nervously.
"They come whenever they want," Margot replied grimly. "Time doesn't mean much to them."
Lara moved through the apartment, checking every corner, every shadow, for signs of something unnatural. She found none, but the oppressive air told her they weren't safe yet.
As they worked, Becca let out a sharp gasp.
"Guys!" she called, her voice trembling.
Lara rushed to her side, her heart pounding. Becca held the journal open, the blank pages now filled with jagged writing.
"The building's foundation is weak. The heart of the City lies below. Do not disturb it."
"What does that mean?" Becca asked, her voice shaking.
Margot leaned over her shoulder, her expression dark. "It means the basement is more than just a basement."
Lara stared at the words, unease crawling up her spine. "The foundation… That's where the City's heart is?"
Margot nodded grimly. "It makes sense. The deeper you go, the closer you get to the City's center. And the closer you get, the more dangerous it becomes."
Jack frowned. "If it's so dangerous, why would the journal tell us about it?"
"Because it wants us to make a choice," Margot said. "It's a test. And the City loves tests."
Lara closed the journal, her mind racing. The basement—the very idea of it sent a chill through her, but if the journal was right, it might hold the answers they needed.
"We can't ignore this," she said finally. "If the heart of the City is below, it might be the only way to stop all of this."
Margot shook her head. "It's not that simple. Going down there might be exactly what the City wants. It could be leading us into a trap."
"And staying here is safer?" Jack asked, his tone skeptical.
"No," Margot admitted. "But it's less suicidal."
Becca hugged the journal to her chest, her face pale. "What if there's something down there that can help us? A way to fight back?"
Lara glanced at each of them, the weight of their decision settling heavily on her shoulders.
As the group debated, the apartment groaned faintly, the sound of shifting wood and stone filling the air.
Margot's eyes narrowed. "The City knows we're talking about it."
Lara grabbed a flashlight from the counter, her resolve hardening. "We need to check the basement. If the City's heart is down there, we have to know what we're dealing with."
Jack nodded, gripping the handle of a crowbar he'd found in the closet. "I'm in."
Becca hesitated, clutching the journal tightly. "I'll go too. If this is happening because I noticed… I need to face it."
Margot sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. But if this goes south, don't expect me to save everyone."
Together, the group headed for the door.
The stairwell leading to the basement was darker than it should have been, the air colder with every step. The hum of the building's usual sounds—pipes creaking, distant footsteps—was replaced by an eerie silence.
As they descended, Lara felt the journal in her hand grow warmer, its faint pulse steady and unrelenting.
"This place feels wrong," Becca whispered, her voice trembling.
"That's because it is," Margot muttered.
The group reached the bottom of the stairs, standing before a rusted metal door. The faint sound of whispers leaked through the cracks, beckoning them closer.
Lara reached for the handle, her hand shaking. "Ready?"
Jack gripped his crowbar tightly. "As I'll ever be."
Margot stepped closer, her knife glinting in the dim light. "Let's get this over with."
Lara turned the handle, the door creaking open to reveal a vast, shadowy expanse below.
And then, the whispers stopped.
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