he voice resonated through the manor. Alex's body was tense, urging him to run. Still, he did not move, his hand hanging onto the strap of his bag. The journal inside suddenly weighed heavier, carrying the weight of the secrets it held. Then, as if surfacing to a world of reality, the voice uttered, "Alex.
Again, the voice rang out, cool and controlled, as if it knew exactly where he was. Alex's heart thudded against his chest; the oppressive silence that followed muted it. He gritted his teeth, straining to think. The footsteps started again, slow and purposeful, inching closer with each passing second.
He peeked over the edge of the desk, over the edge. A beam of flashlight cut through the darkness in the corridor outside, and he saw a figure, shadowy. The intruder moved calmly, as if he had all eternity to find Alex.
Alex thought fast, then pulled his laptop from his bag and pressed the power button. The faint glow of the screen lit his face as he opened his custom tracking program. His fingers flew over the keys, accessing the network scanner he'd coded. If the intruder carried any electronic devices, Alex would find them.
The program beeped softly—a signal pinged nearby. The device belonged to the stalker, a phone transmitting an encrypted signal. Alex quickly launched a script to intercept the feed, his eyes darting between the screen and the corridor. The figure stopped briefly, as if sensing something, then resumed his slow, deliberate pace.
Alex's screen lit up with a partial decryption:
"Target acquired. Maintain visual."
His stomach churned. He'd been hunted before, but this felt different. This guy wanted *him*, not just the Crimson Seal.
The footsteps pounded louder, like an ominous echo through the night air. Alex slammed his laptop lid shut, dousing its subtle hum. Sliding it into his backpack and cinching tight the straps across his chest, he knew to stay there anymore was out of the question.
As his eyes roved the room, he searched for an egress. A narrow door on the far side of the study seemed his best chance. Moving as quietly as he could, Alex slid around the side of the desk, remaining low to the floor. The beam of the flashlight just swept across the room, crossing over the desk from where he'd been mere moments before.
Alex's breath caught as the figure stepped inside, his heavy boots crunching on broken glass. The man was tall, and his face was hidden under a hood. In his hand, he held a small device—probably the source of the encrypted signal.
"Come out, Alex," the man said, his voice smooth but laced with menace. "We don't have to play this game.
Alex ignored the taunt, his movements precise and quiet. He slipped through the narrow door and into a dark hallway. The air here was colder, carrying the scent of damp stone and rotting wood. He felt his way along the wall, his fingers brushing against peeling wallpaper.
Behind him, the man's voice carried through the manor.
"You can't hide forever."
Alex moved more rapidly, his steps calmly silent on the floor. The hall turned into a staircase that went down. He stalled; going any further would feel like he was walking into a trap. Remaining up, however, brought him face to face with the stalker.
There was nothing to do but descend. The stairs groaned under his weight, and each creaking step seemed a shot in the suffocating silence. He came down to a cellar, air heavy with moisture, crates and barrels lined the walls, and faint beams of light filtered through a small broken window near the ceiling.
Alex squatted behind the stack of crates and pulled out his phone. He opened the camera and used the infrared feature to scan around. The faint outline of the room showed him a hidden door at the other end.
Just as he was about to move, the sound of footsteps on the stairs froze him in place. The man was following, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness. Alex's heart was racing as he calculated his next move.
He activated the phone's sound emitter, setting it to release a high-pitched frequency. He placed the phone on the ground and activated the timer before darting toward the hidden door.
The high-pitched sound exploded, and the stalker stopped mid-stride. "What the—" He swore to cover his ears. The commotion was enough to let Alex get to the secret door. He opened it and slipped through the narrow passageway, which reeked of damp earth and rust.
Not even pausing to catch breath, the stretch of passage appeared endless, twisting and turning like a labyrinth. He grasped his bag desperately, and his journal and laptop were his only lifelines.
Finally, he came out into a clearing, the cold night air slapping him in the face. He stumbled forward, his legs wobbly from adrenaline. He looked back toward the manor, its silhouette looming ominously in the distance.
The figure emerged at the edge of the passage, the flashlight cutting through the night.
"You can't run forever, Alex," the man called out, his voice calm yet chilling. "We'll always find you."
Alex didn't respond. He turned and ran into the night, disappearing into the shadows.