By the time detention ended (a.k.a. when Mr. Harrow woke up from his majestic snoring), the group had already made a silent pact:
They were going into Sub-Basement 3.
Tonight.
Nova led them down an empty hallway, her tablet projecting blueprints like holographic breadcrumbs.
Jace whispered, “Question… why are we sneaking into a restricted underground archive? Can’t we, I don’t know, not die today?”
Arin shrugged. “We die later. Today we investigate.”
Liora elbowed him lightly. “Inspirational. Truly.”
At the stairwell door, Nova stopped.
“This is the last unlocked access point. After this, everything becomes illegal.”
“Everything we’ve been doing is illegal,” Jace said.
“Fair,” Nova admitted.
They descended the stairs. Each step creaked like it regretted existing. The temperature
