Silence held the tunnel in a suffocating grip. The white light faded, leaving behind only the damp smell of stagnant water and the rhythmic drip of condensation from the ceiling pipes. Sarah stumbled forward, her hands clawing at the empty air where Elian had stood a moment before.
Elian? Answer me!
The figure standing in the shadows turned slowly. It wore Elian’s jacket, stood with his posture, and held his hands. But when it turned to look at her, the eyes were not the chaotic, prismatic lights she had grown used to. They were steady, calm, and terrifyingly vacant.
I am here, Sarah.
The voice was his, but it lacked the tremor of his grief. It was too smooth, lacking the jagged edges of a man who had fought a war for his own sanity. Sarah drew a combat knife, the only weapon she had l
