HALLWAY OF LIES

Beneath the Clock Chamber

Emma screamed.

Jordan tightened his grip on her wrist until his knuckles turned white.

"I've got you!" he shouted.

"Don't let go!" Maya cried as she dropped beside him, reaching for Emma's other hand.

The pale hand beneath the broken floor refused to release her.

Its fingers were unnaturally cold, squeezing tighter with every passing second.

Grant threw himself to the ground and grabbed Jordan's shoulder.

"Pull!"

The four of them strained together.

The stone beneath their knees cracked.

Dust filled the air.

For one terrifying moment, it seemed as though all of them would be dragged into the darkness.

Then...

The hand suddenly let go.

Emma shot upward, crashing onto the floor beside Maya. She lay there coughing violently, her face ghostly white.

Jordan helped her sit up.

"Are you hurt?"

Emma couldn't answer.

She was staring into the hole beneath the chamber.

Her lips trembled.

"It... it wasn't trying to kill me."

"What?" Maya asked.

Emma's voice was barely audible.

"It called my name."

A cold silence settled over the room.

The Hunter lowered its massive iron key.

Its glowing eyes remained fixed on Emma.

Victor Hale slowly stepped backward.

For the first time since Maya had met him, he looked uncertain.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered.

The Director turned sharply.

"What do you mean?"

Victor ignored him.

Instead, he stared at Emma with disbelief.

"No..."

"It can't be."

Emma finally found her voice.

"What are you talking about?"

Victor looked as though he were seeing a ghost.

"The hallway never makes mistakes."

"If it chose you..."

"...then everything we've believed for twenty years is wrong."

Before anyone could ask another question, the floor shook violently.

The enormous bell above the chamber rang on its own.

BOOOONG!

The sound ripped through the underground halls.

Every clock shattered.

Glass exploded across the room.

The Hunter stepped back for the first time.

It almost looked...

Afraid.

The hole in the floor widened.

Instead of darkness, a faint blue light began rising from below.

Maya carefully approached the edge.

Far beneath the chamber lay another room.

Unlike the ruins above, this room was perfectly preserved.

Its walls were covered with hundreds of candles.

In the center stood a single wooden chair.

Someone was sitting in it.

Their head was lowered.

Their face hidden.

Motionless.

Emma gasped.

"There's someone down there."

The Director's expression changed instantly.

"No..."

His voice cracked.

"It can't be."

Grant looked at him.

"You know who that is?"

The Director slowly nodded.

"I buried that room myself."

Everyone turned toward him.

"You what?" Jordan demanded.

"I thought no one would ever find it again."

Maya stared at him in disbelief.

"What have you been hiding?"

The Director closed his eyes.

"When Westbrook was built, there were thirteen founders."

"I told you there were twelve."

"I lied."

Victor laughed bitterly.

"There it is."

"The truth."

"The first honest thing you've said in years."

Without warning, the seated figure below slowly raised its head.

Every candle in the hidden room went out.

Only its eyes remained visible.

Bright.

Silver.

Watching them.

Maya felt her heart pounding.

The figure stood.

It moved with slow, deliberate steps toward a staircase hidden in the shadows.

Step.

Step.

Step.

The sound echoed through the chamber above.

Jordan looked around nervously.

"Do you hear that?"

Grant nodded.

"It's coming up."

The Hunter suddenly turned away from Maya.

It faced the staircase instead.

Then...

To everyone's shock...

It dropped to one knee.

Victor's masked followers did the same.

Even Victor bowed his head.

Only the Director remained standing.

His face had turned pale.

"No..."

He whispered.

"It should have stayed buried."

The footsteps grew louder.

A cold wind swept through the chamber, extinguishing the last remaining lanterns.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Then a calm voice echoed through the room.

"You've all been searching for the truth."

A pause.

"But the truth..."

"...has been searching for you."

The first candle reignited.

Its light revealed a pair of polished black shoes.

Another candle flared.

A long dark coat.

Another.

A gloved hand holding an old silver pocket watch.

Finally, the last candle burst into flame.

Maya's breath caught.

Standing before them was a man no older than thirty.

His eyes shone silver.

A deep scar crossed the left side of his face.

He looked directly at Maya...

...and smiled as if he had known her all her life.

Then he spoke the words that shattered everything.

"Hello, Maya."

"I'm your father."