The metal rungs of the rope ladder groaned beneath Karen's weight as she climbed, each movement echoing eerily into the vent shaft above.
Dust clung to her skin and the air grew colder the higher she went.
Alex followed directly behind her, his hands never far from her boots. Luca brought up the rear, flashlight gripped between his teeth, one hand on a pocket knife.
The vent was barely wide enough for one person. Walls pressed in on either side, lined with thick pipes and cables, some still faintly buzzing with leftover energy. It felt like crawling through the throat of a dying beast.
Karen whispered back, "How far does this go?"
Alex's voice was low. "Long enough to make me wish I did more cardio."
Luca let out a humorless laugh. "If it leads anywhere safe, I'll do fifty push-ups the moment we get out."
They reached a fork in the duct, one tunnel sloping upward, the other veering down into deeper shadow.
Karen paused, heart pounding.
A soft hiss echoed from below.
Not the wind.
Breathing.
But not human.
Karen turned quickly. "Up. We go up."
They scrambled into the steeper vent, hands scraping against jagged metal. The sound of something dragging behind them faster now.
Karen's lungs burned as she pushed herself upward.
Then....light.
A small grate ahead.
She slammed her palm against it.
It didn't budge.
"Alex help me!"
He crawled forward and kicked it twice. The metal groaned,
Then snapped open.
Karen tumbled out first, landing hard on smooth tile. Alex followed, then Luca. They rolled over, panting.
They were in a bathroom but not like any part of Avalon they'd seen.
It was sleek, clean, with polished marble and gold fixtures. A single towel embroidered with the initials G.O. hung by the sink.
Karen stood, stunned.
"This… isn't a guest room," she breathed.
Alex scanned the walls. "This is private. Hidden."
Luca stepped out into the hallway beyond the door and froze.
"Karen," he called quietly. "You need to see this."
She stepped into the hallway.
Dozens of portraits lined the corridor but all of Gerald Okon.
Different years. Different phases.
This was his private wing.
Karen's face hardened. "He was here the entire time."
Alex's eyes met hers. "This wasn't just his investment. It was his creation."
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the hallway speakers slow and calm.
"Welcome, Karen. I was hoping you'd make it this far. There's still so much you don't understand."
The hallway lights dimmed.
"Come find me."