The woods surrounding Elmbourne whispered with an unnatural stillness as Gwagon drove the Audi along the abandoned access road. Trees arched overhead, their skeletal branches blotting out the faint moonlight, leaving only the road illuminated by the headlights. At the end of the path, the derelict structure rose from the clearing like a jagged tooth, its walls blackened and cracked, windows gaping like hollow eyes.
Hovering above it, mounted atop a rusted pole, was the billboard that had haunted the whispers of half the county: the insignia of the Negasign. The symbol was impossible to ignore. A concentric inverted spiral curled into the center of a closed triangle, three eyes embedded within its angles. Each eye dripped dark, viscous teardrops, like ink or blood, catching the sparse light of the moon and shimmering with a harsh red glow that bathed the surrounding clearing. Around the triangle stretched a handprint—five-pronged, but unmistakably six-fingered—its edges blurred by age and decay. At the absolute center of the spiral, an empty void seemed to suck in the light, leaving a darkness that made the eyes of those who stared too long feel hollow.
The entire clearing radiated that red illumination, saturating the abandoned parking area in a hue that was both unnatural and mesmerizing. The concrete, the weeds, even the scattered debris were soaked in its glow, giving everything a sensation of distorted scale, like the world had momentarily shifted into some crimson echo.
Gwagon slowed as he approached the clearing, his eyes scanning for the exact spot Elijah and Chloe had indicated. To his right, near a rusted guardrail, a Range Rover was parked beside the Audi. The vehicle was new, pristine, and yet the red light seemed to consume it, turning its silver finish into molten scarlet. A figure emerged from its passenger side. The glow revealed her silhouette first, then the details of her hair and clothing, and finally her face.
Chloe's breath caught. Her voice rang out before she could stop it. "Vivie! I didn't know she could get here before us!"
Elijah's expression remained calm, though his eyes followed Chloe's. "Her home is on the southern side of Crestwood County. She had the advantage of distance. It enabled her to arrive before us."
Chloe barely had time to nod before Elijah pointed toward the Range Rover, his finger settling on two figures lingering near its hood. "Look there."
Chloe's gaze followed, and she realized they were two boys, both sixteen. They were tall for their age, standing with cautious attention, eyes flicking toward the Audi and the red-lit clearing. Elijah lowered his voice. "Those two are Ron and Richie Blackwell, children of the mayor of Crestwood."
At the same moment, Ron and Richie's heads turned toward the Audi, their expressions changing subtly as they noticed the arrival of Gwagon. A flicker of surprise, of calculation, passed between them. For Ron, relief mingled with suspicion, while Richie's narrowed eyes lingered in caution.
Richie leaned slightly toward Ron, whispering: "Hey… Ron, do you think this is really safe?"
Ron's jaw tightened. "Ever since we left the house and started driving here, our phones… they've been jammed. No signal. Probably hacked."
Indeed, their phones sat atop the Rover's hood, screens blinking uselessly with the harsh words No Signal. The red glow from the billboard reflected in the glass of the screens, amplifying the sense of isolation, of containment.
Vivian stepped forward from beside the Range Rover. "Chloe… Elijah… could I borrow your phone? I need to call my husband."
Chloe shook her head. Elijah raised his hand slightly, voice calm but firm. "Already tried. The moment we were on the way here, our phones stopped working. They're compromised. You won't be able to get through."
Vivian exhaled, a small hiss of frustration escaping her lips.
Chloe walked toward the boys, holding her composure as she introduced herself. "I'm Chloe Halvern. What brings you two here?"
Ron's gaze measured her for a long moment, suspicion evident. Richie leaned toward his brother and whispered: "Relax. She doesn't seem like a foe."
Ron exhaled, finally letting tension bleed from his posture. "It's the Witnessing of Hollow. That's who contacted us. Told us to get here, to ensure our family doesn't get arrested. Our father's… mistakes… caught up in the wrong hands."
Chloe frowned, brow furrowed. "This Witnessing of Hollow… who is he?"
Richie shrugged. "Some creep from the dark web, mostly. Claims to have evidence of our father's… not so honest dealings. Threatened us to come here, or risk exposure. I would've shown you on my phone, but, well… you can see why that isn't possible."
Ron's eyes flicked back toward the billboard, lips tight. "I suspect… Witnessing of Hollow might be another persona of Azaqor, the killer."
Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Why do you think that?"
Both boys pointed toward the illuminated billboard above the abandoned building. The red glow painted their faces, highlighting the fear and caution in their eyes. "See that?" Ron said. "The diagram. The spiral in the triangle, the dripping eyes, the six-fingered handprint surrounding the center. That's the signature insignia of Witnessing of Hollow."
Vivian, Chloe, and Elijah all turned upward, each absorbing the symbol in silence. A sense of weight pressed down, and dread seeped into the clearing like a thick mist. Chloe's eyes swept the area, landing instinctively on every shadow and reflective surface. "Where's Aubrey?" she asked quietly, turning to Vivian.
Vivian shook her head. "I don't know. She wasn't here when we arrived."
Ron and Richie exchanged a brief glance. "The other news anchor?" Richie admitted. "We don't know where she is either. Not when we got here."
Chloe's confusion sharpened, but it was quickly interrupted. Footsteps echoed across the cracked asphalt, deliberate and measured. They were faint at first, but each step was drawn out, precise, deliberate. The clearing seemed to hold its breath. The red light from the billboard cast long shadows, stretching toward the trees and across the vehicles.
Slowly, a figure emerged from the far end of the parking lot. At first, just a silhouette against the glowing red. Each step caused the shadows to shift unnaturally, the spiral above reflecting in polished shoes and glinting accessories. As the figure approached, details became horrifyingly clear.
Clad in a fashion that seemed almost absurdly modern for the setting, the man wore layered streetwear—oversized hooded jackets, baggy pants with bright logos, and thick-soled sneakers that thumped against the concrete. A cap shadowed his face, but as he drew closer, his features became unmistakable.
Every head turned fully. Every breath stopped.
Chloe's voice burst from her lips, raw and accusatory. "I knew it was you all along, Lucian Freeman!"
The man paused for a moment, the red light bathing him in brilliance, reflecting off the spiral above. His expression remained flat, unflinching. There was no recognition in his eyes, no flicker of emotion—only stillness. Elijah, Chloe, Vivian, Ron, and Richie stared at him, realizing that the presence they had been anticipating, the one tied to Witnessing of Hollow, the person who might manipulate, threaten, or reveal secrets, was standing before them in full.
Lucian Freeman. Expressionless. Immovable. The red light seemed to pulse around him, and in its glow, every figure in the clearing felt the weight of what had just begun.
And in that suspended moment, the parking lot, the abandoned building, the boys, the adults, and the swirling red glow of the Negasign emblem all became part of the same silent truth: nothing here would be safe, and every second that passed only drew them deeper into the gravity of Freeman's presence.
The night held its breath.