The sound of the lock clicked through the dark. Ayla froze. Elian raised the flashlight,
but the beam flickered, then died.
They were trapped.
"Elian?" her voice was small, swallowed by the cold air.
"Stay behind me," he whispered.
A faint shuffle echoed from somewhere in the archive. Metal scraped against the floor.
Ayla's breath hitched.
"Elian," she whispered again. "Someone's here."
He grabbed her hand. "Move."
They ran between the file cabinets, the narrow aisles closing in around them. Dust filledthe air. Their footsteps echoed too loud.
Something fell behind them with a crash. A file drawer.
Ayla turned. A faint light glowed near the entrance—a phone screen. A shadow moved
past it.
"Elian!" she gasped.
He pulled her forward. "This way."
They reached the far wall, a heavy metal door half-hidden behind old boxes. Elian
shoved the boxes aside and tried the handle. It didn't move.
"It's locked," he hissed.
"Use the rod from the shelf," Ayla said.
He jammed the metal rod into the latch and forced it open. The door groaned, loud
enough to wake the dead.
Then came footsteps. Fast. Running.
Elian pushed Ayla through first. "Go!"
They tumbled into a narrow tunnel lined with pipes and wires. The smell of rust filled the
air.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"Maintenance passage. It connects to the old gym."
Behind them, the door creaked again.
"Run!"
They ran through the tunnel. The floor sloped downward. Their shadows jumped with
the flashlight's weak glow.
Ayla's heart pounded. Every sound felt closer than it should be."Elian," she said, panting. "Whoever's following us—how did they know we'd come
tonight?"
He didn't answer.
"Elian?"
His jaw tightened. "Because I told them."
She stopped. "What?"
He turned, face half in shadow. "I needed proof. I didn't think they'd take it this far."
"You used me?"
His silence told her everything.
Ayla took a step back, shaking. "I risked my life for this. For you."
Elian's eyes softened, regret flashing through. "You don't understand—"
A loud clang cut him off. The metal door behind them slammed shut.
"Move!" he shouted.
They sprinted again, the tunnel twisting. Ayla's lungs burned. Ahead, a faint light
flickered through a grate.
Elian climbed up first and kicked it open. They crawled out into the old gym storage
room. The air felt thick with dust and smoke.
Ayla leaned against the wall, chest heaving. "You set me up."
"I was trying to draw them out."
"Who?"
He hesitated. "The one who killed my brother."
She stared at him, disbelief in her voice. "You think someone's still covering that up
after all these years?""I don't think," he said quietly. "I know."
Before she could respond, something cracked above them. A ceiling beam gave way,
smashing into the floor. Smoke started to seep in through the vents again.
"Elian," she whispered. "The fire."
He looked up. Flames licked through the cracks.
"Come on."
They ran toward the back exit, but when they reached the door, it was chained from the
outside.
Ayla pounded on it. "Help! Someone open the door!"
No answer. Only the growing hiss of fire.
Elian looked around, spotting the tall windows near the top. "I'll lift you."
"No, you first."
He shook his head. "You're smaller. Go."
She hesitated, but the heat pushed her forward. He clasped his hands, helping her climb
up to the narrow ledge.
"Give me your hand," she said.
He reached up, grabbed her wrist. The air shimmered with smoke.
Then a voice from below froze them both.
"Don't move," it said.
Ayla looked down. A figure stood in the doorway, face covered by a hood. A phone light
illuminated a familiar emblem on their sleeve—the school crest, crossed with a line of
red paint.
The person raised a lighter and flicked it."End of the line."
Elian shouted, "Stop!"
The flame dropped.
The floor exploded with fire.
Ayla screamed as Elian pushed her through the window. She hit the ground outside
hard, gasping for air.
"Elian!" she shouted, coughing through the smoke.
No answer.
The gym burned behind her, flames reaching high into the night sky. Students rushed
out of the dorms, screaming. Teachers called for help.
Ayla's voice broke. "Elian!"
Through the smoke, she saw him—standing inside, his outline dark against the fire.
He wasn't moving.