The massive steel doors to the maximum-security containment chamber groaned open, slowly parting with a harsh metallic scrape that echoed through the damp corridor.
A hiss of steam burst from vents embedded in the thick walls, swirling in the stale air like ghostly wisps as Claus stepped inside. The cold mist curled around his boots, rising and dissipating under the flickering lights.
His sharp blue eyes narrowed, scanning the chamber. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Found you," he murmured.
At the center of the room sat a strange metal orb, suspended in a web of yellow-and-black caution tape that seemed to twist and coil endlessly. Steel bars formed a cage around it, intersecting in a complex lattice. From the bars, thin beams of pulsating energy stretched out, locking the orb in place with an almost palpable force field.
Claus took a slow step forward, the sound of his boots clicking against the concrete floor the only noise in the oppressive silence.
