The emergency staircase seemed endless, each step reverberating like a ticking clock. The air was stifling, thick with the scent of rust and sweat. Ten of us had started this mission, but now, only four remained—Noah, two others whose names blurred in the chaos, and me. Grief lingered in every step, but there was no time to dwell on the past. We had to keep moving.
"Faster!" Noah shouted from behind me, his voice sharp with urgency.
We descended floor after floor, the dim red emergency lights flickering like dying embers. My legs screamed with every step, but adrenaline drowned out the pain. The landings blurred together in a haze of shadows and echoing footsteps—until we reached one that stopped us cold.
"Wait," I muttered, pulling up short.
Right in the center of the landing stood an old elevator—caged in iron latticework, its accordion-style gate half rusted, half golden in the flickering light. It looked like something out of another time, untouched for decades. Doors flanked it on both sides, and ahead, the stairs continued down into darkness. But the hum—the low, steady purr of electricity—meant it was still alive.
Noah caught up, his eyes narrowing at the sight. "An elevator?"
One of the others stepped forward, already moving toward it. "It's a shortcut. We'll never make it if we keep using the stairs."
Noah hesitated, just for a heartbeat, then strode up and yanked the gate open with a loud clatter. "Everyone in. Nine, move!"
I followed, my heart pounding as we crammed into the small space. Noah pulled the gate shut and pressed the button for the ground floor. The elevator groaned and creaked as it descended, the gears grinding like something out of a nightmare.
"Hold together," I whispered under my breath, gripping the railing tightly.
The ride felt endless, each floor passing with a metallic clang. But at last, with a final jolt, the elevator stopped. We hurriedly opened the gate, spilling out into another corridor. Relief surged through me as I glanced ahead. The exit was so close I could almost feel the cool night air.
But that relief vanished in an instant.
The ceiling above me groaned, a sound like metal bending under pressure. I froze, looking up just in time to see cracks spidering through the surface. Something dripped down—a viscous liquid that hissed against the floor.
"Noah!" I screamed, my voice cracking.
He turned, his eyes widening as more liquid began to pour from the ceiling. It hit the ground with a sizzle, spreading in a growing pool. The acrid smell of chemicals burned my throat.
"Acid!" I shouted. "Run! Hurry!"
The others stumbled forward, panic overtaking them, but the machine above was relentless. The ceiling groaned again, louder this time, and the acid began raining down in a deadly cascade.
"Nine, go!" Noah yelled, shoving me ahead.
I hesitated, torn between instinct and the need to stay. The thought of leaving Noah behind felt like betrayal. My chest tightened, guilt and terror colliding. How did we get here? Was this what we signed up for?
"No! You can make it!" I cried, every word laced with desperation.
"This is how it's supposed to go," Noah said quietly, his eyes locking with mine.
"What are you talking about?!" I yelled, my voice breaking.
"Some of us don't make it," he continued, calm in the face of chaos. "It's part of the plan."
"No!" I reached for him, tears streaming down my face. "You can make it. We can make it!"
He smiled faintly, his features softening for just a moment. "It doesn't work that way."
The acid poured, and I turned away, unable to watch as it consumed him. His silence hit harder than his words. My legs moved on autopilot, but my mind raced. Why him? Why any of us? We were supposed to save lives, not lose our own.
I ran, my legs trembling as I navigated the maze of corridors back to the surface. Behind me, the sound of the machine's grinding gears grew distant, replaced by the deafening silence of guilt.
I'm not the only one left.
The thought came unbidden, a spark of hope amid the despair. Max's team had taken a different route, splitting off before we reached the trap. He had to be alive. He just had to be.