[Underground Chamber – Still Locked In]
Jeric paced near the sealed door, every few seconds glancing back at the empty containment pod in the center of the room. Reynold hadn't moved from where he stood. His eyes were locked on the blue smear on the glass—his instincts were screaming.
"This place is wrong," Jeric muttered. "It's like we're being watched."
Reynold didn't answer. He could feel it too. That pressure. That silence that wasn't silent at all. It felt like standing in the center of a breathing machine, something huge and hidden, coiling in the dark.
"I'm calling for backup," Jeric said, pulling out his comm.
Nothing.
No signal.
Reynold finally spoke, his voice low. "They've jammed us."
"How are they jamming us underground? There's no visible tower."
"We're not underground anymore."
Jeric blinked. "What?"
Reynold stepped slowly toward the far wall, tapping it lightly. It didn't sound like concrete. It was hollow. Synthetic.
And it pulsed, barely noticeable.
