POV Seth

It didn’t take them long to find the stairwell after leaving the booth. They rounded the corner and entered a smaller, empty car park. Seth’s light swept over the facing wall, revealing a jumble of familiar letters that said nothing recognizable. Old English, he had reasoned, and filed the faded text as not relevant to their mission.

At the far end of the car park was a red door with a small glass pane embedded into it. A rectangular metal handle gleamed when the light caught it. Hanging above them was a dormant green sign with an icon showing a set of stairs leading up.

Seth’s subconscious warnings fell into stubborn focus. Nothing in the parking garage fit together. He felt like was seeing two distinct versions of the same place. He couldn’t think about the visual conflicts, not right now.

Seth nodded toward the door. “Gemma, take the lead.”

Gemma took hold of the metal handle, making it appear small in his massive hand. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the door’s resistance. With a squeeze of the latch, the door swung open.

Seth gestured for his team to file in after Gemma, following him up to the next floor. With Hope perched at his side, Seth watched the team’s back, monitoring the vast, empty darkness beyond.

By the time Hope and Seth’s turn came, the squad had reached the main floor. Judging by the bickering, the door was locked. Erick beat on the door while stringing an interesting combination of curse words together. “Hey pussy!” He turned to Gemma. “Open this door.”

“Mind your own unit,” Gemma said. “Captain, the stairs carry on up from here. How do you want to proceed?” Hope bounded up the stairs to join the others.

With the perimeter shrinking behind them, he had little time to decide. If they took the time to force the door open, and it turned out the data-pack wasn’t available on the main floor, they may have cost themselves the game. “Head on up to the next floor. If we bust anything open, it’ll draw attention to us.” The opposition wouldn’t fire on them with live weapons.

Seth lingered, securing the rear as his squad thundered up to the next floor. The perimeter settled at the door, waiting on Seth. Was the radius of play always determined by the players? He had always thought so, but this time he felt herded.

Seth’s light caught sight of a stairwell leading downward when he turned to catch-up with his squad, an alternative option.

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With a foot on the first step, he peered down the neighboring stairs, listening past the thunderous pace of his squad above. The stairs vanished into the darkness, well past the strength of his light. A primal fear prickled his imagination. He doubted that they’d find another set of stairs in the entire building. The building itself felt alive, though by some minor miracle, was not yet aware of their presence within it.

Seth prayed his team would quiet their steps, but dare not speak his order in case the beast in his imagination heard him.

The shadows swirled and danced in large, lazy circles. It was an impossible sight of black against black. Yet he saw the separation of empty darkness and living darkness. ‘I’m imagining things,’ he thought, desperately wanting it to be true. Insanity was preferable…

As the shadow climbed, its speed intensified until it was upon him.

In a powerful gust, the darkness pushed past him, pulling at him, but failing to lay hands on him. It wasn’t quite a physical entity. With a start, Seth fell backwards, dropping his rifle and the light who flickered in response.

His whole being resonated, like a gong struck. The world around him cracked, threatening to shatter. ‘It hasn’t manifested,’ his subconscious stated.

The living darkness stopped between floors, assessing its chances with Seth. It looked around, seeing the fragile cracks of their shared reality.

‘Oh no!’ Seth’s breath caught in his throat. Before it had felt him, uncertain of its own senses, now it saw him. It saw its way out. Seth’s reality cracked a little more, ripping brilliant fissures into the surrounding walls.

The swirling mass of darkness towered above him, easily nine feet tall. Its torn cloak danced around it in a fit of rage.

It lunged at Seth.

The creature’s maw opened disproportionately large, breaking every bone in its face, hoping to feed. It howled inwardly, sucking in whatever essences it could before tasting Seth’s flesh. The creature’s elongated fingers were seconds from tearing into him.

Seth grabbed his rifle and pointed it at the creature. It vanished in the light before Seth fired a single energy shot at it. Its meal denied.

Wide eyed, Seth panted against the adrenaline, trying to steady his heart. He anchored himself to the reality he knew to be true. He glanced at the perimeter readout, finding that the game boundary hadn’t budged.

The brilliant fissures re-knitted themselves, the blinding light escaping from the cracks fading.

His team’s muttering came through the squad channel, expressing their growing frustration. Every door so far had refused easy access to the floor beyond. It wouldn’t be long before they’d collectively choose to smash their way through, celebrating their false sense of progress.

The last of the fissures healed themselves, leaving him alone in the dark with his flashlight flickering out. Seth cursed while rushing to his feet. He stole a quick glance at the charge readout which registered as empty for both the light and the rifle. He cursed. He should have had days of energy available.

The episode worried him. He thought he was fine. It was only during times of extreme stress that his reality shattered. He made it back once when he was a small boy. He came back changed. Not himself. Weak. Bound. Helpless…

He pushed the venomous thoughts from his mind.

That world beyond would not take from him again. He wouldn’t let it. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t a promise he could keep.