A soft click echoed in the darkness, barely audible over the heavy footsteps downstairs.

The bookcase swung outward, revealing a narrow steel door painted to match the dark wood.

Ryker punched a quick code into the glowing keypad on the door.

The lock retracted with a heavy metallic thunk.

“Inside, now,” Ryker muttered, pushing me ahead of him.

I stepped into the cramped, windowless panic room.

The air inside was cool and smelled of dry concrete and electronics.

Tessa slipped in after me, and Ryker shut the heavy steel door behind us.

The lock engaged automatically, sealing us in near-total darkness.

“Tessa, the laptop,” Ryker said, his voice a low gravelly rumble in the confined space.

Tessa set the computer down on a metal folding table in the center of the room.

The bright light from the screen washed over our faces, casting long shadows against the reinforced steel walls.

I looked at the screen, where the video file *For_Ryker.mp4* was still waiting to be played.

“Play it,” Ryker repeated, his eyes fixed on the display.

Tessa tapped the spacebar.