A new message had arrived.

I looked down at the glowing text.

“He’s behind you.”

I stopped.

The sound of a boot scraping on the ladder echoed from the darkness behind us.

Someone had opened the hatch.

The light from above flooded the tunnel.

A shadow fell over my feet.

I turned my head, my eyes widening in terror.

The light illuminated the face of the man on the ladder.

The chase was not over.

It had only just begun.

I gripped the key, my knuckles white.

“Run,” I whispered to Ana.

And we scrambled forward into the dark.

The sound of splashing water grew louder.

The exit was near.

But so was the shadow.

The tunnel narrowed, the ceiling brushing against my back.

I could feel the cold draft of the river on my face.

We emerged into a small stone chamber.

The walls were wet, dripping with condensation.

In the center of the chamber was a heavy iron door.

The keyhole was exactly the shape of the key in my hand.

I lunged toward it, my fingers shaking as I tried to guide the metal into the slot.