Then, the lights in my room suddenly flickered.

They went out completely, plunging the room into absolute darkness, save for the faint red glow of the transmitter in my hand.

Outside, the powerful floodlights in the courtyard died instantly.

The idling SUVs went dark, their headlights cutting out.

A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the estate, broken only by the howling wind.

I stood frozen in the center of the dark room, my thumb resting on the cold plastic of the transmitter.

From the hallway, I heard the rapid scuffle of leather boots on the stairs.

“What happened to the generator?” Marcus’s voice roared from downstairs. “Thomas, get the backup online now!”

I slipped the transmitter back into my pocket, my fingers wrapping around the handle of a heavy brass lamp on the bedside table.

The door to my room was suddenly kicked wide open, hitting the wall with a loud bang.

A flashlight beam cut through the darkness, blinding me as it swept across the room.

The light burned my eyes, forcing me to squint and raise my free hand to shield my face.