“The system is asking for a physical master override.”

Emma stood up slowly from the rug, her small hand still buried deep in her pocket.

She took a step toward her father’s desk.

The saw outside screamed louder, sparks flying beneath the crack of the door.

Emma pulled her small, clenched fist from her coat pocket.

She stretched her fingers out, revealing a small, tarnished brass key resting in her palm.

The key had a unique, double-pronged end, stamped with a tiny engraved letter *C*.

Nathan stared at it, his eyes widening in the red emergency light.

“Where did you get that, Emma?” he asked, his voice shaking.

“Martha told me to keep it safe,” Emma said, her voice small but steady.

“She said it belonged to Mommy, and that I shouldn’t let Vanessa see it.”

The circular saw outside screamed against the steel door, sending a fresh shower of sparks through the gap.

The smell of hot metal and burning rubber drifted into the room.

Lily, Sophie, and Grace huddled closer together on the floor, their eyes wide with fear.