I stepped out onto the twelfth floor, where the air was cooler and smelled of ozone.

The lights in the main corridor were dimmed to their nighttime settings.

I walked down the long hallway, my eyes scanning the glass doors of each laboratory.

The quietness of the floor made every sound seem loud.

At the end of the hall, the door to Lab 4 was slightly ajar.

A pale light flickered from inside the room.

I stopped, holding my breath, and listened.

The faint sound of rustling papers came from inside the dark laboratory.

I reached for the metal handle of the door, my fingers cold against the steel.

As I pushed the door open, the sharp, sweet smell of chemical accelerant hit my nose.

A shadow moved near the chemical storage cabinets at the back of the room.

I froze, my hand still gripping the cold metal door handle.

The shadow resolved into a slender silhouette under the green emergency exit light.

It was Victoria.

She wore a silver silk gown, now stained with dark grease, her hair pulled back into a tight, messy bun.