Page 55 of Girl, Unseen

A siren wailed in the distance. New York's heartbeat, regular as artillery fire. The feed picked up rustling sounds - people shifting in their seats, fabric against fabric.

‘Why didn’t we get visual too?’ Ross asked.

'Too risky.' Ella pulled up the building's floor plan on her phone. Three exits, including the front door. No basement according to the records, though you never knew with places this old. 'The whole thing could go sideways in a heartbeat. All it takes is one nutjob with a weapon.’

‘Who among you has touched the void between states?Who has felt matter transform beneath their hands? The ancients knew. The texts preserved their wisdom.’

More rustling. Someone coughed. The feed picked up what might have been pages turning.

‘This guy talks a lot and says nothing,’ Ross muttered.

‘You’re not kidding, but what do you expect from someone who starts their own cult? Narcissistic personality disorder plus a messiah complex.’

‘The elements speak to those who listen. Earth whispers its secrets. Water reveals hidden truths. Air carries messages on every breeze. Fire cleanses all it touches.’

A cold finger walked down Ella's spine. The words were too close to their case - bodies transformed by earth and water. But Ezra's tone held no malice, no hint that he knew about Marcus Thornton or Sarah Chen. Just the rambling philosophy of a man who'd read too many medieval texts.

‘Think he did it?’ Ross asked.

‘The more he talks, the more I’m thinking he’s hiding some skeletons. But I don’t know. Our killer’s taking these ideas literally - using actual elements to murder people. Ezra's talking philosophy.’

‘Philosophy that got two people killed.’

‘Maybe. Or maybe someone in that room took his metaphors too far.’

The voice droned on. ‘We are not separate from the elements, brothers. We are them. Earth in our bones. Water in our blood. Fire in our minds. Air in our breath. The Great Work is not about changing reality - it is about remembering what we truly are.’

The Great Work.Ella made a mental note of whatever the hell that was.

Cultists murmured their agreements. The sound reminded Ella of wind through dead leaves.

Ross checked his watch. ‘How long do these things usually run?’

'Two hours, according to Felix. But we can't pull him out now. Not without starting a bloodbath.'

‘Brother Nine.’ Ezra's voice snapped. ‘You return to us after abandoning the path. Why?’

Ella's heart skipped. She grabbed Ross by the wrist. ‘Listen. He’s talking to Luca.’

This was it. His time to shine. They'd rehearsed responses, prepared for questions, but nothing could truly prepare you for lying to a room full of true believers.

‘The void called me back.’ Luca's voice carried the perfect mix of hesitation and reverence. Even his Jersey accent held firm. ‘I was... lost without the Order.’

Silence stretched through the feed. Ella held her breath. One wrong word, one slip in his persona, and this whole operation would implode.

‘The void always calls its children home.’ Satisfaction colored Ezra's tone. ‘But the path requires dedication. Sacrifice. Are you prepared to walk it again?’

‘Yes.’ Simple. Direct. Perfect.

Ross said, ‘Hawkins is keeping it light.’

Ella hushed him. Every word mattered now. Every sentence could be a clue to who among Ezra's followers had turned philosophical ravings into murder.

‘You sought knowledge in forbidden places. Tell us what you learned.’

Ella's breath caught. This wasn't part of the script. They hadn't prepared for direct questioning about Felix's attempt to access the restricted archives.

‘You… failed?’

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