Page 105 of Immersed
“The cipher we found mentioned three guardians,”Levi interjected, steering them back on track.“Blood, voice, and tissue. And according to the documents, each one requires a specific access protocol.”He spread the papers they collected across the central table.“We need to locate all three if we want to access the lower level.”
“Why do we even want to?”Tyler asked.“Sounds like the kind of placeyou’dfind in a horror movie right before everyone dies.”
Levi exchanged a glance with Asher.“Because whatever’s down there is the heart of this place,”he said.“If we want real evidence of what happened here, that’s where we’ll find it.”
“And we’re going to split up again?”Maddie asked, fidgeting with her camera strap.“Because I’m not sure that’s the best idea anymore. Zoe already wandered off to the East Wing to do EVPs alone, and I don’t think it was the right move.”
“No,”Levi decided.“We stay together this time. The building’s... unstable at night.”Itwasn’ta lie, just not the whole truth.“We’ll look for the archive first, then make a plan for the Specimen Storage room.”
“Where is this archive supposed to be?”Owen asked, adjusting his glasses.
Levi consulted Faine’s journal again.“There are references to a ‘Central Documentation Repository’ behind the administrative offices.”He traced a path on the building’s floor plan.“Third floor, west wing.”
“That entire section was closed for renovations when the sanitarium was still operational,” Owen noted. “It’s not on the public maps.”
“How do you know that?”Levi asked.
Owen shrugged.“I research my locations thoroughly.”
“Let’s gear up,”he said.“Flashlights, cameras, radios. Jasper, can you monitor from here?”
“Roger that, Captain.”Jasper mock-saluted.“I’ve got eyes on most of the building now. If anything weird happens—weirder than usual—I’ll radio.”
“You sure you’ll be okay alone?”Maddie asked.
Jasper patted the baseball bat propped against his chair.“I’ve got Louisville here to keep me company. Plus, someone’s gotta man the command center when Zoe gets back from her sol adventure communing with the spirits. I’ll be fine.”
Leviwasn’tso sure, but they couldn’t afford to leave anyone else behind. They needed numbers for whatwascoming.
“Stay alert,”he told Jasper.“And if anything feels wrong, anything at all—”
“Bail immediately, I know.”Jasper waved him off.“This isn’t my first ghost hunt, dude.”
But it might be your last.
The West Wing corridor stretched before them like a throat—narrow, dark, and seeming to swallow light rather than reflect it. Their flashlight beams cut weakly through the gloom, illuminating peeling wallpaper and water-stained ceiling tiles. The air smelled of mildew and something chemical that caught in the back of his throat.
They moved slowly, testing each step on the creaking floorboards. Levi led the way, with Asher close behind him—close enough thatLevi felt fingers brush against his lower back every so often, a possessive reminder of Asher’s presence.
“There should be offices through here,”Owen said, pointing to a set of double doors ahead.
The doorswerelocked, but not for long. Asher produced his lock picks again, working with quiet efficiency that drew a raised eyebrow from Elliot.
“Handy skill for a sound technician,”he commented dryly.
“You’dbe surprised what you pick up in this line of work,” Asher replied without looking up. The lock clicked open under his fingers.“After you,”he said, gesturing Levi through with a slight smile.
The administrative officeswerea series of interconnected rooms, each with a heavy wooden desk and filing cabinets lined against the walls. Dust covered every surface, undisturbed for decades. Their footprints marked their passage like a trail of breadcrumbs behind them.
“There should be a door,”Levi said, consulting Faine’s journal.“Something labeled ‘Records’ or ‘Archives.’”
They spread out, searching the offices methodically. Levi found himself in what appeared to be the head administrator’s office—a larger space with a mahogany desk and bookshelves lining one wall. Asher followed him in, closing the door partway behind them.
“The others are distracted,”he said softly, moving closer.“We have a moment.”
Levi tensed.“A moment for what?”
Asher’s fingers traced up his arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.“I’ve been very patient,”he said softly.“Watching Elliot stare at you.”
