Page 123 of Immersed
“No!”Tyler slammed his fists against the seamless surface, as if he could break through by sheer force of will.
“Tyler, we have to move!” Levi shouted as the remaining corridor twisted like a serpent. Tyler remained frozen, staring at the spot where Maddie had vanished. The floor beneath him began to distort, forming a concave depression that deepened with alarming speed.
Asher grabbed Levi’s arm as he tried to dart forward after Tyler.“Don’t,”he warned.“You’ll be caught too.”
The depression became a pit, Tyler’s stunned form sinking out of sight. His eyes met Levi’s in one final moment of horrified recognition before the opening sealed above him, the floor returning to its original flat state as if nothing had happened.
And just like that, two more of their companions were gone.
“We need to get out of here,”Asher said, already pulling Levi down the corridor.“Before the building decides we’re next.”
They ran through the morphing hallways, the architecture shifting around them in ways that defied physical laws. Walls curved inward, formed acute angles, and sometimes disappeared entirely to reveal new passages. The ceilingalternatelyrose to cathedral heights and descended to force them to crawl, and the floor itself seemed alive, rippling beneath their feet like muscle contracting.
They rounded a corner to find the corridor ahead twisting into a corkscrew of carpet and wainscoting that rotated before their eyes.
“This isn’t possible,”Levi gasped, watching the geometry unfold.
A doorway appeared in the wall beside them. With no other option, they ducked through it, finding themselves in what appeared to be a small conference room. The door sealed behind them with a definitive click, the wood grain flowing like liquid before solidifying again.
The room remained stable,unaffected by the architectural chaos outside. A long table surrounded by chairs occupied the center, while a whiteboard covered one wall. It looked ordinary, as if they’d stepped out of a nightmare into a mundane corporate setting.
“Is it over?”Levi gasped, leaning against the table to catch his breath.
“For now,”Asher replied, testing the wall where the door had been with a few knocks.“It seems like the building has decided to contain us rather than crush us. For the moment.”
The calm in his voice was unsettling. Four of their companions were gone—Owen and Zoe erased from existence, Maddie and Tyler consumed by the building itself. Yet Asher seemed almost pleased by the development, as if the deaths were convenient rather than tragic.
“We’re trapped,”Levi noted, searching for another exit and finding none.“No windows, no other doors.”
“Not trapped,”Asher corrected, moving toward him with that predatory grace that always signaled danger.“Private.”
The word sent a chill down Levi’s spine.
“Now we have time,”Asher continued.“Just the two of us. No interruptions.”
42
Swim Speed
Levibackedaway,theedge of the conference table pressing against his thighs. “We need to focus on finding a way out,” he insisted. “The third key—”
“I’ve waited long enough,” Asher cut him off, closing the distance between them with two long strides.
His hands shot out, gripping Levi’s shoulders and shoving him back onto the table’s surface. His back hit the polished wood with a thud that knocked the breath from his lungs.
Asher loomed over him, pinning him to the table with his body weight. “I’ve been patient,” he insisted, fingers digging painfully into Levi’s shoulders. “I’ve been good.”
“Asher, stop—” Levi began, but the words were smothered as Asher’s mouth crashed down on his.
There was nothing gentle in the kiss. Asher’s teeth caught Levi’s lower lip, biting hard enough to draw blood. His tongue pushed past Levi’s lips, claiming rather than asking. When he pulled back, his eyes were dark with something beyond desire—a desperate, almost panicked intensity. “I can feel it,” he said, voice tight with emotion. “Something’s coming. I’m going to lose you.”
The vulnerability in his tone was startling, but it was fleeting, replaced almost immediately by renewed aggression as his hands moved to Levi’s clothes, pulling at them.
“I need you to be mine,” Asher continued, words spilling out in a rush. “All of you. Before it’s too late. I don’t want to follow your rules anymore. We can’t...”
Levi struggled against his grip, but trying to move Asher was like trying to push a brick wall. “Not like this,” he gasped. “Not here.”
“Yes, here,” Asher insisted, one hand moving to Levi’s throat. “Yes, now.”
