Page 126 of Immersed
A sound from the wall broke the moment—a subtle grinding that indicated the building was changing again. A seam appeared in whathad been solid surface, widening to reveal a passageway where none existed before.
“Looks like we’re being invited to continue.” Asher tucked himself back into his jeans and refastened them as he stood before offering Levi his hand. “Shall we?”
Levi nodded, not trusting his voice. He felt hollowed out, scraped raw by what had just happened.
The newly formed passage led to a narrow stairwell that spiraled upward, the steps worn smooth by decades of use. According to the blueprint, it should connect to the upper level where the Observation Deck was located—the site of the third and final key.
They climbed in silence. The stairs seemed to extend further than physically possible, each turn revealing yet another flight instead of the expected exit.
“Something’s wrong,” Levi said after what felt like the twentieth identical landing. “We should have reached the upper level by now.”
As if in response to his observation, a grinding sound emanated from above. The stairwell shuddered, dust raining down from the ceiling as the structure reconfigured itself once again.
“The building’s still changing,” Asher noted, glancing upward. “Adapting to our progress.”
A new sound reached them—the rushing of water, growing steadily louder. From above, a torrent appeared, cascading down the stairwell in a powerful surge that immediately soaked them.
“It’s flooding the shaft!” Levi shouted above the roar of water. “We need to go back down!”
But when they turned, the lower portion of the stairwell was already submerged, water rising with alarming speed. They were trapped between the incoming flood from above and the rising level below.
“There!” Asher pointed to a maintenance door on the landing, barely visible in the dim light. “That might lead to another section!”
They moved toward it, the water ankle-deep and rising quickly. Asher wrenched the door open to reveal a horizontal shaft.
“Go!” he urged, helping Levi climb into the opening. “I’m right behind you.”
The passage was tight, forcing them to crawl on hands and knees. Water followed them in, flowing along the bottom of the shaft in a steadily deepening stream.
“Keep going,” Asher called from behind, his voice tight with unusual tension. “Don’t stop.”
The shaft branched, each junction forcing a split-second decision. Levi chose directions instinctively, with no real way to know which path might lead to safety. The water continued to rise, now flowing around their wrists, making each movement more difficult.
After what seemed like an eternity of crawling, the passage widened into a small junction chamber where several ducts converged. The water splashed around Levi’s elbows and thighs.
“Which way?” Levi asked, scanning the identical openings that surrounded them.
Before Asher could respond, a violent surge of water crashed through one of the ducts, the force of it knocking Levi sideways. The current pulled him toward a different passage, the suction unnaturally strong.
“Asher!” he called, fingers searching for purchase on the smooth metal walls and finding none.
Asher lunged for him, catching his wrist in a grip of iron. For a moment, they were suspended in perfect balance—the current pulling Levi away, Asher’s strength holding him in place.
“I’ve got you,” Asher grunted. “Hold on.”
But the water’s force was increasing, the current becoming a powerful vortex centered on the passage, as if the building itself was determined to separate them, to drag Levi away into its depths.
Asher’s grip began to slip.
“If we get separated,” he said through gritted teeth, “find me. Promise me you’ll find me.”
In all their loops together, Asher had always been the one to find Levi, to hunt him down with predatory determination. Now he was the one afraid of being lost.
“Promise me, Levi!” he demanded, the fear naked in his eyes now.
“I promise!” Levi shouted.
It was the last thing he said before the current won, Asher’s fingers slipping from his wrist. The water swept him into the passage, carrying him away and slamming him against the metal walls. The narrow duct filled with water. There was no air, no light, just a relentless current pulling him deeper into the building’s bowels.
