And in that heartbeat, instinct took over.

Light. Noise. Don’t stay quiet.

Emma bolted through the doorway, slapping every switch she could reach. The corridor exploded in light.

Then she pounded on the nearest apartment door, fists shaking.

“Help! Please help me!”

Her small, trembling voice cracked with panic, but it echoed down the stairwell like an alarm.

The Door Opens

The man in black froze mid-step, startled by the blinding lights and the sound of the child’s desperate cry.