These Wicked Games

Chapter 18

The faintly lit hallway feels so oddly different than any other time I've been through it before. The air feels unusually cold, as if someone turned down all the heat. I try not to pause and look at the dead bodies that stay littered on the foyer floor as I rush down the stairs to the same blind entryway hiding in the corner.

I have to keep my eyes on the prize and focus on my game for the rest of the night if I want to survive. I hold my hands out to my sides, feeling my fingers glide against the rough walls until I reach the same split as before.

South

I tell myself and turn right continuing until I reach the end of the path that leads to the same door, scanning my thumbprint on the device to the side until I see the green light flash and the door opens with a click.

The last time I was in this room, it was lit by a fireplace to the right, but this time it's void of any light and a cold air rushes past me, sending shivers down my spine. The same place but so different than before. I feel blindly along the walls with my hands until they land on a small knob and I turn it, hoping it's the light.

Instead, black lights engulf the room and the wall that once held the founders' family tree's gold etchings are now glowing stunningly bright. From across the room you can see the drawn branches and leaves that you never could see in regular light.

The name Coronado to the left and Sovrano to the right, and sitting right at the top center of the tree is the Empresa E and crown sitting inside a brightly glowing circle. But what catches my eye is the slight pulsating of the circle, somehow calling to me.

I tilt my head at it wondering what it is as I walk towards the wall. I reach my arm up to touch it, standing on my tippy toes to reach and notice the circle sticking out of the wall by a fraction of an inch. Why didn't I notice that before? I run my fingers around the edge and feel a slight give when I push on it.

Push

I reach up with both my hands leaning as much of my weight on it until it clicks down. Suddenly, a rumbling sound starts behind me and I turn to see what I had to have set off.

One of the shelves began to push forward, creaking softly as it slid to the side, revealing a hidden passageway.

As I approach the wall of bookshelves, I can't help but feel a tingle of excitement run down my spine.

This is it. I quickly run through a mental checklist of everything I have with me. I draw my gun, checking to make sure it's loaded, and then reach for the bottle of what's left of Callum's poison. The memory of Inari's face comes to mind and I can feel the tears starting to well up. I take a deep breath, trying to push the emotion aside.

Knowing that I'm in a black lit room, I reach for my cards, shuffle through them, reading what's left.

Portrait
Catacombs

40, 13

I pull out the two new cards.

Welcome home

The back is a number this time, 25. And lastly, the card Hayes just gave me with that symbol and the last hidden clue.

Down

I commit them to memory before putting them all away. I know that I need to be careful, but I also know that I won't back down from this fight. It's time to take control and find my way through the darkness.