What Was Left Behind

Chapter 16: Into the Abyss

The sky over Hillstone was a blanket of dark clouds, the moon barely a sliver of light peeking through. As Maia and Levi sped down the empty road toward the old psychiatric facility, an unsettling sense of dread settled in Maia's chest. Her heart raced with a mixture of fear, anger, and hope—hope that Camilla was still alive, but dread at what she might find when they got there.

The facility loomed in the distance like a monstrous silhouette, its crumbling walls and broken windows hidden beneath layers of fog and shadow. It had been abandoned for years, forgotten by most people in town. But now, Maia knew that its secrets had been festering all this time. Camilla was there, somewhere inside, waiting.

Levi glanced over at Maia as they approached the gates, his expression tense. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice low, barely audible over the hum of the car's engine. "We don't know what's waiting for us in there."

Maia's hands clenched tightly in her lap, her mind set. "I don't care what's inside. Camilla is still alive, Levi. I'm not leaving her behind."

Levi sighed, his eyes flicking back toward the facility as they pulled to a stop just outside the rusted gates. "We'll get her out," he said, determination hardening his voice. "No matter what it takes."

Maia nodded, but the knot of anxiety in her chest only tightened. The air felt heavy, like something malevolent was watching them from the shadows. She stepped out of the car, the cold night air biting at her skin, and stared up at the crumbling building before her.

The facility looked like a tomb—silent, forgotten, filled with ghosts. And somewhere deep inside, Camilla had been waiting all these years, trapped in the twisted nightmare her father had created.

"We have to go in through the side," Levi said, his voice tense. "Matthews said the main entrance is too heavily guarded—whatever's left of the security system is still active. But there's a maintenance entrance in the back that'll get us inside."

Maia followed him around the side of the building, her heart pounding louder with each step. The moonlight barely illuminated the overgrown path, the shadows twisting and moving as if they were alive. Every sound—every rustle of leaves, every creak of the old structure—set her nerves on edge. But she couldn't stop now. Not when she was so close.

When they reached the maintenance entrance, Levi knelt down, pulling out a small set of tools from his jacket. The door was rusted and old, the lock long corroded, but Levi worked quickly, his movements precise. After a few tense moments, the lock clicked open, and he pushed the door open just enough to peek inside.

"Stay close," he whispered, motioning for her to follow.

Maia's heart hammered in her chest as they stepped into the dark, narrow corridor. The stench of mold and decay hit her immediately, and the walls were damp, lined with peeling paint and rusting pipes. The air was thick with the smell of something rotting, a smell that made her stomach churn. She forced herself to breathe through her mouth, her footsteps echoing faintly as they made their way deeper into the facility.

The silence was unnerving. The building felt empty, abandoned, but Maia knew better. There were things—people—hidden in the depths of the facility, just as Dr. Matthews had warned. And one of them was Camilla.

They moved through the twisting hallways, navigating through the maze of darkness. Levi kept checking the floor plan he'd memorized, leading them through a series of back corridors that seemed to stretch on forever. With each step, Maia's anxiety grew. She didn't know what condition Camilla would be in when they found her. Had the experiments changed her? Would she even recognize her?