The door creaked open with a slow, deliberate motion, and the air inside tensed and paused dramatically, as though giving highlight on the unfolding events.
With bated breaths, Sandro and Luis watched the door, their eyes focused, eyes that held suspicion and curiosity, mixed with trepidation on what would be their future after the mastermind showed their faces.
The dim light from the stairway filtered into the underground room, adding light from the dark space lit only by the morning light passing from the gaps on the exhaust fan.
Finally, the figure emerged, garnering shock from the two abducted victims.
Luis' eyes widened, and even after he prepared his heart for the big reveal, astonishment still caught him in a downpour, washing away his sense of dread for a moment, only to be replaced with utter disbelief.
With a shocked and broken voice, Luis mumbled, "Ma'am…Raine…"