Chapter 9: Edge of Control

The Whisperer pulled Alex out from the wall, his movement jerky, deliberate. "Let's go. Stay close to me."

Alex felt his heart pumping as they were dragged out into the broken-down building. Flickering neon light outside would paint shattered windows with a glow of eerie blue.

"Why don't we just go ahead and face them?" Alex asked in a whispered voice, his eyes darting back at the indistinct outline standing outside.

"Because you're not ready," the Whisperer said without breaking stride. "And they don't come alone."

As they moved deeper into the building, the air grew colder. The rooms were barren, the peeling wallpaper barely clinging to the walls. Each step echoed like a drumbeat in Alex's ears.

"Where does this lead?" Alex asked, their voice trembling.

To an exit, if we're lucky," the Whisperer replied.

A distant creak halted them. Alex stilled, listening intently. The sound came again—this time closer.

"They're inside," the Whisperer said grimly.

Panic swirled in Alex's chest. "What do we do?"

The Whisperer scanned the space around him, his eyes calculating. "We split up.

"What?" Alex hissed, their voice rising. "No way! That's how people get killed in movies!"

"Movies don't have Orion," the Whisperer snapped. "I'll draw them off. You take the fire escape. Keep moving, and don't stop for anything."

Before Alex could argue, the Whisperer pushed open a side door and disappeared into the shadows.

Alex hesitated, their heart pounding. Creaking grew louder, and the faint sound of footsteps came along with it. Swallowing their fear, Alex hurried toward the fire escape.

The rusty metal stairs groaned under their weight as they descended, every sound amplified in the silence. The alley below was bathed in darkness save for the faint glow from the distant streetlights.

As Alex landed on the ground, they heard a faint whisper: their name.

They turned, their breath hitching. A shadow shifted at the edge of the alley, too far to make out.

"Alex," the voice came again, soft but unmistakable.

It was the Whisperer. Or was it?