Year 2054

  Month unknown

  Unknown Mercier offices:

  The interior glass door wheezed open with a hiss that echoed through the lifeless lobby. The sound reverberated off the walls, traveling in the empty space, before fading into the unnerving silence.

  The corridor was left behind as Dante continued limping he stepped on the steel floor in the lobby a buzzing sound ran through the floor. Beneath him twitched with dim light, dull whites and pale blues struggling to reactivate. The lights dim, with a major source of light coming from a luminescent flower in the center of the room.

  The lobby was pristine. Not a speck of dust and every sheet of paper perfectly stacked on the desk. Everything was normal except for the emptiness.

  Quiet.

  Everything is just quiet.

  “This doesn’t scream every horror game I have ever played.” Dante muttered at the end of his thoughts.

  He made his way past the silence and stopped in front of two elevators.

  This better be working.

  Dante pressed the button.

  Silence.

  Great…

  Just great.

  “Of course it’s broken.”

  “Where are the stairs?”

  Ah, there they are

  Dante walked to the side and placed his hand on the palm reader.

  Silence.

  Nothing had happened, Dante sighed and looked around.

  Looks like automated doors are off too, unless someone turned them off.

  I need something to open the reader.

  Dante limped back toward the front desk and began rifling through the drawers. Some were locked, nothing a hit from his swords pommel couldn’t handle.

  Huh, is that a sex toy? Who brings that to work?

  Dante stop getting distracted keep looking!

  Inside the third drawer he finally found something, a folding multitool.

  This will work.

  He made his way back to the stairwell panel. The small, interface staring back at him with blank indifference.

  Dante used the multitool and worked on the panel.

  Three minutes had passed.

  “I think I got it,” Dante muttered.

  The stairwell door began to open and then stopped, frozen.

  Of course, it would jam up, well, at least I can get my fingers in, I’ll have to slide the rest with my hands.

  Dante wedged his fingers into the narrow gap and strained. The metal groaned in protest as he forced the door open, inch by inch. Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, he didn’t stop until the opening was wide enough to slip through.

  He exhaled, and looked into the darkness.

  Well here is hoping the automated lights work.

  Dante tightened his grip on Mercier sword prepared to use it at a moments notice.

  The clean and silent lobby was replaced instantly. The stairwell's automated lights flickered as his foot entered. The area became dimly lit with weakened lights and the wall was painted with blood—smeared handprints, some dragged downward in desperate streaks, others pressed firmly as if marking territory. As one overhead light flickered, Dante saw doors barricaded with furniture piled haphazardly, others chained with padlocks whose keys were likely long gone, along with their owners.

  He looked down to see desks blocking the path.

  Hmm

  I think.

  “Nope.”

  Dante closed the door and turned around.

  Other stairs it is.

  The second stairwell door responded with a soft beep as Dante pressed his hand to the reader.

  Slowly it began to open, then a hiss as the lock disengaged, and the door jolted an inch before grinding to a halt.

  …

  Dante stared at the opening, barely enough for him to squeeze through by turning sideways.

  …

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “You have got to be fucking me.” Dante muttered as he closed his eyes.

  There is only so much a man can take…

  If I wasn’t worried about making too much noise, I’d just scream fuck at the top of my lungs.

  “…alright then I guess I'm doing this.”

  Dante pushed his shoulder against it — metal groaned in protest — and forced it just far enough to wedge himself through.

  He slipped inside sideways, one foot dragging behind him as he cleared the edge.

  The stairwell lit up with dim lights. Dante looked around to see it was mostly clean, gray concrete steps. A metal handrail bolted to the wall at regular intervals followed the stairs upward. A small security camera was mounted in the corner, its red indicator light dark and lifeless.

  The stairwell spiraled higher — metal grates and dull lighting panels ran along the inner wall. Some lights flickered faintly, others were dead, leaving scattered shadows where the fixtures had failed.

  A crumpled energy drink can rested beside a forgotten phone. Someone had dropped it in a hurry. Dante bent down and picked it up.

  Hmm, old model, almost no one uses physical phones anymore, most just use watches that can bring up holophones. Might be useful, or not, I’ll keep it just in case.

  Below, the stairwell descended into near-total darkness. Only the first few steps were visible in the dim emergency lighting before fading to barely visible shapes.

  “Aya.” Dante whispered quietly.

  “Activate hololight at the lowest setting.”

  From his watch, a small hologram formed of dim light appeared, shooting itself into the darkness. There, he caught the glint of something metallic — a desk leg jammed sideways between two railings, a file cabinet toppled onto the stairs below. Makeshift blockades at multiple levels.

  Well, I need to go up anyway.

  Dante began climbing, his footsteps echoing in the enclosed space. The Mercier sword remained clutched in his hand.

  One floor up, he encountered a door with duct tape in the form of an X. Someone had scrawled “Danger!!!” across it in red lipstick.

  I’m not going in there...

  I might have played too many video games, but there better not be some stupid thing that happens that forces me in there…

  Dante continued upward. The stairwell grew increasingly dark as he continued his ascent with only every third emergency light still functioning. The air became warmer and carried a faint burning smell.

  As he rounded the corner to the next flight, he stopped abruptly. Ahead, the entire stairway had caved in, metal steps twisted and warped as if exposed to extreme heat. A massive support beam had collapsed through the ceiling, crushing half the staircase beneath it.

  Did I mention how much I hated today yet?

  Dante attempted to push through the rubble to no avail.

  Different way, I guess.

  Dante stared at the collapsed stairway for a moment longer before turning back. He descended the stairs, passing the “DANGER!!!” warning again. This time, he paused.

  No choice. Up is blocked, down has barricades. I can move the barricades, but down isn’t necessarily safer. Besides I don’t have much time. I have to get back to my sister.

  I hope my friends are ok.

  No focus Dante keep moving.

  With reluctance, he pressed his palm to the scanner. The door slid open with a soft hiss.

  The office space beyond was chaotic, as if a great battle took place. What was left of the once orderly corporate workspace was no more. Cubicle walls had been knocked over, chairs overturned, and papers scattered everywhere. The large windows lining the far wall were shattered, jagged glass teeth still clinging to the frames. Cold air rushed in, carrying the distant sounds of the city—screams and car alarms.

  The office space beyond was chaotic, as if a great battle had taken place hours earlier. What was left of the once orderly corporate workspace was no more than a battlefield of broken furniture. Cubicle walls had been knocked over, chairs lay overturned, their wheels still spinning slowly as if recently disturbed. Papers scattered everywhere. The large windows lining the far wall were shattered, jagged glass teeth still clinging to the frames. Cold air rushed in, carrying the distant sounds of the city.

  Blood splatter painted the walls in arcing patterns, pooling on the floor in dark puddles. On one spot a family photo lay half drenched in the crimson pool. Yet no bodies were found despite all the blood.

  In the center of the room, a massive vending machine lay tilted at an awkward angle, leaning against a desk. Deep gouges scarred the floor beneath it where it had been dragged and partially tipped. Someone had tried—and failed—to move the enormous metal box, likely abandoning the effort. The machine’s glass front was cracked. A few candy bars and snacks had spilled out onto the floor.

  Nearby, an overturned water cooler had spilled its contents across the polished floor. Water mixed with blood to create a crimson pool that spread in all directions. Reflecting the flickering lights.

  This looks.

  …

  Pleasant.

  Not really.

  Ok, Dante, only inner thoughts now, no mumbling or thinking out loud, you don’t know if those things are around.

  As Dante moved deeper into the room, he noticed something odd about one of the blood trails.

  Was it dragged away? Or did it drag itself away?

  Dante thought to himself as he looked at the smeared blood trail. The trail led toward a set of double doors on the far side.

  Those doors had been barricaded. Desks, filing cabinets, and chairs were turned into a makeshift wall, blocking the entrance completely.

  THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

  As Dante approached, he heard the banging from the other side. Not a single bang but the sound of dozens of fists hitting the door in unison.

  That's one mystery I didn’t need answered. Nor do I want more answers, so I have to look around quickly.

  Dante glanced around the office. At the opposite end, close to the sealed doors, he spotted another door marked “Emergency Stairwell B.”

  The bloody stairwell…

  Not like I have much of a choice.

  If I can reach that, I might be able to get up to Sai’s office for the key, then down to the ground floor for the motorcycle. Assuming there are no other collapses.

  I really, really don’t want to go upstairs, but I need that damn key.

  He started moving toward the emergency stairwell, skirting around the bloody puddle, his senses paying attention to his surroundings. Keeping his distance as best as he could from unseen angles and from the barricaded doors.

  Then, a sudden crack made him freeze. One of the wooden panels in the barricaded door had splintered, and through the gap, he caught sight of something—a bloodied hand reaching through, fingers grasping at air.

  Of course, it would start breaking now.

  Through the door now.

  Dante ignored his pained leg and sprinted to the door pressing his palm on the reader.

  Nothing happened as the reader stayed blank.

  Fuck!

  No time to open this up besides if it gets stuck again.

  No I can’t risk that I have to look around and.

  A second hand broke through the door, followed by a series of groans and moans.

  Dante looked frantically around the room. The elevator doors were sealed shut, unlikely to work in an emergency. Next to them hung a fire axe in its glass case.

  Here goes nothing.

  Dante sprinted across the room as he heard more and more hands breaking through the wooden door, the sound of desks and chairs screeching in pain as weight was pressed on them.

  Despite the pain in his broken arm, Dante lunged for the axe, smashing the glass with his sword. He grabbed the handle and pulled out.

  Behind him, he began to hear a scratching sound as the barrier began to give way.

  ARGHHH!!!