The assault was relentless, but didn’t seem to do enough. Here and here, the woman slipped to one side. She was picked up, slipped away from the Custodian’s grip, and wasn’t shoved or thrown, instead buying herself a second to speak.

“Wait three seconds, throw it into the ceiling, at eleven point five o’clock,” Contessa said.

The assault on Contessa stopped. I could see movement through the water that pooled on the hallway’s floor, with the dangling wires sparking where they touched it. All electrified, now with the Custodian rushing toward Precipice.

I got in the way, forcefield out. She crashed into me, drove me back, and pushed me toward Rain, where the Wretch would have him in her reach.

Stay still, I thought, as we were pushed through wires, using my flight to push back against the driving, invisible force. Don’t lash out, don’t bite. I can’t control you but please, don’t do anything for two seconds.

I found myself within reach of Rain for a moment, but the Wretch didn’t strike him. A second later, he was driven back. The Custodian had flowed out and around me to attack him, picking him up. Sveta reached out with tendrils to support him. He used his power to lock himself in place.

Rain threw the tool. I felt it hit the Wretch, not hard enough to break it, and it ended up going nowhere near the eleven o’clock direction.

But it hit live wires. Sparks flew, and all of the lights went out, casting the hallway into near complete darkness. Only a few small fires and costume details glowed. I saw Rain fall to the ground.

“Once this facility has served its purposes, he will discard it. He will ask you to help him build something new somewhere else. You will be excited, initially. A fresh start, a new build. Then you will come to resent it. You will hate him. You will hate yourself.”

There was only silence.

“You will live for a very long time, Custodian. It will be a long time of hating yourself.”

The lights came back on. Red-tinted emergency lighting.

Contessa now stood in the water that had been electrified before. The switch to emergency power had removed the hazard. She brushed wires aside as she walked through them, putting a hand out to the wall for balance.

“You okay?” I asked Rain.

He nodded, the silver-white cracks and glowing eyes of his mask bobbing up and down. “Where is the Custodian?”

“Gone,” Contessa said. “But not done. We should walk briskly.”

“Or run?” Byron asked. He stood outside of this particular set of hallways.

“Walk briskly,” Contessa affirmed. “Ask your questions, tell me what you need.”

“How does this work?” Capricorn asked. Byron. He’d been in the other hallway, and now stood at the door.

“She’s a genie,” Imp said. “Make a wish.”

“It’s not quite that,” Contessa said.