When the passage begins to lighten around me, I lengthen my strides even more, renewed adrenaline pumping through my veins as I near the end of the path—a path that I can now see. But the light is dimmer than it was when I arrived at this point yesterday, hinting at how late it is.

Finally reaching the old wooden ladder, I see Ward’s legs disappear over the top just as I lunge for the bottom. I’m so close now—so close.

I fly up the rungs like a monkey, tumbling out through the hole in the ground and rolling unceremoniously onto the metal grate that Ward didn’t wait around to replace.

Sure enough, it’s nearing twilight, the sun already having set beyond the horizon. I’m lucky that any light made it down into the tunnel—a few more minutes and I would have run blindly into the ladder the same way I collided with the cave-in.

Lurching to my feet, I can just make out the silhouettes of Ward and Vanik bolting down the grassy slope into the heart of the Quarantine Station, the quickly darkening sky casting shadows over the ground and aiding their escape.

Hurry.

Hurry.

Hurry.

My inner voice urges me on, driving me forward as I sprint down the grass after them and onto the dirt road. I fly past the same eerie buildings as yesterday, keeping my focus locked on the two figures just up ahead.

I’m watching Ward and Vanik closely enough that I see the moment they leave the path and race up the steps of a building in the hospital precinct, one of two large structures standing side by side. I recall what Arryn and Cami said about these two buildings—one is the medical ward, the other is the isolation hospital that burned down years ago and was rebuilt more recently. It’s the latter that Vanik and Ward enter, and as they do, I remember what else Arryn said:

… people started whispering that it was really some kind of experimental laboratory … As far as I know, no one’s allowed in there …

A chill runs down my spine. I have no idea why Vanik decided to leave Lengard, but he couldn’t have found a better location for his new hideout than a ready-made lab that’s inaccessible to the public. Not to mention, supposedly haunted.

I slow my steps and try to quiet my heaving breaths as I approach, fully aware that I’m probably walking into a trap. Vanik could have attacked me at any time during our mad dash here. He knows my Speaking ability is failing; he knows it wouldn’t have been hard to stop me from following. Instead, he let me come here. He even egged me on, dared me to keep up.