Chapter 18 – The Tunnel
The tunnel swallowed them whole. One moment there was chaos—the shatter of glass, the sharp echo of footsteps—and the next, only the hum of the underground world, dimly lit by flickering overhead lights.
"Keep moving," Damian said, his voice rough, urgent. His hand gripped her wrist—not painfully, but with the steady insistence of someone who refused to let go.
Arielle's pulse hammered against her throat. She could still hear the faint sound of pursuit—boots scuffing against concrete somewhere behind them. The air was cold, damp, and smelled faintly of rust.
"I can't—" she started, her heels skidding slightly on the slick floor.
He turned sharply. "You can." His tone softened just a fraction. "You have to."
She nodded, catching her breath, clutching her gown as she followed him deeper into the passage. Her mind spun. Who were those men? Why were they after her? And how had Damian known about this hidden exit?
The tunnel bent sharply left. A motion sensor light flared to life, washing them both in harsh white. Arielle blinked. Damian's face looked carved from steel, jaw tight, eyes scanning every shadow. He was running on instinct—every nerve wired for danger.
Then, without warning, the ground trembled—a low rumble from somewhere above. Dust fell from the ceiling. Arielle flinched, and Damian immediately stepped in front of her, arm raised protectively.
"Hey, look at me," he said, lowering his arm. "You're fine. I've got you."
His voice was steady now, quieter but commanding in a way that made her focus on him instead of the fear.
She nodded again, though her legs were shaking. "You said this place was safe."
"It is. Or it was," he muttered, eyes darting toward the shadows. Then, under his breath: "They shouldn't have found this route."
Her heartbeat quickened. "They? You knew they'd come for me?"
His silence was answer enough.
They kept walking, the tunnel narrowing until it forced them close—too close. Their shoulders brushed, sending tiny shocks of awareness between them. She could hear his breathing, rough but controlled, the sound strangely grounding.
At a fork, Damian stopped and crouched beside a small keypad embedded in the wall. His fingers flew over it, entering a long code that made the panel beep twice before a hidden door hissed open.
"You have a secret door in a tunnel?" she asked, incredulous.
He almost smiled. "I have a few surprises."
"Clearly," she said, but her voice trembled just enough to betray how shaken she was.
Inside the new passage, lights came on automatically—soft, sterile, and strangely futuristic. The walls were steel, the floor dry, smooth. It looked like something out of a government facility.
"Where are we?" she asked, voice echoing softly.
"A secondary safe zone," he said. "Private security route built after the merger. Not many people know it exists."
"And you're one of them," she said, studying him.
He didn't answer. Just glanced at her shoes, then down the hall. "You'll slow us down in those."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're welcome to carry me."
He met her gaze—steady, unreadable—and for one dangerous second, she thought he might. The air between them shifted, charged. Then he exhaled and simply offered his hand.
"Come on," he said.
She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. His palm was warm, firm, grounding in the chaos. He steadied her as they moved, guiding her across the narrow metallic walkway.
Halfway through, a soft ping echoed through the hall—one of the motion sensors activating behind them.
Arielle froze. "Damian—"
"I know." He turned, eyes narrowing. In one smooth motion, he drew the small black firearm from his inner jacket. "Stay behind me."
"Wait, you're armed?" she whispered, eyes wide.
"Of course I'm armed." He didn't look back. "You thought I'd bring you into this without being ready?"
There was movement in the shadows ahead—a flicker of light, a faint sound like a metallic scrape.
"Who's there?" Damian barked, his voice slicing through the tunnel.
No answer. Just silence.
He took a step forward, weapon raised. Arielle's breath caught, her instincts screaming for her to run. But she couldn't—not with him standing between her and the unknown.
Then something moved again—a reflection off the far wall. Damian fired once. The echo was deafening in the enclosed space.
The sound bounced off steel and concrete. The next moment, sparks flared—an overhead light shattered, plunging them into partial darkness.
Arielle gasped, stumbling back. Damian spun, catching her before she fell.
"Easy," he murmured. His arm circled her waist, steadying her. She could feel the rapid thump of his heartbeat against her shoulder, matching her own.
"I—I thought—"
"I know." His breath brushed her ear, low and fierce. "But I told you—I've got you."
For a moment, they didn't move. Just stood there in the dim light, close enough to feel the heat of each other's panic.
Then the silence returned. No more footsteps. No more noise. Just the low hum of electricity running through the tunnel walls.
He lowered the gun slowly, scanning once more before turning back to her. "We move now. Quietly."
"Where?"
"There's a vault ahead," he said. "No one gets in without clearance. You'll be safe there."
"And you?"
His lips twitched—a shadow of a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll make sure no one follows."
Before she could protest, he brushed past her, leading the way deeper into the metallic corridor.
The lights pulsed faintly above them as they walked—heartbeat-like, rhythmic. Arielle followed, every step echoing in her ears. She couldn't shake the feeling that something—someone—was still watching from the dark.
And as Damian keyed in another code to open the final door, she looked back once more.
The tunnel was empty.
But the shadows still moved.
Xoxo Eloura 😘😘😘