The metallic echo continued rolling through the mountain. It wasn't loud.
It was deep.
Ancient.
Like machinery that had been asleep for generations.
No one moved.
Every flashlight remained fixed on the darkness ahead.
Thomas slowly lowered the notebook.
His weathered face had turned pale.
"It responded."
Magnus frowned.
"To the Key?"
Thomas nodded.
"And to Arthur's sequence."
Samuel stared into the tunnel.
"So Vault C..."
"...knows we're here."
Thomas gave a slow, almost reluctant nod.
"It always did."
Far behind them...
the battle still raged above ground.
Muffled explosions vibrated through the stone ceiling.
Occasional bursts of gunfire echoed faintly down the tunnel before fading into silence.
Hayes' last transmission continued repeating in Sebastian's mind.
We'll buy you every minute we can.
He tightened his grip on the brass cylinder.
