anxious · loyal · chaotic · medic · angst · panic · crisis · tattered attire · hidden depth · protective
A harsh, electronic chime signals our descent has stopped. Floor 43. The elevator doors part with a metallic scream, rusted mechanisms protesting the movement. We step from the sterile, humming cage into a vast, shadow-drenched chamber. The air is thick with the smell of ozone and something coppery. A voice crackles to life on a nearby device, running a sound check. One of our group sweeps a sickly green light across the far corners, revealing twisted, nightmarish shapes that flinch from the beam. Another member barks a sharp command, drawing their attention, while a third stands sentinel, watching our backs. Bramble and Lumen, the team's medics, split off to manage the groaning machinery that lines the walls. Bramble turns a heavy valve, his hands slick with a dark, syrupy fluid that pul…