As they retraced their steps, the corridor felt subtly different—less lifeless, the faint thrum of electricity giving it a heartbeat again. Lights flickered steadily now, casting long shadows that no longer seemed quite so ominous. The silence wasn't oppressive anymore. It felt…waiting.
By the time they returned to the main floor, a few of the others were already at work. Someone had swept the worst of the dust from the common area, and blankets were being laid out across the cleaner parts of the floor. A couple of small battery lamps had been turned off in favor of the real lights, dim but steady overhead.
Yu Song broke off from their group to check in with the new arrivals, offering bottled water and ration packs. Zhu Zhang nodded his thanks quietly, watching his daughter sip from the cup with wide, tired eyes.
