"Guys! You made it!"
"Yeah," I smiled back. "You as well, it seems." I peered through the doorway, relief washing over me as I spotted Sydney, Cindy, and Jason huddled together but clearly unharmed.
"Yeah, come over quick," Christopher urged, his eyes darting nervously down the hallway behind us.
Elena and I slipped inside, and Christopher immediately slammed the door shut, the metallic click of the lock echoing in the silence.
"As expected of you, Ryan," Sydney said, though her casual tone couldn't mask the relief flickering in her eyes. "You survived this mess with Elena and came out unscathed." She didn't seem surprised to see me, but I caught the way her rigid posture relaxed slightly when she confirmed we were both alive.
"Yeah, it was difficult, but we made it through," I replied, my voice hoarser than I'd expected. "And that..." I paused, my attention caught by something unexpected. "Could it be?"
