Curiosity won. Lukas stepped forward, raising his flashlight to peer through the grime-coated glass of the porthole. Through the swirling, heavy chemical mist inside the room, his beam cut across a dark shape, and his breath instantly caught in his throat. In the dim light, a distinct, man-shaped figure was actively moving right toward them.
“Jannik, there’s someone in there! They’re moving!” Lukas gasped, his heart leaping into his chest. He waved his flashlight in a blind panic, watching the dark silhouette inside the chamber mimic his motion, shifting rapidly toward the door. Adrenaline surging, Lukas grabbed the massive iron wheel-lock on the door, desperately trying to turn it. “We have to get them out!” he yelled, straining against the metal.
But the wheel wouldn’t budge. Behind the glass, the hissing grew deafening, and the steel door groaned, bowing even further outward. The pressure inside was reaching its absolute breaking point, and they were standing inches from the blast zone.