The interior of the building was not dark or empty. It was filled with bright, artificial illumination. Rows of intense ultraviolet lights hung from the ceiling, casting a vivid purple glow across the entire upper floor. The air venting through the iron bars was not stagnant; it was freezing cold and smelled strongly of damp earth and some familiar chemical that he could not place.
James stared at the center of the room. Massive, industrial-grade air conditioning units and automated water filtration systems hummed quietly, their cables and hoses neatly pinned to the walls. The setup was incredibly modern, clean, and entirely active. This was a fully functioning, high-tech facility operating in complete secrecy.
As James tried to process what he was looking at, a shadow moved across the purple light. A figure dressed in a dark protective suit stepped into view directly beneath the window. Before James could pull away, the person looked straight up and made direct eye contact through the bars. The stranger’s eyes widened in shock, and a sharp, angry shout echoed from within the silent stone walls.