Chapter 108: Beyond the Gate

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Beyond the Gate

Penelope reached the final landing slightly out of breath.

She wrapped one hand around the polished steel railing as she rounded the corner before pushing open the fire door leading onto the twenty-fifth floor.

The familiar hallway greeted her.

Sunlight no longer poured through the expansive windows overlooking the city. Every blind had been drawn tightly shut, leaving the corridor illuminated only by the elegant ceiling lights recessed overhead.

The peaceful silence she had grown accustomed to over the past two days felt strangely out of place after everything she had heard below.

She had barely taken three steps into the hallway when the neighboring penthouse door opened.

Killian stepped outside.

He had already fastened the utility belt around his waist, and the combat knife resting against his thigh caught the light as he closed the door behind him.

His expression remained as composed as ever.

Only his eyes betrayed that he’d heard it too.

"You heard the screams," Penelope said before he had the chance to speak.

Killian gave a single nod.

"I’ve been listening."

His gaze briefly shifted toward the stairwell door.

"They’re spreading."

Penelope nodded.

"We’re getting Ben."

"I figured."

He didn’t ask how.

He didn’t ask why.

He simply accepted the information and immediately began walking toward the stairwell.

"I’ll meet you there."

Penelope offered a quick nod before hurrying toward Penthouse 2502.

The front door opened almost the moment she reached it.

Aunt Mary stood on the other side, concern already written across her face.

"Penny?"

Penelope stepped inside.

Aurora remained asleep in her wooden rocking cradle near the living room, blissfully unaware of the growing unrest beyond the penthouse walls.

"The building’s changing," Penelope said, keeping her voice calm despite the urgency she felt. "People are leaving their apartments."

Aunt Mary’s expression grew serious.

"I heard the shouting."

"We’re going downstairs to find out what’s happening."

Penelope gently rested a hand on her aunt’s shoulder.

"I need you to stay here with Aurora."

Aunt Mary nodded without interrupting.

"Aunt Lucy will be coming upstairs in a few minutes," Penelope continued.

"I understand."

There wasn’t a trace of panic in Aunt Mary’s voice.

Only trust.

She reached up and gently squeezed Penelope’s hand.

"Be careful."

"I will."

Penelope offered her a reassuring smile before turning back toward the front door.

One floor below, Erik and Kai reached the familiar entrance to Ben and Aunt Lucy’s penthouse.

Kai barely had time to raise his hand before the door opened from the inside.

Ben stood in the doorway already dressed for combat.

A crowbar rested comfortably in one hand while a handgun remained holstered against his hip.

He looked from Erik to Kai before quietly asking,

"You heard it too?"

Erik nodded once.

"The whole building."

Ben stepped into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him.

Inside the apartment, Aunt Lucy looked toward the three men from the living room.

Ben turned back to her.

"Mom."

She immediately stood.

"I need you to head upstairs."

Her brows knitted together.

"To Mary’s?"

He nodded.

"Stay with her and Aurora."

Aunt Lucy didn’t argue.

She had lived through enough difficult moments to recognize the look on her son’s face.

Something had changed.

She quietly picked up the small emergency bag she’d prepared the day before and slung it over her shoulder.

"I’ll go now."

Ben smiled faintly.

"Thanks, Mom."

Without another word, Aunt Lucy made her way toward the stairwell leading to the twenty-fifth floor while Ben stepped fully into the hallway.

A moment later...

Killian and Penelope emerged from opposite ends of the corridor.

The five of them exchanged brief glances.

No lengthy explanations were needed.

They had all heard the same screams.

They had all reached the same conclusion.

It was time to find out what was happening below.

Together, they turned toward the stairwell.

The sounds rising through the building seemed louder now.

Closer.

As though the condominium itself had begun holding its breath.

And without another word...

The five of them started down the stairs.

For several moments...

The only sound accompanying them was the steady rhythm of their footsteps descending the concrete stairwell.

No one spoke.

The urgency that had brought them together moments earlier hadn’t disappeared, but neither had years of experience teaching each of them that rushing into the unknown rarely ended well.

Killian naturally moved to the front of the group.

Not because anyone asked him to.

It simply happened.

Erik followed a single step behind, his suppressed pistol resting comfortably in his right hand. The barrel remained pointed toward the floor, but his finger stayed well clear of the trigger as his eyes continuously swept the stairwell ahead.

Penelope walked between Erik and Kai.

Her right hand rested lightly against the wrapped handle of her katana while her left brushed the cool steel railing every few steps.

Ben brought up the rear.

The weathered crowbar hung naturally from his right hand, occasionally tapping against the concrete steps as they descended. Unlike Kai’s fire axe, which demanded attention because of its size, Ben’s weapon almost looked like another tool he’d picked up while repairing something around the condominium.

It suited him.

Dependable.

Practical.

Ready when needed.

Kai glanced over his shoulder toward Ben before breaking the silence.

"You didn’t waste any time."

Ben looked up from the stairs.

"Hm?"

"You were already dressed."

Ben smiled faintly.

"I heard the first scream about five minutes ago."

His eyes drifted toward Erik.

"I figured if you weren’t already on your way upstairs..."

"...you were probably on your way back."

Kai chuckled quietly.

"So you were waiting for us."

Ben shrugged.

"I was hoping I was wrong."

Nobody laughed.

Because they all understood exactly what he meant.

The screams continued echoing upward through the center of the stairwell.

Sometimes they sounded distant.

Other times...

Uncomfortably close.

As they descended another flight, Penelope noticed something she hadn’t paid attention to while rushing upstairs.

The air felt different.

She slowed slightly.

Her brows knitted together almost imperceptibly.

"...Is it just me..."

Kai looked toward her.

"What?"

She searched for the right words.

"...It feels warmer."

Ben instinctively loosened the collar of his shirt.

Now that she had mentioned it...

He noticed it too.

"It’s not just you."

Erik glanced toward one of the narrow emergency windows built into the stairwell wall.

The deep crimson sunlight filtering through the reinforced glass painted faint streaks across the concrete floor.

Even without standing directly beneath it...

The heat seemed heavier than it had been that morning.

Killian remained silent.

His eyes lingered on the window for only a brief moment before returning to the stairs.

"We’ll worry about that later."

His voice remained calm.

Matter-of-fact.

"The people come first."

No one disagreed.

Whatever was happening with the weather...

Whatever changes the Red Sun continued bringing to the world...

Could wait.

The frightened residents below could not.

The group continued downward.

As they approached the twenty-first floor security gate, the muffled voices became noticeably clearer.

Someone was crying.

Another person was shouting instructions.

A baby began wailing somewhere below before its cries were quickly muffled by an anxious parent trying desperately to quiet them.

Penelope felt her chest tighten.

Those weren’t soldiers.

They weren’t survivors hardened by days of fighting.

They were ordinary people.

People who had spent the last forty-eight hours praying someone else would solve the nightmare outside their doors.

Now...

They were finally stepping into it themselves.

Killian stopped in front of the security gate.

The reinforced steel door stood exactly as they had left it only two days earlier.

Despite the chaos echoing through the building...

Seeing it standing there brought an unexpected sense of reassurance.

They had built this.

Together.

Ben had reshaped the concrete surrounding the frame until it fit perfectly within the stairwell wall.

Kai had welded the reinforced hinges into place with controlled bursts of flame.

Erik had charged the electronic locking mechanism with his lightning, giving the system enough stored energy to operate independently from the building’s electrical supply.

Killian had strengthened every bolt, hinge, and locking pin until the door felt more like the entrance to a bunker than a residential floor.

It wasn’t just a security gate.

It was the first thing they had built as a family.

Penelope reached into the pocket of her cardigan and retrieved the black keycard.

A soft electronic chime echoed through the stairwell.

Beep.

The small indicator light changed from red to green.

With a muted mechanical click...

The lock disengaged.

Killian wrapped one hand around the handle before pulling the heavy door open.

As the reinforced steel swung inward...

The sounds from the lower floors became instantly louder.

The screaming.

The crying.

The hurried footsteps.

The desperate voices calling one another’s names.

It was as though the security gate had been holding the chaos back.

The five of them exchanged one final glance.

No words were necessary.

Then, together...

They stepped beyond the gate.