"The main electrical room should be in the basement," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the adrenaline still pumping through me from our kiss. "The backup generators should have kicked in automatically. Something must be wrong."
"Just hurry up," she muttered behind me, her voice cold again. "I need to finish my work so I can get out of here."
The stairwell was pitch black except for the beam of my phone light. I moved slowly, making sure Lily could follow safely.
"Be careful on these stairs," I warned as we descended below the ground floor. "They're steeper than the others."
"I know the building," she replied curtly.
We reached the basement, and I opened the heavy door that led to a space that looked abandoned. The darkness down here was even more complete, the air cool and slightly damp. I felt like we were in a horror movie, right after experiencing what might have been the best moment I'd had in the last ten years.
The sooner I could resolve this power issue, the better.
"Do you know where exactly the electrical room is?" I asked.
"Down the hall to the left. There should be a red door."
I nodded and kept walking until I found the door labeled "Electrical. Authorized Personnel Only." I tried the handle. It was unlocked.Good.
Inside, the room was filled with panels and switches. I swept my light across them, looking for anything labeled 'emergency power'.
Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I just pretended to be confident, hoping the answer would reveal itself. Maybe while I was figuring this out, the power would return on its own. And maybe Lily would stay here with me a little longer. I didn't want to say goodbye yet, not when I had ten years of feelings and unspoken words stored inside me.
"Do you see anything?" Lily asked, standing close behind me. Despite the tension between us, she got close to me, probably because of the same strange fear I was feeling in this place. I could feel the warmth of her body, smell the faint scent of her perfume, something floral and light that was different from what she used to wear but somehow still distinctly hers.
"Just a second," I murmured, focusing on the task. Then, at the bottom of the main panel, I spotted a lever marked "Backup Power. Caution."
"There it is," I said, reaching for it. "This should restore power to at least some section of the building."
I gripped the lever firmly and pulled it upward.
But instead of restoring power to the building, a flash was followed by a deafening boom. I instinctively pulled Lily into my arms, but the force threw us both to the ground. Smoke started coming from the panel, but for some reason, I couldn't move; my left arm hurt badly, and the blow I’d received to my head was starting to affect my vision. I felt consciousness fading as I tried to focus my gaze on the light of my phone lying on the floor.
And then, with Lily motionless in my arms, I passed out.
CHAPTER 9
Lily
Beep.Beep. Beep.
The rhythmic sound penetrated my consciousness first, followed by a dull ache that seemed to radiate from everywhere at once. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt impossibly heavy.
When I finally managed to lift them, the harsh fluorescent light from the ceiling made me wince. Around me were white walls, the smell of disinfectant, and rough sheets. It seemed I was in a hospital room.
What happened? The last thing I remembered was the electrical room, the flash of light, Kyle pulling me against him as the explosion...
"Lily? You're awake!"
I turned my head slowly toward the voice. My father was rising from a small sofa in the corner of the room, his face etched with concern and relief.
But something was wrong. Very wrong. I could feel it, although I still didn't know exactly what it was.
"How do you feel?" he asked, moving to stand beside my bed.
I stared at him, confusion clouding my thoughts. He looked... different. His salt-and-pepper hair had more pepper than salt. The deep lines around his eyes were softer, less pronounced. He looked younger. Much younger than he had just days ago.
"What happened?" I managed to croak, my throat dry and scratchy.
