Chapter 22: The Doorman's Prophecy

Dr. Blackwood's betrayal had dealt a heavy blow to Silver Moon Apartments. Although Alex and Kai had successfully thwarted his plot, the entire building seemed shrouded in an atmosphere of unease. Residents whispered among themselves, with tension and fear permeating the air.

That morning, Alex and Kai were discussing plans to strengthen defenses in the lobby. Suddenly, a harsh creaking sound came from the main door, as if it hadn't been opened in years.

"Strange," Kai frowned, "Wasn't that door always locked?"

They cautiously approached, pushed open the door, and found a thick fog outside, severely limiting visibility.

"Be careful," Kai said softly, "This could be some kind of trap."

Just then, an old voice came from the fog: "Welcome, young guardians. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

A figure slowly emerged from the fog. It was an old man wearing an old-fashioned doorman's uniform, but his body was semi-transparent, clearly a ghost.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, feeling a chill.

The old man smiled, "I'm Tom, the first doorman of Silver Moon Apartments. I've been guarding this place for a century, waiting for the destined guardians to appear."

Kai stepped forward, "You said you were waiting for us? Why?"

Tom's expression turned serious, "Because the prophecy is about to be fulfilled. Silver Moon Apartments is facing its greatest crisis since its construction."

Alex and Kai exchanged a worried glance. Alex asked, "Is it because of Dr. Blackwood?"

Tom shook his head, "The doctor's betrayal is just the beginning. The real storm has yet to come."

He waved his hand, and the fog coalesced into a mirror. It showed images of Silver Moon Apartments being engulfed by darkness, countless void creatures pouring out from rifts.

"Is... is this the future?" Alex asked in horror.

Tom sighed, "This is one possible future. But the future is not fixed. Your choices will determine the fate of Silver Moon Apartments."

Kai clenched his fists, "What should we do? How do we prevent this from happening?"

Tom turned to Kai, "The answer lies within Silver Moon Apartments itself. This building is not just bricks and mortar; it's alive, with its own will. You must awaken its dormant power."

"But how?" Alex pressed.

Tom's figure began to blur, "Seek the relic left by the architect. Only it can guide you to the truth. But be careful, dark forces are also searching for it."

As Tom was about to disappear, he left a final warning: "Remember, time is short. When the thirteenth bell tolls, everything will be settled."

With these words, Tom's figure vanished completely, and the fog dissipated with him. Alex and Kai stood in the sunlight, feeling dazed.

"Was that real?" Alex muttered, "Or just our imagination?"

Kai took a deep breath, "Real or not, we can't ignore this warning. We must find the architect's relic."

They hurried back into the building and began an intense search. Alex took charge of the upper floors, while Kai searched the lower levels. But after several hours, they found nothing.

Just as they were about to give up, Alex suddenly remembered something. "Wait," he said, "Remember that old clock that always showed the wrong time?"

Kai's eyes lit up, "The one in the corner of the lobby?"

They rushed to the lobby and approached the ancient grandfather clock. Upon closer inspection, they noticed something odd about the arrangement of numbers on the clock face.

"This isn't an ordinary clock," Kai said, "Look at these symbols, they're like some kind of code."

Alex reached out to touch the clock face, and suddenly, the entire clock began to emit a faint glow. The face slowly moved aside, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside lay an ancient notebook and a peculiar key.

"Is this the architect's relic?" Alex carefully picked up the notebook.

Just then, the entire building suddenly began to shake violently. Alarms sounded on every floor.

"What's happening?" Alex asked in panic.

Kai's expression grew grim, "It's a Void invasion! They've sensed the energy of the relic!"

They rushed to the window and saw enormous rifts appearing in the sky, with countless dark shapes pouring out.

"We have to do something!" Alex shouted, feeling an unprecedented sense of fear and responsibility.

Kai gripped Alex's hand tightly, "We will. But first, we need to understand this relic. It might be our only hope."

They hurried back to Alex's room and began to study the notebook. It was full of complex runes and diagrams, along with the architect's scribbled notes.

"Look here," Kai pointed to a page, "It mentions a 'Heart Chamber'. Says it's the source of Silver Moon Apartments' power."

Alex frowned, "But we've never heard of such a place."

Just then, Leo's apparition appeared. "The Heart Chamber does exist," he said, "But it's hidden, only revealing itself when Silver Moon Apartments faces its greatest crisis."

"Isn't now the most critical time?" Alex asked anxiously.

Leo nodded, "Yes. But to open the Heart Chamber, two things are needed: the architect's key, and the guardians' sacrifice."

Kai and Alex exchanged a glance, both understanding what this meant.

"We have no choice," Kai said softly.

Alex gripped Kai's hand, "We'll face it together. No matter what happens."

Leo's expression softened, "Your courage and love remind me of my father. Perhaps this time, Silver Moon Apartments can escape its fate."

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed, and the entire building shook violently.

"Time is running out," Leo said urgently, "You must act now!"

Alex took a deep breath, looking at Kai, "Ready?"

Kai nodded, determination flashing in his eyes, "With you, I'm always ready."

Holding the key, they set off towards the core area of Silver Moon Apartments under Leo's guidance. The surrounding walls began to twist and deform, as if the entire building was trembling in anticipation of its impending fate.

When they reached an ancient door, Alex looked back at the window. Darkness had already engulfed half the city, with Silver Moon Apartments standing as the last bastion.

"No matter what happens," Alex said, "We must protect this home."

Kai nodded, "For Silver Moon Apartments, for all the residents, and for our future."

They gazed at each other lovingly, then together inserted the key into the lock. With a crisp "click", the gears of fate began to turn. The final battle for Silver Moon Apartments was about to begin.