Story 361: In the Depths

The air in the sewer was damp and heavy, filled with the faint stench of decay and stagnant water. Zara’s boots splashed softly as she moved through the narrow tunnel, her steps measured and deliberate. The faint hum of machinery above her was a constant reminder that she wasn’t out of danger yet.

She paused at a junction where three tunnels met, her eyes scanning the darkness. The map she’d memorized years ago from her days as a security operative flickered in her mind. If she was correct, the left tunnel would lead her to an old maintenance shaft—a hidden exit to the surface. But the right tunnel...

She hesitated, instincts tugging at her. Something about the right tunnel felt off, like an invisible thread pulling her toward it. Was it curiosity? Or was it a trap?

Her hand tightened on the rifle. Zara wasn’t one to leave mysteries unsolved, even in the face of danger. She turned right.