Before she could process the moment further, Daniel called out, “Hey, I’m gonna get that document for the Kevin Delaney subject matter.” His voice was low, almost intimate, as if he was sharing a secret with her.

Juniper got up quickly, saying, “Oh, it’s right here,” as they both approached the table stacked with files in the corner. The air between them seemed to crackle with electricity, the chill of the basement air forgotten in the heat of the moment.

As soon as the two reached the threshold of the table, they heard an echoing crack from above them… the sound reverberating through Juniper’s chest like her own defenses splintering. Her breath snagged on the moment as she realized how close they were standing.

As they locked eyes, the power cut out… sudden and complete, as if the building itself had exhaled for them. The darkness rushed in like water, drowning out everything except the sound of her pulse and his breath. In the faint glow of awakened devices, shadows carved new angles across Daniel’s face, making him both familiar and unknown.

Daniel instantly reached for Juniper, as if the darkness called him to.