He unknowingly guided her to the door as if the lights were still out, his hand hovering near her elbow without quite touching. Juniper noticed how he positioned himself… always between her and the darker corners, his body angled toward her even as they moved. The lights were back, but somehow the darkness hadn’t fully eased its grip upon them.

But as Daniel’s hand touched the door handle…

Marcus pushed open the door, his face a mixture of relief and concern as he took in the sight of Juniper and Daniel standing so close together. “Is everything okay down here?” he asked, his eyes darting between them.

Juniper nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She could still feel the ghost of Daniel’s touch on her skin, the way his presence had filled the room and made everything else fade away.

Daniel replied, his voice steady and reassuring, “Absolutely, but we need to get these files back upstairs as soon as possible… incase the generators take another hit.” He glanced at the stack of documents in his hands, the weight of their importance suddenly feeling heavier than before.

“Yeah, let’s hit the road,” Marcus said quickly, already gathering files. “This basement’s had enough excitement for one day.”

Juniper nodded, her mind still reeling from the intense moment they had shared. She reached for her own pile of files, her fingers brushing against the worn edges of the folders. The coarse reality of the paperwork pulled her back to why they were here… grounding her to the earth like the lightning rods buried beneath them.