Roxy Shane

You were almost at the surface when the tunnel changed its mind. One moment, it was a straight service stairwell—old concrete, flickering emergency lights, the promise of a city above that still obeyed normal rules. The next, the steps felt longer. Not physically at first. Just… wrong. Like each step forward cost more distance than it should. You paused. The air behind you went quiet in a way that felt intentional. Then a voice came from the darkness below. “You’re persistent.” No echo. No distortion. Just clear, like she was standing right beside you instead of somewhere far down the stairs. You turned slowly. She was there again. Half-lit by a dying red bulb, standing where the stairwell should have made it impossible to stand without falling. No hurry in her posture. No effort in her br