Chapter 38 Fibonacci
Fibonacci
”—and then the walls started closing in, like something straight out of Star Wars,“ Maddie explained, gesturing wildly to emphasize her point. “If Levi hadn’t noticed that vent, we’d be archive pancakes right now.”
Jasper whistled. “Damn. And here I thought I was having an exciting night.” He gestured to his monitoring station, where several screens displayed different areas of the sanitarium.
“Most action I’ve seen is a door closing by itself on the second floor.
Probably just air pressure, but I got it on camera. ”
They made it back to base camp to find not only Jasper waiting but also Zoe, who had returned from her solo exploration of the East Wing patient rooms. She crouched in the corner, organizing her equipment with the practical efficiency that characterized everything she did.
“Did you find anything useful?” Levi asked her, trying to keep his voice steady despite the unnerving sense of déjà vu. The last time he’d seen Zoe crouched in a corner, she’d been transformed into one of Faine’s creatures.
“Nothing extraordinary,” she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Some patient records, medication logs. The East Wing was primarily for long-term care patients.” She hesitated, then added, “Though I did notice something odd about the maintenance doors.
They all have the same circle and triangle symbol. It's creepy.”
Levi exchanged a glance with Asher, who positioned himself strategically between Levi and Elliot. “Did you try opening any of them?”
“I’m not an amateur,” Zoe replied with mild offense. “Rule one of paranormal investigation: don’t open strange doors alone.” She gestured to the blueprint they brought back. “What’s that?”
“The real floor plan,” Levi explained, unrolling it across the central table. “And it confirms what you found. The maintenance system runs throughout the entire building.”
The group gathered around the blueprint, examining the intricate network of hidden passages and chambers that lay behind the sanitarium’s public face.
“It’s like the building has a secondary circulatory system," Owen observed, tracing a line with his finger. “These passages connect everything.”
“And lead to a central point,” Asher added, indicating where multiple pathways converged at the basement level. “The lab we’re looking for.”
Levi oriented himself on the blueprint, finding their current position and the path to their next objective. “Specimen Storage is here,” he said, pointing to a room in the east wing. “According to what we found, that’s where the blood sample should be.”
“Still gross,” Maddie muttered.
“Once we have that, we need to find the voice recording in the Administrative Assistant Office, and then a tissue sample at the Observation Deck,” Levi continued. “All three together should grant access to the lower level.”
“We should split up,” Elliot suggested for the second time that night. “Three teams, three objectives. We’d cover more ground.”
“No,” Levi and Asher said in unison, then shared a look that didn’t go unnoticed by the others.
“Do you guys practice that?” Tyler asked, half-joking. “The synchronized talking thing?”
“The building is actively hostile,” Levi explained, ignoring the question. “We’ve already encountered one death trap in the archive. Who knows what other security measures there are?”
“Safety in numbers,” Asher agreed smoothly. “We tackle one objective at a time, starting with Specimen Storage.”
“Which is in my section,” Zoe noted. “I can lead us there. I’ve already mapped most of the patient room corridors.”
Another reason to keep the NPCs alive. Zoe’s methodical exploration saved them valuable time.
“We should go now,” he said, glancing at his phone. Almost midnight.
“What about base camp?” Jasper asked. “Should I pack up?”
Levi considered. The monitoring station provided valuable eyes across the building, but leaving Jasper alone was risky. “Pack the essentials,” he decided. “You’re coming with us. We’ll set up a smaller mobile base when we reach the east wing.”
Jasper nodded, beginning to disassemble his more portable equipment. “Give me five minutes.”
“Everyone else, gear check,” Levi instructed. “Flashlights, spare batteries, radios. Anything that might be useful for the kind of security system we’re likely to encounter.”
As the group dispersed to prepare, Asher moved beside Levi, close enough that their shoulders touched. “You’re getting comfortable with the leadership role,” he observed. “It suits you.”
“It’s just practicality,” Levi replied, though something in him responded to the praise despite his better judgment. “They listen to me for some reason.”
“Because you speak with authority,” Asher murmured. “You’ve grown beyond the frightened prey I first encountered in the forest.” His fingers brushed Levi’s wrist, feather-light.
“Don’t,” Levi said softly, pulling his hand away. “Not here.”
Asher’s eyes darkened momentarily, but he stepped back, respecting the boundary—for now. “Later, then,” he promised, his voice dropping to a register that seemed to vibrate directly through Levi’s chest. “When we find somewhere private.”
Before Levi could respond, Zoe approached with a detailed hand-drawn map of the East Wing. “I’ve marked the maintenance doors I found,” she explained, spreading her map next to the blueprint. “If your floor plan is accurate, this one should connect to the Specimen Storage area.”
“Ready to move,” Jasper announced, shouldering a backpack filled with equipment. The others had likewise prepared, gathering flashlights, tools, and supplies.
“Stay close,” Levi instructed as they headed out. “And stay alert.”
The East Wing corridors were narrower than those in the main building, with lower ceilings that created an oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere. Water damage warped the floorboards in places, making every step feel unsteady.
Zoe led the way, moving with quiet confidence through the maze of patient rooms and treatment areas. “Specimen Storage should be at the end of this hall,” she whispered, consulting her map. “Past the hydrotherapy rooms.”
They passed a series of rooms containing rusted metal tubs and elaborate piping systems—the hydrotherapy area Zoe mentioned. Levi kept his eyes forward, refusing to look at the equipment. Some memories were better left undisturbed.
The corridor ended at a heavy metal door marked “Authorized Personnel Only.” The now-familiar triangular symbol was etched into its surface.
“This is it,” Zoe confirmed. “Specimen Storage.”
Asher stepped forward with his lock picks, but Levi caught his arm. “Wait,” he said, examining the door more closely. “Look at the hinges.”
The metal around the hinges showed signs of tampering—scratch marks and dents that suggested someone tried to force entry.
“Someone’s been here before us,” Levi observed. “Recently.”
“Another investigation team?” Owen suggested.
“Or Faine himself,” Asher countered. “If he continued working here after the sanitarium closed, he would have had access to these areas.”
“Either way, we should be careful,” Levi said. “There might be additional security beyond the lock.”
Asher nodded, proceeding with greater caution as he worked on the lock. It took longer than usual, his brow furrowed in concentration as he manipulated the tumblers.
“It’s not a standard mechanism,” he explained, voice tight with focus. “There are additional pins, counterweights. Someone didn’t want this door opened by amateurs.”
“Good thing you’re not an amateur,” Elliot mumbled.
Asher ignored the jab, continuing his work until a satisfying click emanated from the lock. “Got it,” he announced, a hint of pride in his voice as he glanced at Levi for approval.
“Don’t open it yet,” Levi said, examining the door frame. “There might be a secondary system. An alarm or—”
Too late.
Tyler pushed past them and twisted the handle, swinging the door open with unnecessary force. “Or we could just go in,” he said with a smirk.
For a breathless moment, nothing happened. Then a high-pitched whine filled the corridor, rising in intensity until it became painfully shrill. Red lights embedded in the ceiling began to flash, bathing them in pulsating crimson.
“Nice going, jackass,” Jasper hissed at Tyler. “So much for the subtle approach.”
“We need to move,” Levi decided, gesturing them through the door. “Whatever security system that triggered, we don’t want to be in the corridor when it activates.”
They hurried into Specimen Storage and pulled the door shut behind them.
The room was noticeably colder than the corridor, their breath visible in small clouds.
Unlike much of the sanitarium, this area appeared well-maintained, the equipment modern and operational despite the building’s overall state of abandonment.
“Power’s still on,” Owen observed, pointing to the humming refrigeration units with glowing digital displays. “Someone’s keeping this place running.”
The alarm continued to wail, its volume muffled by the closed door but still disorienting. They needed to work quickly.
“Look for anything labeled with Faine’s name,” Levi instructed. “Or with the triangular symbol. The blood sample is supposedly in ‘frozen slumber,’ so check the refrigeration units first.”
They spread out. Zoe and Owen tackled the filing system, searching for inventory records that might indicate the sample’s location.
Maddie and Tyler checked the refrigeration units along the left wall, while Elliot and Jasper took the right.
Levi and Asher moved toward the back of the room, where a larger, more sophisticated freezer unit dominated the space.
Unlike the other equipment, this freezer bore no manufacturer’s label or institutional marking. Instead, the triangular symbol was etched into its stainless steel door, surrounded by a circular pattern similar to what they’d seen in the courtyard.
“This is it,” Levi said with certainty. “The first guardian.”