Chapter 68: Eastbridge
The taxi rolled past them without stopping.
Neither Noah nor I had raised a hand.
The silence between us stretched for several seconds before Noah finally spoke.
"We’re not going in alone."
I looked at him.
"I thought you were going to insist."
"I wanted to."
He let out a slow breath.
"But wanting to isn’t the same as making the right decision."
The streetlight above us buzzed softly.
"The police won’t open a missing person’s case until tomorrow morning," Noah continued. "That doesn’t mean we should ignore this."
"What are you thinking?"
"We observe."
"Nothing more."
I frowned.
"Observe?"
"If Professor Ellis really went to the railway depot, we confirm it."
"And if we see anything suspicious?"
"We call the police immediately."
His answer came without hesitation.
"No exploring."
"No splitting up."
"No pretending we’re detectives."
I studied his face for a moment.
It wasn’t bravado.
If anything, he looked more cautious than I’d ever seen him.
"...All right."
He nodded once.
"Good."
Another taxi approached.
This time Noah raised his hand.
Twenty minutes later, the city had changed.
The bright storefronts and crowded sidewalks of downtown were gone.
Old factories lined both sides of the road, their rusted gates chained shut.
Warehouse windows reflected the moonlight like blank eyes.
The driver slowed as they reached a narrow intersection.
"This is as close as I’m willing to take you."
Noah paid the fare.
"Thank you."
As the taxi disappeared into the distance, the sudden silence felt overwhelming.
Only the wind remained.
It slipped through broken fences and empty buildings, carrying the metallic smell of rust and damp concrete.
Ahead of us stood a faded sign.
[EASTBRIDGE FREIGHT DEPOT]
Most of the lettering had peeled away.
The chain-link fence surrounding the property sagged inward in several places.
One section had been cut open long ago.
Someone had folded the wire back just enough for a person to squeeze through.
Noah crouched beside it.
"This wasn’t done recently."
The exposed metal had already begun to rust.
"So people come here."
"Apparently."
He stood.
"Stay close."
We slipped through the opening.
The depot spread out before us.
Several abandoned train tracks disappeared into darkness.
Cargo platforms stood empty beneath collapsing roofs.
A water tower leaned slightly to one side.
Somewhere in the distance, a loose sheet of metal clanged against a wall.
The sound echoed far longer than it should have.
Neither of us spoke.
Our footsteps seemed impossibly loud.
Noah pulled the folded map from his pocket and shined his phone’s flashlight across it.
"The circle..."
He compared the paper to the surrounding buildings.
"...should be near the old maintenance warehouse."
He pointed toward a large brick structure near the center of the depot.
Its roof had partially collapsed years ago.
Several windows were boarded shut.
Only the massive loading doors remained visible.
We hadn’t taken more than ten steps when I noticed something.
"Noah."
He stopped immediately.
"What is it?"
I pointed toward the ground.
Fresh footprints.
Not one set.
Several.
The recent rain had softened the dirt enough to preserve them.
Someone had walked through here recently.
Very recently.
Noah knelt beside them.
"They’re clear."
He frowned.
"Less than a day old."
"Can you tell how many people?"
He studied the impressions carefully.
"At least three."
"Maybe four."
One trail led toward the maintenance warehouse.
Another disappeared between two rows of abandoned freight cars.
None of them came back.
A cold sensation crept down my spine.
The System remained silent.
Too silent.
We continued toward the warehouse.
The closer we came, the stronger the smell became.
Not decay.
Oil.
Old machinery.
Rain-soaked wood.
The loading doors stood partially open.
One hung crooked on broken hinges.
The darkness inside swallowed the beam from Noah’s flashlight.
He stopped several meters away.
"We don’t go in."
I nodded.
"Agreed."
He took out his phone.
"I’m calling the police again."
Before he could dial—
A voice echoed from inside the warehouse.
"...You’re late."
Both of us froze.
The voice wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t threatening.
If anything...
It sounded almost disappointed.
Noah slowly lowered the phone.
"Who’s there?"
No answer.
Only silence.
Then...
Footsteps.
Measured.
Unhurried.
A lone figure emerged from the darkness.
He wore a long black coat despite the warm summer night.
Dark gloves.
Polished shoes untouched by mud.
Silver hair reflected the moonlight.
Lucien.
Exactly as he had appeared at the exhibition.
Exactly as he had appeared in the old photograph.
Exactly the same.
Not a day older.
He stopped several meters from us.
His calm gaze moved from Noah...
...to me.
Then he smiled.
"Good evening, Adrian."
Every muscle in my body tensed.
Noah looked at me in confusion.
"You know him?"
Before I could answer, Lucien spoke again.
"We’ve met."
His tone remained polite.
"Although I suppose introducing ourselves properly would have been more appropriate."
Noah stepped slightly in front of me.
"Who are you?"
Lucien regarded him for a moment.
"Noah Walker."
"The observer."
"I’ve heard quite a lot about you."
Noah’s expression didn’t change.
"I don’t recall introducing myself."
"You didn’t."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"You rarely need to."
The atmosphere grew noticeably colder.
Not physically.
Psychologically.
It felt as though every word carried another meaning hidden beneath it.
Noah remained composed.
"Where is Professor Ellis?"
Lucien’s smile faded.
"An unfortunate man."
"You didn’t answer the question."
"I did."
"No."
"You avoided it."
For the first time, Lucien looked genuinely amused.
"I can see why Adrian values your company."
"I never said I valued—"
"You didn’t need to."
Lucien interrupted gently.
"The two of you came here together."
His eyes settled on me once more.
"I had expected you to come alone."
A blue window suddenly exploded across my vision.
______
[Warning]
Narrative Observation Detected.
Unknown Entity has acknowledged System Activity.
Risk Level:
Extremely High.
Do not reveal additional information.
______
My heartbeat skipped.
Acknowledged...
System Activity?
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"There it is again."
The blood drained from my face.
"What...?"
"The hesitation."
His voice remained calm.
"You always pause whenever it speaks."
Noah immediately turned toward me.
"...Speaks?"
I couldn’t answer.
Because I wasn’t looking at Noah anymore.
I was looking at Lucien.
And for the first time...
His eyes weren’t focused on me.
They were focused somewhere just above my shoulder.
Exactly where the blue System windows always appeared.
Lucien smiled.
Not at me.
At the empty air.
"Still hiding behind glass?"
The blue notification flickered violently.
Lines of text appeared faster than I could read.
One message remained.
______
[Critical Error]
Narrative Integrity Compromised.
Anomaly Designation Confirmed.
Lucien
Classification:
Observer
Access Authority:
Unknown.
Immediate recommendation:
Retreat.
______
The screen shattered into fragments of blue light before vanishing completely.
Lucien slowly looked back at me.
"So."
His smile returned.
"It finally recognizes me."
Behind him, deep within the warehouse, something heavy struck the concrete floor.
The sound echoed through the abandoned depot.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
A weak, unmistakable voice broke the silence.
"...Help..."
Professor Ellis.
He was alive.