Morning arrived reluctantly in Havenport, the sky a soft grey that felt heavier than usual. Daniel stood in front of the library doors with an uneasy feeling in his chest. He had slept barely two hours—every time he closed his eyes, he heard the echo from the chamber.
I see you.
He swallowed, gripping the strap of his satchel. He almost turned around and went home, but the weight of responsibility—of connection—pulled him inside.
The library felt different this morning. Too quiet. Too still. The hum that usually thrummed in the walls seemed muted. As Daniel walked across the polished floor, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass cases—distorted just slightly, like the angle of the world had shifted without permission.
Evelyn was already there, sitting at a table piled with books, maps, and printouts. Her hair was tied up messily, dark strands escaping around her face. She looked exhausted, but when she saw him, something softened.
"You're here," she said quietly.
Daniel nodded. "Couldn't stay home. Didn't feel right."
"That makes two of us."
He sat across from her, noticing the faint tremor in her fingers. "Did you sleep?"
"A little," she lied unconvincingly. "I kept thinking about that…voice."
Daniel's throat tightened. "It wasn't just my imagination?"
"No," she whispered. "It projected through the chamber. Through the manuscript's energy. Clara wasn't exaggerating."
Daniel rubbed his temples. "Speaking of Clara—where is she?"
"Late," Evelyn said flatly. "Which is concerning."
Daniel hesitated. "You don't trust her."
She leaned back, exhaling. "It's not that I don't trust her. It's that she knows too much and shares too little. She keeps acting like she's ahead of us, like she's waiting for something." Evelyn's eyes narrowed. "And I don't like that she knew about the chamber."
Daniel couldn't disagree.
Before he could respond, the main doors opened and Clara strode in—impeccably calm, hair perfect despite the weather, as if she had walked through a storm without being touched by it. Max followed behind her, clutching the manuscript case like a life raft.
"Morning," Max said, looking like he desperately needed sleep or ten cups of coffee. "Before we get started, I want it on record that I'm against whatever we're about to do."
Clara ignored him and approached the table. "We need to talk."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Finally ready to share something?"
Clara didn't react to the jab. "After last night, the manuscript's energy spiked. I measured it on my equipment. Havenport's anomalies are increasing." She placed a small device on the table—a rectangular scanner pulsing with faint green light.
Daniel frowned. "Increasing where?"
Clara tapped the screen. A map of the city lit up with glowing points—small anomalies, minor distortions, and a large cluster near the station they visited.
And one more.
Centered directly over the library.
Max let out a faint whimper. "We're sitting on a supernatural hotspot. Great. Love that."
Evelyn studied the screen. "Why is the library reacting this strongly?"
Clara hesitated. "Because something in here is resonating with the manuscript."
Daniel felt a chill. "Something…or someone?"
Clara met his eyes.
"Both."
The word hit him like a physical blow. "Me?"
Clara nodded. "The manuscript's reaction in the chamber, the shadows targeting you, the flickering lights outside…Daniel, it's connected to you."
Evelyn bristled. "He didn't choose that. Don't say it like it's his fault."
Clara's voice softened slightly. "I'm not blaming him. I'm stating a fact. The manuscript imprinted on him. For better or worse."
Daniel stared at the table, pulse pounding. "So what happens now?"
"We monitor," Clara said. "And we try to stay ahead of whatever Victor wants."
Evelyn leaned forward. "About Victor…who is he really? You talk like you know him."
Clara's jaw tightened. "Victor used to be a researcher like us. Brilliant. Obsessed with the manuscripts. They consumed him. Over time, he found ways to project himself through the energy fields they create. He calls himself a watcher now."
Daniel remembered the voice. The cold presence. The feeling of being seen.
"He's dangerous," Clara finished.
Max chimed in softly, "Understatement of the year."
The room fell into a heavy silence before Evelyn broke it. "We should figure out what the manuscript wants. If Daniel is connected to it, maybe he can help us interpret the symbols."
Daniel swallowed. "I can try."
Clara unlocked the case with a series of metallic clicks. Max pulled his hands away like it was a live grenade. The manuscript inside pulsed faintly, as though sensing Daniel's presence.
Evelyn placed her hand gently on Daniel's. "We'll do this together."
The warmth of her touch steadied him. He nodded and opened the manuscript.
The symbols shifted instantly, swirling into new shapes, reorganizing themselves in front of his eyes. Daniel gasped softly.
"It's reacting," Evelyn whispered.
Clara leaned in, expression sharp. "It knows you're watching."
Max took several steps back.
Daniel traced a line of symbols. They moved beneath his fingertips like water, shimmering. "These…these weren't here yesterday."
"What do they say?" Evelyn murmured.
Daniel's mouth moved before his mind caught up. The words slipped out like instinct.
"Three paths open when the city breathes differently. One reveals truth. One reveals danger. One reveals the watcher."
Max raised a shaking finger. "Okay. No. Nope. Please don't say the watcher part out loud again."
Clara ignored him. "Three paths. Where?"
Daniel's eyes were pulled to the map of the city on the table. Without thinking, he reached for a pen and circled three locations: one near the northern docks, one in Central Havenport, and one far east near the abandoned industrial estate.
Evelyn frowned. "Those locations…what do they have in common?"
Clara answered, "They're key energy points in the city. Areas where anomalies could manifest first."
Daniel felt the manuscript pulse. "It wants us to go there."
Max nearly choked. "Please tell me you're joking."
Evelyn bit her lip. "We can't ignore this. If the manuscript is guiding us—"
Clara cut in sharply. "It isn't guiding. It's choosing."
Evelyn shot her an annoyed look. "Daniel is not a tool."
"Neither is Havenport," Clara retorted. "But Victor will treat both like resources if we don't get ahead of him."
Daniel closed the manuscript gently. "We'll go. All of us. But we take precautions."
Clara nodded. "Agreed."
Max groaned loudly. "I want it on record that I am being emotionally blackmailed into participating."
Daniel almost smiled.
Almost.
---
They decided to start with the docks—the closest location and the one showing the smallest anomaly spike. Clara handed out small handheld scanners, each one humming softly.
Evelyn stood beside Daniel as they exited the library. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked softly.
Daniel hesitated. "I'm trying to be."
Evelyn smiled sadly. "We're going to get through this. And you're not alone."
Her reassurance warmed him in a way he wasn't prepared for. When she walked ahead with Max, Daniel felt Clara step up beside him.
"You're getting attached," she said quietly.
Daniel stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Clara didn't look at him. "You and Evelyn. You're leaning on each other. That's good. But emotions make you vulnerable. Victor will exploit that."
Daniel met her gaze. "And you? You don't feel anything?"
Clara's expression flickered—just for a second. "Feelings complicate things. I don't have the luxury."
Daniel wasn't sure if she was warning him or herself.
---
The docks were quiet, waves slapping against rusted metal. The air smelled of salt, oil, and something faintly metallic—like overheated wiring.
Max's scanner beeped. "Okay, that's not good."
Clara's device hummed loudly. "The distortion is getting stronger."
Daniel looked around. The shadows along the warehouses seemed stretched, too long for the fading daylight.
Suddenly Evelyn gasped, pointing toward the water. "Daniel…look."
He followed her gaze.
In the reflection of the water—rippling softly—was the shape of a building that didn't exist. A tall tower with a jagged top, shimmering faintly in the surface like a mirage.
Evelyn whispered, "What is that?"
Clara's voice was tight. "A projection. The manuscript is showing us what's coming."
Daniel felt a chill. "Or what Victor wants."
They watched as the tower faded slowly, dissolving into the ripples until the water was empty again.
Max whispered, "I am going to pass out. Just warning everyone."
Clara turned to Daniel. "We should leave. The manuscript showed you what you needed."
Daniel nodded, but something tugged at the back of his mind—a faint whisper he couldn't quite hear.
As they walked away from the docks, Daniel glanced back one last time.
A faint shadow stood at the edge of the pier—tall, still, watching.
His breath caught.
"Daniel?" Evelyn asked softly.
He tore his eyes away. "It's nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
Victor was getting closer.
And soon, the city wouldn't just glitch.
It would break.