CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN - The Calm Before the Final Storm

Lucas took a deep breath, then shouted, "Run!" They bolted, catching Victoria and her group off guard. As shouts of surprise and anger erupted behind them, Lucas and Ella raced through the familiar halls of Ravencrest Manor. They burst into the conservatory, the moonlight streaming through the glass ceiling casting eerie shadows. Without hesitation, they made for the large ornate sundial in the center of the room. "Hurry!" Lucas urged as they heard footsteps approaching. Together, they turned the sundial, aligning it with markings they had discovered days earlier. Just as Victoria and her group entered the conservatory, there was a loud click. The floor beneath the sundial began to lower, revealing a hidden elevator shaft. "Jump!" Lucas yelled, pulling Ella with him as they leapt onto the descending platform. Victoria's furious face disappeared from view as they sank into the depths of the estate, the sound of machinery drowning out the shouts from above. As they descended into