Ryan gently placed Mira down as they reached the spot where he had been separated from the others. Mira leaned against the wall, her legs too weak to stand, and tried to catch her breath. Ryan crouched beside her and asked, “Do you feel better?”

Mira managed a faint smile, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. “Well, my feet still feel numb, but I think I can try to walk.”

“Take a moment,” Ryan said, scanning the dark hallway with his flashlight. His eyes darted back and forth, restless.

“What are you looking for?” Mira asked, watching him with a mix of curiosity and anxiety.

“I’m pretty sure this is where I turned and got separated from the others. I thought they would have waited here,” Ryan explained. He stood and pointed his flashlight down the right corridor. “Matthew! Ann! Yasmine! Nora! Can you hear me?” His voice echoed through the empty hall but met only silence.

Turning to the left, he tried again. “Guys! Are you there? I found Mira! Come back if you can hear me!” Still, there was no response, just the oppressive quiet of the darkness.

Mira’s worry deepened. “What do we do now, Ryan?”

Frustrated, Ryan tried calling each of their phones, but his screen only flashed “No Network.” He muttered angrily, “Why didn’t they call me? This is ridiculous.”

“Maybe they went back when they couldn’t find you?” Mira suggested. “It would have been the smart thing to do.”

“I hope so,” Ryan replied, though uncertainty clouded his tone. “But if they wandered off, that would be bad. Really bad.”

Mira hesitated before saying, “This place isn’t safe, Ryan. We can’t just sit here. Let’s choose a path and move forward.”

Ryan nodded....