RATHER THAN OPENING THE DOOR normally, Alex slams her mystically obtained crowbar into the door numerous times, just in case Mantra didn't know they were out there anyway.

"Open up!" She shouts, before flicking on her flashlight and signalling for the rest of the group to do the same. Madelaine is the last to do so, before she sets up her body-mounted camera to record and livestream whatever events go down.

The warehouse is just like they left it before, albeit a little less terrifying now that there's eight of them, rather than just Alex and Tom.

Their silence is uneasy - after hearing about the monstrosities they encountered on the failed rescue trip for Awsten, not a single soul would want to see what they've seen.

"Which way?" Lana whispers, circling her flashlight around to illuminate the broken windows and numerous cobwebs. In response, Noah taps her on the shoulder and points forwards, in the direction of where Alex is angrily marching forwards.

The group passes the sadly now-familiar pentagram and the fraying ropes holding up the mutilated body of Awsten Knight. Alex hates to think it, but they must have found out that he told her and Tom to run. He's still recognizable, and only in the early stages of decay - after all, three days ago, he was alive and feebly kicking - but it still visibly pains them to see.

Nobody wants to admit how much this has been affecting them. Of course, none of them expected it to go this far: all it seemed to be was a cry for attention, like Noah said, and now here they are, Awsten and Michael murdered and the others in various states of mental disarray.

"I'm going to destroy you all!" Alex threatens loudly in an attempt to cast out the creeping chilling fear, and there's a soft snickering noise from somewhere at the back, in the gloom. No matter how confident she acts, this situation could easily wear anyone down to a quivering husk.

"Guys?" Calum calls, and their heads snap straight around. His tone is shaky and fearful. "Was this here when you came before?"

Tom takes the lead and runs to where the other boy is warily shining his torchlight down a now uncovered, alarmingly clean staircase. It looks like something out of a low-budget movie, with the single lightbulb flickering sporadically and the steps made of rusted iron and tangled wood haphazardly thrown together.

With a deep sigh, Luke presses his way to the front of the group and crouches, allowing the ray of light to focus more intently on the area. There seems to be a room at the bottom, just large enough for eight or so people to stand.

"We didn't come here to stay safe." He says grimly, and Alex nods an agreement mutely. She would volunteer to go down first - she is trained in how to deal with potentially dangerous situations, but her own survival instinct is shouting louder than the rational part of her mind.

"I'll go." Madelaine says, and her and Luke begin to make their way down, closely followed by Calum, Lana, Noah, Ashton (who has been uncharacteristically quiet), Tom and finally, Alex herself, venturing into the unknown.