The flooding crisis on the lower floors had settled, for now, into something manageable — Jason's father resting, William and Edward's floor secured, the immediate panic below finally beginning to ebb into exhausted quiet rather than active chaos. Erik had stayed longer than strictly necessary, making sure Jason's family had what they needed before finally heading back toward the stairwell, Kai and Ben trailing behind him.
He should have gone straight back to the twenty-first floor. That was the plan, the sensible plan, the one that didn't require any further justification.
Instead, he found himself pausing at the landing for the twentieth floor, one hand resting against the reinforced gate blocking the stairwell entrance, some old, insistent pull tightening low in his chest for reasons he still couldn't fully name.
"You good?" Kai asked, noticing the hesitation.
"I want to check on this floor," Erik said. "Make sure the flooding hasn't compromised anything down here too."
