The Conservatory

Ezra needed to leave. Now.

He wheeled out of the office. He headed for the front door.

"House, open front door."

*“I’m afraid I can't do that, Caspian.”*

The voice wasn't the robotic female voice anymore. It was Julian’s voice. Recorded. Pre-programmed.

*“The weather is turning. It’s safer inside.”*

Thunder boomed overhead. The sky had turned a bruised purple. The storm Julian had warned about was hitting the peak.

"Unlock!" Ezra screamed, slamming his hand against the panel.

The lights in the hallway turned red.

*“Please proceed to the Conservatory for your treatment.”*

The floor beneath him vibrated. The ramps leading to the bedrooms retracted. The house was reshaping itself, funneling him toward the center.

He had no choice. The only open path led to the Conservatory.

Ezra wheeled into the glass-walled garden. It was humid, smelling of poisonous orchids and damp earth. In the center of the room was a stone pool, filled with dark water.

Julian was standing there. He was wearing a white linen suit—vintage, 1920s style. He was sharpening a long, curved dagger on a whetstone.

"You found the files," Julian said without looking up. "I got the alert on my phone."

"You killed them," Ezra whispered. "Thomas. Leo. Isaac."

"I tried to save them," Julian corrected, turning around. His eyes were wide, manic. "They were vessels, Ezra. Just like you. But the clay was too hard. They wouldn't let him in. They clung to their small, insignificant lives."

"Caspian is dead, Julian! He died a hundred years ago!"

"No!" Julian roared. "He drowned! His soul was ripped away before he was ready! I promised him I would find him. I promised I would bring him back!"

He walked toward Ezra. "You are the closest yet. You have his eyes. You have his fear. We just need to shock the system one last time. A near-death experience to open the door."

"You're going to drown me," Ezra realized.

"I'm going to baptize you," Julian said.