The air shifted.

There was no time to react before an invisible force slammed into Sam’s chest, lifting him off his feet and pinning him hard against the cold wall. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs. His radio clattered to the floor, skittering out of reach.

Then—light. Brilliant, blinding, impossible light.

The darkness shattered. The demon’s hold vanished. Sam’s body dropped, knees hitting the concrete. He gasped, air flooding back into his lungs. The light pulsed once, twice, then softened, leaving spots dancing in his vision.

The demon was gone. The oppressive weight had lifted from the room, replaced by something vast and still. Sam’s chest heaved as he struggled to push himself upright, every instinct screaming at him to move, to fight, to do something. But his body wouldn’t cooperate. He could only stare at the floor, heart racing, as the last echoes of that impossible radiance faded.

Slowly, Sam lifted his head.

Just beyond the fading light stood a figure. Still. Silent. Watching. There was no weapon, no threat—only a presence that filled the space so completely it was hard to breathe. Sam’s mind raced, reaching for explanations, for lore, for anything that made sense. But all he could do was stare.