The Voice Beneath the Static

The key completed its turn with a sound like a knuckle cracking.

For one full second, nothing happened. The room held its breath — five people, one impostor, and a dead phone that wasn't dead anymore.

Then Priya's telemetry stuttered. GATE 1: CYCLING... CLOSED. GATE 2: CYCLING... CLOSED. GATE 3: CYCLING — a long, agonizing three seconds — CLOSED.