The sun was rising behind the rooftops, casting golden light across the quiet streets. Leo, Jace, and Whiskers moved fast, ducking behind fences and alleyways, guided by the pulsing glow of the paper in Leo's hoodie pocket.
WHISKERS "The agents' hideout is under the old laundromat. Your parents used it. But these agents don't know you. They don't know me. And they definitely don't know Starwood Hollow exists."
JACE "So we're just gonna walk in and be like, 'Hey, we're ten, and we know more than you'?"
WHISKERS "Pretty much."
They slipped inside the laundromat. It looked abandoned—dusty windows, flickering sign, crooked door. Whiskers tapped a hidden panel behind a dryer. The floor shifted with a mechanical groan, revealing a staircase spiraling into shadows.
The underground hideout was cold and metallic. Screens flickered. Maps covered the walls. A few agents paced the room, dressed in black coats and tactical gear.
Leo stepped forward, heart pounding.
LEO "We need to talk."
The agents turned, startled.
AGENT 1 "Who are you?"
JACE "We're the ones who know what's really going on."
WHISKERS (leaping onto a table) "The Timekeepers have the flash drive. And if you don't stop them, everything will burn."
AGENT 2 "Is that squirrel… talking?"
WHISKERS "Yes. And I'm not here to entertain you."
AGENT 3 "You're just kids. What do you know about the Timekeepers?"
LEO "They killed my parents."
Silence.
Leo pulled out the glowing paper. It pulsed in the dim light, then shifted—symbols began to appear across its surface. Strange, glowing numbers written in a language no human had ever seen.
AGENT 1 "What is that?"
WHISKERS (squinting) "It's Hollow script. Coordinates. But not for us—for your system."
JACE "Wait, you can read that?"
WHISKERS "Of course I can. I'm from there."
He hopped down and began typing the numbers into the nearest computer terminal. The agents watched, stunned, as the screen flickered—then locked onto a signal.
AGENT 2 "That's the flash drive. It's moving."
Suddenly a guy who looked in his 40's with a scar across his eye stepped forward.
AGENT SPECTOR (stepping forward) "How did you do that?"
WHISKERS "The Hollow speaks. You just don't listen."
AGENT SPECTOR "You're lucky that worked. But don't think we trust you."
LEO "We don't need trust. We need time."
AGENT SPECTOR "Fine. You stay here. We'll monitor the signal. When it's close enough, you go in."
JACE "Wait—we go in?"
AGENT SPECTOR "You're the only ones who've seen the Hollow. You're the only ones who might understand what's on that drive."
WHISKERS "Finally. Someone's catching up."
The trio stayed in the hideout, watching the glowing paper shift and pulse. The agents worked around them, still skeptical—but no longer ignoring them.
Leo stared at the screen. The flash drive was moving. Fast.
LEO "We're gonna catch them."
JACE "And save the Hollow."
WHISKERS "Before it's too late."
And somewhere, far away, the Timekeepers moved through the shadows—unaware that the forest had chosen its defenders.