Elias pressed on, each step heavy with both dread and determination. The freighter seemed endless, a maze of containers and cables. More than once he thought he heard footsteps behind him, quick and light, but when he spun around, there was only rain and steel. He reached the stairwell leading up toward the bridge.
Rust flaked under his fingers as he gripped the railing. The faint glow from the window shone more clearly now, warm against the cold gray rain. His pulse raced as he began to climb. If someone was alive here, this was where he would find them. If not… he would find something else. Elias reached the top of the stairwell, boots slipping on the rusted steps.