...open the door fully.

This wasn't a horror movie. It was unlikely that there was anything to be afraid of down there.

The cool air assaulted you like the crashing of a wave this time. But it was just that: cool air.

However, it seemed you might be able to make out a faint glow from some unseen light. Perhaps that was just the blackness of the basement playing tricks on you.

The light switch on the right side of the stairwell almost seemed to plead with you to flip it. Once you had, like upstairs, it was a second or two before the light at the bottom blinked on. Once it had been on for a few seconds, it flickered but remained lit. Then again. You waited for some time, thinking each flicker might be the last. However, they neither ceased, nor put the light out permanently.