The Abyss Stares Back

The creature moved faster than any of them expected. One second, it was standing at the end of the hallway. The next, it was closing the distance with unnatural speed, its jagged teeth bared in something between a snarl and a grotesque grin.

"Move!" Haruki shoved Aoi out of the way as the creature lunged.

Renji reacted fast, drawing his knife and swiping at it, but the blade barely grazed its skin before it twisted unnaturally, dodging the attack with inhuman flexibility. The thing’s hand shot out, slamming Renji into the wall with bone-crushing force.

"Shit—"

Haruki grabbed a broken chair from the floor and swung it hard, striking the creature across the back. It barely flinched. Instead, it turned its head, jerking in short, sharp movements like a marionette. Its cloudy, dead eyes locked onto Haruki.

"This thing isn’t human," Natsuki said coldly, already drawing the pistol she always carried.

The creature lunged again, faster than before. A loud bang echoed through the hallway as Natsuki fired. The bullet struck the creature’s shoulder, sending it staggering back—but it didn’t stop.

"Aim for the head!" Kisaragi shouted.

Before Natsuki could fire again, the creature roared and launched itself at her. She barely managed to roll out of the way before it crashed into the metal cabinets behind her, sending papers and glass shattering to the floor.

Aoi grabbed Haruki’s arm, her voice shaking. "We have to run!"

Haruki’s teeth clenched. He wanted to fight, but they didn’t know what they were dealing with—and if bullets weren’t enough to put this thing down, they had no chance with just knives and makeshift weapons.

"Go!" he barked, shoving Aoi ahead. "Kisaragi, which way?"

Kisaragi scanned the hallway in a split second, his mind calculating their best route. "The stairwell—left side!"

They ran. The creature let out a shriek that sent ice down Haruki’s spine, its heavy footsteps pounding after them. Renji, still dazed from the earlier hit, gritted his teeth and forced himself forward.

"That thing hit like a damn truck—"

"Less talking, more running!" Haruki snapped.

They reached the stairwell. Haruki yanked the door open, practically shoving Aoi through first. The stairs spiraled downward into deeper darkness, the emergency lights barely flickering.

"Down, now!"

Natsuki fired another shot at the creature before slamming the door shut behind them. "That won’t hold it for long."

They descended quickly, their footsteps echoing in the stairwell. The air grew colder, heavier. It felt wrong.

At the bottom of the stairs, another door. Kisaragi hesitated, pressing his hand against it. "Wait—this leads to—"

The door burst open before he could finish.

Standing there was another figure.

Not the same creature from before.

This one was worse.