No Way Back

The sound of metal groaning under immense pressure filled the narrow security checkpoint. The reinforced door—thick enough to withstand explosives—shuddered as the creature slammed into it again. Each impact sent vibrations through the floor beneath them, reminding everyone that their temporary barrier would not hold for long.

Aoi gripped Haruki’s arm, her fingers digging into his sleeve. "It’s not stopping."

Renji wiped sweat from his brow, still panting from their desperate escape. "No shit. Thing’s pissed. Probably doesn’t like that we ran instead of becoming its midnight snack."

Natsuki was already at the security console, typing rapidly, her fingers flying across the dust-covered keyboard. The monitor flickered weakly to life, a garbled mess of corrupted data flashing across the screen. "We need to restore power to the deeper levels if we want any chance of controlling it. But most of the system is fried. I can force some doors open, maybe reactivate the restraints, but that’s it."

Kisaragi adjusted his glasses. "It’ll have to be enough. The containment sector is still a possibility if we can funnel it inside."

Aoi swallowed hard. "And then what? We trap it and… what, hope it just sits there while we inject it?"

Haruki turned the syringe over in his fingers, watching the dark liquid inside swirl under the dim light. "We make sure it doesn’t have a choice."

Renji huffed. "Love the confidence. Hate the odds."

A deafening crash reverberated through the room. The door buckled inward, jagged claw marks slicing through the metal like butter. A long, drawn-out screech echoed from the other side, the sound rattling through their bones.

Aoi flinched, pressing herself closer to Haruki. "We don’t have time. We need to move. Now."

Natsuki slammed a fist against the console, cursing under her breath. "I’ve got an override on the lower sectors. We can get access to the underground levels. But we need to move fast, or it’ll tear through this door before we’re gone."

Haruki didn’t need to be told twice. "Which way?"

Kisaragi gestured to a rusted maintenance hatch on the far wall. "That should lead us down to the lower research wings. If we can get past the old labs, there’s an emergency control room near the core of the facility. It should still have manual lockdown capabilities."

Renji let out a breath. "Should. Love that word. Real comforting."

"Stop complaining and move," Natsuki snapped.

They crossed the checkpoint quickly, pushing aside old debris to reach the hatch. Haruki yanked at the rusted wheel handle, muscles straining. The metal groaned, resisting years of disuse before finally giving way with a sharp screech. The hatch swung open, revealing a dark, narrow staircase descending into the depths of the facility.

Renji peered down, clicking on his flashlight. The weak beam barely cut through the suffocating darkness. "Oh yeah. This definitely doesn’t look like a death trap."

Aoi hesitated. "Do we have any idea what’s even down there?"

Kisaragi stepped forward, his voice calm despite the situation. "Records indicated that most of the experimental work was done underground. It’s possible the creature was held there at some point before it broke free. If that’s the case…"

Natsuki finished for him. "There might be more."

Silence.

Haruki tightened his grip on his knife. "No time to hesitate. We move now."

Renji groaned. "I swear, if I die first, I’m haunting all of you."

One by one, they descended.

The deeper they went, the colder the air became. The walls, lined with peeling paint and rusted pipes, dripped with moisture. A heavy silence pressed down on them, thick with the weight of something unseen, something watching.

Haruki kept his steps quiet, his senses on high alert. Every breath felt too loud. Every shift of their clothing, every scuff of their boots against the metal steps, echoed like a warning to whatever lurked below.

Aoi shivered beside him. "It feels… wrong down here."

Renji scanned the hallway ahead, his flashlight flickering slightly. "Yeah, well, considering this place was home to human experiments, I don’t think it was ever right."

They reached the bottom. The corridor stretched out before them, lined with heavy steel doors, each one marked with faded, cryptic labels. Some were ajar, their interiors dark and foreboding. Others were sealed shut, their surfaces marred with deep scratches.

Aoi clutched Haruki’s sleeve. "We don’t have to look inside, do we?"

Kisaragi shook his head. "No time. We stick to the plan—straight to the control room."

Natsuki moved ahead, checking the map on her device. "It’s two corridors down, past the central lab."

Renji sighed. "Of course. We have to go past the creepy lab. Why wouldn’t we?"

They started moving again, faster now. The air grew thicker, the oppressive feeling settling into their bones. The scent of old blood and decay clung to the walls, and every so often, Haruki swore he could hear something shifting in the distance.

Then—

A scraping sound.

They all stopped.

The noise came again. Slow. Deliberate.

Haruki turned his head, his grip tightening on his knife. The sound was coming from one of the doors just ahead. Unlike the others, this one wasn’t rusted shut or hanging off its hinges. It was pristine. Untouched. And something was moving behind it.

Aoi’s grip on his sleeve tightened. "We should keep going. Please."

Haruki exhaled slowly. "Yeah."

They stepped past the door—

And then it opened.

A guttural growl rolled out from the darkness beyond.

Then something lunged.

A blur of motion. Clawed fingers reached for Aoi—

Haruki moved without thinking.

He grabbed her, yanking her back just as the creature burst from the doorway. It was different from the first. Smaller. But its eyes—glowing red like dying embers—were the same.

Renji fired. The bullets tore into its chest, but it didn’t slow down.

It screeched, moving unnaturally fast.

Natsuki barely dodged as it swiped at her, its claws raking deep into the wall instead. Sparks flew as metal screeched against metal.

Haruki shoved Aoi behind him. "Run!"

She hesitated, eyes wide with fear.

"I said run!"

Kisaragi grabbed her wrist, pulling her down the hallway. "Go!"

Haruki didn’t wait to see if she obeyed. He turned, dodging as the creature lunged again. His knife flashed—he slashed at its exposed side, feeling the blade sink into flesh.

It howled, but it wasn’t enough.

Renji tackled it, slamming it against the wall. "Move your ass, Haruki!"

Haruki didn’t argue. He turned and sprinted after the others.

The hallway blurred past them. The screeching behind them grew distant.

Then—

The control room was ahead.

Natsuki slammed her access card against the reader. The door slid open with a loud hiss.

They stumbled inside. The door sealed shut just as the creature came around the corner.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, a single, slow knock against the metal.

Renji exhaled sharply. "Yeah. Okay. I officially hate this place."

Haruki turned to Kisaragi. "Can you do it?"

Kisaragi was already at the console, scanning the controls. "Yes. But it’s not going to be easy."

Aoi swallowed. "Can we trap it?"

Kisaragi hesitated. Then, his eyes hardened. "Yes."

Haruki held up the syringe. "Then let’s end this."