ECHOES OF THE PAST

After the brutal clash with the Ashes and the Predators, the entire team pressed on toward their next destination, still aboard the Black Beast.
Though the tension of the battle was behind them, something didn’t feel quite right. The vehicle, wounded from the fight, had begun to show signs of fatigue.
Nikolai was the first to notice.

His eyes locked onto the dashboard, where the fuel gauge was dropping at an unusually fast rate. A pair of warning lights lit up in red,

BEEP... BEEP…

breaking the monotony of the control panel with a silent yet urgent alert.

CLONK-CLONK... THUD...

—Guys, we’ve got a problem —he announced in a deep voice.

Anton, riding in the front, turned his head with concern.

—What is it, Nikolai?

—Looks like the fuel tank got damaged during the fight. We’ve got a leak.

From the back of the truck, Katya, always vigilant, leaned forward between the seats. She looked toward the road they had just left behind—and her eyes fixed on the asphalt.

—It’s true... Look —she pointed at the dark trail marking their path—. We’re leaking fuel.

Nikolai let out a frustrated growl, slamming his fist onto the steering wheel.

TCHAK!

—Dammit! What the hell did they do to my baby?!

His face showed a mix of anger and genuine worry for the truck he treated like a fellow companion.

Anton, however, remained composed. He knew losing his temper wouldn’t help anyone.

—Calm down, Nikolai. We’ll stop and check it out. I’m sure you can fix it.

—Maybe… —he muttered with disdain—. But even if I can… where the hell are we supposed to find fuel now?

That’s when Vik and Alexei exchanged a quick glance—almost conspiratorial. A look that made it clear they already knew what the next step would be.

—Alexei and I know a place —said Vik confidently—. It’s not far from here. They used to store fuel there for the city trains.

Alexei nodded.

—It’s a railway station. We used to work there before all this started. They had a depot with maintenance tools, spare parts… and yeah, plenty of fuel.

Without wasting time, Anton pulled out an old city map. He spread it out over a makeshift surface and ran his finger across key points until stopping at a particular zone.

Nikolai glanced sideways at it, calculating the distance.

—Alright... I guess my baby can make it that far. It’s not too far off.

With a new stop locked in, and fresh hope of getting the vital resource, the team set course toward the train station.

GRUUUUUNNNNN

The engine’s roar came alive again—though weaker than usual—as the Black Beast rolled forward, leaving behind a trail that shouldn’t have been there.

The journey ended with the muffled growl of the Black Beast as it approached the railway station.
The massive vehicle crawled through the large rusted gate marking the entrance to the compound, dragging behind the tension still clinging to them after the recent fight.
The silence reigning over the place was... unsettling.

Vik was the first to take in the view.
That place—once buzzing with life, lights, and voices—now looked devastated.
The main building’s roof was partially collapsed, the tracks swallowed by overgrowth, and the shadows ruled every corner.

At his side, Alexei observed the scene with a grim expression.

—Vik… Who would’ve thought we’d come back here…? —he muttered.

Without looking away, Vik answered with a resigned tone:

—We don’t have a choice.

Nikolai maneuvered carefully, guiding the Black Beast into a sheltered area between old train cars and rusting metal structures. He parked in a corner that offered some natural cover—ideal for working without exposing themselves too much.

The engine died with a heavy grunt.

VRRRMMM… clunk.
KOFF!

Anton was the first to jump off the truck. He adjusted his rifle and gave a quick glance around before speaking firmly:

TUMP.

—Stay sharp, everyone. We don’t know what’s waiting inside. Eyes open.

THMP. THMP. THMP.

One by one, the team members stepped off the truck with purpose…
All except Igor.

From inside, he shook his head and leaned back with a resigned look, clearly unwilling to move.

Anton didn’t give it much thought. He moved on, issuing orders swiftly.

—We’ll split into two teams. One stays here protecting the Black Beast while Nikolai works on the tank. The other goes to find fuel.

Before he could assign roles, Vik stepped up confidently.

—I’ll go. I worked here—I know where it is.

Alexei followed without hesitation.

—Me too.

Anton nodded, quickly assessing the situation.

—Alright. Yuri will go with you. The three of you will find the fuel. Avoid any unnecessary risk.
The rest of us stay here and hold the area.

Katya watched them with a worried expression.

—Be careful, guys...

Alexei, slightly flustered by Katya’s attention, gave her a shy, awkward smile.

—We’ll be back soon.

Vik nodded seriously, while Yuri simply smirked—that same reckless grin he always wore before a mission, making it clear danger never rattled him.

Nikolai climbed down from the truck carrying a toolbox, his usual scowl in place.

CLANK—CLANK.

—Alright… let’s get to work —he grumbled as he moved to inspect the fuel tank.

As the trio headed deeper into the station, the rest of the team readied themselves for anything.
Even in familiar places, the world wasn’t what it used to be.

The inside of the station was a ghostly reflection of what it had once been.
Vik, Alexei, and Yuri moved cautiously through the wreckage of the past, wrapped in an atmosphere straight out of a horror film.
Everything they once remembered with nostalgia—the chatter of workers, the smell of oil and hot metal, the jokes between shifts—had vanished.

What greeted them now was an apocalyptic vision: collapsed corridors, ceilings punctured by time and disaster, scorched corpses strewn about like frozen shadows in the middle of desolation.
Light barely reached them, filtering through holes in the ceiling like golden blades slicing the gloom.

—Alright, Vik… Which way? —Yuri asked, adjusting his grip on his weapon with visible discomfort.

Vik pointed toward a hallway at the far end, his lips tightening at the sight of it.
It was the most direct route… but completely collapsed, buried under rubble and twisted steel.

—We’re not getting through there —Alexei observed, inspecting it closely—. But we can go around through the locker rooms. From there we can reach the storage room where they used to keep the drums.

Wasting no time, the three continued on.

CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.

The echo of their steps mixed with the crunch of debris under their boots, and every so often, the distant creak of a weakened structure reminded them that the place wasn’t entirely stable.

As they moved forward, memories struck without warning.
Mental flashes pulled them back to a world that felt like a dream: bustling hallways, joking coworkers, the calm routine of a regular day… all reduced to ashes and silence.

—Vik… Look at this —Alexei said, suddenly stopping.

He was crouched beside a charred corpse near a scorched wall.
Next to it, half-buried beneath the rubble, a handheld video camera lay with its screen shattered and casing coated in dust.

Yuri and Vik came closer as Alexei carefully picked it up.
He pressed the power button, not expecting much…
But to their surprise, a faint blue indicator lit up.

BIP.

—It still works… —he muttered, handing it to Vik.

BLIP... BLIP...

Vik held it in silence, his thumb hovering over the only intact playback button.

—Let’s see what we’ve got here.

ZUMMM... static... KRRRSHH...

The recording showed erratic, panicked breathing. The image shook violently.
Footsteps.
Running.
Darkness.
Guttural roars in the distance—getting closer.

GRRRRAAAAAHHHH...

A first-person figure spun around and slammed a door shut.

CLANG.

A metal shelf was dragged.

SCRAAAAPE... THUMP.

A makeshift barricade. Breathless panic.

The lens, trembling, focused on a face—Sergei.

His face was drenched in sweat and grime. Twisted in terror.

—What the hell is happening?! —he panted directly at the camera—. What is that thing?!

His voice trembled.
He turned toward something off-screen… then back at the lens.
Terror was taking over his expression.

—It’s killing everyone! It’s coming for me! I don’t know what to do!

BOOM.

A heavy blow hit the door.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The barricade shook.
The impacts were brutal.
The structure trembled.

CLANG—CLANG—CRASH.

Then the door gave way.

—No! Please… Boris! —Sergei screamed, recognizing the horror.

A dark tentacle slammed into view.

FSSSHH.

It wrapped around his neck with inhuman speed.
Sergei was lifted.

The camera fell.

THUNK.

From the floor, it landed crooked, still recording the scene.
His body thrashed, suspended in the air.
Boots flailed against the void.

TUMP. TUMP. TUMP.

A sharp sound shattered the moment.

CRACK.

A burst of blood splattered across the floor in front of the lens.

Sergei’s lifeless body fell.

FLUMP.

His head—unrecognizable, destroyed.
The tentacle recoiled.
A low growl faded into the distance.

GRRRRNNHH... SHHHHHH... footsteps... fade.

The screen went black.
…End.

No one spoke.
The echo of the video still hung in the air like a curse.

Vik held the camera in silence.
Furrowed brow.
Clenched jaw.

Alexei, pale, barely managed a whisper.

—So this one here...

—Poor Sergei… —he said, voice cracking.

Yuri, less delicate, broke the silence.

—Come on, guys. There’s nothing we can do for him now. Let’s find that fuel and get the hell out of here.

Vik didn’t answer.
Neither did Alexei.
But they knew Yuri was right.

Still… they didn’t leave right away.

Vik found a tarp among the rubble and gently spread it over the body.
Alexei helped him in silence.

It wasn’t a grave… but it was something.
One last gesture.
One last shred of dignity for someone who didn’t deserve that kind of end.

And only then, under that memory-laden gloom, they resumed their march.

The three of them continued on through the old locker rooms, leaving Sergei’s covered body behind.
The atmosphere remained oppressive—every step echoed between cracked walls, and the stench of death clung to the air.
Scattered debris and corpses turned the path into a descent into horror—a constant reminder of what the world had become.

With steady pace, they dodged the remnants partially blocking the way.
Alexei, eyes tense, pointed to a rusted door on the right.

—That’s it —he said—. I just hope there’s still something left...

Vik was the first to move forward.

He pushed through the door quickly, immediately recognizing the old storage room where they used to keep fuel for the trains.
He rushed toward the metal drums stacked along the wall and began checking them desperately.

—Shit! —he growled—. They’re all empty!

Yuri, standing guard near the entrance, didn’t take his eyes off the dark hallway behind them, but raised his voice firmly:

—Keep looking. There has to be something left.

Vik and Alexei checked drum after drum, moving them, opening them, listening for any hint of liquid inside.
But nothing.
Only the echo of frustration.

Finally, Alexei cursed aloud and, unable to contain himself, kicked one of the tanks.
The drum shot forward, crashing to the floor with force, bouncing before it came to a stop.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

—Dammit! How the hell is there not a single drop left?!

Silence fell for a second—until Vik looked up and spotted something between the shelves in the back.

He walked toward it cautiously, pushing aside rusted debris and melted plastic.
And then, as if fate had shown a sliver of mercy, he saw it.

An old red jerrycan.

He grabbed it instantly and gave it a gentle shake.
The sound of liquid sloshing inside was like music to his ears.

glup-glup…

It wasn’t much… but it was something.

—Got it! —Vik shouted, a spark of relief lighting his voice—. I’ve got the fuel!!

He ran toward the others with the container held high, the red plastic gleaming under the dim hallway light—like he was carrying the Holy Grail.
Yuri turned slightly, evaluating the find with a mix of urgency and muted satisfaction.

—It’ll have to do —he said, in a dry, decisive tone—. Let’s get the hell out of—

He didn’t finish.

RRAAAAAAAGGHHHHH!!!

A deafening roar burst from deep within, shattering the tunnel’s silence like a savage explosion.
It echoed against the concrete walls, bouncing again and again—like the darkness itself was screaming.

—What the hell was that?! —Alexei spat, spinning around, raising his weapon—. Where is it...?!

His eyes saw nothing yet.
Only darkness.
Only that monstrous echo crawling under their skin.

—Stay sharp —Yuri ordered, turning slowly on his heels, rifle steady.

—That sound… it probably drew it here —Vik muttered, fingers clenched around the jerrycan, eyes locked ahead. His voice was barely a whisper… but it carried the weight of certainty.

—Great... —Alexei grumbled through clenched teeth—. Just what we needed...

Brrrmm... brrrmm…

A subtle tremor rippled through the floor.
The empty drums rattled.
A metal lid fell and rolled on its own, screaming as it spun.

CLINK—CLINK—CLINK...

Something was coming.
Something big.

The pounding footsteps turned into a deep, heavy hum—like a monstrous heartbeat beneath the earth.
At the end of the corridor, beyond the reach of their sight… a shape began to take form.

Deformed. Obese. Horribly alive.

Yuri squinted, trying to focus—
Then suddenly:

ZAAAAASS!

A massive tentacle shot from the darkness.
It sliced through the air like a living whip—fast and brutal.
By reflex, Yuri ducked at the last second.
The appendage roared past above his head and slammed into the wall with superhuman force.

KRAAAASH!!

The wall gave way like soggy cardboard.
Dust and chunks of concrete exploded in all directions.

—What the hell was that?! —Yuri barked, scowling—but without a hint of fear.

—Watch out! It’s coming again! —Vik shouted, spinning on his heel.

SWOOOSH!

The tentacle lashed out again.
Vik, as if he had seen it coming, launched himself backward in a perfect roll, his jacket grazing the ground—dodging it by inches.

Alexei didn’t wait.

RATATATATA!

He fired into the darkness where the attacks were coming from.
Each muzzle flash lit the blackness for a split second—revealing flashes of flesh, oozing pustules, and a shape that shouldn’t exist.

And then... they saw it.

The creature emerged fully from the tunnel.
And with it… came the horror.

It stood over two and a half meters tall.
Its obese body looked ready to burst.
Black, cracked skin hung in deformed folds, covered in fluorescent pustules that pulsed and oozed green fluid.
The stench was unbearable—rotting flesh mixed with acid.

One of its limbs had mutated into a long, retractable tentacle, lined with spikes.
The other arm was grotesquely enlarged, as if sculpted for the sole purpose of crushing.

And its face...

Where eyes once existed, there were now two sunken red orbs, lidless.
The cheeks had warped into bone-like plates.
The jaw hung crooked, attached to thick muscle cords like steel cables.

It was Boris.
Or what was left of him.

—Is… is that the thing that killed Sergei? —Alexei whispered, frozen for a moment.

—That thing… is Boris? —Vik added, his blood running cold.

The monster answered with a thunderous roar that shook the air like a shockwave.

RRAAAUUUURGH!!

And it charged.

The assault was instant.
A whirlwind of flesh and fury barreled through them like an out-of-control freight train.
Walls, shelves, barrels—everything exploded in its wake.

BOOOM! CRASH! CLANG!

—That was too close! —Yuri shouted, grinning wildly as he rolled over the rubble.

From the mangled wreckage, the creature rose again—roaring, furious, alive.
Boris—or whatever he had become—wasn’t just standing.

He was unleashed.

Vik, Alexei, and Yuri opened fire in unison.

RATATATA! RATATATATA!

The bullets struck non-stop, but the creature barely flinched.
Its mutated fat absorbed the impacts.
Acid oozed from the bullet holes.
Its body looked… invincible.

Then...

GLOP... GLURRRR...

Boris opened his mangled mouth.
A mess of yellow teeth and hanging tissue peeled apart like a carnivorous flower.

From deep within, he started to spit.

FLOOOSH! BLORGH!

Thick, bubbling green projectiles blasted out.

—Watch out! —Vik yelled, stepping aside.

SPLAAASH!

The blobs hit the floor and walls.
The acid spread instantly, devouring concrete with a sickening hiss.

SZZZZHHH!!!
BUBBLE-BUBBLE-SHHHHT!

—It’s acid! —Alexei shouted—. One hit and we’re done!

Yuri, unfazed, reached into his tactical jacket.
He pulled out a grenade.

And smiled.

—Take this, you freak.

He bit the pin.

CLINK.

And tossed it.

CLUNK—clunk... clunk…

It rolled across the floor… and stopped right at the monster’s feet.

But Boris… didn’t move.
Not a twitch.
Not a blink.

BOOOOOM!!!

The explosion rocked the entire structure.
It thundered like a trapped storm inside the tunnel.
Dust, smoke, and debris flew in all directions.
The air turned to ash and fire.

Vik shielded his face.
Alexei ducked behind a fallen shelf.
Yuri... just laughed.

—Now that’s more like it —he said, as a column of smoke swallowed the hallway.

Without wasting a second, the three of them turned and ran.

Far behind them, from the heart of that thick cloud, came a guttural roar that shredded the air with raw fury.

—RRRAAAAAHHHH!

Boris was still alive.
He roared again—louder, wilder—and stormed after them like a berserk juggernaut.

His grotesque, bloated body didn’t look like it could move fast...
But against all logic, it was sprinting.

Sprinting like a starving beast.

—To the right! —Vik shouted—. I have an idea!

No one questioned it.
The three veered sharply into a side corridor.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Boris’s footsteps thundered right behind, shaking the ground with every charge.

They burst into a massive room.

A cavernous industrial space—designed for train maintenance.

Cranes hung from the ceiling, holding old railcars and rusted parts.
Chains creaked under the slightest movement.

KRAAAK!

The crash came fast.
Boris smashed through the doorway—and part of the wall.

A rain of dust and rubble followed in his wake.

—We need to get up there! —Vik shouted, pointing to the upper platforms.

Yuri, rifle in hand, backed up while firing controlled bursts.

TAC-TAC-TAC-TAC!

But Boris moved as if bullets were air.

A tentacle lashed out.

ZAAASH!

It missed by inches.

Vik rushed to Alexei, panting—eyes blazing with resolve.

—I’ll bait him —he said bluntly, pointing upward—. I’ll stand right under that.

Above them, a crane suspended a massive locomotive with thick chains.

Alexei looked up. He understood instantly.

—Got it —he nodded—. Be careful.

Vik ran to the center of the room and opened fire.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

—I’m right here! Come get me! —he shouted, taunting the beast.

Boris roared, furious. His crimson eyes locked onto him.

The creature spat more spheres of green liquid.

SCHLUP! PLAFF! TSSSSHHH!

The acid hit the floor, melting concrete with a hellish sizzle.

Vik dodged like a ghost—rolling, spinning, sliding through death.

But one of the blobs flew straight at Alexei.

He barely dodged with feline reflexes…

…yet the console wasn’t so lucky.

TSSSSHHHHH!

The acid ate through it in seconds.

—You’ve got to be kidding me! —Alexei growled, watching the plan dissolve.

Vik had Boris right where they wanted him. Everything was ready.

—Now, Alexei! —he shouted, urgent.

—We’ve got a small problem... —he replied, pointing at the steaming panel.

GROOAAARRRGH!

The roar rattled the foundations.
The tentacle snapped out again like a living whip.

WHUUM! CLAK!

Vik didn’t dodge in time.

—Shit! —he yelled as it caught him by the ankle.

Boris dragged him toward his twisted mouth—like a predator toying with its prey.

Vik thrashed wildly, shooting straight at the monster’s face.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The shots barely phased it.

Then—Yuri appeared from nowhere, knife in hand, like a lightning bolt.

With a fierce shout, he lunged at the tentacle and drove the blade into the fleshy joint gripping Vik.

KSSHHH!

The creature howled in pain—and let go.

Vik dropped to the floor and rolled instantly, chest burning, gasping.

—Thanks —he panted.

—Save it for later —Yuri said, eyes never leaving the monster.

—Vik! Yuri! Get clear! —Alexei shouted from the catwalk.

Without hesitation, he pulled the pin on a grenade.

CLANK! TAC!

He hurled it high—a perfect arc. A perfect shot.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the structure.

The support system gave way.

The locomotive dropped like a living mountain.

KRRRRRAAAAAK…! BOOOOOMMMM!!

Vik and Yuri dove to the ground at the last second.

The impact was brutal.
The floor trembled.
The air turned to dust.
The ears, to silence.

For seconds, nothing but the crackle of debris.

Vik rose coughing. He reached out a hand.

—You alright?

—I’m good —Yuri answered, smiling—. Let’s hope that thing isn’t.

From above, Alexei leaned over the railing. His shotgun hung at his side, voice full of adrenaline and payback.

—Suck on that, Boris! —he yelled with a laugh—. Call it staff reduction!

Vik smiled, exhausted.
The phrase hit like a bitter memory.

Boris had fired them without mercy.
Now… everything had changed.

The cloud of dust began to settle.
Amid the rubble, only one thing stuck out—

A motionless tentacle.

The creature… finally seemed finished.
Buried under tons of steel.

Alexei clumsily made his way down, jumping over scorched wreckage.

—You guys alright?

Both nodded.

—Great —he said, flashing a worn-out smile—. Then let’s grab the fuel… and get the hell out of here.

Vik crossed the room with heavy steps, still catching his breath.
At the far end, lying on a floor covered in dust and shrapnel…
The red jerrycan was still there. Intact.

The liquid inside still sloshed gently—as if it, too, had survived the hell.

He picked it up with one hand.
Without saying a word, he turned around.

Alexei and Yuri followed.
No words needed.

Together, they headed toward the exit of the workshop.

At the threshold, a figure stood waiting—rifle raised.

Anton.

—Took you long enough —he growled, not budging—. What the hell was all that noise?

From the shadows, the three silhouettes emerged.

Clothes covered in dust, fresh wounds across their skin—but standing tall.

Vik led the way, still holding the jerrycan high.

—We’ve got the fuel —he said with a hoarse voice—. Hope it’s enough.

Anton lowered the weapon. A faint, almost invisible smile flickered under his beard.

—Good. Let’s regroup with the others… and then you’re telling me what the hell caused those explosions.

The group made their way back to the rendezvous point.

Nikolai was waiting beside the Black Beast, arms crossed, looking proud.
The makeshift tank was already patched up.
The truck—though battered—looked ready to devour miles again.

Katya sat at the rear edge of the vehicle, legs dangling.
Her face pensive, eyes fixed on the ground.

Igor, to everyone’s surprise, was outside the truck.
Crouched beside the corpse of an Ash.
Staring at it with that blend of disgust and fascination only he could wear.

Around him—empty shells, dried blood, and traces of battle.

Clearly, Anton’s team had fought their own fight...
And won.

When Katya looked up and saw Vik through the dust, her face lit up.

She jumped from the vehicle in a heartbeat—running toward them.

—Thank God you’re okay! I was starting to get worried...

She rushed straight to Vik and threw her arms around him.

He didn’t say anything.
He just smiled.
Closed his eyes for a second and returned the embrace—with that calm warmth that defined him.

But Katya didn’t stop there.

When she saw Alexei a few steps behind, she went straight for him too.
Wrapped him up with the same affection. Direct. No hesitation.

Alexei froze.
Literally.

His eyes widened. His face turned beet red.
His arms hung in the air—unsure of where to land.

—G-Glad you’re safe too —he stammered, while she gently squeezed his shoulders.

A brief scene.
Unexpected.
But real.

Anton’s voice cut through it without warning.

—Let’s go —he ordered—. We’ve lost enough time.

He turned to Nikolai, eyes still on the team.

—Grab the fuel and get the Beast ready. We’re getting the hell out of this place.

—On it! —Nikolai replied, gripping the jerrycan firmly.

As the team scattered into their tasks, the echo of their footsteps faded behind them.
The station stood silent once more—like a mausoleum.
Another dead relic in the endless list of this fallen world.

But this time…

This time, everyone made it out alive.