THE LABORATORY

With the railway station behind them and an uncertain horizon unfolding ahead, the group moved forward aboard the Black Beast.
The vehicle roared across the ruined highway like a wounded animal refusing to die, while Moscow’s thick, silent dust rose behind them—trailing like a wake of war.
Their destination: Theralux’s former secondary laboratory.

Meanwhile…
In that same laboratory—buried beneath debris and hills of twisted metal—activity was frantic.

—Move faster! —barked Vladimir Karpov, his tone firm, the voice of a man who tolerated no mistakes—. Gather everything important. Destroy the rest. I don’t want any more delays.

The facility, partially wrecked by the aftermath of conflict, was a mere shadow of its former scientific glory.
Lights flickered between electrical surges, walls were cracked, and the air smelled of ozone and sterile dust.

A squad of Theralux soldiers—clad in their signature black tactical gear with the company logo displayed on their shoulders—rushed down the corridors.
Their helmets, equipped with enhanced vision, glowed with a reddish hue as they carried out orders without question.

TUMP TUMP TUMP!

At the front, walking like a general among ruins, was Vladimir Karpov.
His face—severe, almost stone-like—remained impassive as he quickly reviewed data on his personal notebook.
This was the same man who had caused the release of the primordial beast… and yet, he still radiated an aura of absolute control, as if everything was happening by his design.

—Sir —a soldier reported, stopping in front of him—. All genetic material has been loaded onto the trucks. We're ready to move.

—Excellent —Vladimir nodded, not even looking up from his notes—. Make sure there’s nothing useful left behind.

—Yes, sir.

The scientist snapped his notebook shut and muttered, almost to himself:

—This must all be moved to central base. It’s too valuable to rot here...

Another soldier approached, urgency in his voice.

—Sir, report from the perimeter: dozens of Ashes approaching the lab. How should we proceed?

Vladimir clicked his tongue in disdain.

—Those horrid creatures... Fine. We’re leaving. We have what we need.

He was about to walk away—
But stopped.
An idea crossed his mind, and a dangerous glint lit up his eyes.

—No. Wait. Capture one. We’re taking it with us. I want to run some tests.

—One, sir?

—Yes. One is enough for now. Alive. Don’t let it die on the way.

—Understood —the soldier replied with a sharp nod before turning on his heels.

Outside the lab, Vladimir’s command was carried out without hesitation.

—Alright, boys! —shouted the officer leading the exterior unit—. We need a live specimen. Bring the tools.

Two soldiers ran to the back of one of the vehicles and pulled out hooks and reinforced chains.
Their movements were mechanical—this kind of operation was clearly routine by now.

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad formed a defensive perimeter.
Gunfire echoed through the ruins.
More and more Ashes, drawn by the noise and movement, stumbled toward them.
But they were taken down with efficiency—clean shots to the head or chest. No mercy. No emotion.

—Grab that one! —the officer ordered, pointing at a creature approaching from the right flank.

Two soldiers lunged like wolves at their prey.
The Ash, sluggish and dazed, barely had time to react.
A chain wrapped around its neck with a sharp yank.
It struggled, groaning with a mix of rage and confusion—but it was useless.

RHAAARG!

They dragged it across the dusty ground, its legs scraping as it was shoved into a reinforced metal container.
The doors slammed shut with a brutal screech.

SHHRR-KLANG!

—Done. We’ve got it.

—Let’s get the hell out!

One by one, the soldiers returned to their vehicles.
The engines began to rumble between the shattered buildings.

VRRRRMMM... VRAAAMMM!

More Ashes kept coming from the distance, their silhouettes multiplying in the gray mist—
But it was already too late for them.

The Theralux convoy moved out.

The engines roared, and the armored trucks rolled away—escorted by recon motorcycles and patrol drones overhead.

At the head of the convoy, inside a reinforced vehicle, Vladimir Karpov sat in silence.
His eyes weren’t on the road.
They looked far beyond.
His mind was calculating.

Behind them lay smoke, the echoes of gunfire…
And the remains of a laboratory that once tried to save the world—
Now only helping to damn it.

Time passed.

The silence of the wasteland was broken only by the wind echoing between corroded structures…
Until, in the distance, a mechanical growl rose above the stillness.

The Black Beast.

The vehicle emerged through the mist—solid, heavy, like a steel predator that refused to die.
Its chassis still bore the scars from their last battle, but it kept moving, unrelenting.

Anton sat at the front. His gaze fixed, posture upright. His voice—like his presence—radiated effortless command:

—Alright, we’re here —he announced with the calm of a seasoned leader—. From now on, keep your eyes wide open. We don’t know what’s inside. No unnecessary risks. Got it?

His words were firm, authoritative—especially aimed at Yuri, whom he held in his gaze a few seconds longer than usual.

Yuri raised an eyebrow, unfazed.

—Yeah, yeah, same as always —he replied with a casual tone—. We go in, grab what we need, and get out. Always the same… —he sighed with mock boredom, as if it were just another routine job.

One by one, the team stepped out of the Black Beast.

Before them, silhouetted against the gray mist and the city’s decay, rose the entrance to Theralux’s secondary laboratory.

Despite the scars of war, its architecture still held a sober, imposing presence—reinforced concrete walls, metal structures still standing.
The main door, sealed shut, seemed to defy the passage of time.

—Alright, Igor. Your turn —Anton ordered without raising his voice, but with the quiet certainty of someone who knew he’d be obeyed.

From behind the group, Igor emerged with slightly awkward steps, already fiddling with the device strapped to his chest.
He headed toward a lateral panel embedded in the structure of the door.

Meanwhile, Vik surveyed the surroundings with a serious expression.
His eyes quickly caught something unsettling.

—These Ashes… —he murmured—. Someone’s been here recently. They’re all dead.

Anton turned toward him, frowning.

—You’re right. We better stay sharp.

The air crackled with static electricity. Something didn’t feel right.

Igor, oblivious to the tension around him, dismantled the panel with surgical care.
His long, dexterous fingers worked between melted wires, corroded chips, and printed code lines—like solving a puzzle only he could understand.

Within seconds, a green light blinked on the access panel.

BIP.

A dull beep echoed, and with a hydraulic hum, the massive door began to open slowly.

PSSHHHHRK... GRRRRNNNK!
KRRRRRRRAAAANK... TCHUNK!

Katya stepped up beside Igor, flashing a genuine smile.

—Wow, Igor… you’re amazing —she said with sincere admiration.

He blushed immediately, looking down and scratching his head in embarrassment.

—It’s… not that hard… —he mumbled, clearly flustered by the praise.

—Alright, team. Let’s head in —Anton ordered, already walking into the facility.

Nikolai and Alexei stayed back, posted on a higher position overlooking the perimeter.
Both had their weapons ready, scanning the ruins for anything unusual.

The rest of the team crossed the threshold.

The lab’s interior welcomed them with absolute silence—disturbed only by the creaking of their own footsteps.
Emergency lights blinked sporadically.
Cables dangled from broken ceilings.
Cracked screens flickered with error messages.

Theralux…
Once a symbol of advanced science.
Now, just a ghost of what the world used to be.

Anton and Yuri led the way down the lab’s corridors, their firm steps echoing on the dust-covered floor.
Behind them walked Igor, Katya, and Vik—forming a silent tactical column, alert to every sound.

Despite the evident destruction, the place remained surprisingly intact.
Offices on either side still held medical equipment, broken analysis machines, dark monitors, and documents scattered across the floor.

But the most disturbing sight… were the bodies.

Corpses.

Piles of corpses stacked carefully against the walls.
They hadn’t fallen by chance—someone had moved them aside.
Like clearing a path.

—Someone’s been here —Katya whispered, breaking the silence.

Vik pressed forward, eyes locked ahead—
But his mind was elsewhere.
It was with Anya.

The group moved deeper into the heart of the laboratory—
Until, at the far end of the hallway, they saw them.

Three motionless figures.

Ashes.

They stood upright. Completely still.
As if waiting for a signal to break the silence.

Anton raised his hand in a clear command to stop.
He turned to the group and whispered:

—We’ll do this quietly. I’ll handle it.

He slowly unsheathed a massive combat knife strapped to his back.
Then advanced like a seasoned predator—silent, efficient, death in motion.

Just a few steps away from the first Ash...

ZASS.

The knife sank clean into the infected’s skull.
A jet of black blood spurted instantly.

Without wasting half a second, Anton spun on his heel—
And with another brutal slash—

ZAAAASS.

He cleaved the air and drove the blade into the side of the second Ash’s head.
It dropped without a sound.

The third turned quickly—
But never had a chance.

Anton grabbed it by the neck with both hands, and with a dry snap—

CRACK.

He broke its spine.
The body collapsed like a lifeless puppet.

The rest of the team watched in silence, stunned.
None of them had ever really seen Anton in action—until now.

Anton pressed his boot to the second Ash’s chest, withdrew his knife with precision, and, in one fluid motion, wiped the blade clean and sheathed it.

—Alright. Let’s keep moving —he said with the same calm as someone closing a door.

They continued until they reached a door unlike the rest—reinforced, with no visible markings.
Only an electronic panel at its side.

—This must be it… Igor, you’re up —Anton said.

The young tech stepped up quickly, adjusting his glasses.
He pulled a tablet from his backpack, connected a cable to the terminal—
And instantly, a cascade of windows popped up on his screen.
His fingers flew over the virtual keyboard.

The rest of the team formed a perimeter.

Katya moved closer to Vik, sensing the tension radiating from him.
She spoke gently, with quiet empathy:

—Don’t worry, Vik. I’m sure we’ll find something to help us locate your sister.

Vik looked at her.
Her words hit him like a breath of fresh air.

—Thank you, Katya —he said, managing a faint smile.

She smiled back.
Just as the moment turned warm—

WEEEOOOOO!

A shrill siren exploded through the hallway.
Red lights began flashing violently.

Anton spun around.

—Igor! What the hell is that?! —he yelled.

Igor, surprisingly calm, replied:

—Their security system is impressive. They rigged a trap in case someone tried to force entry.

A faintly amused grin crept across his face.
The challenge… excited him.

—I’ll need a few minutes —he added, with rare confidence.

But they didn’t have a few minutes.

The blaring alarm had awakened what lay in the shadows.

From nearby offices, from vents and doorways—
Ashes began to emerge. Dozens of them.
They had been dormant… until now.

Yuri grinned instantly—like someone had just invited him to play.

—Finally… my turn.

—Hold formation! —Anton ordered—. We need to buy Igor some time!

Gunfire erupted.

Yuri fired at point-blank range, laughing between bursts:

—Eat this!

Vik and Katya shot with lethal precision—every bullet to the head.
Every Ash that approached… dropped.

Anton, holding the rear, fired with surgical focus—covering the flanks.

The bodies piled up—
But they kept coming.

—Right side! —Katya shouted.
She had spotted movement through a crack in the wall.

She aimed.
BANG. A clean, sharp shot cracked an Ash’s skull trying to slip in from the side.

—Nice shot —Vik praised.

—I’ve got this side —Katya said, confident—. Help Yuri.

Vik nodded. He didn’t doubt her.

He ran to Yuri, who kept shouting through the chaos:

—Hahaha! Take that!

—I’m here to back you up —Vik said, taking position beside him.

—Thanks… but I’ve got it —Yuri replied without even looking, reloading with a wicked grin.

Vik smirked.
That was Yuri.
Still, he stayed—firing at the last wave of Ashes.

And then… silence.

The alarm stopped.
The red lights faded.

CLICK.

The door behind them began to open.

Anton approached Igor and placed a hand on his shoulder.

—Good work.

Then he turned to the others.

—Let’s move. We’ll seal the door behind us.

Katya went in first. Then Igor. Then Anton.

Vik gave Yuri a pat on the back—a signal.
Time to go.

They both stepped through the threshold.
Igor quickly accessed the panel and shut the door.

THUNK.

A mechanical hiss locked it in place.

And what remained behind… was sealed in darkness.

Once the door sealed shut, calm returned.

A sepulchral silence took hold of the space—so dense, it felt heavy in the chest.
Total darkness swallowed everything.

For several seconds, no one moved.
No one spoke.
Not even a breath.

Only the faint blue glow of Igor’s tablet pierced the black, reflecting on his tech goggles as his fingers danced across the screen.

—Let there be light —he muttered with ceremonial flair.

He tapped a command.

CLICK.

A sequence of ceiling lights flickered on one by one, descending across the vast chamber—
Unveiling what lay before them.

And it wasn’t what they expected.

A massive room unfolded like a technological sanctuary buried beneath the earth.
Unlike the rest of the laboratory, this section was immaculately preserved.

No damage.
No debris.
No blood.
No chaos.

Everything was… untouched.

The white floor gleamed under LED beams.
Sleek metal walls were lined with silent monitors and futuristic control panels.
Glass containment pods—empty—stood to one side like sterile coffins awaiting new hosts.
Perfectly arranged lab instruments rested on steel tables, as if their owners had just stepped out.

The air smelled of sterilization.
Of living technology.

Vik stepped forward, eyes full of confusion.

—How is this place still intact?

Anton surveyed the area with analytical precision.

—My guess… it's protected well enough to survive a war —he replied grimly.

He paused for a few seconds, studying every detail of the anomaly.
Then turned to face the team.

—Alright, people… time to work.
Search for anything useful.
Any intel, documents, data, clues about a cure—anything.

He made eye contact with each of them.

—We meet back here in one hour.
If you find something strange or get into trouble—call it in. Understood?

—Understood —they replied in unison.

Without another word, the team split up into the silent corridors of Theralux’s last untouched heart.