Prologue: Please, I don't want to die.

Amidst the once-bustling streets of Manchester, a team of six rookie operatives found themselves cornered in a nightmarish maze of flames and collapsing structures. The buildings around them lay in ruins, their skeletal remains clawing at the smoke-choked sky. Flames danced along the pavement, yet their appetite paled in comparison to the abomination before them.

The urgency of their mission pressed heavily upon their hearts. They were confronting an entity that had already claimed two of their comrades. The haunting orders of their fallen lieutenant pushed them forward, a grim reminder of their duty: to protect human lives at any cost.

Desperation polluted the air, stifling and suffocating. Their collective strength was dwindling rapidly, sapped by the horrific entity before them.

"Why would they send us on this mission? It's already too powerful..."

Amidst the flickering flames and the groans of collapsing structures, the grim reality of their situation sank in. Erik and their lieutenant, Peter, once considered pillars of the team's strength, were now distorted and lifeless corpses on the pavement. The weight of grief and daunting odds they faced paralyzed them as doubt swirled in their minds.

"We've sacrificed too much; this is a death sentence."

 "It's too much; we need to find a way out of this hell..."

 "I have a family back home; we can't fight it."

 "Please... I don't want to die."

As their flickering hope threatened to be extinguished, a lone voice ignited a spark of purpose within them. Strained yet unyielding, he shouted, "Harden your hearts! With an unwavering resolve, we can overcome this!”

The squad captain’s voice cut directly through the haze of panic. His confidence acted as a beacon, rallying his team amidst the surrounding chaos. Knowing the danger they faced, the team began to reposition and trudged forward.

His voice, strained but determined, shouted, "Fall back and regroup! Our mission is to save as many lives as possible. We cannot let this turn into a calamity!"

"If we can just get an inhibiting field around it, we can—"

Before he could finish, a silent, bone-chilling whipping sound cut through the air. The squad watched as the living embodiment of their unity and strength crumpled to the ground. No sound was louder than the sickening hollow thud his body made as it met the unforgiving concrete. Shock and vulnerability seized them, instantly erasing the last remnants of hope from their eyes.

The entity loomed closer; its sinister grin was grotesquely highlighted by the flickering flames. With its elongated arms retracting, it took deliberate and unsettling steps toward them. Paralyzed by fear, the team found themselves powerless against the impending doom.