"And maybe this is why when Pandora opened the box that carried such calamities which inflicted all of mankind, gentle hope emerged too."
- an excerpt of Nikita Gill's poem "Where Hope Comes From"
or in which
the timechild is saved and finds the...
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The ground shook violently again, and the room seemed to grow darker as the hum of the ship's engines rattled through the walls. The Doctor's eyes flashed with concern, but his usual calm was still evident. He glanced over his shoulder at Jack, then Pandora, his fingers twitching as if reaching for something only he could sense.
"We need to get to the TARDIS," The Doctor said, his voice tight. "Whatever's coming, we need to be out of here before it catches up with us."
Pandora could feel the unease spreading through the group. She glanced at Jack, who seemed unusually quiet, his brow furrowed in thought.
"Doctor, what exactly are we up against?" Jack asked, his tone serious now, no longer filled with cocky confidence.
The Doctor turned to look at him, his expression grave. "I'm not entirely sure. But we're in the end days of the human race. Whatever's out there could be the last thing standing between us and Utopia. And that's not something I'm willing to let slip away."
Pandora swallowed, unease curling in her stomach. "What's in the air, Doctor? It's like... something's alive out there."
The Doctor nodded grimly. "You're not wrong. Something is definitely hunting us. And the only way to survive is to get inside the TARDIS, where we have some semblance of control."
Jack stepped forward, looking toward the exit. "We're not getting out without a fight, are we?"
"Not unless you're running faster than that thing," The Doctor replied, pushing his glasses up his nose. "And I don't think even you can outrun that."
The loud thudding outside grew closer, the sound of enormous feet hitting the metal floor sending tremors through the building. Every few seconds, a shriek echoed in the distance, sharp and chilling, signaling the arrival of whatever nightmare they were about to face.
Martha had already begun gathering supplies in the corner, readying her medical bag for what might come. Pandora, for her part, felt the locket against her chest growing warmer, almost as if it were calling out to her. It was a feeling she couldn't shake, a pull that seemed tied to the mysterious danger they were about to face.
"Doctor, we need to move," Pandora urged, gripping the chain of her locket as she stepped toward the door.
But The Doctor didn't move. He stood frozen, eyes wide with sudden realization.
"No, it's too soon," he muttered, his gaze locked on the wall. "If we leave now, the timeline will be disrupted, and there's something even worse waiting for us at the end of this. This... this is wrong."
Jack stepped up beside him, concern on his face. "What's wrong? What aren't you telling us, Doctor?"
Before The Doctor could answer, the doors to the room slammed open, and a horde of ragged-looking humans in tatters stormed in, their faces twisted in desperation. But it wasn't their appearances that made Pandora's blood run cold. It was the gleam in their eyes—the maddening hunger that blazed in their pupils.
