For Me,There Is Only You |18+|

38. Death Like This

It was the middle of the night as I raced through the corridors of the facility, my heart pounding so loudly it echoed in my ears.

The narrow hallways were dimly lit, and the flickering lights overhead cast long, eerie shadows that danced and twisted on the cold stone walls, making everything feel even more oppressive.

My footsteps rang out in the silence, the sound bouncing off the hard floor as I sprinted, desperately trying to remember the path Malek had drilled into my mind over and over again.

The first obstacle was the patrolling guards.

My breath caught in my throat as I pressed myself against the cold, rough surface of the wall, my body going completely still.

I could hear their heavy boots pounding rhythmically on the ground, the sound growing louder with each step they took. One of them held a torch, the flame casting harsh, bright light that cut through the darkness.

I waited, every muscle in my body tensed, until they finally turned the corner. The moment they were out of sight, I slipped past them, my heart still racing.

I nearly crashed into a stack of crates but managed to catch myself at the last second, my hands trembling.

As I continued down the corridor, I reached a large chamber with a high ceiling, filled with strange, glowing symbols.

This was the room where the facility conducted its most dangerous experiments. In one corner, a massive, chained beast—part lizard, part serpent—slumbered. Its scales shimmered with an iridescent sheen, and its eyes, though closed, seemed to glow with a predatory hunger.

I knew from Malek that this creature was called a "Wraith Serpent," a beast infamous for its ferocity and relentless aggression.

It was the first real barrier I had to cross to reach the air duct pipe on the far side of the chamber, the only escape route that Malek had shown me.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I reached down and pulled up the hem of my white robe, revealing a small bottle that I had secured with a rag around my thigh.

My hands shook as I uncorked the bottle, and a sweet, almost intoxicating aroma wafted into the air, quickly filling the space around me.

Malek had stolen this bottle from Master's lab, explaining that the scent was used to tame the Wraith Serpent, to lull it back into its unnatural slumber. But now, facing the creature, I wasn't sure if the scent would work—or if it would act quickly enough to save me.

I took a deep breath and held it, not daring to inhale the scent myself, and began to navigate around the sleeping beast. Every step I took was deliberate, each movement calculated to avoid making even the slightest sound.

But just as I was nearly clear—the Wraith Serpent stirred. Its massive head lifted from the ground with a low, rumbling growl that sent a wave of terror crashing over me.

I froze, every muscle in my body locked in place, my breath caught in my throat.

Its eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light, flickered open, and I could see the deadly glint of its razor-sharp fangs as it scanned the room. Panic surged through me as it sniffed the air, its nostrils flaring, searching for the intruder it could sense but not yet see.

I backed away slowly, retreating into the shadows, pressing myself against the cold, rough stone of the wall, praying that the darkness would conceal me.