Infected Realms

Chapter 9: The Breach

The sound of claws scraping metal grew louder, each tap sending a jolt of terror through Evelyn's body. The creature had found another way into the room, and they were running out of time.

"How is it getting in?" Marcos whispered, his voice quaking with fear.

Maya pointed toward a ventilation shaft at the far end of the room. The grill covering it was hanging loose, and the faint shadows of movement flickered just beyond the opening.

"It's in the vents," Maya said through clenched teeth. "We need to move. Now."

Without hesitation, she darted toward the control panel, pulling open a drawer beneath it. "There's got to be a way to lock this place down, or at least buy us more time." Her fingers flew over the controls, flipping switches and pressing buttons. The machinery groaned to life as the monitors flickered, showing sections of the facility's infrastructure.

"Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath. "There has to be something."

Evelyn's pulse pounded in her ears as the scraping from the vents grew closer. Every second felt like a countdown to disaster. She moved closer to the control panel, watching the screens with wide eyes. One of the monitors showed a live feed of the ventilation shafts, and her stomach dropped when she saw the twisted form of the creature squeezing its way through, its glowing eyes locked onto their location.

"It's almost here!" Marcos shouted, backing away from the vent as the grill clattered to the ground.

Maya's hands trembled as she found what she was looking for. "Got it! I'm initiating a lockdown." She slammed her hand down on a large red button, and a loud mechanical hum filled the room as heavy metal doors began to slide into place over the exits and vents.

For a moment, the room was filled with the grinding of gears as the facility's security systems activated. The sound drowned out the creature's movements, and for a fleeting second, Evelyn thought they might be safe.

But then the lights flickered. The machinery groaned, and the security doors ground to a halt halfway through closing.

"No, no, no!" Maya shouted, frantically hitting the button again. But it was too late. The power had failed, and the doors remained stuck, leaving the vent partially open.

Evelyn's heart sank as the creature's clawed hand appeared through the gap, its fingers twitching as it pulled itself forward. The creature snarled, its distorted face now visible through the opening, its glowing eyes fixed on them.

"We need to go!" Evelyn shouted, grabbing Maya by the arm and pulling her away from the control panel.

The creature lunged forward, squeezing through the gap in the vent. Its twisted body writhed as it forced itself through, its limbs contorting unnaturally. Evelyn felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat at the sight of it.

Marcos screamed, stumbling backward as the creature landed on the floor, its body snapping and cracking as it unfolded itself. It let out a guttural growl, its eyes glowing with malevolent intensity as it turned toward them.

"We're trapped!" Marcos cried, his voice shaking.

Evelyn's mind raced. They needed a plan, and they needed one fast. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for anything they could use. Her gaze landed on a large piece of machinery—a massive generator humming softly in the corner.

"We can overload the generator," she said, her voice steady despite the terror gripping her. "If we can get it to blow, it might take this thing out."

Maya's eyes widened. "Are you serious? We could get caught in the blast."

"It's either that or we die here," Evelyn snapped. "Do you have a better idea?"

Maya hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Fine. Let's do it."

The creature moved closer, its twisted form stalking them with unnatural precision. Marcos whimpered in fear, backing up against the wall, unable to move.

"Marcos!" Evelyn shouted. "Help us or we're all dead!"

He shook his head, his face pale. "I can't... I can't..."

Evelyn didn't have time to argue. She and Maya rushed toward the generator, prying open the access panel. Wires and circuits greeted them, and Maya quickly began pulling apart the wiring, her hands moving with practiced precision.

"The circuit's unstable," Maya muttered as she worked. "If we can create a short, it should overload the system, but we need to give ourselves time to get clear."

The creature snarled and lunged at them, its claws slashing through the air. Evelyn grabbed a metal pipe from the floor and swung it, hitting the creature in the side. It barely flinched but was knocked off balance just enough to give them a few extra seconds.

"Hurry, Maya!" Evelyn shouted, swinging the pipe again to keep the creature at bay.

Maya's hands moved faster, sparks flying as she manipulated the circuits. "Just a few more seconds..."

The creature roared in frustration, its glowing eyes locked onto Evelyn as it lunged again. This time, Evelyn wasn't fast enough. The creature's claw caught her arm, ripping through her sleeve and drawing blood. She stumbled back, gasping in pain.

"Evelyn!" Maya cried, her voice frantic.

"I'm fine!" Evelyn shouted through gritted teeth. "Just do it!"

With a final twist of the wires, Maya stood up. "It's done! We have less than a minute before it blows!"

Evelyn dropped the pipe and grabbed Marcos, who was still frozen in terror. "Move! Now!"

The three of them sprinted toward the door, the sound of the generator humming louder and louder as it reached critical overload. The creature roared in fury, but it was too late to stop them.

They burst through the door just as the generator exploded behind them, sending a shockwave through the facility. The ground shook violently, and the lights flickered before plunging them into darkness.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, from deep within the facility, they heard it—a low, guttural growl, echoing through the halls.

The creature wasn't dead.

And it wasn't alone.