Infected Realms

Chapter 10: Unseen Forces

The explosion left a ringing in Evelyn's ears as they stumbled through the darkened corridor, the smell of burnt wiring and smoke filling the air. The low growls reverberating through the facility made her blood run cold. Whatever they had just blown up hadn't stopped the creature—or the others lurking somewhere deeper in the facility.

Maya was still gripping her arm, her knuckles white as they moved through the narrow hall. "That blast should've taken it out," she muttered, frustration and fear edging her voice. "These things... they're not just some mutation. There's something keeping them alive."

Evelyn's arm throbbed from the claw wound, but she gritted her teeth and pushed the pain aside. "We need to keep moving. If there are more of them, we can't afford to stop."

Marcos, still visibly shaken, stumbled behind them. "I don't understand... What are they? How are they even possible?"

"We're in some kind of experiment," Evelyn said, glancing back. "It's not just a virus or an infection. There's something bigger going on, something we haven't seen yet."

Maya nodded, her eyes scanning the shadows around them. "We need to make it to the control center. Whatever this is, that's where we'll find answers."

The corridor opened up into another section of the lower facility, dim emergency lights flickering weakly along the ceiling. The once-sterile walls were now cracked and stained, and the air felt heavy, oppressive, as if they were walking through a tomb.

Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest as they moved deeper into the maze of tunnels. The sounds of distant growls seemed to echo from all directions, growing louder and more frequent. Whatever these creatures were, they were gathering, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"There it is," Maya said, pointing ahead to a large set of double doors. A faded sign above the entrance read "Control Center."

Evelyn felt a flicker of hope. If they could just make it inside, maybe they could find a way to stop this nightmare. Or at least figure out how to escape.

They reached the doors, and Maya immediately began working on the control panel beside them. "Give me a second. I just need to override the security locks."

As Maya worked, Evelyn glanced around, her eyes scanning the empty hallway. The feeling of being watched crept over her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The facility was too quiet, and the occasional distant growls only heightened her sense of dread.

"Hurry, Maya," she whispered, her voice tight with anxiety.

Maya nodded, her fingers flying over the controls. "Almost there."

Suddenly, the growls grew louder—closer. Evelyn whipped around, her heart skipping a beat as she saw movement in the shadows down the hall. Dark, twisted figures were emerging from the far end of the corridor, their glowing eyes fixed on them.

"They're coming!" Evelyn shouted, her voice trembling with fear.

Maya cursed under her breath and slammed her fist against the control panel. "I'm in!" she yelled as the doors slid open with a metallic hiss. "Go!"

They rushed through the doors, slamming them shut just as the first creature reached the threshold. The sound of claws scratching against the metal sent chills down Evelyn's spine as she backed away, her heart racing.

Maya quickly sealed the doors, locking the creatures out for the time being. "That should hold them... for now."

Evelyn glanced around the control center. The room was massive, filled with rows of monitors and control panels, all flickering with data and warnings. The walls were lined with servers and machinery that hummed with power, though it was clear the facility was running on emergency systems.

"This place... it's huge," Marcos whispered, his eyes wide with awe and fear. "What were they doing here?"

Evelyn moved to the nearest console, her fingers brushing over the controls as she tried to make sense of the data on the screens. "This was never just a research facility," she muttered, her voice thick with realization. "This was something else. Something darker."

Maya joined her at the console, her eyes scanning the readouts. "Look at this," she said, pointing to a series of diagrams on one of the monitors. "These are the lower levels. They go deeper than we thought."

Evelyn's stomach churned as she studied the diagrams. The sublevels beneath the facility stretched far below what they had originally seen. Whatever was down there, it was massive. And it was the source of everything that had gone wrong.

"Look," Maya continued, highlighting one of the screens. "These readings... they're not biological. They're... energy signatures."

"Energy?" Evelyn frowned, trying to understand. "What kind of energy?"

Maya's face darkened as she studied the data. "Quantum. Whatever's happening here, it's tied to something we don't fully understand. These creatures, the infection—it's not just physical. It's like they're being powered by something beyond our reality."

"That doesn't make sense," Marcos said, shaking his head. "How can something like that even be possible?"

Evelyn's mind raced as she pieced it together. "The experiments. The sleep study wasn't just about deprivation. It was about accessing something beyond normal consciousness. They were trying to tap into... other dimensions."

Maya nodded. "I think they succeeded. But it went wrong—terribly wrong. The energy they unleashed didn't just affect the mind. It created something new... something that can't be killed in the traditional sense."

Evelyn felt a wave of nausea wash over her. "So what do we do? How do we stop this?"

Maya scanned the data again, her eyes narrowing. "There's a failsafe built into the system. It's designed to contain any breaches... but it's down in the lowest level. We'll have to manually activate it."

"Go deeper?" Marcos nearly shouted, panic rising in his voice. "Are you insane? We barely made it this far!"

Evelyn looked at him, her expression grim. "It's the only way. If we don't stop this, those creatures will escape the facility. And then... there'll be no stopping them."

Maya glanced back at the sealed door, the distant growls still audible through the thick metal. "We don't have much time. If we're going to do this, we need to go now."

Evelyn nodded, determination settling in her chest despite the fear. "Then let's go."

Together, they gathered what little supplies they could find and prepared themselves for the journey ahead. As they stepped out of the control center and into the unknown, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking toward their doom.

But there was no turning back now.

Whatever waited for them in the depths of the facility, they would have to face it head-on.

It was their only chance.