Infected Realms

Chapter 13: Collapse

The ground beneath them trembled, sending a jolt of fear through Evelyn's body. The facility was collapsing faster than they had anticipated. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling, and the steel door over the shaft rattled as the creatures below slammed against it, their growls muffled but persistent.

"We need to keep moving," Maya said, her voice strained. She wiped sweat and grime from her brow, eyes darting around for the next exit. "This place isn't going to hold much longer."

Marcos nodded, still shaking but managing to stand, his breathing ragged. "Where do we go? This entire place is coming down on us."

Evelyn scanned the room, her mind racing. They were close to the surface, but with the facility falling apart around them, the usual exits might be blocked. "There has to be another way out."

Maya motioned toward a side door, the hinges rusty but still intact. "That door leads to an old maintenance tunnel. It should take us to the surface."

Without another word, they rushed toward the door. Evelyn shoved it open, revealing a narrow, dark passageway. The sound of the facility collapsing was louder now—an ever-present rumble that grew more intense with each passing second. The tunnel ahead was filled with debris, making it difficult to navigate.

"Stay close," Maya warned, her voice low. "This tunnel hasn't been used in years. It could collapse at any moment."

They moved cautiously through the tunnel, the dim emergency lights barely illuminating their path. The air was thick with dust and the acrid smell of burning wires. The walls groaned under the pressure of the crumbling structure, and every now and then, a piece of the ceiling would fall, crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

As they pressed forward, Evelyn's mind raced with the events of the past hours. The creatures, the energy breaches, the failsafe—it all felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake from. But the reality of the situation kept her grounded. They were still in danger, and if they didn't get out soon, the entire facility would bury them alive.

A loud crash echoed from behind them, and the tunnel shook violently. They stumbled forward, barely keeping their balance as chunks of the ceiling collapsed around them.

"We're not going to make it!" Marcos shouted, his voice filled with panic.

"Keep moving!" Evelyn shouted back, her own fear bubbling to the surface. "We're almost there!"

The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, but finally, they saw a faint glimmer of light ahead. Hope surged through Evelyn as she pushed herself harder, her muscles screaming in protest. The exit was close. They could make it.

Just as they neared the end of the tunnel, the ground shook again, this time harder than before. The walls cracked, and the ceiling above them groaned, sending dust and debris raining down on them.

"Go, go, go!" Maya yelled, her voice filled with urgency.

They sprinted toward the light, the sound of the collapsing facility deafening around them. The exit was just ahead—a small metal door that led to the surface. Evelyn reached it first, throwing it open and stepping out into the cool night air.

For a brief moment, she stood there, gasping for breath, the fresh air filling her lungs. Behind her, Maya and Marcos stumbled out, equally exhausted and covered in dust and grime.

But they didn't have time to rest. The facility behind them was collapsing in on itself, the ground shaking as the structure caved in. A massive cloud of dust and debris erupted from the tunnel entrance, billowing into the air like a storm.

"We need to get away from here," Maya said, her voice tight with fear. "This whole area could cave in."

Evelyn nodded, her legs trembling from exhaustion, but she forced herself to move. They ran as fast as their tired bodies would allow, putting as much distance between themselves and the collapsing facility as possible.

As they reached a small clearing, the ground gave one final, violent shake, and with a deafening roar, the rest of the facility collapsed into the earth. The sound echoed through the night, and the ground beneath them trembled one last time before finally falling still.

For a long moment, they stood there in silence, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. The only sound was their ragged breathing and the faint crackling of debris settling in the distance.

"We did it," Marcos whispered, his voice filled with disbelief. "We actually made it out."

Evelyn stared at the cloud of dust rising from the collapsed facility, her heart still pounding in her chest. They had survived, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong. The creatures, the energy—none of it had been destroyed. They had simply escaped, but the threat remained.

Maya seemed to share her unease. "We may have survived, but whatever they were experimenting on... it's still out there. The failsafe bought us time, but it's not enough."

Evelyn swallowed hard, her throat dry. "What do we do now?"

Maya's face was grim as she looked back toward the ruined facility. "We warn the world. Whatever happened here can't stay buried. It's only a matter of time before this happens again."

Evelyn nodded, her mind still reeling from everything they had seen. She knew Maya was right. The collapse of the facility was only the beginning. There was still so much they didn't understand, and the horrors they had encountered were only the surface of a much deeper mystery.

But for now, they were alive.

And that would have to be enough.

As they stood there, watching the dust settle in the distance, Evelyn couldn't help but wonder what the future held. The facility may have been destroyed, but the unseen forces at play were far from finished.

And somewhere, deep beneath the earth, those forces were still stirring.

Still waiting.