Infected Realms

Chapter 17: Lurking Shadows

In the days that followed, Evelyn, Maya, and Marcos disappeared from the grid. Lila and her team had provided them with fake identities, safe houses, and strict instructions to stay hidden. They were now ghosts, cut off from their old lives, their pasts wiped clean. But even in their newfound anonymity, the weight of what they had uncovered hung over them like a storm cloud, always looming.

Evelyn found it hard to settle into this new life. The safe house they had been assigned was deep in the woods, miles away from civilization. The isolation, while comforting in some ways, was suffocating in others. She felt trapped, her mind constantly replaying the horrors of the facility, the creatures, and the rifts between dimensions that had started this whole nightmare.

She spent most of her time by the window, staring out at the thick forest that surrounded the house, waiting for something—anything—to happen. Each rustle of the trees or distant animal call made her jump, her nerves frayed to their limits.

Maya, on the other hand, was constantly busy. She had turned one of the rooms into a makeshift lab, poring over the data they had managed to salvage from the facility. It was her way of coping, Evelyn realized—a need to understand, to find some kind of logic in the chaos they had witnessed. Maya was determined to figure out how the rifts worked, how the creatures were connected to the energy breaches, and, most importantly, how they could stop it from spreading.

Marcos... he was struggling the most. He barely left his room, and when he did, he was a shadow of his former self. The terror they had faced had left him broken, and no matter how much Evelyn or Maya tried to comfort him, he remained distant, haunted by the things they had seen.

One evening, as the sun began to set and the sky was painted in shades of orange and red, Evelyn found herself on the porch, staring out into the woods. The air was cool, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, bringing with it the scent of pine and earth. For a moment, she allowed herself to relax, to believe that maybe, just maybe, they were safe.

But the feeling didn't last.

Out of the corner of her eye, Evelyn saw movement. At first, she thought it was an animal—a deer or maybe a fox—but then she saw it again. A shadow, slipping between the trees, moving with purpose.

Her heart began to race. She stood, stepping closer to the edge of the porch, her eyes scanning the tree line. The shadow moved again, this time closer, too close to be an animal. She strained her eyes, trying to make out the figure, but it was too dark, too far away.

"Evelyn?"

She jumped, spinning around to see Maya standing in the doorway, her brow furrowed with concern. "What is it?" Maya asked, glancing out into the woods.

Evelyn hesitated, unsure if what she had seen was real or just her imagination. "I thought I saw something... someone out there."

Maya frowned, stepping onto the porch to stand beside her. She scanned the tree line, her eyes sharp and focused. "I don't see anything. Are you sure?"

"I don't know," Evelyn admitted, her voice shaky. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

Maya put a hand on her shoulder, her touch reassuring. "After everything we've been through, it's hard not to be. But we're safe here. Lila made sure of that."

Evelyn nodded, though the uneasy feeling in her gut didn't go away. "I hope you're right."

As they turned to go back inside, Evelyn glanced over her shoulder one last time. The forest was still, bathed in the fading light of the setting sun. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching them.

***

That night, sleep didn't come easily. Evelyn tossed and turned, her mind replaying the events of the past weeks over and over again. The facility, the creatures, the energy breaches—it all haunted her, refusing to let her rest.

Around midnight, a sudden noise jolted her awake. She sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she listened, her ears straining to hear any sound. At first, there was nothing but the faint rustling of leaves outside the window.

Then she heard it again—a soft thud, followed by the creak of floorboards.

Evelyn's blood ran cold.

She climbed out of bed as quietly as she could, her bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor. Slowly, she made her way toward the door, her hand reaching for the handle. She pressed her ear against the wood, listening.

Another creak. Closer this time.

Her heart raced as she carefully opened the door, peeking out into the hallway. The house was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon filtering through the windows. She stepped into the hallway, her eyes darting around, searching for the source of the noise.

Then she saw it.

A shadow—slipping down the hallway, moving toward the kitchen.

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. It wasn't Maya or Marcos. The figure was too tall, too unfamiliar. Someone had broken in.

Without thinking, she turned and bolted down the hallway, her bare feet slapping against the wooden floor as she raced to Maya's room. She threw the door open, startling Maya awake.

"What—?"

"Someone's in the house," Evelyn whispered, her voice urgent. "I saw them. We need to get out."

Maya's eyes widened as she jumped out of bed, quickly grabbing the small bag of supplies she had kept ready for emergencies. "Where's Marcos?"

Evelyn shook her head, panic rising in her chest. "I don't know. He's probably still in his room."

They hurried down the hallway, keeping to the shadows, trying to move as silently as possible. When they reached Marcos's room, Evelyn pushed the door open.

It was empty.

The bed was unmade, the window cracked open slightly, letting in a cool breeze. Marcos was gone.

"Oh no," Maya whispered, her face pale.

Before Evelyn could respond, a loud crash came from downstairs, followed by a deep, guttural growl. The sound was unmistakable.

It was one of them.

The creatures had found them.

Evelyn's blood turned to ice as she grabbed Maya's arm. "We need to move. Now."

They sprinted back down the hallway, heading for the back door. But as they rounded the corner, they were met with a sight that made Evelyn's heart stop.

Standing in the doorway, blocking their only exit, was a figure dressed in tactical gear, just like the ones who had stormed the facility.

But this one wasn't human.

Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and its twisted, deformed body radiated with the same energy they had seen in the breaches.

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat as the creature stepped forward, its glowing eyes locking onto hers.

The nightmare wasn't over.

It had followed them here.