The road to the research facility was treacherous, littered with the remains of battle, twisted metal, burned-out vehicles, and the corpses of both humans and monstrous creatures.
Athena and Xavier led their group through the ruins, each step cautious, each breath measured.
The air was thick with decay, a suffocating scent of death that clung to their skin and clothes.
The facility loomed ahead, a colossal structure of steel and reinforced concrete, its once-pristine walls now cracked and stained with dark streaks of dried blood.
The gates were bent inward, as if something massive had forced its way through. Silence stretched over the area, eerie and unnatural, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Athena signaled the group to halt. "We need to check the perimeter first. There could still be threats inside."
Xavier nodded, already pulling out a small scanning device from his belt.
