The tanks hissed, releasing a foul, sterile odor into the air.
Ethan's pulse pounded as the voice continued—glitching, repeating in broken fragments.
"Project Ascension... Phase Three... initiated..."
The dim emergency lights flickered overhead.
Then—one of the intact tanks twitched.
A muffled thud sounded from within.
Noah took a step back. "No. Nope. Not doing this."
Valerie's eyes narrowed as she studied the control panel. "This system is ancient… but still running. Someone—or something—kept it alive."
Olivia turned to the closest occupied tank. The figure inside was humanoid… but barely.
Its body was elongated, its fingers too sharp, its skin pale and stretched too tight.
Then it opened its eyes.
A deep, unnatural glow pulsed beneath its translucent skin.
Ethan tensed. Not good.
Then—the glass shattered.
The First to Wake
The creature lurched forward, gasping as if it had been drowning.
Its movements were jerky, unnatural—like it wasn't used to its own body.
It locked eyes with Ethan.
And then—it screamed.
The sound wasn't human. It wasn't even close.
Blaze snarled, stepping between Ethan and the creature. Shadow's fur bristled, her low growl vibrating through the room.
Then—more glass cracked.
One by one, the remaining tanks began to wake.
Noah swore. "We need to go. Now."
Valerie yanked at the console, trying to shut it down. "I just need—ten more seconds."
Ethan turned to Olivia. "Help her. Noah, watch the doors. Blaze, Shadow—stay close."
He faced the creatures.
They twitched, their bodies still adjusting, but the glow in their veins was getting brighter.
Something told him they wouldn't stay disoriented for long.
Then, one of them moved.
Faster than he expected.
It lunged.
Survival Instincts
Ethan barely dodged as clawed fingers slashed the air where he had just stood.
He twisted, drawing his knife in one swift motion. Slashed.
The blade sank deep into the creature's arm.
It didn't bleed.
Instead, a viscous, black fluid oozed from the wound—burning where it dripped onto the floor.
The creature didn't flinch.
It smiled.
Then—it struck back.
Ethan barely raised his arm in time to block, but the impact sent him flying. He crashed into an old metal table, pain exploding through his ribs.
Blaze lunged, sinking his fangs into the creature's leg.
It screeched, trying to shake him off.
Shadow darted forward, her claws raking across its throat.
For a second, the creature froze—then its form glitched, as if struggling to stay solid.
Ethan pushed himself up. They could hurt it.
They just had to hit fast and hard.
"Valerie, how much longer?" he shouted.
"Done!" she yelled, yanking a final lever.
The room shook.
A deep, mechanical grinding sound filled the air.
And then—a hidden door slid open at the far end of the chamber.
Their way out.
Noah didn't hesitate. "MOVE!"
They sprinted.
Behind them, the remaining creatures crawled from their tanks, their glowing veins pulsing wildly.
But the moment they stepped beyond the doorway, an automated voice echoed through the chamber.
"Containment breach detected. Purge protocol engaged."
Then—the alarms screamed.
Burn It Down
Ethan barely had time to turn before a wave of fire erupted from the walls.
It engulfed the chamber—consuming everything inside.
The creatures screeched, their distorted bodies writhing as the flames devoured them.
The last thing Ethan saw before the doors sealed shut behind them—
Was one of them looking straight at him.
Burning.
Still smiling.
Then—darkness.
Only the sound of their own ragged breathing remained.
Noah finally spoke. "Okay. That's officially the worst thing I've ever seen."
Valerie exhaled. "But we got what we needed." She lifted the data drive she had ripped from the console.
Ethan nodded, his mind still racing.
The creatures weren't just experiments.
They were something more.
And whatever "Project Ascension" was—it wasn't over.
Not yet.