Nova and Axel held their breath behind the bunker wall, their hearts pounding. The man in the black jacket stood among the trees, gripping a radio tightly. His words were too quiet to make out, but his body language said one thing—he wasn't alone.
Axel tightened his grip on his knife, ready for the worst. Nova scanned the area, searching for an escape route. They had to leave before the man noticed them.
Bruak!
A loud noise echoed from the direction of the beach, like something heavy crashing into the sand. The man snapped his head toward the sound, lifted his radio, and spoke quickly before sprinting in that direction.
Axel and Nova exchanged glances. This was their chance.
"Follow me," Axel whispered.
They crouched low and moved swiftly, slipping through the forest toward the beach.
When they reached the shoreline, the sight before them made Nova freeze.
A thin man, covered in blood, lay sprawled on the sand, barely moving. His clothes were tattered, his skin deathly pale, and his half-lidded eyes stared blankly. The waves lapped at the shore, almost as if trying to reclaim him.
Axel rushed forward, kneeling beside him. "Hey! Can you hear me?"
The man groaned weakly, struggling to open his eyes fully. "Don't… let them find me," he rasped.
Nova glanced over her shoulder. The man in the black jacket was probably on his way. There was no time for questions.
"We need to get him to safety," she said firmly.
Axel nodded and heaved the man up with effort. He was lighter than expected—like someone who had been starving for a long time.
"Who are you?" Axel asked, half-carrying him.
"Logan," the man gasped. "I… I've been stranded here for a long time."
Nova narrowed her eyes. "How long?"
Logan didn't answer right away. His eyes flickered with hesitation, as if he was hiding something.
"Too long," he finally whispered.
A chill ran down Nova's spine. There was something unsettling about his tone.
Axel seemed to sense it too, but they had no choice but to keep moving. They hurriedly dragged Logan into the forest.
Behind them, footsteps grew closer.
Brak!
Something slammed into a tree. Nova held her breath. That wasn't a normal sound.
"We need to move faster," Logan urged.
They reached a rocky depression, hidden enough to provide cover. Axel checked their surroundings, scanning for any pursuers.
"I don't see anyone," he said, though his voice remained wary.
Nova knelt beside Logan, examining his injuries. Scrapes along his arms, bruises on his ribs, and… claw marks on his shoulder.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
Logan exhaled heavily. "I… used to be one of them."
Axel stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Logan met their gazes with exhaustion. "They're running something on this island. I used to work with them. But when I found out the truth, I tried to escape."
Nova exchanged a look with Axel.
"What exactly are they doing here?"
Logan bit his lip. "Experiments."
Nova frowned. "What kind of experiments?"
Logan stared at the ground before whispering, "Not just on people… but on something more."
Nova swallowed hard.
"You remember the shadow you saw last night?" Logan asked.
Axel tensed.
"That wasn't human," Logan said quietly.
Silence.
Then, the wind picked up, swirling dried leaves through the air.
"We need to leave," Axel finally said.
Nova nodded, though suspicion still gnawed at her. She studied Logan closely. There was something he wasn't telling them.
"Where do we go?"
Logan swallowed. "I know a place. There's an old facility in the northern part of the island. If we can get there, we might find a way out."
Axel let out a sharp breath. "So we're being hunted by both people and something that isn't human. Great."
They moved quickly through the dense jungle.
But the forest was too quiet.
No birds. No insects.
Nova tightened her grip on her knife.
Krekk.
A twig snapped.
They froze.
Krek. Krek.
The bushes rustled.
Then—
Ssshhh...
A faint whisper.
"Leave..."
Nova's heart dropped.
Axel took a slow step back. Logan clutched his arm, his breathing ragged.
"Don't fight it. We have to run!"
Axel stared at the bushes. A shadow emerged—tall, thin, its movements unnatural.
Pitch-black eyes.
A twisted grin.
Duk. Duk. Duk.
Heavy footsteps approached.
They ran.
Something hissed behind them.
Sret!
Logan screamed as he collapsed, blood seeping from his calf.
Axel yanked him up roughly.
Duk. Duk. Duk.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
"Is it gone?" Axel whispered.
Nova swallowed hard.
Then—
From the darkness of the forest, the voice returned.
"I will find you."
Blood dripped onto the ground. Logan's breaths came in short, pained gasps. His wound was deep, but they had no time to stop.
"I can walk," Logan gritted out, though his face betrayed his pain.
Axel let go, allowing him to limp on his own. Nova checked their surroundings. The shadow was gone, but an eerie chill still clung to the air.
"We have to get to the north," she said, forcing herself to focus.
"How do we know the facility still exists?" Axel asked Logan.
Logan wiped dirt from his face. "I've been there. It's where they kept… things."
Nova's eyes sharpened. "Things?"
Logan didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared straight ahead and began walking again.
They followed a narrow trail, barely visible beneath the overgrown foliage. The air grew damp, carrying a salty scent that hinted at the sea nearby. But there were no waves—only an overwhelming silence.
Nova listened carefully.
Their footsteps were too loud.
Like something was listening.
"Logan, what were they really doing here?" Nova asked.
Logan stopped briefly, then sighed.
"This island isn't supposed to exist. It was used for biotechnological experiments. But something went wrong… and they abandoned it," he murmured.
"What kind of experiments?" Axel pressed.
Logan hesitated before finally saying, "Merging human DNA with something that shouldn't exist."
Silence.
Nova's skin prickled.
"You're joking," Axel scoffed, though his expression wasn't convinced.
Logan shook his head. "I wish I was. But do you really think that shadow was a normal person?"
Nova bit her lip. She wanted to deny it, to believe it was just an illusion or a trick of the light. But it wasn't. That shadow had felt real.
And worse—it had been aware of them.
They pushed forward into the forest. The trees changed—thicker trunks, roots snaking across the ground like traps waiting to ensnare them. The deeper they went, the stranger everything felt.
Until they found it.
In the heart of the jungle, a half-collapsed concrete building loomed like a forgotten specter. Moss-covered walls bore the scars of explosions. Shattered windows gaped open, and the rusted door hung slightly ajar—beckoning them inside.
"The facility is still here…" Logan whispered.
Axel moved first, pushing the corroded door open with a screech. Nova held her breath as they stepped inside.
Dust and debris littered the ground. Broken lab equipment lay scattered, and in the center of the room stood an old operating table, stained with dried blood.
"What is this place?" Nova murmured.
"A research lab," Logan replied. "But the real secrets are downstairs."
Axel turned on his phone flashlight, revealing walls covered in scrawled formulas and eerie diagrams. Nova's eyes locked onto one—an inhuman figure with black, empty eyes and razor-sharp teeth.
It looked exactly like the shadow they had seen.
Logan pointed to a stairwell leading underground.
They descended.
And at the bottom, they saw them.
Rows of glass tanks.
Some shattered, their green liquid spilled across the floor. Others remained intact.
And inside… something moved.