Chapter Text
"Stupid elevator." It finally stopped with a metallic groan, and you stepped out, your legs still half asleep from how long you had been sitting there waiting. You looked around: the area was new, darker, quieter, almost as if the air itself had lost the will to exist down there; and perhaps, stopping breathing here and now would have solved many of your problems.
The corridor in front of you was lit by a flickering green light, and a large digital screen suddenly turned on, revealing a stylized face and a message:
"Security protocol in case of close encounter with Case 8."
Nabnab.
One of the reasons why you had argued so often with Banba-or rather, with Uthman. How many discussions had you had with him about that creature? Uthman was convinced it was just a mistake, a plague that needed to be eliminated before it could do more damage. You had always believed there was something more; maybe it was just compassion for someone who could barely protect themselves, or maybe it was the foolish hope that even the monsters locked in here might still have a heart and feel some complex emotion.
Uthman had accused you of being too weak, of letting pity blind you: he probably wasn't entirely wrong, even back at the military academy they had always told you that your feelings were a serious problem.
You started walking down an endless corridor, the metallic sound of your footsteps echoing against the walls. You were tired, breathless, your hands trembling slightly.
How long had it been since you last slept?
Since you last saw sunlight?
You had lost count of the days. It could have been three hours, a week, or an entire month. You didn't know anymore, but one thing was certain: going back was no longer an option.
Harper.
Your daughter's name cut through your mind like a blade once again. She was still down there, somewhere, maybe alive, maybe not. But you couldn't afford to stop, not now. The mere idea that she might still be alive was enough to keep you standing. Even if that hope grew weaker and thinner each day, you clung to it with all the strength you had left.
You reached a metallic door, sealed by a magnetic system; a beep, a click, and the door opened slowly, revealing a dark and silent room.
From the ceiling hung hundreds of strange creatures, tall and thin, bound by rusty chains, motionless, probably unconscious.
You approached one of them.
Its skin was green, translucent, stretched over the bones. Empty sockets, half-open mouths: "What a miserable end..." you whispered softly, as you slowly stepped back.
Then suddenly, the door behind you slammed shut. You turned sharply.
"What the hell—"
A second door burst open, revealing a tall, massive figure standing motionless in the doorway. Your eyes strained to focus: another monster, it couldn't be anything else. Broad shoulders, a hammer-shaped head—it seemed tall, much taller than any other creature you had encountered so far.
You froze, your heart in your throat.
The figure tilted its head slightly to the side, then spoke:
"Follow me. I don't bite."
The voice was deep, hoarse, and acidic. You hesitated. You didn't have many choices, so you started moving closer, slowly, step by step.
Then—a sudden blow to the head.
You didn't have time to understand where it came from; you doubled over, crashing violently onto the cold floor. Everything became blurred, then darkness...
TIME SKIP
A sharp voice reached you from afar.
"Do you humans ever become pleasant to look at?"
A metallic sound, then heavy breathing, close by. You stirred slightly, a faint groan escaping your lips.
"Mnh..."
"Damn, the limitations of your body disgust me."
You slowly opened your eyes. Your vision was blurry, but you managed to distinguish the outline of a figure: the monster from the door. It was him.
When your sight cleared, you understood the situation: you were tied to a metal table, your wrists strapped with thick bands, your ankles locked. Above you, bright lights blinded you. And in front of you, that tall, massive creature, wearing a long white coat stained with green. His right arm ended in a sharp scissor blade. Instinctively, you struggled, pulling hard, but the restraints wouldn't give way.
"You've just woken up and you're already complaining?" he grumbled. "Will I ever find a human with decent physical features?" He rolled his eyes, almost bored, as if you were just an inconvenience and not a living being.
He brought the scissor close to your cheek, brushing your skin without cutting it.
The touch of the cold metal made you flinch.
"LET ME GO!" you screamed with all the voice you had left.
"Feisty," he commented with a half-smile.
Then, without warning, he struck you hard on the head with the metallic handle of the scissor. A dull pain exploded behind your forehead.
"Now sleep."
The world dissolved again, swallowed by darkness; as you fell into another deep sleep, one last image lit up in your mind: Harper's face, laughing in the sunlight in the garden, wearing her yellow dress and her hair tied in two little braids...