The Research Facility

The gates at the research facility suddenly looked daunting to Alexia, it stood strong despite the destruction around them. The reinforced metal had stood its ground against the apocalypse better than most structures in City Z, but rust and dried blood streaked the surface, hinting at fights long past.

Alexia took a deep breath, trying to steady the unease in her gut. The system's last message hadn't helped either.

[Warning: This Location Was Classified as a Restricted Biohazard Zone Before the Apocalypse.]

Restricted. Biohazard. That meant whatever had been inside was dangerous even before the world fell apart.

"Alex, can you hack the entry system?" she asked, keeping her voice low. She still wasn't sure how they had electricity here.

Alex stepped forward, already pulling out his tablet. "I'll try. If the system's fried, we might have to force our way in."

Quinn's shadow slithered beneath the gate, testing the space beneath. "No movement inside. But that doesn't mean much."

Damien remained quiet though, his eyes scanning the facility with such sharp intensity. He was listening..... reaching out with his abilities. After a moment, his eyes darkened. "I honestly don't like this. There's nothing. Not even lingering thoughts. Its.... blank."

Alexia inhaled, honestly they should have expected it, but it didn't help either.

Devon let out a slow exhale. "Could be that the place is just empty. Or," his lips curled into a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyed, "It's been wiped clean."

The quiet click of Alex's tablet broke the tension, caused by Devon. "Got it," he muttered. The control panel beside the gate flickered weakly before the metal doors groaned and slid open just enough for them to slip through.

Inside the building, the air was stale.

The hallways stretched before the, clinical white walls streaked with grime and old blood. Broken lights flickered, casting the occasional harsh glare against the floor.

And the silence...

It was suffocating, the kind that pressed down on the ears, thick and unnatural.

Alexia stepped inside first, katana ready at her side. The others followed, their footsteps barely making a sound against the smooth tile.

"This place is too intact," Alex muttered. "No collapsed ceilings, no torn-apart walls. Just..... abandoned."

"No bodies, either," Quinn added. "Even the blood looks old. Whatever happened here, it wasn't recent."

Damien crouched near a dried pool of blackened blood, running a finger through it before rubbing it between his fingers. He frowned. "I don't think this is normal decay. Whatever bled out here wasn't fully human I think."

"Nothing in here was fully human." Devon said while walking at a leisurely pace.

"Great," Alex muttered. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

Alexia scanned the hallway, noting the reinforced doors along the walls, each labeled with identification codes. Some were partially open, others sealed shut.

The feeling of familiarity brushed through Alexia before she could grasp the feeling it disappeared.

"Let's keep moving," she said, brushing whatever she felt off.

They walked deeper into the facility, passing through what appeared to be a central corridor. The further they went, the stronger the feeling of unease became.

Then, they reached the first room.

Alexia pushed the door open cautiously, stepping inside. The others followed, their eyes adjusting to the dim lighting.

The room was a lab. Or had been, once.

Metal tables lined the walls, covered in dusty medical equipment and scattered notes. Broken glass crunched beneath Alex's boots as he moved toward a terminal, brushing away debris.

"This might still have some data," he murmured, plugging his tablet into the console. "Give me a second."

Quinn, meanwhile, was scanning the walls, his fingers trailing over deep scratched gouged into the metal. "So, these were probably made by a creature."

Alexia moved toward the far side of the room, where several containment pods stood, their glass fogged over. Some were cracked. One was shattered entirely, its interior empty.

A low beep from Alex's tablet made her turn.

"I got access," he said. His eyes flickered over the screen, then narrowed. "This facility was running something called Project Genesis. Looks like genetic modifications, biological enhancement--" He cut himself off, his jaw tightening.

Damien stepped forward. "What?"

Alex's throat bobbed before he exhaled sharply. "They were experimenting on humans, mostly children." He turned the screen so they could all see.

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Alexia's grip on her katana tightened.

She looked back at the broken containment pod.

Empty.

Whatever had been inside....

wasn't in there anymore.

Shit.

[Warning: Anomaly detected.]

The system's voice rang in her mind just as something moved in the shadows beyond the room.

A low, rattling breath.

Then...

A flash of motion.

And the lights went out.

Authors note: This is the only chapter for today, sorry about that but I just got back from the hospital and I'm really ill. I'll post two or three chapter tomorrow. XD