Unchained Horror
The rattling of the chains sent a jolt of cold fear through Lian's veins. The growl that followed was deep, unnatural—hungry.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Yu Xian took a slow, measured step back, his gun aimed steadily at the door. "We are not opening that."
The stranger—the man who had led them here—looked pale under the dim light. "You don't understand. If that thing gets out…"
"We won't let it get out," Chen snapped. His grip on his rifle was tight, finger hovering over the trigger.
Lian turned toward the locked door, studying the thick steel chains binding it shut. The links were heavy, reinforced. But the way they rattled… something strong was pulling at them from the other side.
A warning sign was bolted just above the lock:
⚠️ DO NOT OPEN. EXTREME BIOHAZARD.
Jiao swallowed hard. "I don't know about you guys, but when a military facility puts 'DO NOT OPEN' on a door, I listen."
Lin Wei's voice was grim. "Then why does it sound like it's still alive?"
Another growl rumbled from the other side, louder this time. The chains strained, scraping against the metal door.
Lian clenched her jaw. "We need to get out of here. Now."
Chen nodded sharply. "Back up the stairs, regroup, and decide what to do next."
They turned to leave—
BANG.
Something slammed against the door from the other side.
Hard.
The impact shook the ground beneath them. Dust rained from the ceiling, and a metallic groan echoed through the underground hall.
Jiao let out a sharp breath. "Nope. Nope. That's it. We're leaving."
Lian took a step toward the exit—
Then she heard it.
A sound that made her blood run ice cold.
A second growl.
This time, it wasn't from behind the door.
It came from the hallway they had just walked through.
---
Trapped
Yu Xian's reaction was instant. He spun, gun raised, eyes scanning the darkness behind them.
The corridor stretched back toward the staircase, but now, something blocked their way.
A silhouette emerged from the shadows—lumbering, disjointed, and wrong.
It used to be human. But its limbs were too long, its spine bent at an unnatural angle. Patches of flesh hung from its body, revealing twisted muscle and bone.
Its eyes—milky white and sunken—locked onto them.
And then it charged.
"Move!" Lian shouted, raising her gun.
Gunfire exploded in the enclosed space. Bullets tore into the creature's chest— but it didn't stop.
It lunged.
Yu Xian shoved Lian aside, bringing his rifle up in a blur of motion. A single, precise shot ripped through the thing's skull.
The creature collapsed mid-air, crashing onto the ground with a sickening thud.
Silence.
Lian's heart pounded as she stared at the motionless body. Blood pooled around it—black, thick, unnatural.
Chen exhaled, lowering his gun. "What the hell was that?"
The stranger's voice was tight with fear. "One of their failures."
Jiao swallowed. "That thing took six shots to the chest and didn't even slow down."
Lin Wei nudged the body with his foot. "And this one wasn't locked up?"
The stranger shook his head. "The ones behind the door are worse."
Yu Xian glanced at Lian. "We need to burn this place down."
Lian didn't disagree.
But before she could respond—
The door chains snapped.
---
Unleashed
The sound was deafening. Metal snapping, steel groaning, locks shattering.
Then the door burst open.
The force of the impact sent everyone stumbling backward. Dust exploded into the air, obscuring their vision for a moment.
And then it stepped out.
The thing that emerged from the containment room wasn't human.
It wasn't even close.
Its skin was blackened, cracked like dried lava. Pulsing veins of a sickly red glow ran along its arms, its chest, its legs. Its eyes—if they could even be called that—were hollow, burning pits of darkness.
It was tall. Too tall. Its frame was distorted, stretched beyond natural limits. Its mouth was filled with jagged, uneven teeth, and when it exhaled, it sounded like a furnace gasping for air.
The worst part?
It was smiling.
Jiao made a strangled noise. "I changed my mind. This is worse than a horror movie."
Chen didn't hesitate. He fired.
The bullet hit. Square in the forehead.
And the creature laughed.
A low, guttural, nightmarish sound.
Then it moved.
Faster than it should have.
Lian barely had time to react before it lunged, a blur of blackened muscle and unnatural speed.
Yu Xian shoved Jiao out of the way. Chen fired again—three rapid shots— but the thing was already on them.
It swung an arm-like appendage, striking the ground where Lian had been a second earlier. Concrete cracked beneath the impact.
Lin Wei grabbed a grenade from his belt. "MOVE!"
He hurled it.
The explosion rocked the underground facility, sending fire and shrapnel ripping through the monster's body.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the creature rose.
Regenerating.
The burnt flesh peeled away, revealing fresh, undamaged skin underneath.
Lian's breath caught.
Chen's voice was grim. "We. Need. To. RUN."
---
Escape or Die
Lian didn't argue. "Back to the stairs! NOW!"
They sprinted.
The monster's laughter followed them. Heavy footsteps shook the ground as it chased them.
Lian reached the staircase first, her legs burning as she raced upward.
Jiao tripped. Chen caught her. Yu Xian turned, gun raised, laying down cover fire.
The creature didn't slow down.
They burst through the doorway, back into the upper levels of the base. Lin Wei slammed his fist into a control panel, sealing the underground section.
For a moment, it was quiet.
Then—
BANG.
The door dented outward.
The monster wasn't stopping.
Chen panted, pressing his back against the wall. "We need a new plan."
Yu Xian turned to Lian. "We blow the entire place."
Lian's mind raced.
They couldn't leave this thing alive.
She turned to the stranger. "Is there a way to destroy the whole base?"
The man hesitated. "There's… a failsafe."
Lian's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
He swallowed.
"The control room."
Lian nodded. "Then that's where we're going."
Another bang shook the door.
They were running out of time.
And the nightmare wasn't over yet.
---