Race Against Time

The door behind them groaned, denting outward with each relentless impact.

Jiao sucked in a sharp breath. "It's not stopping."

Lin Wei was already moving. "We need to get to the control room now."

Lian didn't argue.

She grabbed Chen's wrist, yanking him forward as they raced down the corridor.

Yu Xian covered their retreat, firing two quick shots at the steel door behind them—not to kill the monster, but to buy time.

It wouldn't last long.

The hallway stretched before them, dim lights flickering overhead. The air smelled of rust, gunpowder, and something else.

Something rotten.

The stranger—whose name they still hadn't gotten—panted as he ran beside them. "The failsafe… it's an explosive charge meant to destroy the underground labs."

Chen glanced at him. "Then why didn't the military use it before?"

The man hesitated.

"They thought they could control it."

A chill ran down Lian's spine.

That thing wasn't human anymore. It wasn't just a zombie, either. It was something else.

And now it was loose.

She pushed the thought aside.

Survive first. Think later.

---

The Control Room

They reached the end of the hallway—a thick metal door stood in their way.

Lin Wei tried the access panel. Red light. Locked.

"Damn it."

Yu Xian pulled out a knife, slicing open the panel's casing to access the wires inside. "I can override it."

The door behind them shook again.

BOOM.

A deep dent.

Chen turned, swearing under his breath. "That thing is breaking through faster than before."

Jiao pressed herself against the wall. "Hurry, Xian!"

Yu Xian worked fast, fingers moving with trained precision. Sparks spat from the exposed wires.

Another impact.

The hinges groaned.

Lian gritted her teeth. Any second now—

Click.

The door slid open.

"Go!" Yu Xian barked.

They pushed inside.

The control room was small but packed with equipment. Flickering monitors displayed security footage— most of it was static, but one screen still functioned.

It showed the hallway outside.

Lian's stomach turned.

The monster was there.

It stood in front of the door they had sealed moments ago.

Then, slowly—it smiled.

It knew they were watching.

---

The Failsafe

Lin Wei moved to the control panel. "Tell me what to do."

The stranger exhaled sharply, pressing a shaking finger to the failsafe activation key.

"It needs a passcode."

Yu Xian frowned. "Do you have it?"

The man swallowed. "I was never supposed to use it."

Chen ran a hand down his face. "Great. So we broke into a room for nothing?"

The stranger hesitated. Then, carefully, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook.

"They gave us emergency codes, but they change every 72 hours…"

Jiao groaned. "Please tell me one of those codes still works."

The man flipped through pages, muttering under his breath.

Lian's pulse hammered.

Time was running out.

Behind them, the security monitor flickered—

Then cut to black.

Lian's breath caught.

"That's not good."

Yu Xian turned sharply. "It cut the cameras."

Chen's face darkened. "How the hell does a zombie do that?"

No one had an answer.

---

No More Time

The stranger found a code.

"Try this one—"

Lin Wei typed fast. His fingers shook as he entered the numbers.

The screen flashed.

INCORRECT CODE.

A wave of dread crashed over them.

The stranger's face paled. "That should've worked."

Lian clenched her fists. "Try another one."

Lin Wei typed again.

ACCESS DENIED.

Jiao let out a breathless laugh. "Okay. So. New plan? Anyone?"

Chen cursed. "We don't have time for this."

BOOM.

The sound came from outside the control room.

A slow, deliberate knock.

The temperature seemed to drop.

Lian turned her head toward the door.

She knew—somehow, some way— that the monster was standing just beyond it.

Waiting.

Watching.

Jiao's voice was barely a whisper. "It's here."

---

The Monster Speaks

A low, rasping breath filled the silence.

Then—

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The steady rhythm sent a chill down Lian's spine.

It was mocking them.

Yu Xian's grip on his gun tightened. "How smart is this thing?"

Lian's throat was dry. "Too smart."

A voice—distorted, inhuman— came from behind the door.

"You… can't… hide."

Jiao choked on air. "Oh. My. God."

Chen's face was like stone. "It can talk."

Lin Wei froze.

The stranger stumbled back from the console, his face twisted in horror. "That's impossible."

But the voice came again—closer this time.

"I… see… you."

Lian's breath hitched.

The lights flickered.

And then—

The door began to open.

---