The narrow slit in the living wall swallowed MC and Kael as they entered. The air inside was dry, metallic, and faintly tinged with something organic — the faint scent of growth and decay. The corridor stretched ahead, lined with old motion sensors, red lasers, and flickering panels. Every step echoed like a gunshot.
Kael whispered, barely audible.
"Commander… this place… it's empty?"
MC's eyes scanned the corridors, movements precise, almost mechanical.
"Not empty. Observed. But yes… almost no personnel inside."
They moved past rusted security doors, laser grids blinking intermittently, dust settling on consoles that hadn't been touched for decades. MC's hand hovered over a scanner. A faint trace of heat signatures flickered in the distance.
"Someone—or something—has been here recently," he murmured. "We're not alone, Kael. Keep your head on a swivel."
A side corridor opened into a lab-like chamber. Tables were covered with vials, DNA samples, and strange containers. Bioluminescent symbols shimmered faintly on the walls, encoding genetic sequences of multiple species, some human, some unmistakably alien.
Kael leaned forward, almost breathless.
"These… they're experimenting on multiple species. But why? Humans… aren't the only participants in the war?"
MC's expression was unreadable.
"Exactly. We assumed humans were primary combatants. Clearly, this outpost was involved in cross-species research. Look at the patterns. Hybridization attempts. Observation logs. But…"
He paused, scanning the room. "There's nothing here that relates to our mission. No actionable intelligence. Not a single clue about the larger war plans or their movements."
Kael's brow furrowed. "So all of this… is pointless?"
MC's gaze narrowed. He stepped closer to a DNA console, fingers hovering over a flickering holographic panel.
"Pointless… or a trap. That's what we need to consider. The moment we walked in, we triggered something. These readings aren't just from this outpost—they're being monitored."
Kael's eyes widened.
"Monitored? By who?"
MC didn't answer immediately. His eyes flicked to a small, hidden panel in the corner — subtle, almost invisible. A faint pulse of energy traced the wall's contours.
"Not from this planet. Not from these Glythians or Whisperwings. Someone—or something—else is watching. The main outpost is aware we're here."
Every scanner beeped softly as Kael moved, sensing faint energy pulses at the edge of his readings. Every shadow in the flickering light seemed alive.
MC's hand rested lightly on Kael's shoulder.
"Stay calm. Do not look for eyes that aren't there. What's watching us doesn't need to be seen to be dangerous. Move only when I move. Speak only when necessary. Remember, patience is survival."
Kael swallowed, nodding. The weight of invisible eyes pressed on him, suffocating. Every step was a calculated risk.
They passed through another series of security grids. Laser arrays hummed faintly, some aligned in patterns that looked random but weren't. MC carefully navigated, using reflective tools to redirect beams and avoid triggering alarms.
Despite passing all precautions, a low hum vibrated through the walls — not from the planet, not from the outpost, but from something outside, sensing them, tracking them, but unseen.
Kael leaned close to MC.
"Commander… this feels like we're being toyed with. Like the outpost is a lure."
MC's eyes scanned the room again.
"Exactly. Every piece of technology, every DNA sample, every flicker of sensor activity — it's designed to make intruders think they're finding something important. They want us here, studying, probing… while the real observers remain unseen."
A sudden flicker of movement in a corner of the lab made Kael's heart jump. It was a shadow… but it didn't belong to any creature they had encountered. MC's hand went to his sidearm, calm and controlled.
"Don't react. They want a reaction. They're watching. Learn, observe, survive."
As they exited the lab, MC paused at a console. He placed a gloved hand on a holographic map.
"Nothing here explains the war movements. Nothing here tells us why multiple species are involved. The DNA samples, the experiments — they're all distractions. But we were meant to find this place. Why? That's the question we need answered."
Kael's voice dropped. "So… if the information isn't here… then what are we really looking for?"
MC didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the faint hums in the walls, the flickering lights, and the pulse of the biological mountain itself.
"Patience, Kael. Observe everything. Survive everything. And maybe… we'll learn the truth before it's too late."
A final hum reverberated through the corridor — deep, resonant, like a heartbeat. Not from the outpost. Not from the planet. From somewhere… far beyond.
The two of them moved forward, shadows stretching across the flickering corridor, every step heavy with uncertainty, danger, and the knowledge that they were being watched by forces they could barely comprehend.
The corridor narrowed, dim lights flickering like dying fireflies. Kael followed closely behind MC, hands trembling slightly as the sensors in his grip picked up irregular pulses coming from deeper inside the outpost.
"Commander… all the readings are getting scrambled again," Kael whispered.
"That's because we've stepped into an active zone," MC replied, voice low, eyes scanning every bolt and panel in the walls.
They stepped into a circular chamber — wide, empty, strangely clean compared to the dust‑covered corridors behind them.
Kael frowned.
"This room… doesn't match the rest of the structure."
MC's eyes narrowed.
"No. It doesn't."
He stepped forward slowly.
For half a second… there was silence.
Just one half‑second.
Then—
CRACK!
The entrance behind them sealed shut, an organic metal plate slamming down with bone‑breaking force.
Kael shouted, spinning around.
"Commander! The door—!"
MC raised a hand sharply.
"Stand still. Don't move."
A deep rumble vibrated through the room.
The floor shivered… then shifted.
A faint hiss rose from beneath them.
Thin cracks appeared across the floor.
Something bubbled underneath — thick, dark, and glowing faint orange.
Kael's voice quivered.
"Commander… what is that sound?"
MC already knew.
"Kael. Do not panic."
He stepped toward the center.
"This entire room is a—"
KRRRRAAAACK!
The floor split open like a jaw.
Beneath them was not water.
It was acid — viscous, bubbling, alive with corrosive heat.
The vapor alone singed the tips of Kael's boots.
Kael staggered back.
"Commander—THAT WILL KILL US! That's pure liquefying acid! We're going to—!"
The floor lurched.
Panels tilted downward.
The whole room was engineered to drop them into the acid like prey into a feeding tank.
Kael's breathing broke into sharp, panicked gasps.
"We have to—WE HAVE TO GET OUT—WE HAVE TO—"
MC grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close.
"KAEL. Focus."
His voice was sharp, commanding — a tone Kael had never heard before.
"This trap is designed to kill panicked intruders. We stay calm. We move precise."
The floor tilted another few degrees.
Several metal tiles snapped off, falling into the acid below — dissolving instantly with a violent hiss.
Kael screamed.
"Commander, we're going to fall! We're going to—"
MC suddenly leaped upward, grabbing hold of a narrow maintenance bar in the ceiling — something almost invisible to the untrained eye.
Kael stared, frozen with terror.
"H‑how did you see that—?!"
"Grab my arm!" MC barked.
Kael hesitated, fear paralyzing him.
Below, the acid boiled hotter — thick bubbles rising, spitting small droplets that burned holes into the falling debris.
MC extended his arm again, voice firmer.
"KAEL! Look at me. Not the acid. You are NOT dying here. Grab my arm NOW!"
Kael lunged — and MC caught him by the wrist, pulling him upward with a strength that felt impossible for one man.
Tiles fell away behind them.
The room groaned.
The last of the floor snapped off, dropping into the acid with a monstrous hiss.
Kael clung to MC, shaking violently.
His voice broke.
"Commander… w‑what kind of outpost has a trap like this? This isn't military protocol. This is… this is murder."
MC's eyes scanned the ceiling quietly.
"This is not a military trap. Not human-designed. Something else built this. Something that wanted to kill anyone who entered here."
Kael stared at him, trembling.
"And you… you knew where to grab. You knew what to do. Commander… what exactly do you know about this place?"
MC's face remained expressionless, unreadable.
"We survive first. Questions later."
The chamber shuddered again, as if reacting to their survival.
Somewhere deep above them, something clicked… watching… recalibrating.
Kael looked up with dread.
"Commander… the ceiling—it's changing."
MC locked his grip harder.
"Hold tight. This trap isn't finished."
---