Chapter Two: Echoes in the Empty Halls
The echo of the metallic clang lingered in the air, sharp and unnatural in the silence of Alpha University.
Sameer froze, his breath caught in his throat. His heart hammered as he looked toward the corridor where the sound had come from.
"…Finally… someone?" he whispered, hope and dread mixing in his chest.
Slowly, he stepped inside the main building. His sneakers squeaked faintly on the polished floor, the sound uncomfortably loud in the silence. Every classroom door he passed was wide open, but the rooms inside were empty—desks arranged neatly, books lying open on teacher's podiums, as if abandoned mid-class.
It looked less like people had left… and more like they had been erased.
Clang!
The sound came again, louder this time, from deeper inside.
Sameer's pulse quickened. He removed his earbuds and slipped them into his pocket, straining to hear.
"…Hello? Anyone there?" he called out, his voice cracking slightly.
No answer.
Only the hollow echo of his own words bouncing back.
He continued forward, step by cautious step, his eyes darting to every shadow.
The noise seemed to come from the chemistry lab wing. The air grew heavier as he approached, carrying a faint metallic smell—like rust… or blood.
When he pushed open the lab door, it creaked loudly.
Inside, beakers and flasks were scattered across tables, some shattered on the floor. A glass cabinet stood ajar, its contents spilled. The source of the noise was clear: a single metal pipe rolled slowly across the ground until it bumped against the wall.
But there was no one there to have dropped it.
Sameer's stomach tightened.
Then he saw it—on the far side of the room.
A human figure stood in the corner, its back turned. Perfectly still, like a mannequin.
"…Hey!" Sameer called out, relief and fear in his voice. "Are you alright?"
The figure didn't move.
He took a hesitant step closer. "…Hello?"
The figure twitched—its head jerked unnaturally, like a puppet pulled by invisible strings. Sameer froze in place, cold sweat breaking across his skin.
Slowly, the figure began to turn. Its movements were jagged, mechanical, as though its joints weren't connected properly.
Sameer's breath caught when he finally saw its face.
It wasn't quite human. Its eyes were blank white orbs, its mouth stretched too wide in a silent scream.
Sameer stumbled backward, nearly tripping over broken glass.
The figure tilted its head, studying him—then, in a voice that was almost human but layered with distortion, it whispered:
"…Candidate Nineteen…"
The room fell silent again.
Sameer's legs trembled. He didn't know whether to run… or demand what it meant.