Darkness.
Cold.
Silence.
Aveline Cross's eyes fluttered open, her chest heaving as if she had just escaped a nightmare. But when she sat up, the nightmare was still there. She wasn't in her bedroom. She wasn't even sure if she was anywhere safe.
Her palms pressed against damp concrete, the air heavy with the stench of rust and mold. A faint drip echoed through the hollow space, like water falling endlessly into an unseen abyss.
Where am I? she thought, panic clawing at her chest. The last thing she remembered was riding a van—someone had told her and a few others that they would be "taken to safety." Then a blur. Sleep. Nothing. And now… this.
She pushed herself to her feet, her knees trembling. In the distance, a weak fluorescent light flickered. Each time it buzzed back to life, it painted the corridor walls with pale, ghostly shadows. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as she stepped forward.
That's when she saw him.
A boy, maybe her age or slightly older, crouched by a pile of debris. His hair was messy, his eyes hollow, staring at something only he could see.
"Hey," Ava whispered, her voice dry and shaky. "Do you know where we are?"
The boy turned his head slowly, his lips parting—but no sound came out. He just stared at her, his face blank, unreadable.
Before she could press him further, a metallic clang echoed from deeper inside the tunnels. The sound was sharp, like a steel door slamming shut.
The boy flinched violently and bolted down the corridor without a word.
"Wait!" Ava cried out, instinct forcing her to run after him. Her sneakers scraped against the wet floor as she chased his retreating figure. The light overhead flickered again, plunging her briefly into total darkness.
Her heart pounded. The air grew heavier.
Then she heard it.
A low growl. Deep. Guttural. It rolled through the corridor behind her like thunder crawling on all fours. Ava froze mid-step, the sound sending a shiver down her spine.
Slowly, she turned her head.
In the flickering light, a silhouette emerged. Towering. Twisted. Its limbs too long, its posture wrong. She couldn't see its face, only the glint of something wet around its mouth.
Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't scream. Couldn't move.
The creature tilted its head, studying her, then began to walk forward. Each step echoed like a countdown to death.
Ava stumbled backward, her voice breaking into a whisper.
"Oh God… what is that—"
The light flickered one last time and went out.
Total blackness swallowed her whole.