The silence in the bunker was suffocating.
Lian's heart pounded in her chest as she stood frozen, staring at the metal door. Her senses were on high alert, every nerve burning with anticipation. The scratching had stopped, replaced by a deep, guttural breath one that didn't belong to any of them. It was slow, drawn-out, as though whatever was on the other side was waiting for them to make the first move.
Chen moved first, his body tense, his gun raised with practiced precision. His eyes darted to Yu Xian, who was already silently signaling for everyone to stay sharp. The commander of their group had the instinct of a soldier, his movements smooth, calculated, but there was a weight in his expression an unspoken fear that they hadn't yet seen the worst of it.
"Stay close," Yu Xian ordered, his voice low and commanding, as his gaze flicked over to Lian.
She nodded, clutching her knife tighter, her eyes never leaving the door. Lin Wei, Jiao, and Chen flanked her, their expressions unreadable but equally tense. The tension in the room was palpable, a shared understanding among them: whatever was out there, it wasn't just another mindless zombie.
Another breath from the other side, this one deeper, heavier.
"Do you hear that?" Jiao whispered, her voice barely audible.
Lian didn't answer. She could feel it. The way the air seemed to vibrate with the presence of something that shouldn't be there. She wasn't sure if it was the claustrophobic atmosphere of the bunker or the instinctive chill creeping up her spine, but something was definitely wrong.
Another scratch. Then another breath.
"Move," Yu Xian's voice cut through the thick silence like a blade. He didn't wait for a response. In one fluid motion, he was at the door, his hand pressed against the cold metal, listening intently for any signs of movement. His posture was that of a predator alert, calculating, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Lian watched him carefully. His face was unreadable, his dark eyes narrowed, and his body was perfectly still, like a coiled spring, ready to unleash a storm of violence if necessary.
Chen, impatient as ever, shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's getting closer. Whatever's out there, it's not leaving."
Lian's pulse quickened as she stepped forward, moving beside Yu Xian. She had to know. "What are we waiting for?"
His lips curled into a grim smile, but his eyes remained steely. "We're not waiting. We're preparing."
As if on cue, the door shuddered. It wasn't much, but the force behind it was enough to send a jolt of adrenaline through the group. The metallic groan of the door echoed through the hallway like a prelude to a nightmare.
"We need to act now," Yu Xian said, his voice steady.
Lian glanced around, her eyes meeting each of her companions. She could see the weight of the moment settling on them. They had no choice but to face whatever was lurking on the other side. No one wanted to die here, in this forgotten bunker.
Without warning, Yu Xian reached into his pack and pulled out a small explosive charge. He glanced at Lian, silently asking her opinion. She nodded, her eyes steely. This was their best chance.
"Chen, Lin Wei," Yu Xian said, "Get back. Jiao, you and I are setting the charge. The rest of you, stay ready."
Chen growled under his breath, but he complied without hesitation. He and Lin Wei moved back, their guns raised, scanning the dark corners of the bunker for any signs of movement.
Jiao stepped forward, a small smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "I always liked explosions."
Yu Xian didn't smile. "Focus, Jiao."
Lian could feel the tension between them as they worked quickly, attaching the charge to the door. Every second counted. The faint scraping noise on the other side of the door had intensified, becoming more frantic, more desperate. Whatever was there, it was getting closer.
As Jiao finished setting the charge, Yu Xian stepped back, his fingers tapping against the grip of his gun.
"Ready?" he asked, his voice steady despite the storm of tension swirling around them.
Lian nodded, her breath shallow. "Let's end this."
Yu Xian gave a single, sharp nod. With a final glance at the others, he hit the button.
A deafening explosion rang through the bunker, the shockwave slamming into them like a freight train. The door was blown off its hinges, the once-imposing barrier now reduced to twisted metal and debris.
For a split second, there was nothing but the ringing in Lian's ears, the disorienting chaos of the explosion. Then, the air was thick with dust, and through the haze, they saw it.
It was huge. A grotesque mass of decaying flesh, dripping with putrid ichor. Its skin was stretched thin, veins bulging and pulsating as it moved, an unnatural fluidity to its movements. The creature's eyes were empty pits of blackness and yet, somehow, they locked onto Lian with terrifying focus.
It was a monstrosity, something far beyond the usual zombies they had encountered. It wasn't just the size or the strength it was the intelligence in its movements, the way it seemed to be calculating them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Lian didn't hesitate. The moment the creature moved, she lunged, her knife flashing through the air. But it was faster than she had anticipated, its grotesque limbs swiping out with terrifying precision, knocking her back against the cold metal wall.
Pain shot through her side, but she didn't let it slow her down. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes locking onto the creature once more. It was getting closer, its jaws snapping with primal hunger.
"Lian!" Yu Xian shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
Chen fired off a few rounds from behind her, the gunshots ringing in the close quarters, but the creature hardly flinched. It was focused entirely on her, its soulless eyes burning with a ferocity that made her blood run cold.
Without thinking, Lian reached for her sidearm, the weight of the weapon familiar in her hands. She squeezed off several shots, each one hitting its mark, but the creature didn't go down.
"It's not enough!" she yelled, her voice sharp with frustration.
Yu Xian darted past her, his gun raised, and with a single shot, the creature howled. A massive spray of black blood splattered across the walls, but the beast was still standing, its body twitching in defiance.
"This isn't over," Lian said, gritting her teeth.
The creature's movements grew erratic. It was wounded, but its rage only seemed to grow. It swung at Chen, knocking him back with a bone-shattering force. He crashed into a nearby crate, but he was already getting up, his gun aimed at the creature.
"I'm not done yet," Chen spat.
They weren't done yet. They couldn't be.
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