The scraping grew louder, dragging across the metal floor in uneven intervals, like something too heavy for its own limbs. The crew tightened into a line, Jonas at the front with his weapon raised, Mara covering the rear.
The corridor lights flickered again, and when they flared back, the thing was there.
It stood at the far end of the hall—tall, hunched, its body fused with fragments of machinery. Metal and flesh twisted together, plates of armor fused into skin, wires pulsing like veins. Where its face should have been, only a smooth plane of dull glass reflected the flashlight beam.
Mara gagged. "God… is that—?"
Liora's voice was barely audible. "Human."
The thing moved. Its steps were slow, dragging, but every strike of its limb against the metal floor reverberated like a hammer blow. The scraping they'd heard came from a length of pipe fused into its arm, dragging with each motion.
Jonas steadied his aim. "Stop right there!"
The remnant did not stop. It tilted its head, the glass face rippling faintly as if something writhed beneath it. Then, with a guttural hum that buzzed through their bones, it took another step forward.
Eris moved before anyone else could. He stepped into the open, hands raised, his voice low but commanding. "You were taken by the soil. You serve it now. But you still remember."
The creature paused. The hum deepened, warbling. The lights above surged bright, then dimmed, as if reacting to its presence.
Jonas hissed, "Eris, get back—"
But the remnant lunged.
The corridor erupted in chaos. Jonas fired, sparks flying as bullets slammed into the creature's plated body. Mara dragged Liora behind a console as the remnant's pipe-arm smashed through the wall, showering them with debris.
Eris didn't flinch. He stood frozen, watching as if waiting for something only he could see.
For one instant, the creature stopped. It turned its head toward him. The hum shifted, almost… questioning.
Then the moment broke. With a roar of metal and flesh, the remnant charged again.