The hallway stretched endlessly ahead of them, darkened by flickering emergency lights and thick with the acrid stench of burnt metal. The faint hiss of steam and distant thuds from the battle behind them reminded Evan that time was running out. The group was moving as fast as they could, but the weight of betrayal hung heavily in the air. Lila, who had once been a trusted companion, now walked with her head low, her eyes darting nervously between Evan and the others. The heavy silence between them was almost suffocating.

Evan’s mind was racing. He couldn’t afford to dwell on the past now. Not when their lives were still in jeopardy. The Genesis System pulsed quietly in his mind, feeding him data as always, but he had learned to suppress the overwhelming flood of information and focus on the immediate threat. They had just barely escaped the mutant creature and the soldier ambush, but there was still no guarantee they would make it out alive.

“Which way?” Kara’s voice broke the silence, her face tense as she glanced around. Her weapon was raised, scanning the darkened corridor for any sign of danger.

Evan didn’t hesitate. He had learned to trust the System’s data by now, and its prediction led him to a large door further down the hallway. His instincts told him this would be their best option for escape, though he had no idea what awaited on the other side.

“That way,” Evan said, pointing towards the steel door at the end of the hall. “Move quickly.”

The group followed his lead, their footsteps quickening as they approached the door. Evan felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him, and despite his previous successes, a sense of dread began to settle deep in his chest. There was no guarantee this would be an easy escape. They had barely scraped by this time, and the Genesis System had warned him of the increasing danger ahead.

As they reached the door, Evan’s fingers hovered over the security panel, the faint hum of electricity in the air. But just as he was about to interact with it, the door suddenly slid open with a soft hiss, and a figure stepped out from the darkness.

“Stop!” the figure barked, their voice stern and commanding.

Evan froze, his heart pounding in his chest. The figure before them was tall, clad in dark combat armor with a red insignia emblazoned on their chest. The armor was highly advanced—far beyond what the average soldier wore. A woman’s voice echoed behind the helmet’s visor, calm but filled with authority.

Evan’s instincts flared. This was no ordinary soldier. Whoever this was, they had been waiting for them.

The woman’s eyes locked onto Lila, and the air seemed to grow colder. “I didn’t expect to find you here,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. “I thought you’d run off to join the rats by now.”

Lila flinched, her face pale. “I… I didn’t have a choice. I never wanted to—”

“Save it,” the woman cut her off, her eyes narrowing. She took a step forward, her posture relaxed but deadly. “You should have known better than to get involved with them. Now, you’re all mine.”

Evan’s hand immediately went to his sword, but before he could react, the woman raised a hand. “Not yet, hero.” Her lips curled into a tight smile as she sized them all up. “You’re just as dangerous as they said you’d be. Too bad you’re wasting your time here.”

“What do you want?” Evan demanded, stepping in front of Lila protectively. His grip tightened on his sword, the tension thick in the air. “You’re with them, aren’t you? The ones who’ve been hunting us.”

The woman’s eyes flickered with amusement, but there was no warmth in her expression. “You’re smarter than I thought. Yes, I’m with them. The ones you’ve been running from. But I’m not here to play games, hero.” She took a slow, deliberate step forward, and the soldiers flanking her stepped into view. “I’m here to finish what we started.”

“Finish what?” Kara spat, her weapon still aimed at the woman. “You think you can just walk in here and kill us? Not without a fight.”

The woman laughed, a dark, almost cruel sound. “You misunderstand, sweetheart. You’re not going to fight. You’re going to surrender.”

Evan’s mind raced. This was the worst possible outcome. They had been so close to escaping, and now this woman and her soldiers were standing in their way. But something about her presence struck him with an eerie sense of recognition. Her confidence wasn’t just arrogance—it was calculated, like someone who had been anticipating every move they would make.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“You’ve underestimated us,” Evan said, his voice firm. He felt the Genesis System surge in his mind, and a cold, calculated confidence filled him. “We won’t surrender. Not to you.”

The woman’s eyes flickered with something akin to amusement before she raised her hand. A soft hum filled the air, and suddenly, the walls around them seemed to shift. Evan’s senses flared as the environment around them distorted. The lights flickered, the walls bulging outwards as if they were being pushed back by an invisible force.

“This is your last chance,” the woman said, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Surrender now, and maybe I’ll let you live.”

“No,” Evan said, the Genesis System’s energy flowing through his body. He was ready. He didn’t have the luxury of hesitation. Not anymore.

With a cry of defiance, Evan charged, his blade flashing in the dim light as he swung with the force of a storm. The woman’s soldiers raised their weapons, but Evan was already moving, a blur of motion as he closed the distance between them. His movements were fluid and precise, each strike calculated to disable rather than kill. He wasn’t aiming for bloodshed—he was aiming for survival.

But the woman wasn’t backing down. She raised her hand, and a wave of energy rippled through the air. The ground beneath Evan’s feet seemed to crack, and the force slammed into him with enough power to throw him off balance. He barely managed to twist his body mid-air, landing on the ground in a roll to cushion the impact.

He sprang to his feet, his heart pounding. The Genesis System had registered the attack. It wasn’t just physical—there was something deeply unnatural about the force that had hit him. She wasn’t just a skilled fighter; she was wielding a power that defied the laws of nature.

“That was just a taste,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. Her eyes burned with an unsettling intensity as she advanced on Evan. “You think you can stop me? You can’t even comprehend what you’re dealing with.”

Evan’s mind flashed to the Genesis System, and its data provided him with a sudden, horrifying realization. This woman wasn’t just a soldier. She was something else. Enhanced, just like the soldiers they had fought before, but her abilities were far more advanced. She was a hybrid—a fusion of the virus and human DNA, something he had never encountered.

Evan had no choice but to adapt quickly. He couldn’t fight her with brute force alone. The woman’s power was on a level far beyond his own—at least for now. The Genesis System was offering him a multitude of potential strategies, but he had to think fast.

In a flash, he altered his approach, drawing on the power of the System’s combat analysis. He shifted his weight, evading another of the woman’s strikes and countering with a series of rapid slashes aimed at her vital points. She blocked them with ease, but the pressure he applied seemed to unnerve her.

“I’m impressed,” she said, her tone now laced with grudging respect. “You’re stronger than I thought. But not strong enough.”

Evan’s grip tightened on his blade. He wasn’t about to let her win—not this time.

He adjusted his stance, focusing all his energy into one final strike. The Genesis System whispered data in his ear, pushing him to go beyond what he thought possible. It was a gamble—a risky move, but one he had to take.

With a roar, Evan surged forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes that moved faster than the eye could follow. Each one was a calculated risk, designed to test her defenses, and he could see the strain in her posture, the cracks in her confidence. He was pushing her to her limits.

But just as he was about to land the decisive blow, she reacted—quicker than he had anticipated. She twisted, using her enhanced reflexes to redirect his sword and send him crashing into the wall.

Evan gasped, his vision blurring for a moment as pain shot through his body. But he wasn’t done. He couldn’t be.

The Genesis System surged once more, and Evan felt his body surge with energy. He was exhausted—drained—but there was no time to rest. His allies were depending on him. They had no other choice but to fight.

With a final, desperate push, Evan focused every ounce of his energy into one last strike. He focused on the woman’s chest, her core, the heart of her power.

As he swung his sword, time seemed to slow. The world around him faded into the background, and all that remained was the sharp edge of his blade and the woman’s surprised face as the strike found its mark.

She stumbled back, gasping for breath. Her armor was cracked, the damage too much to ignore. She glared at Evan, her face twisted with fury.

“You… you’ll regret this,” she hissed, her hand trembling at her side.

Evan didn’t wait to hear her threats. He had no intention of letting her recover. With the Genesis System’s guidance, he struck again, targeting her weakened points. This time, the blow was final.

The woman collapsed, her body going limp as her power faded. Her soldiers, seeing their commander fall, hesitated for a moment. That hesitation was all Evan needed.

“We don’t have time for this,” he said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. “Finish them.”

As the battle raged on, Evan couldn’t help but feel the weight of the victory he had just earned. He had survived. They had survived. But at what cost? The Genesis System had given him the strength to defeat this powerful foe, but each fight took its toll. His body ached, his energy drained, and the weight of his choices began to press on his shoulders.

The woman’s final words echoed in his mind. “You’ll regret this.”

What did that mean? What was she trying to warn him about?

He didn’t have answers, only the certainty that the war was far from over.