"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, you killed that man!"

While Ryan and the man ran through the corridors, the latter kept repeating the same words. It's important to mention that, although the man was imprisoned for theft, he had never actually killed or hurt anyone before. That was the first time he had witnessed someone's death, and the shock was evident in his voice.

(You don't have to keep repeating this, I see what you see, so I know very well what happened to that guy... Anyway, our priority is to escape from here. Believe me, they wouldn't care about your death, so it doesn't make sense for you to worry about his)

In the end, the man couldn't deny Ryan's words; he knew what the creature was saying was true. Still, he felt guilty for killing that man. This was something that differed from Ryan. Even though he had killed that man, Ryan couldn't feel guilt or empathy. Of course, it's not like he enjoyed it either. Overall, Ryan didn't feel good about doing it, but if he had to do it again, he would without hesitation.

After this brief conversation, they both continued to run through the extensive corridors of the place. The man, by the way, had no idea where he was going. Every time there was a turn, his body moved on its own, as if something was guiding him. He understood that it was the creature doing this, so he just went with the flow.

After some time, they finally reached a door with something written on the top, "Exit" was written in red. Both the man and Ryan felt relief knowing that the exit was close, but there was one problem.

"It's locked"

Said the man, trying to open the door, but unfortunately, without success.

(No problem, I got this)

Although initially confused, suddenly the man's body started moving on its own. Surpassing all of the man's expectations, he began to panic as he saw his body approaching the door, as if it was about to break it down.

"Hey, you must be out of your mind! That's a metal door!"

However, ignoring all of the man's words, Ryan continued to run towards the door, his speed increasing with every step, reaching a point where the man himself was bewildered to see him running much faster than would be humanly possible. Suddenly, the man's body collided with the door, but unexpectedly, he felt no pain. Moreover, the metal door, instead of resisting, yielded to the force of the impact, opening surprisingly easily.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Haha, we're out!"

The man smiled with joy as he felt the fresh air outside, a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time.

(It's still too early to celebrate. They must be coming after us. We need to get out of here as fast as possible)

The man, upon hearing the words, nodded and quickly headed towards a very tall fence that separated the forest from the building. However, as he tried to climb it, he felt something wrapping around his foot. Looking down, he noticed red tentacles winding around his leg.

Without the man understanding what was happening, his body was involuntarily propelled. Surprisingly, he jumped high enough to clear the fence, and even more surprisingly, he reached a height sufficient to see the entire expanse of the forest. Unexpectedly, his landing was smooth and peaceful.

"That... was incredible! How on earth did you manage to do that?"

Hearing the man's question, Ryan also wondered how this was possible. Instead of doing it consciously, it was more like an instinct. Ryan just wanted to get to the other side of the fence, and before he knew it, he knew what to do to achieve that.

(Now is not the time for explanations; we must be nearly out)

Following Ryan's words, the man ran into the forest, and as they progressed, they could see several lanterns swaying in various directions.

"What do we do now? If they catch me, they'll surely kill me"

The man's voice sounded desperate, reflecting exactly what he was feeling.

(Just keep running, they are slower than us. I doubt they can catch up with us)

The man had no choice but to follow the creature's words. If it weren't for it, he would have died a long time ago. So, he continued to run, so fast that, when he realized it, he was at the edge of a cliff. Looking down, he saw only the vast ocean stretching out before him. On the other side, in the distance, the city lights sparkled on the horizon. Night had already fallen, and darkness enveloped the landscape before him.

"What do we do now? It's a dead end"

Said the man, his words laden with despair. Ryan was silent for a few moments, contemplating the situation. In fact, he already knew what to do.

(Jump)

Ryan said suddenly, making the man stop for a few seconds, trying to decipher what the creature might be saying. As he realized, the man became desperate.

"Are you crazy? I'll die if I do that"

Said the man, as he saw the lanterns getting closer and closer. Ryan quickly understood that they had no more time, so he controlled the man's body and made him jump into the water.

Drake's men arrived minutes after Ryan and the man jumped into the water and began heading towards the city. When Treece arrived at the scene, he noticed some footprints on the edge of the cliff, which made him quickly understand that the man had jumped. Although Treece didn't know how, it was easy to think that the goo that had entered the man's body had helped him.

"Drake, they jumped into the sea, they're probably heading towards the city"

Said Treece, pressing the communicator on his ear.

"Treece, pay attention. We can't lose the symbiote, not until we're sure there are more. I just want to see him again WHEN YOU HAVE MY SYMBIOTE"