As I descended further down the spiraling staircase leading into the bowels of a soul-devouring abyss, the smell of ash and smoke became more apparent. I could hear moaning and agonizing screams, probably from victims of the explosion. No sign of Rolland or his bloodthirsty laughter.

“Damn it Rolland, where are you.”

I look around a devastating scene. The force of the blast had hurled bodies in all directions like ragdolls, twisted and contorted in grotesque poses, most in their human form and others half turned wolves. Screams of anguish and despair echo through the burnt air, intermingling with the sickening sound of shattered bones crackling with flesh torn apart staining the stone floors with blood, painting a macabre mural of suffering. Limbs, torn asunder, lie strewn about like discarded wreckage. The acrid scent of smoke and burning flesh fills the air assaulting the senses unable to flee the area as there was no ventilation in the old stone dungeon prison halls, as a pungent reminder of the devastation. Some surviving Lycans try to stand with their disfigured limbs stumbling in disoriented dazes, their bodies marked by the indelible scars of the explosion. Some, bearing grievous wounds, claw at their mangled limbs or frantically trying to escape from the horrors that had engulfed them. Amidst the carnage, anguish takes hold as the confidence is replaced by a pervasive fear that lingered long after the explosion had subsided. I pull out my gun with moonlight endowed silver bullets and start outing bullets into heads. It was mercy killing at this point. Like putting down a suffering wounded dog.

As I put a bullet into the last surviving Lycan, I turn my head to look down the long narrow passageway with clear views of cages that let out haunting chorus of clanging bars. I held up my gun and started down the narrow passageway. The prison's corridors stretch out like sinister arteries, their walls smeared with the residue of forgotten souls. The air is clamors with a stifling mix of sweat, fear, and decay, alerting my senses with its nauseating stench. The flickering torch light on the walls casted an eerie glow, barely illuminating the wretched scene. The floor, caked with filth and excrement, formed a putrid carpet beneath their bare, calloused stone floor.

“Rolland, where are you.”

It was oddly silent. Rolland was not this silent. Ever. I came to the end of the first passageway along the empty prison cages. The passage opened into a second narrow passage to the right, with rows of more cage like prisons. Every step echoed with a chilling resonance, amplifying the despair that saturates the atmosphere. At the end of the second passageway, I could vaguely see a figure. Just standing there motionless. It was dark and it was hard to figure out immediately. But I knew it was Rolland. I quickly moved towards him whispering his name. I came up to him with my gun drawn on him. Something wasn’t right and I wasn’t taking chances.

“Rolland?”

“W… what have they done Boss…. What have they done….”

I didn’t know what he meant by it so I slowly walked near and looked over his shoulders ahead. My eyes widened and my grip on the gun tightened. Anger gripped me violently at the picture I was witnessing. I came around and stood next to Rolland. I glance over to see his blood shot eyes full of rage and burning hatred. I looked back at the prison cell that lay in front of us. Unlike the others this one was bigger and more importantly it was full of prisoners. I recognized a few of them. They were rest of the captured scientists Bradley talked about. I looked at them. They were clearly tortured, broken and left in despair. Their once vibrant eyes, now hollow and lifeless, gaze out through bars that resemble the merciless prison of their own mind. A tattered, threadbare blanket clings desperately to their fragile frame, offering no solace against the bone-chilling cold that seeps through the stone walls. I was lost for words, and I guess so was Rolland. The silence was broken only by the distant echoes of muffled screams as Rolland and I both turned around in search of its source. Then I snapped out of it and quickly turned to Rolland.

“Rolland, get them out and lead them the rendezvous!”

“What about you Boss?”

“There are more survivors down here. I’ll get them out.”

Rolland stopped for a moment but soon nodded in compliance. He was clearly back under control. I decided that this was not the best environment for Rolland and would only trigger his blood rage. So, I gave him escort duty. Rolland proceeded to blast open the cage door that startled the scientists held prisoner. They recognized me and Rolland. As they were being freed one of them came up to me and thanked me.

“Thank God! Thank you for saving us.”

“No problem. Get to the EVAC point with Rolland over there.”

“they’re at the end of that passageway!”

As I guided the scientist towards Rolland to get him out, the scientist quickly pointed towards another passageway in the opposite direction. I nodded and started towards it. Rolland called after me and said that he will wait as long as he can. I didn’t look back and just kept going. Down the long passageway, dark and menacing. I hear the screams becoming louder as I grip my gun tighter. Time itself seemed to warp with every step I neared the tightly shut wooden door at the end of this suffocating darkness, elongating each agonizing moment into an eternity of torment.

I neared the door as the screams became whimpers and begging. Pleads of mercy echoed through the door as someone was clearly being tortured inside. There wasn’t any other way to do this so I slowly tried the door handle. As it squeaked I felt the door move inwards and without hesitation I kicked it in as I aimed my gun straight forward expecting to find a room full of Lycans torturing one of the scientists they have taken. Instead I was met with the most horrific sight that I could not have prepared myself for.

“What the hell….”

My eyes widen as my head tries to comprehend what I was looking at. The horror of the nightmarish scene that unfolded before me. a chamber of grotesque experimentation. Large glass tubes line the walls, each containing a tormented soul trapped in a twisted hybrid of human and animal form. Though some where clearly dead there were some that were clearly alive and in agony. The live captives writhe and convulse, their bodies contorted by grotesque modifications, their screams a symphony of pain and despair. Some have limbs that have morphed into gnarled, animalistic appendages, while others bear the disfigured features of creatures not of this world. I walked in carefully not to know what to expect nor what to do, as I tried hard not to lose my mentality. I saw some that still retained much of their human form, their eyes, once filled with life, were now vacant and haunted, reflecting a profound loss of identity and humanity. The remnants of their past self are a mere whisper, drowned out by the nightmarish fusion of flesh and animalistic instincts. My stomach churned, as revulsion rose within me as I witnessed the cruel and inhumane acts committed against these once-human beings.

The room is littered with operating tables, stained with the evidence of countless invasive procedures. Instruments of torture and experimentation lie haphazardly scattered, a testament to the disregard for ethics and morality that have taken place within these walls. Every sound, every movement of the surviving few amplifies the horror. The gurgling of fluids, the hiss of escaping gases, and the sickening thud of metal instruments hitting the floor resonate within my mind, echoing the disturbing nature of the scene before me. I could feel something had been ripped open inside me. A burning sensation in my chest. An overwhelming surge of anger and a burning desire to purify the monsters who dared to cause such atrocities against humanity. My burning rage returns once more as it fills up my once empty soul. I almost welcomed it. Then I hear it… a faint voice amongst the agony and pain that filled the room.

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“P… please…. give me peace… k…kill me.”

I turn to face an entity strapped to a wooden table. It had human features in its face, but his arms and legs had deformed into grotesque versions of what looked like wolf limbs much resembling those on a fully turned werewolf, but without fur. It was clear what the Lycans were doing here. They were looking for a way to create full werewolves that would stay in werewolf form without a full moon and without reverting back into human form. They were looking to create permanent werewolves.

“Please….”

My mind was pulled back from drifting in thought, by the whimpering pleas of the creature that was striped of its humanity and now strapped to a test bed.

“Please… k.. kill me… end it… END IT! END IT!”

It begged me to end its life as its whimpering became agonizing screams, urging me to end the suffering. Its behavior became more and more violent as it shook and pulled at the restraints that held it on to the bed. I pulled up my gun and got ready to grant the creature its wish.

At that moment I felt a rise of an overwhelming feeling, an urge more like. A burning sensation that had rendered me uncontrollably. It was a feeling that I had buried deep beneath all the bullshit that I had been stacking on top to drown it in. A sensation I was too familiar with. Burning rage, an inferno of anger and indignation had rekindled deep inside the labyrinth that used to be my heart. A long dormant fury had slowly begun to grab hold of me, and I welcomed it. And just like that, an old part of me started to break through the sealed barrier that had kept it locked away. I felt an uncontrollable feeling of anger and anticipation, and I wasn’t about to fight it. I looked down at the creature begging me to end its life, stripped of its humanity and left to rot as a deformed byproduct of curiosity and greed. I squeezed the trigger and ended the creature’s life, finally releasing it from the shackles that kept him trapped in torment and agony.

I looked around the lab to find some familiar chemicals and then with a torch from the wall. I started to make a Molotov cocktail like fire bottles and packed them in my utility pouch. The I proceeded to spray the remaining mix all over the lab and without hesitation set fire to the lab. As I walked out of the fuming lab, listening to the bursting of glass and smell of burning flesh, I strangely felt at ease. I was calm and my mind clear. In my newfound state of mind, I muttered to myself.

“I’ll kill them all…”

I didn’t care about anything anymore, my mind filled with anger and rage. I was on the hunt again. I checked my remaining ammo and started to walk down the long dark ally of the dungeon, still feeling the heat from the fire that had now engulfed the entire lab room. The lab walls are made of stone and would keep the fire confined for some time. Just enough for me to find every Lycan and see their life flee their eyes.

As I kept moving down the dungeon towards a large door at the end of it, I thought I heard something. Stopped for a moment and focused on listening for sounds up ahead. I glanced down the long dungeon path. Nothing but dimly lit torch lights that casted dancing shadows on the damp stone walls casting an unsettling ambiance that kept my nerves on edge. But just as I was about to take another step forward, I felt an eerie feeling that just wasn’t right. I could sense a presence hiding in the shadows, looking at me. I smirked at the shadow while reaching behind my back. From a utility pouch I had around my waist I pulled out a small stick and then with one quick movement I pulled the pin and threw it down the hall. It burst into a bright light as I turned and covered my eyes from the blinding light of the flash bang. But as I was turning to face down the hall I heard a loud screeching scream. So, I aimed my gun with out hesitation I shot at the shadows.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

A hissing scream howled across the dungeon hall and shook against my ears as I saw a burst of flames appear from the shadows that I shot my moonlight endowed silver bullets at. I looked at the burning entity now turned to mere dust.

“Vampires… what are they doing here?”

My gut feeling told me that things were looking bad, and I should retreat. But I came this far and I wasn’t about to leave without some answers. Why did the Lycans take prisoners and bring them here? Why are the vampires inside Lycan territory and inside their stronghold? Given the history between the two factions, it was highly unlikely they had forged an alliance. Which means that the vampires are here uninvited. But why would they risk an all-out war with the Lycans and destroy the fragile peace they had been so keen on keeping? My walk picked up pace as my mind swarmed with questions. I headed straight to the large door that was at the end of this path. Somehow, I knew that the answer lay behind those doors. As I quickly reached the door, passing the pile of dust that was once a vampire, I leaned in to try and see if I could listen through the door. I heard muffled shouting and growling. Something was going down. I pulled up my gun and slid out the magazine to check remaining ammo. 5 shots. Got to make them count. Further listening behind the door, I waited for the right moment to enter the room. Luckily, judging by the door hinges, the door opened into the room and gave me ease access. As I was contemplating my entry, I suddenly heard loud noises coming from inside the room that was shortly followed by sounds of gun shots. I raised my gun and slowly turned the handle and slightly pushed the door to check if it was locked. The door creaked open, and the muffled noise became clearer and louder. There was a full on shoot out happening inside a large court like area. As I pushed the door wide open, I saw two groups situated behind cover and shooting at each other.

On the side nearest to the door I saw a group in total black attire, armed with assault rifles, while on the other side into one corner were a group of large thug-like looking men firing back with handguns and machine guns. Vampires and Lycans in all-out war. Under normal circumstances I would have let them both tear each other to shreds and swoop in to clean up the remaining rabble. But I saw the 3 or 4 men and women hiding not far from where the Lycans are hiding, the remaining captured scientists. I recognized one of them from camp. As our eyes met, I quickly motioned them to move towards me while the two factions were busy shooting holes into each other. The scientists now all aware of my presence started to look around and slowly make there way towards me. But before they could even make a few steps away the Lycans caught sight of them and started to shout and raise their guns. I had no choice but to fire at them. They were well covered and at a distance, but my shots got the attention of the Lycans, and they started to shoot back. The vampires also took notice but chose to ignore me for now. Under suppressing fire the Lycans were held back that gave the scientist a window of opportunity to flee.

“Come on!”

I shouted and that was the cue. They started to run towards me. Unfortunately, one or two of the scientists were hit by gunshots from the Lycans and dropped lifeless. Those who made it were scared out of their minds.

“Get to the door behind me! Run straight and don’t look back!”

I yelled at them, and they nodded their heads as they understood what to do. They started running behind me through the door I came through. As they did, I pulled out two bottles from my pouch. The chemical mixed Molotov cocktails I made back at the lab. I pulled out a match and set the bottle on fire. Before either side could notice what was going on, I threw the bottle towards both parties and exited the room. The chemical included concentrated acetone and would generate enough fire to quickly burn and spread. It would give us enough time to escape. I ran out the door and started to head down the long dungeon pathway back towards the spiral stairs, all the while looking for the scientists that went ahead. It wasn’t long until I caught up with them in front of the stairs.

“Head up quickly and fast. I’ll cover the rear.”

“Thank you!”

One of the scientists thanked me as they started up the narrow spiraling stairs. I turned around to face the dungeon, ready to fire at what ever that may be on our tail. Luckily, we didn’t get uninvited company and got out without encountering additional hostiles. As we made it out into the woods and headed for the rendezvous point I got a moment to talk to one of the scientist. She was the one that first saw me back in the dungeon.

“What were the Lycans up to in there? What did they want from you?”

“I’m not sure, they kept urging us to tell them about the temple.”

“Temple?”

That was it, that was what all this was about? A damn temple? Sounds like this temple was a big deal to the creatures. It was important enough for them to attack a hunter outpost and kidnap prisoners. It would have taken time, but the hunters’ retaliation would have been more brutal and fatal for the Lycans in their current dismantled state. The Lycans use to be a major faction up until a few years ago, but they were fractured and hunted to near extinction by vampires and hunters. Two war fronts that they couldn’t handle. It made sense that they would try to experiment in creating a permanent solution to their problem. The problem of Lycanthropy was that they would revert back to normal humans without the power of the moonlight and even with moonlight they could only unchain their greatest weapon, the werewolf form under a full moon. Any other moon they could only change to giant wolves, called dire wolves. It looked like they were trying to find a way to permanently stay in werewolf form. But what is this temple that they were willing to throw all that away for? While I looked puzzled, the scientist quietly came closer to me and started to whisper. It was as if she didn’t want the others to hear her. I played along and just stated calm and casual, walking in pace with the others. Other scientists occasionally looked back towards us and when made eye contact, they just simply nodded as if nothing was happening. Something was off, they were very wary of me. I heard the whispers of the female scientist as we now walked side by side.

“I don’t know what they were talking about, but they urged us to tell them about the dark temple. They interrogated us and I honestly didn’t know what they were talking about. But I overheard some of the others talk amongst themselves, saying to keep their mouths shut and that the secret should be guard with their lives.”

I rolled my eyes to glimpse at the other scientists. So, some of them knew the truth. I kept walking straight and whispered back to her.

“Do you know what the bloodsuckers were doing there?”

“The vampires? They just came in and started to shoot at the Lycans. But, at one time they tried to coax us to follow them. We didn’t think that they were there to help us, so we refused and stayed away. Then you came.”

So, it looks like the bloodsuckers were there for the same thing. Information on this dark temple. The Lycans and Vampires were going about this like nothing mattered, even risking an all-out war. Strange. I planned to look into this when we got back. But for now we had to get out of this place before anything starts tagging behind us.