The tunnel was a narrow, suffocating passage carved deep beneath Sanctuary. The air was thick and musty, filled with the scent of damp earth and the faint metallic tang of old machinery. The only light came from the dim, flickering flashlights that the survivors carried, their beams cutting through the darkness as they hurried deeper into the labyrinthine maze.

Corey and Ornelas led the way, their hearts still racing from the chaos they had just escaped. The tunnel walls seemed to close in around them, the oppressive darkness pressing down on their minds. Every step echoed ominously, a reminder of how deep underground they were—and how far from safety.

Behind them, the other survivors moved in a tight group, their faces pale and drawn with exhaustion and fear. D’Souza and Palesa brought up the rear, their weapons at the ready, eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of pursuit. The explosion had bought them time, but they all knew it was only a temporary reprieve.

The dead would find them eventually.

“How far do these tunnels go?” Ornelas whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of their footsteps.

“I don’t know,” Corey admitted, his eyes straining to see further into the darkness. “Palesa mentioned they were used for smuggling supplies, but who knows where they lead.”

“We need to find a way out,” D’Souza said from behind them, his voice tense but steady. “If we can get to the surface, we might be able to find another safe spot. Sanctuary’s lost.”

The words hit Corey like a blow to the gut. He had known, deep down, that Sanctuary couldn’t hold out forever, but hearing it said out loud made it all too real. Just when they thought they had found a place of refuge.

“We’ll find a way out,” Corey said, more to himself than anyone else. “We have to.”

They pressed on, the tunnel twisting and turning in ways that made it impossible to know which direction they were heading. It was easy to lose all sense of time and distance down here, the darkness playing tricks on their minds.

Minutes felt like hours, and every shadow seemed to hold a hidden threat. Corey’s nerves were frayed, his senses on high alert as he scanned the darkness for any sign of danger. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, that something was lurking just beyond the reach of their flashlights.

And then, as they rounded a corner, the tunnel opened up into a larger chamber. The ceiling vaulted high above them, disappearing into the darkness, and the walls were lined with old, rusted pipes and crumbling brickwork. In the centre of the chamber stood a massive, rusted metal door, half-open and leading into another passageway.

“This looks promising,” Palesa said, stepping forward to inspect the door. “If this leads to the surface, we might be able to—”

She never finished her sentence. A sudden noise echoed through the chamber, a faint scraping sound that sent a chill down Corey’s spine. He froze, his flashlight beam sweeping across the room, searching for the source.

“What was that?” Ornelas whispered, his voice trembling.

The sound came again, louder this time—a scraping, shuffling noise that seemed to come from the passageway beyond the door. It was followed by a low, guttural growl that sent a wave of fear crashing over the group.

“Get back!” D’Souza ordered, his voice sharp with urgency. “Get away from the door!”

But it was too late. The door creaked open further, the rusted hinges groaning as a figure stepped through the gap. Corey’s heart plummeted as he saw a pale, twisted form, just like one of the creatures that had attacked Sanctuary. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and its mouth twisted into a predatory grin as it locked onto the group.

There was no time to think, no time to plan. The creature lunged forward with terrifying speed, its hands outstretched, its claws gleaming in the dim light.

Corey raised his machete, swinging it with all his strength as the creature closed in. The blade connected with the creature’s shoulder, but instead of crumpling, it barely flinched. The wound only seemed to enrage it further, its growl deepening into a roar as it swiped at Corey with deadly precision.

He ducked, narrowly avoiding the creature’s claws, but lost his balance in the process. He hit the ground hard, his flashlight skidding away and plunging the tunnel into near darkness.

“Corey!” Ornelas shouted, firing an arrow at the creature. The shot struck true, sinking into the creature’s chest, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. The creature turned toward Ornelas, its eyes narrowing as it prepared to attack.

“No!” Corey scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest. But before he could reach his brother, a deafening gunshot echoed through the chamber. The creature’s head snapped back, a gaping wound appearing in its forehead as it crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

D’Souza lowered his pistol, his expression grim as he stepped over the creature’s body. “Everyone, move! There could be more of them!”

The survivors surged forward, rushing through the passageway beyond the door. Corey grabbed his flashlight and followed, his heart still racing from the close call. Ornelas was at his side, his face pale but determined.

The passageway sloped upward, the air growing colder and fresher with each step. Corey’s spirits lifted slightly—this had to lead to the surface. They were almost out.

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But as they neared the end of the passageway, another sound reached their ears—a faint, distant rumble that sent a shiver down Corey’s spine. It was the sound of movement, of something massive shifting deep underground.

“What the hell is that?” Palesa whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Corey didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. He could feel it, deep in his bones—something was coming. Something far worse than anything they had faced so far.

They emerged from the passageway into another chamber, this one even larger than the last. The ceiling was lost in darkness, and the walls were lined with ancient machinery, rusted and decayed. In the centre of the chamber was a massive, circular hatch, set into the floor and covered with thick metal plates.

The rumbling grew louder, more insistent, and Corey’s heart raced at the thought of what it meant.

“Get away from the hatch!” D’Souza shouted, his voice filled with panic. “Now!”

But before they could move, the ground beneath them trembled violently. The hatch shuddered, and with a deafening roar, it began to rise. Dust and debris filled the air as the metal plates slid aside, revealing a gaping hole in the floor.

From the darkness below, a massive form began to emerge. Corey’s breath caught in his throat as he saw it—an enormous, grotesque creature, its body a twisted amalgamation of flesh and metal. Its eyes glowed with a sickly green light, and its maw was filled with rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth.

The creature let out a bone-chilling roar, the sound reverberating through the chamber as it hauled itself up from the depths. Its massive limbs smashed into the walls, crushing the ancient machinery as it climbed higher.

“We need to get out of here!” Palesa screamed, grabbing Corey’s arm and pulling him toward the far side of the chamber.

The survivors scattered, desperately trying to find an exit as the creature continued to rise. But the chamber was a dead end, the walls smooth and unscalable. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Corey’s mind raced as he searched for a way out, his heart pounding in his chest. The creature was almost fully emerged now, its enormous body filling the chamber, blocking any chance of escape.

Ornelas stood frozen, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the monstrous creature. Corey grabbed his arm, shaking him out of his daze. “We have to move!”

But as they turned to run, the creature let out another roar and lashed out with one massive limb. The force of the blow sent Corey and Ornelas flying across the chamber, slamming into the wall with bone-jarring impact. Corey’s vision blurred, pain radiating through his body as he struggled to stay conscious.

The creature advanced, its massive bulk crushing everything in its path. Corey’s mind screamed at him to move, to fight, but his body refused to obey. He could only watch in helpless horror as the creature bore down on them, its eyes glowing with a savage hunger.

Just as it seemed the end had come, a bright light flared in the darkness, blinding Corey for a moment. The creature recoiled, roaring in pain as the light struck it. Corey blinked, trying to clear his vision, and saw Ntlentle standing near the far wall, holding a flare gun.

“Get up!” Ntlentle shouted, firing another flare at the creature. “It doesn’t like the light! Move!”

Corey forced himself to his feet, dragging Ornelas with him as they stumbled away from the creature. The flares had bought them a few precious seconds, but the creature was already recovering, its eyes locking onto them with renewed fury.

“There’s a tunnel over there!” Palesa shouted, pointing to a small opening on the far side of the chamber. “It’s our only chance!”

The survivors bolted for the tunnel, their footsteps echoing in the darkness as they fled. The creature let out another roar, its massive limbs smashing into the walls as it gave chase.

Corey and Ornelas reached the tunnel entrance just as the creature lunged forward, its massive jaws snapping shut inches from their heels. They scrambled into the narrow passageway, the walls closing in around them as they ran for their lives.

The tunnel twisted and turned, the darkness pressing in on them from all sides. The creature’s roars echoed through the passageway, growing louder and closer with each step. Corey’s heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he pushed himself to keep moving.

“We have to get out of here!” Ornelas gasped, his voice filled with terror.

“I know!” Corey shouted back, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to escape. But the tunnel seemed endless, the darkness stretching on forever.

And then, up ahead, Corey saw it—a faint glimmer of light, barely visible in the distance.

“There!” he shouted, pointing to the light. “We’re almost there!”

The survivors poured on the speed, the light growing brighter as they neared the end of the tunnel. The creature was right behind them, its massive bulk scraping against the walls as it pursued them with relentless fury.

With one final burst of speed, the survivors reached the end of the tunnel and burst out into the open air. The sudden brightness blinded them for a moment, the sunlight harsh after the oppressive darkness of the tunnel.

But they had no time to adjust. The creature was still coming, its roars shaking the ground as it forced its way through the narrow passage.

D’Souza and Palesa were already moving, their weapons at the ready as they scanned the area for anything they could use. They were on the edge of a cliff, the ground dropping away into a steep ravine below. There was nowhere left to run.

“What do we do now?” Ornelas asked, his voice shaking.

Corey’s mind raced, searching for a solution. The creature was almost at the tunnel’s exit now, its massive form looming in the darkness. If they didn’t do something fast, they were as good as dead.

And then he saw it—a rusted, half-collapsed bridge spanning the ravine, its metal supports barely holding together. It was a long shot, but it was their only chance.

“The bridge!” Corey shouted, pointing to the structure. “We can use it to trap the creature!”

D’Souza nodded, quickly catching on. “Palesa, get to the other side! Corey, Ntlentle, with me!”

Palesa sprinted across the bridge, her footsteps echoing on the rusted metal as she reached the far side. Corey, Ntlentle, and D’Souza took up positions at the edge of the cliff, their weapons ready as the creature finally burst out of the tunnel.

It roared in fury, its eyes locking onto the survivors as it charged forward, the ground shaking beneath its massive bulk.

“Now!” Ntlentle shouted, firing her last remaining flare at the creature’s face.

The flare struck true, exploding in a burst of light and heat. The creature recoiled, its momentum carrying it forward as it barrelled onto the bridge. The rusted metal groaned under the weight, the supports straining as the creature thrashed in pain.

“Go, go, go!” D’Souza shouted, motioning for Corey, Ornelas, Ntlentle and the others to cross the bridge.

They sprinted across the structure, the metal creaking ominously beneath their feet. The creature, still blinded by the flare, continued its wild thrashing, smashing into the supports with enough force to shake the entire bridge.

They reached the far side just as the bridge began to collapse, the rusted supports giving way under the strain. With a deafening crash, the entire structure crumpled, sending the creature plummeting into the ravine below.

Corey and the others watched as the creature tumbled into the darkness, its roars fading into the distance. And then, finally, there was silence.

They had done it. They had survived.