Chapter 62
Shadows in the Dark
Elena’s breath hitched as she stared into the darkness of the tunnel. The others were catching their breath, unaware of the creeping danger behind them.
“Move,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding in her ears.
Naomi frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Elena took a cautious step back, her fingers tightening around her gun. Something was there. Watching. Waiting.
Mateo followed her gaze. “You think they followed us?”
Elena shook her head. “No… This feels different.”
A low, almost imperceptible sound drifted from the tunnel—like metal scraping against stone. It sent a chill down her spine.
“Jordan,” she hissed into her earpiece. “Did you pick up anything unusual on the scanners?”
Silence.
Then, Jordan’s voice, unnervingly calm: “You need to get out of there. Now.”
A Haunting Presence
The air around them felt heavier, pressing down like an unseen force. Richard wiped the sweat from his brow. “What the hell is going on?”
Naomi stepped closer to Elena, lowering her voice. “You’re sure it’s not just paranoia?”
Elena didn’t answer. She didn’t have to.
The tunnel behind them suddenly went silent.
No echo. No wind. Just void.
Then—a shadow moved.
Not a person. Something else.
The shape was indistinct, shifting unnaturally, like it was slipping between the fabric of reality itself.
A sudden gust of wind shot out from the tunnel, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and something else—something rotten.
Amira cursed under her breath. “I don’t like this.”
Mateo aimed his rifle at the tunnel entrance. “We’re wasting time.”
Then it happened.
The shadow surged forward with unnatural speed.
The Great Escape
“RUN!” Elena shouted.
They didn’t hesitate. The group bolted down the cracked road, the uneven pavement making it hard to keep steady. The sound of something slithering behind them grew louder—faster.
Mateo fired a shot over his shoulder. The bullet hit something, but instead of a normal impact, the shadow shuddered and reformed.
“Bullets aren’t doing anything!” he yelled.
Elena’s heart pounded. “Just keep running!”
Jordan’s voice came through their earpieces. “Two miles ahead. There’s an abandoned station. If you make it, you can barricade yourselves inside.”
Richard groaned. “TWO MILES?”
“We don’t have a choice,” Naomi shot back.
The group pushed forward, the burning in their legs barely registering over the sheer terror gripping them.
Behind them, the shadow moved faster.
It didn’t just chase them—it warped toward them, shifting in and out of reality, as though it was phasing between two different worlds.
Then—Elena stumbled.
Pain shot through her already injured shoulder as she hit the ground. The others were a few steps ahead before Naomi realized and turned back.
“Elena!”
The shadow lunged.
For a split second, cold tendrils wrapped around her ankle. It wasn’t solid—but it wasn’t air either. It felt like something in between.
Something unnatural.
“Elena, MOVE!” Naomi fired a shot—not at the shadow, but at the ground near Elena’s feet, stirring up a cloud of dust and debris.
The moment the dust hit the shadow, it recoiled.
Elena didn’t waste time. She kicked free and scrambled back to her feet, sprinting forward.
Amira pointed ahead. “I see it! The station!”
The Abandoned Refuge
The building was barely standing—a crumbling structure with shattered windows and a rusted metal door. But it was their only hope.
Mateo and Richard reached it first, slamming into the door. “It’s jammed!” Mateo growled.
“Move.” Amira raised her rifle and fired at the lock. The rusted metal shattered, and the door groaned open just enough for them to squeeze through.
One by one, they scrambled inside. Elena was the last to enter, slamming the door shut behind her.
For a few seconds, silence.
Then—a deep, guttural sound rumbled from outside.
The shadow didn’t try to force its way in.
It just… waited.
Watching.
Elena leaned against the wall, breathing hard. Blood seeped through her shoulder bandage, but she ignored it. They weren’t safe, but they had bought themselves time.
Jordan’s voice came through again, low and tense.
“You’re not alone in there.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
Before she could respond—
A floorboard creaked behind them.
