Silence fell, heavy and suffocating, as the echo of the last blows faded away through the crumbling corridors. Mayu stood rooted to the spot, arms dangling, her ragged breath reverberating in the gloom.
Around her, Seth and Lia struggled to steady themselves, fighting to remain upright. Their clothes were torn and stained with dust and blood, but it was something deeper that weighed on them now: a cold, gnawing dread.
Mayu felt her heart hammering in her chest, as if it wanted to burst through her ribs and escape.
"That style… I know it," she whispered.
Her fingers trembled as she stared into the black void where their mysterious opponent had vanished. A fight like that… she had endured one before—but never against a stranger, never so precise. The movements, the agility, the lethal grace… it was a dance she knew by heart.
A shiver crawled up her spine.
"Mayu?" Seth's voice was low, uncertain.
She didn't answer at once, unable to tear her gaze away from that empty darkness that seemed to call to her. Then, slowly, she turned to her companions, eyes wide with a dawning revelation.
"It was… someone like me," she murmured.
Seth went pale, and Lia brought a trembling hand to her mouth. The notion of another "Mayu" roaming this hellish maze chilled their blood.
Mayu's throat constricted. She fought back a sudden surge of panic. Blurred images flooded her mind: a cold laboratory, metallic voices, the relentless sting of syringes under her skin.
She closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to steady her breathing.
"Not now. Not here."
A distant metallic crack snapped her back to reality.
"We need to move," she breathed.
Without another word, she sprinted down the corridor, her boots crunching over the debris. Seth and Lia followed, their shadows flickering in the broken lighting.
The surroundings grew ever more unsettling. Where the walls had once been smooth, now they were scored with desperate scratches—handprints of those who had tried and failed to escape. Overhead, jagged cables swung like nooses in the stale air.
A half-torn warning sign dangled above them, its letters flickering:
"Containment Sector – Entry Forbidden"
Mayu paused, eyes fixed on the message, fists clenching involuntarily.
"This is the way," she said, as if compelled.
They pressed forward cautiously, every sense on high alert. The silence was so profound they could almost hear their own hearts pounding.
Suddenly, around the next bend, a massive blast door barred their path.
Mayu approached, fingertips brushing the scarred steel. It was cold, gouged by claw-like marks—like something had fought to break out.
She glanced for an alternative. Lia spotted it first: an air vent torn from its grille near the floor.
Without hesitation, Mayu wriggled through. The narrow shaft forced her to crawl on elbows and knees, the cramped darkness pressing in on her. Each inch recalled buried memories: cages, windowless cells, hours spent battling terror in the black.
"Just hold on. Keep moving."
After what felt like an eternity, the vent gave way under their weight, and they tumbled into a vast chamber.
Mayu rolled to her feet, breathing hard, and took in the grim scene.
It was a macabre amphitheater. Empty stands circled a central operating table, illuminated by a single, flickering lamp.
Rusty surgical tools lay scattered around. The air reeked of iron and oil.
Mayu's legs buckled. Memories surged unbidden.
She saw herself as a child, strapped to a similar table. The cold steel of scalpels against her flesh. Disembodied voices debating her fate.
"Experiment #45: heightened pain response."
Her throat constricted and a sob threatened to break free—only to be choked back with effort.
A hand settled on her arm. Seth, eyes full of concern.
"Mayu… you're not alone," he whispered.
She managed a weak nod.
Not now. Not here. They couldn't afford to falter.
They crossed the chamber, each step echoing like a tolling bell.
At the far end, a half-open door spilled pale light into the darkness. Mayu knew it wasn't an exit. In this place, nothing was ever simple.
Seth moved forward, weapon raised. Lia closed ranks behind them, face taut with resolve.
Mayu paused before the doorway, a chill crawling through her veins.
On the other side… she sensed a presence. Strong. Hostile. And somehow familiar.
Her heart thundered—so loud she thought it might deafen her.
"I'm ready."
She drew a breath and pushed the door open.