The sound of heels clicking on marble floors echoed down the immaculate white hallway. A woman in a beautiful knee-length blue dress could be seen walking in a steady pace down an immaculate white hall.
Her dress hugged her body accentuating her beautiful curves.
She wore over it a white lab coat with a logo on the left sleeve.
The emblem was a lion with two snake-like tails, surrounded in flames and on the left sleeve. Underneath the emblem was "Heyvan International Research Center."
She walked with confidence, her lab coat trailing behind her as she gracefully swept through the hallway in her six-inch leather blue-black pumps.
She really did look stunning.
The metal door slid open with a hiss, then shut behind her with a ringing clang that echoed down the stark, antiseptic hallway.
She walked on, the low lights flickering momentarily above her as she approached a door that appeared to have an aura of secrecy and security about it. It was featureless and menacing, unlike its utilitarian environment.
As she drew nearer, a small, perfectly round part of the wall suddenly collapsed inward, and a round lens, barely an inch in diameter, was exposed.
The lens glittered beneath the fluorescent lights, casting a subtle glimmer onto her face.
Just as the door behind her was closed with a last slam, an inquisitive shape appeared from the lens.
It was humanoid in shape but entirely featureless, with the eerie motionlessness of a ghost called up out of the machine itself.
"Prepare for scanning," the figure's mechanical voice announced, its voice echoing faintly in the dimly lit room.
A bright blue light that appeared to be straight horizontal lines leapt to life from the walls surrounding her a moment later.
The beams pulsed in rhythm, creating an otherworldly light as they moved up and down, methodically sweeping across her body.
They scanned her eyes, analyzing their color and their depth; searched her face, mapping each contour; and explored her hands, noting their dexterity and warmth.
The light continued its meticulous scanning, covering her entirely, creating the feeling of being naked and exposed under its relentless gaze.
"Scan complete." The human shape then transformed into a keypad. The woman moved forward and punched in numerous letters and symbols, presumably some type of password. A flat tone sounded. "Welcome, Dr. Jane Kamren."
She went into various rooms filled with people wearing lab coats similar to her own, though some had name tags on them. They all bowed in greeting, and she responded with a slight bowing of her head.
It wasn't until she noticed the name tags that she recalled she had forgotten hers. To save face, she acted nonchalant, as though her error had been on purpose. As the owner of the centre, no one would ever suspect otherwise.
Researchers in the initial couple of rooms were engaged in the study of holograms of various creatures.
Others were taking elaborate notes on electronic notepads, while others were engaged in debating specific characteristics of the beasts.
Several scientists were also occupied with making certain adjustments to the holographic projections for greater accuracy and representation.
The next level had a team of scientists engaged in the design and functionality of various robots.
The robots took on a vast assortment of designs, ranging from human-like to animal-like, limb-like, gun-like, and others.
The completed models were coated in a bold silver layer and possessed a standard emblem, so they were unique to look at.
These researchers had a lot on their hands: some were assembling new robots, others were conducting tests to see how well they performed, and some were taking careful notes of their findings.
There were others who were dedicated to providing feedback and other collaboration exercises for the purpose of refining the robotics project.
The third section was largely engaged in office work, with some individuals typing and paperwork diligently. In contrast to this, the fourth section was the most fascinating.
This section was considerably bigger and housed an assortment of animals in rooms enclosed by clear glass.
These enclosures were meticulously designed to replicate their natural habitats. At the top of each enclosure, the name of the animal was prominently displayed on the right side, along with some interesting facts, including their height, weight, intelligence quotient, and biting pressure, among other intriguing facts.
While walking down the corridor, she noticed several scientists who were occupying themselves with various activities.
There was an enormous cage at the other end of the hall, bigger than any of the others in the room.
A young woman stood in front of it, gazing thoughtfully at a notepad. The young lady spun around immediately as she approached.
Her beautiful spectacled face widened into a smile. She held out her notepad to the lady, who accepted it graciously. The young lady, though, wished to inspect the beast in the cage prior to reading.
The beast's cage was specially designed to resemble a broad grassland, a peaceful environment that reflected the mood of nature.
Within this enclosure lived a beast that was unsettlingly reminiscent of a giant wolf but was quite different in some fascinating respects.
This unusual dusk harbinger was adorned with script that appeared as if it had been rendered in some long-forgotten, antiquated tongue, its characters glowing in a bright silver hue.
This dazzling juxtaposition to the beast's lush, coal-black fur created a captivating spectacle.
The script glowed in the light, each letter and glyph twisting and turning, alive, creating intricate patterns that swirled gracefully across its surface.
From time to time, the patterns would shift, changing into a sequence of elaborate designs, mesmerizing whoever was fortunate enough to behold the brilliant display.
The combination of the wolfish creature and the extraterrestrial script made the image unforgettable, one that mirrored the wild beauty and nature of the animal in the enclosure.
The target creature lay reclined in the enclosure looking stylishly in its spot. It was completely unaware of its current situation, unlike another monster who would have been disturbed.
Wanting to know more about the amazing creature Dr. Jane concentrated on the notepad in her arms.
To her later bewilderment, the screen went totally black. Instead of information on this monster, all she could make out was her own reflection.
Her emerald green eyes narrowed, blazing with fierceness like glittering gemstones in the light. The porcelain smoothness of her marble skin deepened to a crimson hue, radiating heat that was in stark contrast to her usually otherworldly pallor.
Her bow lips tightened into a line of anger, revealing her mounting wrath, as tendrils of her dark silver hair began to stand on end as if electrified, lashing around her head like menacing blades ready to strike.
She shot a piercing glance at her colleague, and the young woman cowered back in fear.
"Carmen?" Her voice was dangerously calm, a discordant contrast to the tension in the air as she focused her gaze on the now trembling girl behind dense spectacles.
"Did I not remind you to charge the notepad before coming to work?" Her words hung in the silence, heavy with disappointment and unspoken authority.
The girl nodded uncertainly, her eyes dropping to the floor as a flush of guilt colored her cheeks.
Dr. Jane took a deep breath, carefully selecting her words; she did not want to come down too hard on the poor creature. With a subtle gesture, she redirected her attention to the monster standing near.
"She is very lovely," Dr. Jane said, her voice softening as she attempted to alter the course of the conversation.
The compliment washed over Carmen like a warm wave, and relief washed over her face, causing her to almost melt in the moment.
The beast's head inclined slightly, muscles tense beneath his rough hide. He had realized that he was the topic of the complement.
Inside, a storm of indignation brewed. How dare this puny human mistake him for a female? Had she not noticed his lofty stature and the dark, muscular body that set him apart from all other males of his kind?
In his own mind, he was the personification of the perfect male—strong, powerful, and quintessentially handsome.
A fierce glare radiated from him, pinning the human in front of him, clearly offended by the intrusion.
"Dr. He's a he," Carmen interrupted, her voice firm but slightly uncertain.
"Ooh," Dr. Jane continued to stare at the giant of a man, not noticing Carmen's correction.
"Who caught him?" she asked, curiosity prompting her follow-up question without giving Carmen a chance to respond.
"Bring them here," she commanded, her tone firm and authoritative, allowing no dissent.
Carmen inclined her head in a brief bow before taking off.
She returned in seconds, trailed by a man in his mid-years with an easy, relaxed quality to his clothing that bespoke comfortable elegance.
His ax towered behind him, a dramatic black shape with a lone stripe of white that stood in sharp relief to the smooth lines of his young face.
In spite of the fact that his face was etched with the lines of time—a ruggedness that spoke of a life fully lived—there was something compelling about him.
He would not be traditionally handsome, yet something in his ruggedness lent him a certain allure, so that he was anything but unpleasant to look at.
He moved with the brisk, decisive step of a soldier, back straight and unyielding, every inch a picture of discipline.
As he approached Dr. Jane, he inclined his head slightly in a courteous hello, both stiff and dignified. The air appeared to hum with his presence.
"Hello! I am Jonathan, commander of the first regiment, at your service, doctor," he announced, his voice resounding through the room like a sudden echo, catching a few onlookers off guard who had not anticipated such booming authority.
Only Carmen and Jane did not jump, exchanging a glance of recognition at this theatrical introduction.
"Nice to meet you regiment leader Jonathan," Jane said coolly, "I was hoping you'd tell me about how you caught the monster," she continued coolly her eyes becoming more intent.
Even though he had been anticipating the question, an air of awkwardness enveloped him as he scratched the back of his head and looked away shyly.
"Cute," Dr. Jane muttered to herself, watching him with a mixture of amusement and interest.
"We discovered it hiding in the darkest part of the shadow forest," he told her, his voice slightly hesitant, as if reliving the encounter.
Dr. Jane's eyebrow went up, and he encouraged him to go on. "We were on a recon mission when we first encountered it." As he talked, his friend, a tall guy with a placid face, nodded slightly, urging him to continue.
"Since we had never seen anything like that before, we decided not to take it, especially since we were unaware of its power," he clarified, with a tinge of remorse in his voice.
"But then one of my rookies panicked and fired a shot. To prevent it from waking up, we ended up shooting a couple more." A flush of embarrassment appeared on his cheeks, betraying his mortification at the memory of their impulsive actions.
This individual was not a favorite of the beast, that's for sure.
"The being just stood there, shrouded in an aura of mystery, as we summoned a transporter to bring it to this stark, sterile environment.
The entire experience was rather anticlimactic." The man finished with a tone of disappointment hanging in the air, due to the lack of action like an unfinished symphony.
Deep within the confines of its shadowy cage, the creature seethed with irritation at the audacity of human intrusion.
'You dare to disturb my slumber in my sanctum and then expect me to entertain your whims?' it brooded, its thoughts a tempest of confusion and frustration.
The conditions of this encounter were unintelligible to it—if it were to attack, the humans would brand it a monster; if it did nothing, it would be misunderstood all the same, vilified as a mystery rather than a creature of worth.
It gave a weary, near-despairing sigh that was low in its throat as it lamented the incessant intrusion of these annoying humans.
Once Jason finished the bizarre encounter, the officials released him, the searing gaze of suspicion descending suddenly on Carmen.
Yet she was mesmerized and lost, her eyes locked on the beast that loomed in its enclosure.
It was like nothing they had ever recorded—its face, a tapestry of the unthinkable intertwined with the unreal, evoked a sense of wonder along with fear.
Its legacy, its latent power, and its potential—the beast's own nature—were wrapped in clouds of doubt.
"Apart from its obvious physical traits, we have no solid information on this beast," Carmen began, her voice solemn, weighed down by gravitas.
"This creature is a complete mystery, a singular puzzle unlike any we've encountered before." She paused, her mind pursuing questions that danced just out of reach, the weight of the unknown bearing firmly down on her shoulders.
Both of them turned to gaze at the creature, their faces a mirror opposite of one another.
Carmen's face was set in a deadly serious gaze, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed, hiding the storm of emotions beneath her steel-like facade.
Dr. Jane's eyes, on the contrary, gleamed with unadulterated ecstasy, a wide smile spreading across her face as if the creature's manifestation was gasoline to a flame that burned within her and which she could hardly contain.
When the clock struck midnight the following day, alarms throughout the institute erupted into a cacophony of blaring sounds, heralding a catastrophic event: a very powerful creature had escaped from the lowest sections of the facility.
From the shadows emerged a wolf-like creature, moving with an unnatural grace that belied its massive size. It left a trail of destruction in its path, effortlessly tearing the reinforced doors meant to contain it into shattered wood.
Its massive size and phenomenal strength allowed it to break through barriers as if they were paper.
What added to the chaos was the sudden appearance of another beast, one that had been locked in a cages—its liberation was a mystery. Did the wolf-like beast break the cages on purpose, or was it merely collateral damage?
Regardless, the new beasts followed behind in cautious awe, keeping a safe distance from its larger counterpart, as if sensing the wild energy emanating from it.
Even the once imposing presence of this other beasts didn't dare enter, a certain indication that instinct was the motivation behind their actions, not bravado.
Troops were positioned at the perimeter outside, well-armed with Vatrano firearms designed to fell the largest of beasts.
Nevertheless, no matter how many shots were fired, their energy beams seemed to disintegrate against some unseen force field, missing both of the creatures.
Amazingly, the creatures did not fight back in turn; they were unnervingly motionless, as though they were aware that a fragile peace was being maintained.
This uneasy tranquility was largely maintained because of the wolf-like creature, which seemed to invoke an invisible force—a barrier that not only kept it and its companion creature from harm but also rendered human attacks useless.
It was behaving as if deliberately, steering clear of confrontation to avert the spectre of war once more.
On the human side, the beast's forbearance did not escape the soldiers' notice. They observed the primitive creature's behavior, which they found odd.
the reason for its apparent mercy was an unspoken understanding with them.
Their past encounters had informed their decisions: the food offered was to the beasts' liking, and they were appreciative, as in the wild there was not enough to eat.
This was a hint of a bond formed on the basis of survival rather than aggression.
This revelation gave depth to the scene, adding a new dynamic to the precarious relationship between predator and prey in this strained encounter