Flashes from the flickering monitor screen—like the eyes of a demon watching—lit up Axel's tense face. In front of him stood Nova, eyes wild and gleaming, her sharp claws threatening, blocking the path between him and the monstrous creature.
Hiss... The creature's growl filled the air. Crack... The sound of bones grinding echoed as it moved its massive, horrifying body.
Axel knew their time was running out. The creature could lunge at any moment, and he wasn't sure they could survive. Yet something held him back. Nova's eyes—despite being wild and feral—showed a flicker of confusion, as if a war raged within her.
"Nova, listen to me!" Axel shouted, his voice trembling but full of determination. "You're not this creature. You're still human. I know it."
Nova stared at Axel blankly, as if not understanding his words. "Human?" she murmured, her voice raspy and foreign. "What is human?"
The creature growled angrily, impatient with their interaction. It lunged at Nova, its claws aimed at her throat. Nova swiftly dodged, then leaped behind it, slashing its back with her claws, leaving a gaping wound.
The creature turned, roaring in fury, then charged at Nova again. Axel fired at it, hitting its eye, causing it to stagger back. But the creature didn't fall. It rose again, its eye glowing with rage, and lunged at Axel.
As Axel struggled with the creature, his mind flashed back to the video recording he had just watched. A young woman with long black hair one who looked like Nova—was strapped to an operating table, screaming in agony as green liquid was injected into her body. Then came the horrific transformation her body mutated, her eyes glowed red, and her teeth grew sharp.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice echoed from a speaker in the corner of the lab. It read aloud from a scientist's notes, cold and emotionless.
"Subject #47, Nova. Final stage experiment results. Virus X-7, designed to enhance physical endurance, yielded unexpected results. The subject demonstrated increased strength and speed, but also lost control over their primal instincts."
A monitor on the wall showed another video, this time from a different room. The room was filled with people strapped to chairs, their eyes vacant and fearful. Then, the green liquid was injected into their bodies, and the room turned into a living hell.
The people began screaming in pain, their bodies convulsing violently, their eyes glowing red. They thrashed against the restraints, then started attacking each other, ripping flesh with teeth and claws.
The scene was horrific, filled with blood and screams, like a demon's feast. Axel watched in horror, unable to look away. He had to understand what had happened.
"The first trial," the hoarse voice continued from the speaker. "The result was a complete failure. The subjects were uncontrollable and killed each other. However, we discovered something intriguing. Virus X-7 unleashes the wild side of humanity a side hidden within us all."
The video ended, and the monitor displayed static. Axel stared at the screen, horrified by the atrocities committed in this lab. They had created monsters, not superhumans.
The creature roared again, lunging at Axel, its claws aimed at his throat. Axel quickly dodged and shot it in the chest. The creature staggered, then collapsed to the ground—dead.
Axel turned to Nova, who stood by the door, staring at him blankly. He didn't know if Nova could still be saved. He didn't know if either of them could make it out of this hell alive.
Suddenly, the lab door creaked open, and another creature stepped into the doorway. This one was even larger and more terrifying than the last. Its eyes glowed red, claws long and razor-sharp, and its mouth hung open, revealing blood-soaked fangs.
It let out a furious growl, then leapt toward them ready to kill.
The stifling air of the laboratory, heavy with the metallic stench of blood, felt increasingly suffocating—like a grave swallowing all hope. Axel stared at the creature standing in the doorway, eyes wide in terror. It was much larger and far more terrifying than the one before, with bulging muscles and claws so long they nearly scraped the floor. Hiss… its growl echoed through the room. Crack… bones creaked as it stepped forward, sealing them inside this hell.
"Nova, run!" Axel shouted, pushing her behind him. He raised his pistol, ready to fire, even though he knew it wouldn't do much.
Nova, though her eyes still gleamed with wildness, didn't move. She stared at the creature with a blank expression, as if she were seeing a ghost.
The monster lunged, its claws swinging like swords toward Axel's throat. Axel rolled to the side, dodging the attack, and fired—BANG!—hitting the creature's shoulder. It growled in pain but didn't stop. It charged again, claws slashing Axel's arm, leaving a deep, gaping wound.
Axel screamed in pain but didn't give up. He kept shooting, trying to draw the monster's attention away from Nova. He knew if the creature went for her, they would both die.
As Axel wrestled with the beast, the scientist's words echoed in his mind. "The X-7 virus unlocks the wild side of humanity..." The phrase chilled him. Was that why Nova was so feral? Had the virus awakened her darkest self?
"Nova, please!" Axel shouted, trying to reach her with his voice. "You can still fight this! You're still human!"
Nova looked at Axel, her eyes flickering with confusion. She shook her head, as if trying to shake off a fog clouding her thoughts.
"I… I don't know…" she muttered, her voice hoarse and desperate.
The creature growled, then lunged at Nova, claws aiming for her face. With a sudden, unexpected movement, Nova leapt in front of Axel, shielding him from the attack. The creature's claws tore across Nova's chest, leaving a deep, gashing wound.
"Nova!" Axel screamed, horrified by the sight of her injury.
Nova staggered back, gasping for breath, but she remained standing. Her eyes blazed—not with pain, but with resolve. She glared at the monster with burning hatred.
"You will not touch him," Nova hissed, her voice raspy but filled with menace.
The creature growled again and launched itself at Nova, intent on killing her.
As it charged, Axel saw something strange in Nova's eyes—a glimmer of light, a spark of humanity. He knew she was still in there, still fighting to break free.
Suddenly, Nova let out a cry, a scream filled with rage and sorrow. Her body trembled violently, and her claws elongated, transforming into sharp, gleaming blades.
Nova launched at the creature, her sword-like claws swinging with blinding speed.