The mutated soldiers surged forward, their grotesque, twitching bodies moving with terrifying speed. Elena barely had time to react before the first one lunged at her, its grotesque face twisted in a rictus of pain and rage. She fired without hesitation, the bullet slamming into the soldier's chest. But it didn't stop—it kept coming, a mindless beast driven only by Lucien's command.
Matteo was already in motion beside her, his own gun raised as he took down one of the creatures with a precise shot to the head. "We can't hold them off forever," he shouted over the sounds of gunfire and chaos. "We need to take down Lucien now!"
Elena's heart pounded in her chest as she shot again, the soldier falling, but more were coming. The control room behind them was their only hope, the final stand against Lucien and his army. But the soldiers kept coming, one after another, as if there was no end to them.
"Move!" Elena barked, pulling Matteo by the arm and dragging him towards the door of the control room. They needed to reach the terminal, to destroy Lucien's network before it was too late. But with every step, they were forced to fight, to take down the soldiers that closed in from every angle.
Elena fired again, the recoil from the weapon sending a jolt through her arm. The creature fell to the ground with a sickening thud, but she didn't have time to check if it was dead—there were more. And they were getting closer.
"Cover me!" Matteo shouted, moving to the control terminal. Elena didn't question him—she just kept shooting, keeping the soldiers at bay. The gunfire was deafening, each shot echoing in the narrow hallway. Sweat dripped down her face, her muscles aching from the strain, but she didn't stop.
Matteo worked quickly, his fingers flying across the controls. "I'm almost there!" he called out, but his voice was strained, and Elena could see the desperation in his eyes. If Lucien had set up any additional security, they were running out of time.
Then, the worst possible sound broke through the gunfire—the low hum of machinery powering up.
Lucien.
Elena's eyes narrowed as the lab lights flickered, and a low, ominous growl filled the air. From behind the control room door, a shadow shifted—tall, imposing, and unmistakable.
Lucien.
He stepped into view, his black suit gleaming under the flickering lights. His cold eyes locked onto Elena, and his lips curled into that familiar, cruel smile. "You should have stayed out of this, Elena," he said, his voice smooth and taunting. "Now, you're going to die for it."
Behind him, the monstrous figures of his creations loomed. They were more than soldiers—each one seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy, as if they were growing stronger with every passing second.
Elena stepped in front of Matteo, blocking his path to the terminal. "I won't let you win," she said through gritted teeth.
Lucien's eyes flashed with amusement. "You've already lost," he replied, and with a snap of his fingers, the mutated soldiers lunged forward.
Matteo acted in a heartbeat. He slammed his hand onto the terminal, and a high-pitched alarm sounded as the control system activated.
Lucien's face twisted in fury. "No! You—"
But it was too late.
The entire facility began to shake, the walls vibrating with the force of an imminent explosion. The lights flickered violently, and then, everything went dark.
"Elena! We need to go!" Matteo shouted, grabbing her arm.
Elena didn't wait. They sprinted toward the exit, the sound of collapsing walls and dying machinery echoing behind them. Lucien's creations were still in the hallways, but now, they were falling apart, their bodies convulsing as the system that powered them began to fail.
The lab was collapsing. Lucien was finished. But Elena knew that the fight wasn't over yet. Lucien was a monster—but she wasn't alone. And together, they would finish what they'd started.
They ran toward the exit, the world behind them erupting into chaos, knowing they had just taken the first step toward reclaiming their future.