Their footsteps were muffled in the dust-coated alley, shadows stretching long under the dying glow of a broken streetlight. Talen pressed his back against a cold stone wall, heart pounding like war drums in his ears. Beside him, Daigo adjusted the sleeping girl in his arms—Selia, her small body limp against his shoulder.
"When did these things start showing up?" Talen whispered, peeking past the edge of the alley.
The street beyond was no longer the city he knew. Pavement cracked with the weight of monstrous footprints, the walls scorched, and blood—dried and fresh—spattered across windows and doors. A creature lurked in the distance, its skin pale and rippling like wax, its eyeless face twitching to the faintest sound.
"Our car ran out of fuel at the worst possible place," Daigo murmured, tightening his grip on his handmade blade—scraps of steel bound to a reinforced handle. "We were lucky we made it out."
Talen gritted his teeth. "How far is the Tower of Vel from here?"
Daigo tilted his head. "A kilometer, maybe."
"That's not far," Daigo said with a shrug. "We can make it."
Talen stared at him like he'd gone mad. "Wait—why are we even going there? What's the point?"
Daigo looked down at his daughter for a moment, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead.
"I don't know," he admitted.
Talen's voice rose, frustration boiling over. "I'm not here to play your fairytale, Daigo! You already know there's no tower in Vel—not anymore! That place was buried decades ago."
Daigo opened his mouth, perhaps to argue, perhaps to explain. But then his eyes widened—not at Talen, but at something behind him.
A breath. A hiss. A presence.
Talen turned.
The creature was enormous. Crab-like limbs braced its hulking body, eight eyes blinking in chaotic rhythm. Its mouth hung open, dripping with something thick and black. And it was so close.
Talen froze, too terrified to move.
Daigo acted. With a grunt, he drove his jagged blade forward, straight into the cluster of eyes. A wet squelch echoed through the alley as the weapon pierced and tore, dark liquid spraying across the pavement. The creature shrieked and flailed, and Daigo yanked his blade free.
"Run!" he shouted.
They bolted, feet slipping on uneven ground. The monster wasn't dead. It was enraged.
"I don't want to die!" Talen screamed. "God, help me!"
"Stop yelling!" Daigo hissed back. "You're drawing the others!"
As if summoned by the noise, one of the white-eyed beasts stepped into their path, limbs twitching.
Daigo didn't slow. He crashed into the creature, shoving it aside with brute force. Selia stirred in his arms, her tiny hands slipping from around his neck.
"Hold on tight, Selia! Please!" Daigo panted, running faster.
Talen followed, stumbling over debris. They veered into a narrow gap between two buildings, ducking into the darkness of a tunnel.
Inside, the world dimmed. It was damp and silent except for their labored breaths and the faint drip of water echoing from somewhere far off.
"I think we lost them," Talen whispered, doubling over.
But the silence didn't last.
A faint glow flickered in the darkness. Then another. The glow sharpened into a pair of luminous eyes—then more. A monster had followed them in.
Its eyes lit the tunnel like torches, casting sharp shadows across the walls. It shrieked, and the sound was like metal tearing.
The tunnel shook violently.
"It's trying to bring the tunnel down!" Daigo shouted, holding Selia close. Cracks spidered across the ceiling, dirt and stone raining down in bursts.
Talen backed away, face pale with terror. "We're going to be buried alive!"
"Move deeper!" Daigo barked. "Now!"
But the light kept coming, and behind it—rage. The monster wasn't going to stop until the whole tunnel caved in.
And they were running out of time
Their breath came in ragged gasps as the tunnel swallowed them whole, shadows wrapping around their bodies like cloaks. Behind them, the creature roared, the sound metallic and guttural, scraping against the concrete walls.
Daigo suddenly skidded to a halt.
Talen almost slammed into him. "Why the hell did you stop?!"
Without responding, Daigo turned and shoved Selia into Talen's arms. "Take her."
Talen gripped the girl reflexively, eyes wide. "What are you doing? You can't fight that thing!"
"There's always a weak point," Daigo muttered, eyes narrowing. "Every living thing has one. Heart. Brain. Something."
"What does that have to do with that?" Talen nearly shouted, his voice cracking as the girl stirred weakly in his arms.
"I saw something," Daigo said, stepping back toward the tunnel's entrance. "Right before we ran. A red light near its face."
"Are you sure that means anything?!"
"No," Daigo said. "But if I don't try, we're dead either way."
Talen was speechless, standing frozen as Daigo turned and sprinted toward the light.
The creature was still there, thrashing, confused by the narrow tunnel space. Its eight pale eyes glowed eerily. Its legs—sharp and armored—scraped the ground, twitching like an insect waiting to strike.
Daigo crept closer, ducking low, the weight of the weapon in his hands suddenly feeling real.
There it was.
A soft pulse of crimson near its twisted snout.
He didn't think. He leapt.
With a shout, he plunged his blade forward—right into the red glow.
The creature screeched. Sparks exploded as the steel pierced deep. Its limbs jerked, thrashing violently for a moment—then froze. A final hiss escaped its mouth before it went completely still.
Daigo panted. His hands trembled as he yanked the weapon back.
And that's when he saw it.
Where his blade had struck, the surface had cracked—not flesh, but something else. Beneath the surface… wires. Dozens of them. Coated in dark synthetic gel, sparking faintly. Something inside still whirred, ticking down like a broken machine.
"What... the hell?" Daigo whispered.
Behind him, Talen stumbled forward, Selia still wrapped in his arms. "Is it dead? Did you kill it?"
Daigo stepped aside. "Look."
Talen did—and froze.
"What is this?" he muttered. "No… that's not blood…"
"It's not even alive," Daigo said, voice low. "It's not a monster."
He reached out, pulled some of the hanging wires apart, revealing more circuitry—panels and microchips embedded in black casing.
"It's a machine."
Talen stared, his eyes wide with disbelief. "But it growled. It bled. It breathed."
"Maybe that's what they wanted us to think."
Selia, her voice barely audible, whispered from Talen's shoulder, "Is someone making these?"
Neither man spoke.
Because they both knew the answer already.
Someone was.