Daniel's footsteps echoed along the concrete corridor, stretching like a dead intestine deep within the belly of the world. The red flare in his hand had gone out, leaving behind the acrid smell of sulfur and hopelessness. The only light now came from the faint glow of his wrist device—not enough to see, but just enough to know he was still alive.
He breathed slowly. Behind him, the creature's sounds had vanished. As if it had melted back into the darkness.
The corridor ended at a rusted iron door, almost invisible beneath moss and black smears. Daniel pushed it slowly, the hinges creaking, and stepped into a narrow room. The air here was warmer. It smelled of metal, mold, and something older than time itself.
On the wall, a faint green emergency light still glowed. Desks were in disarray, covered with scattered folders, half-burned papers, and broken electronic equipment. It looked like a field lab abandoned in panic.
He moved toward the main desk, his eyes catching something distinct—a large folder marked with a red stamp:
RESEARCH SUBJECT 034 – CODE: "NEUTRAL ENTITY"
Daniel's hands trembled as he opened the first page. The report was authored by someone named Dr. L. Grastein, dated October 23, 2091—long before the nuclear war.
SUMMARY REPORT – OBJECT 034 RESEARCH
This entity was discovered beneath ancient layers of earth, within a rock structure that didn't match local geological maps. The first discovery occurred during the excavation of a protective tunnel in Zone L-13.
The creature is neither fully biological nor fully mechanical. It appears to be a symbiosis between a living organism and something extraterrestrial.
We have designated it as Object 034. It does not display direct aggression, but its behavior is highly unstable—able to help one researcher escape a cave-in, then kill five personnel days later without warning.
Daniel took a deep breath. The next page revealed a classification system he had never heard of:
OBJECT CLASSIFICATION LEVELS:
Level 1 – Docile
Harmless to humans. Predictable behavior.
Level 2 – Neutral
Motivation unknown. May assist or attack based on unknown factors.
Level 3 – Dangerous
Will attack humans if provoked.
Level 4 – Monster
Aggressive, extremely hard to stop, capable of destroying structures.
Level 5 – Demon
Existential threat. Must be terminated on sight.
Object 034 is classified as: Level 2 – Neutral.
We do not understand its thought process. Not entirely wild, but impossible to tame. Its emotional response to humans is unpredictable and erratic.
Beneath the writing was a rough diagram of the creature: over two meters tall, distorted skeletal structure, arms disproportionately long, and a tilted head. At the bottom of the diagram, scrawled in black ink:
"Its white eyes are unable to see in strong light. It shows signs of disorientation when exposed to high-frequency sound."
Daniel ran his fingers over the page. A weakness. Bright light and high-frequency noise—two things that might save his life.
But before he could read further, a faint sound echoed from the far end of the room. Like… a long, slow breath.
He looked up. Nothing in the hallway.
But something had shifted. The atmosphere. The pressure. As if the room itself knew someone was uncovering its secrets.
He closed the folder, tucked it into a small pouch, and quickly left the room. But as he passed by the outer wall, he noticed something he had missed earlier—ancient, crude drawings etched into the surface. Rough sketches showing a white-eyed being standing among bowing or dead humans.
And beneath it was a sentence that burned into his mind:
"It does not come to kill… unless you provoke it."
Daniel stared into the dark corridor ahead. He now knew a little more… but felt even more confused. Was this creature an enemy? Or something merely imitating human emotions?
One thing was certain—he was no longer alone in these depths.
And the more he learned, the more questions arose.
To be continued...