Thud!
The Cursed's lifeless body fell to the floor tiles with a resounding crash. The echo hung in the still air of the dimly lit space, rebounding off the walls before spilling through the main door and fades away.
Miles stares at the fallen creature without any ripple of emotion, as he started to walked to the end of the corridor to look through the remaining unit.
The first stop was Unit 101.
He pressed his ear to the door, holding his breath to listen. Inside, silence stretched on, and broken only by the faint drip of water somewhere in the room.
Miles tested the handle; it turned easily, the door swinging open with a low groan of hinges.
The morning sunlight streamed through the bloodied window, illuminating over scattered belongings.
He swept the room with his M17, night vision goggles adjusted to cut through the mix of light and shadow.
After a minute of careful inspection, he found no signs of movement, no trace of the Cursed. Satisfied, he backed out of the room and pulled the door closed behind him, moving on to the next unit down the corridor
- Unit 102.
This time, the door was locked. Miles pressed his ear against the wood again - and this time, he heard it; there's a soft scratching, like claws on tile, mixed with a wet, rasping breath.
'Is it a cursed? or a human?' Miles thought, the door is locked and usually he would confirm it was a human. Since, clearing the previous floor; all the cursed he faced in a room, the door was not locked at all.
But Miles moved on to another unit, as he didn't even bother of trying to open it. As if, he even knew how to open it.
The next unit door is open-wide, its frame splintered and broken.
Inside, the stench of rot was overwhelming. Miles stepped in carefully, his boots crunching on broken glass.
In the center of the room, a large shape lay motionless on the floor. It looked like a human and cursed in between, its face still held recognizable features, but the body was twisted and covered in blood.
One arm was elongated and clawed, but the other although still slender hand of a human. But, the nail is growing in a moderate pace.
Obviously, given enough time. It would also turn into a clawed like those Cursed.
"Wh-what's was this? Could it be transforming?" Miles mumble in a slow shaky whispers.
"Is this how, they started? Like this... piece by piece?"
He pulled out his phone, the screen flickering to life as it display a data about the cursed and surrounding.
[Human-Cursed Detected: Transformation progress - 82%]
As he read, the creature's clawed hand twitched, and its body began to convulse. The human side of its face contorted in what looked like agony, while the twisted half split open to reveal rows of sharp, needle-like teeth.
Miles raised his M17, his finger tightening on the trigger. But, he didn't pulled the trigger. Because, he was curious.. curious how the cursed transform.
He had a strange feeling, this cursed may aswell just be a zombie. Afterall, it resemble one at all.
'The cannibal nature of the Cursed, grotesque feature and perhaps. It also infect people by bite? Who knows, this entity just appeared out of nowhere and cause chaos and ruin throughout the world.
So, maybe.. they're really a zombie?'
The entity's body arched off the floor, a guttural shriek tearing from its throat.
Black veins began to spread across its remaining human skin like spiderwebs, and its eyes, one clear and the other milky white that rolled back in its head.
If it was truly, a zombie like infection virus instead of some crazy dark magic that passed in his mind from time to time.
It may be possible to cure, these entities. Afterall, an infection is still virus and a virus is cureable in anyway. It might be hard to develop a cure, but it was possible anyways.
The creature began to push itself up, its clawed hand digging into the tile floor as it struggled to stand. Transformation progress on his phone jumped to 89% - it was almost complete.
Miles kept his aim steady, but his thoughts were already far ahead. If he could get a sample, if he could prove this was a biological threat... maybe there was still hope to turn things around.
The creature's movements grew more coordinated as it pushed itself fully upright, its twisted form casting a long shadow across the blood-stained floor. The phone screen flashed red.
[Human-Cursed Detected: Transformation progress - 97%]
Miles tensed, his finger hovering over the trigger now - ready to act the moment it became a full threat. The remaining human eye locked onto him, and for a split second, he thought he saw a flicker of recognition there before it clouded over completely, turning the same milky white as the other.
With a final, bone-chilling roar, the transformation finished. Its body had contorted into something no longer recognizable as human limbs bent at impossible angles, skin stretched tight over bulging muscles, and those needle-sharp teeth bared in a snarl.
But, before it lunged at hum.
It fall down lifelessly.
Because, Miles already had his aimed steady from the beginning. Although, that was stupid and dangerous move.
His curiosity is a bit overwhelming.
But, anyways. He had dispose of it easily, and without another second glance at the fallen creature.
turned his back and walked away, moving to the next unit. He inspected room by room, making sure that no curse remained would remained.
Everything is going steadly without any much trouble and encounter with any cursed.