The gate swung open into pitch blackness and concrete. Mu Chen stepped through and found himself in a cramped underground tunnel, old pipes and dead lights lining the walls. Somewhere far ahead, water was dripping. The air had a distinct smell of rust and damp stone.
Ye Fan followed right behind him. Way too close. For a split second, Mu Chen felt Ye Fan's chest press against his back before they both shifted. Neither of them said a word.
Zhou Xiao came in next, grumbling, "I hate tunnels."
Lin Lan glanced at her tablet. "Signal's weak. The layout feels unstable."
Ye Fan held up a hand, signaling them to move. They followed the passage downwards, their boots making soft sounds on the wet concrete. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, and old military warning signs were peeling off the concrete. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
Mu Chen recognized this kind of gate now. Not the loud, violent kind right off the bat. This was the kind that just... waited.
A low sound reached them from up ahead. Metal scraping against the floor.
Zhou Xiao raised his weapon.
Lin Lan whispered, "Contact."
The tunnel opened up into a platform area, old and neglected. Broken rails crisscrossed the floor. Storage crates were piled against one wall, some of them split open, their contents long gone.
Then, it emerged.
Tall. Skinny. Almost human-like. Its body looked like it was made of wires hidden beneath skin. Its eyes glowed pale in the dim light.
It looked at Ye Fan first. Then at Mu Chen. And it smiled.
Mu Chen's stomach dropped. The creature moved incredibly fast. Ye Fan met it head-on, his knife a blur. Zhou Xiao fired from the side. Lin Lan dropped low, sweeping a smaller shape off the tracks just before it could reach Mu Chen.
The platform erupted into chaos. Ye Fan pushed the main creature back, but the pressure from the gate seemed to shift with every strike, trying to latch onto Ye Fan's control. He was too focused. Too aware. Too close to the edge.
Mu Chen stepped in, catching Ye Fan's sleeve as he turned. Just a quick touch. That was all it took. Ye Fan steadied himself.
The creature noticed. Its grin widened. "There," it whispered. "Again."
Zhou Xiao swore. "Can these things just shut up?"
Lin Lan pointed towards the far wall. "Core signal!"
A flash of blue-black light pulsed behind a collapsed service door.
Ye Fan slashed the creature across the throat and yelled, "Move!"
They rushed towards the service door. Smaller monsters started crawling out from the tracks.