The air inside the warehouse crackled with tension as Ayla and Zara crouched behind a stack of crates, weapons drawn. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the far end of the building, growing louder with each passing second. Their target was close—too close. It was only a matter of time before the deal went sideways, but Ayla had no choice but to press forward. The stakes had never been higher."Something doesn’t feel right," Zara muttered, her fingers tightening around her gun. "We’re being watched."Ayla scanned the dimly lit space around them, her sharp eyes darting from shadow to shadow. She knew what Zara meant. The warehouse was too quiet—too still. Even with their forces positioned at key entry points, the feeling of imminent danger hung in the air like a storm cloud ready to burst.“Keep your head in the game,” Ayla replied in a low voice. “We don’t have the luxury of hesitation right now. We need to move, fast.”Zara’s gaze flicked to the far corner of the warehouse, wher

The trapdoor slammed shut, sealing Ayla inside the hidden basement. The sudden silence that followed was suffocating. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart pounding in her chest. The echoes of the falling men still lingered in the air, a grim reminder of the price of betrayal. But it wasn’t over, not yet.Ayla’s hand instinctively reached for her gun, but the familiar weight of the weapon was no comfort now. Her mind was racing, trying to piece together the chaos. Marcus was no longer just a traitor, he was a monster, using everyone around him as pawns in a game he had already won. The realization made Ayla sick to her stomach.She didn’t have much time. The men she had just trapped would not stay down for long. They were too well-trained, too determined. Ayla could hear their muffled shouts as they recovered below, calling for backup, their voices tinged with anger.Her only option now was to escape. The safe house was compromised, there was no way she could stay there. But Zara

The eerie silence in the chamber was deafening. Ayla and Zara were pressed against the cold stone, their ragged breathing the only sound in the otherwise still air. The creature was still below them, snarling and clawing at the walls, but it could do nothing now but wait. They were safe, at least for the moment.But neither of them felt safe.Ayla gritted her teeth against the pain in her side, her hand pressed firmly against the wound. The blood was slow to stop, but she couldn’t afford to let it slow her down. There was still too much to do, too many questions to answer. How had the creature found them? Why had it attacked? And most importantly, what the hell was it?Zara, still gripping the ledge above her, glanced at Ayla, her expression tight with anxiety. “Are you okay?”“I’m fine,” Ayla snapped, although she could feel the weakness creeping in. She forced herself to sit up straighter, ignoring the pulse of pain. “We can’t stay here. We need to move.”Zara nodded, but she didn’t

The world around Ayla dissolved into darkness, and for a moment, she thought she had lost consciousness. The sound of the creature’s growls, its blood-curdling roars, filled her ears. The air was thick with the scent of decay, of ancient darkness that clung to the very walls of the temple. Her body was frozen, too stunned by the force of the creature's presence to move.Zara’s frantic breathing was the only thing that reminded Ayla she wasn’t alone. She forced her eyes open, squinting into the suffocating shadows. She could barely make out the creature, its hulking form emerging from the green mist that poured from the cracks in the floor. Its eyes were like burning coals, glinting with a feral hunger."We need to run!" Ayla shouted over the noise, though she knew it was futile. The creature was too fast, too powerful. They wouldn’t escape this.Zara nodded, her eyes wide with terror. "Where? There’s no way out!"Ayla scanned the chamber. The walls were closing in, the floor trembling

Ayla’s heart hammered in her chest as the creature lunged toward them with unimaginable speed. She had no time to think, only react. The world around her moved in slow motion as she watched the monstrous figure barreling toward them, its jagged claws ready to tear through them both.The stranger, blood still oozing from his wound, stepped in front of Ayla, holding his ground with the last of his strength. His breathing was shallow, but his grip on his daggers was steady, his body poised for the fight of his life.“No,” Ayla cried out, grabbing his arm. “You’re hurt! You can’t”But the stranger’s face was set in grim determination. “You’ll need to fight, too. I’m not your savior. You are.”Before she could protest further, the creature was upon them. Its speed and strength were unmatched, and the shockwave of its movement knocked Ayla off her feet. She crashed to the floor, her vision spinning for a moment. But before she could collect herself, the stranger was already in the fray.His