It was impossible to deny what stood before them.That thing was an XCP.The creature advanced slowly, its long, grotesque legs dragging across the floor, while the students stood frozen, paralyzed by pure fear."Run!!! We can't let that thing kill us!!!"Chris's voice cracked like a whip, snapping them out of their trance. Without thinking, he grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and hurled it at the monster.CLANG!The extinguisher struck the creature, barely making it flinch — but it was enough. As if a switch had been flipped, the students bolted, scattering through the gym doors like rats escaping a sinking ship.The creature twisted its head unnaturally, its white, bulbous eyes swiveling as it scanned the chaos.And then... it picked its prey.Candace.Everyone knew Candace wasn't athletic. She wasn't built for running — or anything physical, really. And somehow, that thing knew it too.It lunged after her down the halls."NO... NOOO! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"Candace cried out

[Time to wake up. Breakfast is ready.]Jasper shot up in bed, wide awake. For a moment, he thought it had all been a dream... but no. He knew exactly where he was. The XCP Foundation. He had been brought here."Let's see... the room."He got up and began inspecting the space. Everything was perfectly organized: his clothes were folded inside a metal locker, a white towel hung beside a compact shower, a new tube of toothpaste sat on the sink, and there was a pair of sneakers placed neatly underneath. On a small table, a video game console was already on at the main menu, next to a handwritten note."Remember not to waste too much time playing video games.—Your teacher, William."Jasper let out a small laugh. At least someone in this place seemed to care."Well... time to get out of here," he said confidently as he walked toward the door.But the moment he stepped outside, he froze.Stretching out in both directions, and directly ahead of him, were endless rows of white rooms. He couldn

"Oh, you sure are perceptive, Neo 4," F16 said, lowering his tone as he crossed his arms."I'm sorry, but Neo 6 has earned enough merit to have breakfast in the mess hall."Neo 4 clenched her fists in fury. Her voice trembled with anger."Oh, I see... you're telling me that the guy who let three teammates die on a mission has earned more merit than me?"The tension was thick. F16 noticed it, but didn't back down. His polite expression vanished completely."Listen, Neo 4. Our mission is to contain or eliminate XCPs—not to save teammates. Neo 6 completed the mission. If you're that upset... why don't you earn more merit?"Neo 4 was speechless. She could only watch as he walked away, leaving her there, alone and burning with frustration.***"Hey, you're not dead, right? Neo 7, wake up!"The voice reached him through a fog, distant and muffled. Jasper was slowly regaining consciousness."Hey... Suse, did you kill him?" asked another voice, this one clearer.Jasper opened his eyes and saw

Everyone went quiet the moment E7 raised his voice. All attention in the room locked on him. Something big was coming."Don't act surprised!" shouted the man with a crooked smile, arms wide open like he was welcoming them to a twisted party. "You all know why you're here. Human trash... You were given one last chance to escape death."Jasper swallowed hard. His eyes scanned the other inmates in green. He was surrounded by criminals. He didn't know what was coming, but one thing was clear: if he wanted to improve, he had to survive."Today, Agent ICE's squad brought in something special," E7 continued, pacing back and forth with manic energy. "An XCP… something different. A beast. One that cost us blood and lives."His voice grew louder, the tension thickening like a storm about to break. Then he held up one finger."One. I want you to figure out what its ability is."A second finger went up, that manic grin never leaving his face."Two. Find out if it has any weaknesses. Or if it even

"Shit, those sons of bitches!" Jasper shouted, furious. In front of him, the XCP inside the cave stared as if it already knew how he was going to die.The monster's arms extended from the walls like living tentacles, reaching for him, trying to drag him into the darkness.("I see... those aren't just arms. They're extensions of the cave itself. This cave is the creature...") Jasper thought, struggling to escape its grasp.As it overwhelmed him, the XCP released even more arms. Without hesitation, Jasper pulled out his pistol and aimed directly at one of the creature's eyes."Son of a bitch—fuck you!"BAM!BAM!The cave trembled. The arm holding him convulsed violently before collapsing. Jasper fell to the ground, gasping for air."Okay... I need to get out of here..."He forced himself to his feet, but not without paying the price—one of the claws had slashed his leg. Limping, he pushed forward, ignoring the pain."I just have to..."But in his desperation, he lost sight of the breath