Chapter 18 · Wrong Place, Wrong Time

"Get behind me. Now!" Cain didn't just say it; he shoved Lila backward, his palm slamming into her shoulder blade with enough force to send her reeling.

Before she could even gasp, a wet, slapping sound echoed off the metallic walls of the corridor. Something huge and pale lunged from the shadows, its limbs too long, its joints bending in directions that made Lila’s stomach churn. It wasn't just a monster—it was a mistake made of flesh and rage.

"What the hell is that thing?" Lila screamed, scrambling to find her footing on the slick, rust-covered floor.

"A failure," Cain spat. He stepped forward, his body shielding hers. The air between them crackled. He was barely breathing, but she could feel the heat radiating off his back, a wall of muscle and engineered violence. "The Nursery wasn't for babies. It was for prototypes that didn't make the cut."

The creature roared—a sound like grinding metal and wet bone—and leaped. Cain didn't flinch. He moved in a blur of motion, catching the beast mid-air. His fingers dug into the creature's grey, translucent skin, and with a guttural growl, he slammed it face-first into the bulkhead.