The metallic door to Floor -2 groaned as it opened, revealing another long corridor drenched in an eerie silence. The air was even colder here, as if this floor had been untouched by warmth or hope for a long time. Dave stepped forward, his boots echoing ominously with each step. His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of his mission growing heavier with every moment. His mind swirled with thoughts of his sisters—Emily and Sarah—trapped somewhere in this hellish place. The very idea of them being here, suffering at the hands of Helios, sent a cold rage coursing through his veins.
As he turned a corner, Dave noticed a series of large, reinforced doors. Each had a small window, smeared with grime, and each room held twisted forms, mutated figures that no longer resembled the humans they once were. Helios had turned them into mindless slaves, their bodies contorted and enhanced in grotesque ways. But it wasn't just the sight of these wretched experiments that sent a chill down his spine—it was something lying in the corner of one of the rooms.
Dave's heart skipped a beat.
On the floor, partially hidden beneath a broken table, was a torn piece of fabric—delicate and familiar. He rushed forward, his hands trembling slightly as he bent down to pick it up. The cloth was soft, a pale pink that had been stained with dirt and blood. His eyes widened as recognition hit him. It was a piece of Sarah's favorite dress, the one she had been wearing the last time he saw her.
His breath caught in his throat. He held the fabric tightly in his hand, his mind racing. They were here. Somewhere on this floor, his sisters were alive—or had been alive at some point. The thought both relieved and terrified him. He couldn't waste any more time.
He took a deep breath and clenched his fists, steeling himself. As he stood up, he sensed movement in the hallway ahead. His eyes narrowed as he saw figures emerging from the shadows. They were once human, but now... they were monsters. Their bodies had been twisted by Helios' experiments—bulging muscles, elongated limbs, and distorted features. They shuffled forward, their eyes empty, driven only by the commands implanted in their broken minds. Helios had stripped them of their humanity, turning them into nothing more than puppets for his twisted ambitions.
Dave's fists tightened. He didn't want to hurt them—they were victims, just like the others. But there was no reasoning with them. They were beyond saving, their minds long gone, replaced by a single directive: kill.
With a heavy heart, Dave stepped forward, his body surging with energy as he prepared to face them. The first mutated slave lunged at him, its clawed hand swiping through the air with unnatural speed. Dave dodged to the side, delivering a powerful punch to the creature's chest, sending it crashing into the wall. The sound of bone cracking echoed through the corridor, but the creature didn't stop. It snarled, pulling itself to its feet with sickening determination.
More of them rushed at him, their disfigured bodies moving faster than he anticipated. Dave's mind raced as he dodged and weaved between them, striking with precision. He used his strength to its fullest, delivering crushing blows that incapacitated the mutated superhumans one by one. He had no choice but to put them down.
Each hit was a weight on his soul. These were once people—innocent victims of Helios' cruel experiments. Every time one fell, he felt the sadness deep in his chest. But he couldn't afford to let his emotions distract him. His sisters needed him, and the longer he delayed, the more danger they were in.
One of the mutated slaves—a hulking brute with metallic arms—charged at him, its footsteps shaking the ground. Dave gritted his teeth, focusing his power. With a swift movement, he raised his hand and slammed it into the creature's midsection, sending a shockwave through its body. The force of the blow sent it flying across the room, crashing through a wall with a deafening thud.
The rest of the mutated creatures hesitated for a moment, but their mindless nature soon kicked in. They charged again, relentless in their assault. Dave fought them off, his movements swift and precise, but the weight of his sorrow grew with each strike. They weren't enemies—they were victims. And yet, he had no choice but to fight them.
As the last of the mutated slaves fell, the corridor fell silent once more. Dave stood there, breathing heavily, his heart aching from the battle. He looked around at the broken bodies, knowing that this wasn't their fault. Helios had turned them into this—into monsters. And for that, he would pay.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Dave continued down the corridor, the torn piece of cloth from Sarah's dress clutched tightly in his hand. He needed to keep moving. His sisters were close—he could feel it.
Finally, he reached a door at the end of the hall, larger and more heavily guarded than the others. There was something different about this one. It felt significant, like it held the answers he had been searching for. Dave's eyes narrowed as he inspected the door, his heart pounding with anticipation.
There was no hesitation in his steps as he approached. The lock was advanced, but nothing his abilities couldn't handle. With a wave of his hand, the door's mechanisms clicked and whirred, releasing the seals.
As the door creaked open, a sudden rush of air hit him, and the smell of antiseptic and metal grew stronger. Inside, the room was dimly lit, but Dave could see several terminals and documents scattered across the desks. And there, pinned to the wall like a taunting clue, was a map with red marks scattered across it—one of which pointed to a location nearby.
His eyes scanned the map, his pulse quickening. This was it. A clue. His sisters were still here, hidden in one of the locations marked on the map. Without wasting another second, Dave memorized the details and prepared himself for the next phase.
Helios would not escape his wrath. Not this time.