Ava was finishing her dinner at the dining hall, her mind elsewhere, when the lights went out. Six officers, silhouettes in the gloom, rushed in barking orders.
-"Maintain order! No immediate danger! Backup generators will activate soon. I repeat..."-
Ava barely heard the officer's voice, her mind consumed by worry for her mentor.
-"Hey, you! Don't run in the hall!"-
-"Get out of my way!"- she retorted, shoving the officer aside. She sprinted towards the elevators as the emergency generators sputtered to life, fear urging her forward.
She darted to the elevator and through the maze-like tunnels that led to Dr. Walsh's laboratory, one identical turn after the other. The lab door yawned open, revealing a pitch-black interior. A single light bulb flickered uselessly in the corner, casting long, menacing shadows.
-"...Dr. Walsh?"- Ava cried out in a shaky voice. -"...Doctor?!"-
Most of the lab's light bulbs had shattered. Only one remained, illuminating the exam table.
The doctor lay sprawled on the floor beneath it, her body wracked with pain, her mind grappling with the horror she had unleashed. Her spirit broken. Her breath came in quick, shallow gasps as she tethered on the edge of unconsciousness.
-"Doc!"- Ava cried, rushing to her side. She feared for the worst as she frantically checked for a pulse. -"You're okay... You're okay..."-
A weak, but steady beat thrummed beneath her fingers. A flicker of hope ignited in the student's eyes. -"I'll... I'll go get help! Hold on!"- She shot up and bolted from the lab, her urgency fueled by desperate hope.
As Ava fled, a sinister figure lurked in the office's doorway, partially concealed by the shadows. It reached for the ventilation rack nearby, its form shifting unnaturally as it squeezed through the opening and escaped the confines of the laboratory. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence.
The threat Dr. Walsh had so recklessly ignored was now loose upon the world, ready to unleash its destructive power upon any being it deemed inferior.