Dave stepped through the heavy, reinforced door and descended into the heart of Helios's twisted lair. He found himself on the first underground floor of the facility — a dimly lit, labyrinthine structure that reeked of death and despair. The moment he entered, a rancid stench assaulted his senses, forcing him to cover his nose and mouth. It was the smell of blood, decay, and something far worse that he couldn't quite place.
He took a step forward, his foot squelching on the slick, stained floor. The fluorescent lights above flickered intermittently, casting eerie shadows that seemed to twist and writhe along the walls. The corridor stretched before him, lined with doors on either side. Dave's gaze shifted to the first door on his right, a chill running down his spine as he reached out and slowly pushed it open.
Inside, the sight that greeted him made his stomach churn. Rows of metal tables lined the room, each one covered in bloodstained sheets. Human body parts — limbs, organs, and grotesquely deformed remains — were scattered haphazardly, some stored in large glass containers filled with murky fluid. There were torsos with missing limbs, heads without eyes, and bones stripped of flesh. The walls were adorned with surgical tools — saws, scalpels, and other instruments — all coated in a dark, congealed substance that could only be blood.
Dave clenched his jaw, his hands trembling slightly as he took in the horror before him. Each table seemed to hold the remains of experiments gone wrong — or perhaps they had gone exactly as planned. Whatever Helios had been doing here, it was beyond monstrous. He turned away, bile rising in his throat.
The next room was no better. As he stepped inside, he saw people — or what was left of them. They were strapped to vertical slabs, their bodies twisted and contorted in unnatural shapes. Some were missing limbs, others had multiple arms or grotesque growths sprouting from their flesh. Their eyes were vacant, lifeless, and yet, a few of them twitched and moaned softly, trapped in an endless nightmare of agony and suffering.
Children. There were children among them, their small frames broken and scarred beyond recognition. An older man's skeletal figure hung loosely from his restraints, his mouth permanently twisted into a silent scream. A woman's body was split open, her organs visible, and yet her chest still rose and fell weakly, indicating some semblance of life.
"What kind of sick monster would do this?" Dave whispered, his voice barely audible. Rage bubbled up within him, but so did something else — fear. If Helios was capable of doing this to innocent people, what had he done to Emily and Sarah?
The thought alone nearly brought Dave to his knees. He could see his sisters' faces in every broken, mangled body. He imagined their voices crying out in pain, begging for help. A shudder ran through him, and he had to fight to keep his breathing steady.
'Stay calm. Keep it together,' he told himself, squeezing his eyes shut. But it was no use. The horror around him was too overwhelming.
"Dave, focus," Bella's voice echoed softly in his mind, a comforting presence amidst the chaos. "You're strong. You have to stay calm and think clearly. We'll get them back."
"Bella, look at this place," Dave muttered, his voice strained. "Look at what he's done. What if… what if this is what's happening to them? What if—"
"Don't go down that path, Dave," Bella interrupted, her tone firm yet gentle. "You can't let these thoughts consume you. You need to be strong, for them. They need you now more than ever."
Dave nodded weakly, trying to push the images of his sisters out of his mind. He needed to stay focused, but it was difficult. Every broken body, every twisted limb was a reminder of what could be happening to the people he loved.
"Think of something happy, Dave," Bella urged, her voice softer now, almost like a lullaby. "Remember the time you and Sarah spent all day at the lake, laughing and trying to catch fish with your hands? Or the time Emily baked that horrible cake, and you all pretended it was the best thing ever?"
Dave managed a small, strained smile. "Yeah, she tried so hard… And it tasted like charcoal."
"Exactly. You have to hold onto those memories. They're still alive, and they're waiting for you. You can't lose yourself to anger. Not yet."
Taking a deep breath, Dave straightened up, his resolve hardening. He wouldn't give in to despair. Helios hadn't broken them yet, and he wasn't going to let him.
He continued down the corridor, forcing himself to move past the rooms filled with horror. Each new door he opened seemed to reveal a fresh nightmare — people with wires embedded in their skin, tubes connected to their organs, and devices grafted into their bones. Some had been experimented on to the point that they were no longer recognizable as human. They were husks, barely clinging to life.
Finally, as he neared the end of the corridor, he pushed open a door that led into a larger chamber. The room was filled with computer screens and data storage units. Dozens of metal shelves lined the walls, filled with binders and notebooks — all neatly labeled and organized.
Dave scanned the labels, his heart pounding. One particular binder caught his eye: Project Omega — Emily and Sarah. He snatched it up, flipping through the pages.
His breath hitched as he read the contents. It detailed the initial stages of the experiments planned for his sisters. The notes mentioned compatibility tests, potential genetic enhancements, and… breeding programs. Dave's vision blurred with rage. Helios had no intention of simply killing them — he wanted to use them for something far worse.
"Bella," Dave growled through gritted teeth. "I swear… I'm going to make him suffer for this. I'm going to destroy everything he's built."
"Then let's get to work," Bella replied, her voice filled with steel.
Without another word, Dave turned to the door leading to the next floor — the -2 Floor. He pushed it open, descending deeper into the abyss, his mind set on a single purpose: annihilation. As he reached the landing, a dark, oppressive energy radiated from him, and every living soul in the base felt it.
They knew that death had come knocking on their door.
And no one — not even Helios — would escape it.