The dim glow of the system interface hovered in Sienna Wolfe's vision, translucent yet insistent, a haunting reminder of her predicament.
NEXT OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE UMBRELLA'S ACTIVITIES.
REWARD: SYSTEM UPGRADE (AWARENESS MODULE).
PENALTY: ELIMINATION.
Her lips tightened into a grim line as she gripped the crowbar, its cold steel a tenuous comfort in her trembling hands. The rhythmic pounding on the steel-reinforced door echoed through the small apartment, each impact rattling the fragile barricades she had hastily assembled.
Outside, the Tyrant waited—a hulking shadow with eyes like smoldering coals. Its mechanical precision was terrifying; every step it took was a calculated promise of death. The system chimed in her mind again:
THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME. AVOID DIRECT CONFRONTATION.
Sienna's HUD flickered to life, overlaying the building's layout onto her vision. A bright blue line highlighted a fire escape three floors above. "Of course," she muttered. "Because staying put would be too easy."
The apartment groaned under another impact, cracks spidering along the plaster walls. Her window of escape was shrinking. Steeling herself, she tightened her grip on the crowbar and sprinted into the hallway.
The building's corridors were tomb-like—dim, silent, and riddled with the echoes of those who had fled or fallen. Suitcases lay abandoned in corners, their contents spilling out like forgotten memories. Blood smeared the walls in frantic streaks.
Sienna's boots barely made a sound as she crept forward, every sense on edge. The system's tactical overlay marked potential hazards: weak floorboards, broken glass, and dark recesses that could conceal threats.
A faint moan from ahead froze her mid-step. The sound was sickly, guttural—a reminder that she wasn't alone.
Turning a corner, she came face-to-face with a zombie. Its gray, rotting skin stretched tight over its bones, and its eyes were vacant yet disturbingly focused on her.
The creature lunged. Sienna didn't think; her body moved on instinct. The crowbar swung in a vicious arc, connecting with the zombie's temple with a sickening crunch. Bone gave way, and the creature crumpled.
She barely had time to breathe before distant groans reached her ears. The system pulsed:
WARNING: MULTIPLE HOSTILES DETECTED. EGRESS ROUTE ADVISED.
Adrenaline surged as she bolted up the staircase. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she reached the second floor, only to find a horde shambling toward her from a collapsed corridor.
Her HUD flashed a suggestion:
TIP: USE DISTRACTIONS TO DIVERT HOSTILES.
Sienna's eyes darted to a propane tank lying near an overturned cart. Grabbing a heavy wrench, she hurled it at the tank. The resulting clang reverberated through the building, drawing the zombies away like moths to a flame.
Reaching the third floor, Sienna stumbled into an apartment. The air inside was thick with decay. The furniture was overturned, and bloodstains painted a macabre story on the walls.
Her gaze fell on a handgun lying on the kitchen counter, alongside a box of half-empty ammunition. The system pinged:
ITEM ACQUIRED: M1911 HANDGUN. 7-ROUND CAPACITY. CONDITION: FAIR.
SUGGESTION: MAINTENANCE REQUIRED.
Sienna picked up the weapon, her assassin training snapping into place. She checked the magazine—three rounds. Not ideal, but it was better than nothing. With quick, practiced motions, she loaded the bullets and chambered a round.
SKILL ACTIVATED: FIREARM MASTERY. PRECISION AND RECOIL CONTROL ENHANCED.
The pounding on the apartment door intensified, splintering wood and warping hinges. Sweat beaded on Sienna's brow as she slipped toward the fire escape.
A snarl behind her made her whirl around. A zombie lunged from the shadows, its teeth snapping inches from her face. She fired instinctively. The gunshot was deafening in the enclosed space, and the recoil jarred her arm.
The zombie crumpled, a gaping hole in its skull.
XP GAINED: +50.
Sienna didn't waste another second. She climbed out onto the fire escape, the night air biting her lungs as she descended into the chaos below.
Raccoon City was an inferno. Fires raged unchecked, consuming cars and storefronts alike. The streets teemed with undead, their grotesque forms shambling toward any sign of life.
The system marked her next objective—a subway station several blocks away. Sticking to the shadows, she moved cautiously, her weapon ready.
A low growl stopped her in her tracks. Slowly turning, she spotted two figures emerging from the darkness—dogs, or what was left of them. Their skeletal forms were slick with gore, and their eyes burned with unholy light.
ENEMY IDENTIFIED: ZOMBIE DOGS (CERBERUS). THREAT LEVEL: HIGH.
One of the dogs lunged. Sienna barely dodged, rolling to the side as its claws raked the air. She fired a shot, grazing its flank, but it only seemed to enrage the beast.
The second dog charged. Sienna grabbed a trash can lid, using it as an improvised shield to deflect its attack. As it stumbled, she drove the crowbar into its skull, the force of the blow sending shockwaves up her arm.
The first dog circled, growling. Sienna spotted a broken glass bottle nearby. Grabbing it, she hurled it at the creature. The sharp shards distracted it long enough for her to line up a clean shot. The bullet pierced its skull, and the dog collapsed.
XP GAINED: +100. NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: QUICKDRAW (FASTER TARGET ACQUISITION).
Her chest heaved as she retrieved her crowbar and reloaded her handgun. The encounter had drained her, but she pressed on.
The subway station was a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Survivors huddled together, their faces pale and gaunt. The air was heavy with despair and unspoken fear.
A man in a bloodied lab coat approached her cautiously. His eyes darted to the entrance as if expecting an ambush.
"You're not... one of them," he said, his voice shaky.
"Depends on what you mean by 'them,'" Sienna replied, scanning the room.
"I worked for Umbrella," the man confessed. "I know why this is happening. Why they're here."
"Who?"
"The Tyrants," he whispered, his face pale. "They're not just hunting survivors. They're hunting you."
Before Sienna could respond, a deafening roar shook the station. Dust rained from the ceiling as distant screams echoed through the tunnels. The survivors scattered in panic.
The man thrust a briefcase into her hands. "If you want answers, they're in here. Now go!"
Sienna hesitated only for a moment before sprinting toward the exit.
NEW OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE THE BRIEFCASE.
LOCATION: RPD (RACCOON POLICE DEPARTMENT).
Emerging onto the burning streets, Sienna clutched the briefcase tightly, her mind racing with the lab coat's words: They're hunting you.
Her system pinged one final time:
TIP: TRUST IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
She gazed out at the city, its once-bustling streets now a warzone. The screams of the living mingled with the growls of the dead, a symphony of despair.
Sienna tightened her grip on the briefcase. The fight wasn't over—not by a long shot.