Evelyn Knox had never held a gun before today.

She had never taken a life, never worn body armor, never stood shoulder-to-shoulder with soldiers who looked at her like she was a liability. But there she was, gripping the cold metal of her standard-issue rifle with hands that trembled despite her best efforts to steady them.

The recruitment hub smelled of sweat, burnt coffee, and desperation. Every inch of the repurposed warehouse was filled with people—fresh recruits, seasoned fighters, and officers barking orders. She barely had time to process it all before someone shoved a data tablet into her hands.

Name: Evelyn Knox

Rank: Trainee

Assignment: Special Combat Unit – Team Delta

A low whistle sounded beside her. "Damn, newbie. They threw you into Delta?"

Evelyn turned toward the voice—a guy about her age, maybe a little older, with dark hair cropped close to his head and a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. His uniform looked more worn than hers, his sleeves rolled up as if he had something to prove.

"Is that bad?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

The guy—his nametag read Reyes—chuckled. "Not bad. Just means they expect you to either survive or die fast. Delta gets the worst assignments. If you're lucky, you won't have to shoot anything your first time out."

She didn't like the way he said it—like this was just another Tuesday for him.

A sharp voice interrupted their exchange. "Knox. Reyes. Move it."

Their commanding officer, Lieutenant Hale, stood by the transport vehicle, arms crossed over his broad chest. He was the kind of man who looked like he had never once hesitated in his life. His sharp gaze swept over the recruits like he could already tell who wouldn't last.

Evelyn swallowed hard and followed Reyes into the armored truck. The second she stepped inside, the door slammed shut, sealing them in with the rest of Team Delta.

Seven soldiers. Five seasoned, two fresh recruits. She and Reyes were the obvious newbies, but while he had the relaxed confidence of someone who'd been in street fights before, Evelyn felt every single ounce of her inexperience.

"Listen up," Lieutenant Hale barked. "This is a retrieval mission, not a full-scale engagement. We've got confirmed movement near the outer perimeter—something big, but not hostile yet. Orders are to scout, report, and extract any civilians still trapped in the area."

Not hostile yet.

Evelyn knew what that meant.

It meant whatever was out there could change its mind.

The transport rumbled forward, and for the first time since arriving at the recruitment hub, Evelyn let herself think about the reality of what she was about to do. She had spent most of her life avoiding this exact situation.

She hadn't signed up for war.

She had been drafted.

Her twin sister had been the one originally called for duty. But their parents, obsessed with the idea that Evelyn was the more capable one, had fought to have her take the position instead. They hadn't even asked what she wanted. It had been decided for her, like everything else in her life.

The hum of the transport's engine was the only sound for the next twenty minutes. Nobody talked. No one cracked jokes or tried to lighten the mood. Evelyn tightened her grip on her rifle, repeating the instructions she'd been given during training.

Safety off. Brace against recoil. Aim for center mass.

It all sounded simple in theory.

The reality was something else entirely.

The transport came to a sudden halt. A red light flashed above the door, signaling that they had arrived.

"Move," Hale ordered.

The doors slid open, revealing a city that looked like it had been caught mid-collapse. The once-busy district was eerily silent, the streets littered with debris. Flickering streetlights cast weak pools of yellow across the cracked pavement. Evelyn stepped out, gripping her rifle so hard her fingers ached.

The team moved in formation, scanning the area. Reyes walked ahead of her, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. Evelyn forced herself to focus, to take in the details. She might be new, but she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't be the weak link.

A faint noise echoed from a nearby alley.

Evelyn turned her head sharply. "Did you hear that?"

Reyes paused, his smirk disappearing. "Yeah. Sounds like—"

A shadow moved.

The first thing Evelyn registered was the size of it. Not human. Not anything close. It emerged from the alley in a slow, deliberate crawl—something massive, its form shifting in and out of the dim light. The streetlights barely touched its surface, as if the creature itself swallowed light whole.

Someone behind her muttered a curse.

Lieutenant Hale's voice was firm. "Hold your positions."

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. The creature didn't charge. It didn't growl. It just watched.

For a long, agonizing second, no one moved.

Then the silence shattered.

An explosion rocked the ground from a few blocks away. The creature flinched, then moved faster than anything that size had the right to. It darted toward the disturbance, disappearing into the smoke and chaos.

Evelyn barely had time to process what had happened before Hale was issuing new orders. "We move. Now."

The team broke into a run, following the creature's path. Evelyn's heart pounded, her boots slamming against the pavement as they navigated the ruined streets. She wasn't sure if it was fear or adrenaline keeping her legs moving.

Ahead, the smoke began to clear, revealing the aftermath of the explosion. A collapsed building. Fires burned in jagged patches across the rubble. And there—half-buried under debris—was a civilian.

A kid.

Evelyn didn't think. She moved.

"Knox, wait—" Reyes' warning came too late.

She was already sprinting toward the wreckage, dropping to her knees beside the trapped child. The boy was barely conscious, his breathing shallow. Blood streaked the side of his face.

"I got you," Evelyn said, reaching for him. "We're gonna get you out."

A shadow loomed over them.

Evelyn froze.

The creature was back.

It stood at the edge of the rubble, towering over her. Close enough now that she could see details—jagged edges where skin should be, eyes that burned like embers.

It tilted its head, studying her.

Time slowed. Evelyn felt every rapid beat of her heart, every drop of sweat trailing down her spine. She was unarmed, her rifle lying just out of reach.

Reyes was shouting. Hale was moving.

But the creature wasn't attacking.

It just watched.

For reasons she couldn't understand, Evelyn knew that if she moved the wrong way, it would change everything.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

She held the child tighter and didn't move at all.

The creature exhaled—a sound that was almost human. Then, without a sound, it turned and disappeared into the smoke.

Evelyn didn't breathe until Reyes reached her, pulling her to her feet.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered.

Evelyn had no answer.

All she knew was that something had just shifted.

And for the first time since arriving, she wasn't sure if she was fighting a war… or stepping into something much, much bigger.