The hatch hissed open with a sigh of stale air, the scent of rust and chemicals bleeding into the narrow shaft below. Zander slipped inside, boots finding the rungs of a metal ladder that descended into silence. As the hatch sealed above him, the hum of the city vanished—replaced by a low, constant vibration, like something massive and sleeping far beneath the ground.
He landed softly and crouched low, eyes adjusting to the dim glow of emergency lights pulsing along the corridor walls. The floor was polished steel, lined with pipes that pulsed faintly with coolant or some other fluid. It was cold, unnaturally sterile, yet the air carried a faint animal musk that didn't belong in a human facility.
Zander touched the wall lightly as he moved, his enhanced sense of touch picking up every subtle tremor. Vibrations told him stories—the steady pulse of generators, the faint echo of voices far ahead, even the rhythmic footsteps of approaching guards. He flattened against the wall just in time as two men walked past, their armored suits reflecting dull red light.
Their weapons gleamed—compact pulse rifles with rotating barrels. One of them muttered something about "feeding time" before their voices faded into the distance.
He exhaled slowly, pulse steady, then slipped further down the corridor.
The deeper he went, the more the environment changed. Walls grew wider, reinforced with black composite plating. Cameras tracked silently from above, and faint roars echoed from somewhere ahead—raw, guttural, and too large to belong to any common beast. Zander's eyes narrowed.
"What is this place…"
He reached a sealed blast door and crouched before the access panel. His fingers brushed the pad, and tiny shocks rippled up his nerves as he focused his touch—sensing the faint hum of circuits. He pressed in a rhythmic pattern, mimicking the guard's earlier tone beeps, and the door unlocked with a soft click. It slid open.
What lay beyond nearly stole his breath.
Rows upon rows of containment chambers filled the vast underground hall. Thick glass tanks, reinforced with energy fields, glowed faintly with bioluminescent hues. Inside them—creatures. Hybrids. Abominations. Some had scales, others feathers, some wore fur streaked with metallic veins. There were serpents with avian heads, wolves with reptilian tails, and something that looked almost human, crouched and twitching.
Most were weak, trembling, sedated with intravenous lines. Others snarled weakly as he passed. Zander's jaw tightened. He could feel their suffering vibrating in the air like a silent scream.
He stopped when he reached the farthest containment cell.
It was larger than the rest—reinforced with layered glass and wrapped in locking braces. Behind it, a beast lay chained to the floor, muscles rippling with restrained fury. His fur shimmered like hammered gold streaked with pale silver veins, the faint sheen of metallic hues running down his shoulders. His mane was dense and untamed, glowing faintly under the cold lights. Even lying down, the creature radiated power.
The plaque before the glass read:
PROJECT AURION – Experimental Hybrid Specimen #47-BX
Tri-Hybrid Genetic Sequence: Xenosmilus hodsonae × Smilodon fatalis (Saber- Tooth) × Panthera tigris altaica (Siberian Tiger)
Age: 2 years, 3 months (juvenile – growth phase active)
Projected Adult Size: 3.2m length | 2.1m height
Note: Subject derived from peak feline progenitors – predicted apex potential.
Zander stared, speechless. The creature's eyes opened—twin amber orbs flecked with silver. Intelligence burned within them, cold and focused. For a heartbeat, man and beast simply looked at each other.
Then, a low rumble rolled through the air—not a roar, but something deliberate. Controlled. It resonated inside Zander's chest.
The words weren't spoken, but they came to him all the same."Release me."
Zander stiffened, disbelief twisting through him. "Did you just… talk?" he whispered.
The beast didn't move, but its gaze sharpened, as if daring him to understand. Again, the vibration pulsed through his senses. Not a question. A command.
He took a step closer, resting his hand on the glass. "What are you?" he asked quietly, half to himself, half to the creature.
The hybrid's pupils narrowed. Its lips peeled back slightly, exposing a line of ivory fangs."Aethros," it rumbled—not through words, but through the subtle hum in Zander's bones. The name came like thunder muffled beneath the earth.
Zander's pulse quickened. "Aethros," he repeated. "You want freedom, huh?" He looked around at the others—their suffering, their cages, the cruelty that filled the room. Aethros's eyes followed him, unreadable but aware.
"Fine," Zander muttered, voice low. "But if you attack me… I'll end you myself."
Aethros let out a low, guttural sound that might have been approval—or amusement.
Zander stepped back and smashed the console beside the cell. Sparks exploded. The energy field flickered, then died. The cell door clanked open with a heavy metallic groan.
Chaos erupted.
Every other cage began to pulse and tremble as alarms blared. Emergency lights flared crimson, and containment seals broke one by one as Zander moved from cell to cell, releasing the creatures that could still stand. Sirens howled through the corridor above.
He sprinted to a nearby desk—grabbing a data file and a vial filled with glowing blue serum. The file's header flickered: HYBRID AURION PROJECT – ACTIVE STUDY RECORDS. He stuffed both into a pouch at his belt.
Then came the stomping of boots—dozens of them. Guards in exo-armor stormed into the chamber, rifles raised. Pulsefire erupted in a storm of blue streaks.
Zander twisted sideways, his Titan-lace suit absorbing the brunt of the first volley, though one blast grazed his leg, burning through the outer weave. Pain flared, but he pushed it aside. The armor shimmered faintly where the hit landed, repairing microtears with adaptive threads.
Aethros leaped from the cell, landing with earth-shaking force. The ground cracked under his claws. His roar shattered glass, sending shockwaves through the hall. The hybrids, sensing his dominance, turned their fury outward—charging the soldiers with primal rage.
Zander grabbed a fallen guard's weapon—a sleek plasma saber—and activated it. The blade hummed, blue light glinting across his eyes. He moved with trained precision, each strike controlled and efficient. Though he had spent more time strengthening his body than mastering weapons, his sword practice now paid off—clean, measured cuts slicing through the chaos.
The air filled with smoke, screams, and the scent of ozone. Sparks rained from the ceiling as containment systems overloaded.
Zander and Aethros fought back-to-back—one man, one beast—moving like mirrored instincts. The beast's metallic mane flashed as he crushed a guard beneath a swipe, while Zander ducked under a blast and countered with a clean arc of blue light.
Then the floor trembled.
A new sound filled the hall—heavy steps, slow and deliberate. The smoke parted, and from the far end emerged a figure in a deep-red armored suit, twice the bulk of the others. His visor glowed crimson, and in his hands, he carried a massive energy axe, humming with volatile power.
The soldiers fell back instinctively.
Zander tightened his grip on the plasma saber. Aethros growled, silver veins across his body beginning to shimmer faintly, casting long shadows across the blood-streaked floor.
The new opponent stopped, voice crackling through his helmet.
"Containment breach confirmed. Eliminate all hostiles."
Zander took a slow breath, stepping forward beside the beast. "You want to fight?" he muttered, smirking despite the burn in his leg. "Then come get us."
The red-armored enforcer raised his weapon. The axe ignited.
And Zander charged.