The rain had become the city's only voice.
Every drop that fell over Los Angeles whispered the same thing — that the world above was gone, and what was left below didn't deserve saving.
Ethan adjusted the strap of his rifle and stared across the flooded street. The neon sign of what used to be a diner flickered faintly behind the curtain of rain. The word "OPEN" still blinked, even though the city had been dead for years.
Riley crouched beside him, her dark hair plastered to her face. She had a small scanner in her hand, its green light pulsing.
"Signal's getting stronger," she said. "It's coming from that building over there — beneath it, actually."
Ethan frowned. "Government frequency?"
She nodded. "Encrypted, but active. Which means someone — or something — is still alive down there."
A low growl echoed from the alley behind them. Both of them turned instantly. Shadows moved between the wreckage — three, maybe four of them.
"Company," Ethan muttered, clicking the safety off his rifle.
The creatures that emerged from the alley weren't like the slow ones they used to know. These were faster, leaner — their skin stretched tight, their eyes glowing faint amber in the dark.
The new breed.
Ethan fired first, the muzzle flash lighting up the street. The first creature's head snapped back, body collapsing in a splash of rainwater. Riley spun, tossing a flash grenade that detonated in a burst of white light.
The others shrieked, clawing at their faces. Ethan took the moment to sprint forward, pulling Riley with him toward the diner.
They crashed through the door, barricading it with a table. The smell of mold and old coffee filled the air.
"Basement," Riley gasped. "The signal's below us."
They found the hatch behind the counter, hidden beneath a loose tile. A keypad blinked red beside it.
Ethan wiped rain from his eyes. "You can crack it?"
Riley smirked, tapping her device against it. "You doubt me again, soldier?"
A spark, a beep — then the hatch clicked open. A faint draft of cold, dry air rose from below.
Ethan peered into the darkness. Metal steps spiraled downward, vanishing into the shadows. He aimed his rifle into the void.
"Stay behind me," he said.
They descended in silence, boots echoing against steel. The air grew colder with every step. At the bottom, a door awaited them — heavy, reinforced, and marked with peeling letters that still glowed faintly in the light of their flashlamps.
> PROJECT MISTRY — AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
Riley exhaled slowly. "So it's real…"
Ethan touched the handle. "Let's find out."
The door groaned open, releasing a gust of air that smelled of rust, dust, and something far worse.
What waited beyond wasn't a basement — it was an entire underground facility. Rows of broken consoles, shattered glass, and old laboratory lights flickered weakly along the ceiling.
"Jesus…" Riley whispered. "What the hell is this place?"
Ethan's flashlight swept across a wall filled with names, photos, and identification cards.
Every one of them stamped with the same insignia — a spiral with a dot at the center.
The same symbol from the government's old epidemic response program.
He crouched, picking up a cracked clipboard from the floor.
> Subject 02 – Neural Revival Unstable. Recommend Termination.
Before he could read more, a distant metallic clang echoed through the dark. Riley's head jerked up.
"Something's moving."
Ethan raised his rifle. "Stay close."
They followed the sound — footsteps dragging, something scraping metal against concrete. Then a faint light ahead, pulsing like a dying heartbeat.
They reached the end of the hallway — and froze.
There, standing against the flicker of emergency lights, was a human silhouette. Too still. Too tall.
Riley's voice trembled. "Ethan… that's not a survivor."
The figure turned slowly. Its eyes glowed faint gold. Its mouth stretched into something that was supposed to be a smile.
Ethan's finger tightened on the trigger.
"Riley. Run."