We moved quickly toward the balcony, our footsteps echoing off the cold, metallic walls. As we neared the stairwell that led up to it, a chilling, distorted scream pierced the air, stopping Freya in her tracks. She froze, a flicker of fear passing over her usually calm face. I knew things were bad, but... she muttered, shaking her head, Something's not right.

I felt the same dread clawing up my spine, a primal fear I didn't want to acknowledge. But before I could say anything, a voice broke through the chaos—Maude's voice, desperate and panicked, shouting in struggle. Instinct kicked in, and I pushed everything else aside, sprinting up the stairs two at a time. I heard Freya curse under her breath but she followed, her footsteps close behind.

We burst onto the balcony's hallway, and saw a grotesque creature looming over Maude in the corner of the room. At first, I couldn’t make sense of its shape. It was human… almost. But everything about it was wrong. Its skin was pale and stretched too tight over its bones, its limbs contorted in unnatural angles, like it had been pulled apart and stitched back together by someone who didn’t quite know what a human was supposed to look like. And its breathing... a high-pitched growl, drowned in unbound aggression.

It towered over Maude, who was sprawled on the floor, one hand pressed against a bleeding wound on her leg. She was trying to stay focused, but I could see the panic in her eyes, her chest rising and falling too fast. The creature’s attention shifted to us, its head snapping around with a speed that made my heart skip a beat.

In an instant it lunged forward, charging at me, a guttural scream tearing from its throat. It was fast—faster than I’d expected—but I held my ground. I met its gaze and in a moment's reaction, planted my feet firmly on the ground, raising my arm.

With a sickening crunch, its head slammed into my elbow, the impact jarring through my bones. The creature crumpled to the ground, instantly motionless. For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing.